July 2019

This month marks the 50^th anniversary of Apollo 11. Hard to believe that much time has passed for some of us since then. I was around then and have very fond, distinct memories of both the first landing and of how exciting our space program seemed back then.

The space program brought a lot of members into Skyscrapers and while some of the excitement of going to the Moon has worn off, the excitement and enjoyment than many of us get from viewing the night sky hasn’t.

To further this enjoyment, we have some fun and exciting things planned for the summer season.

Firstly, there will be a special meeting on Saturday, July 13 at Seagrave. We will start early with a potluck dinner and social time, then as of right now, have an Apollo retrospective with reminiscences and memorabilia.

Next, we’ll be holding member star parties on Saturday, July 20, Saturday August  31 and September 21. Put these dates in your calendar and bring a scope, binoculars or just your eyeballs to share the sky.

Don’t forget… Jupiter and Saturn share the southern sky in close proximity for the next few months. This is a great time to see them, especially if we get some of those hazy, humid nights where the air gets really steady. We have some great telescopes that can give exceptional views of both, especially our venerable Alvan Clark 8 inch. Be sure to get to Seagrave some time and take a look!