The planet Mercury transited the Sun’s face a couple of days ago, but because of the Review’s publication deadline, too late for me to actually see it before writing about it. Perhaps I can offer a few words next week if the transit actually happened (pretty much a 100% chance), and it didn’t cloud over or something (62% chance it’s sunny).
Otherwise, it’s fairly quiet this week around here: on Friday the 13th, the 1st Quarter Moon lies a few finger-widths below Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation Leo, and on the 14th, the same distance below Jupiter. You are already be able to identify the Moon; might as well use it to pick out other things.
Speaking of Saturday the 14th, it just happens to be International Astronomy Day (the last day of Astronomy Week), one of the times astronomy clubs make an extra effort to share their hobby with the public. In Canada, events are sponsored by many of the greater than sixty independent amateur astronomy organizations, and each of the 28 centres of the 5000 member Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC). I am not aware of independent clubs in Saskatchewan, but know that the Regina and Saskatoon Centres of the RASC have events planned.
While Astronomy Week provides an annual focal point, these organizations host numerous public star nights. Here in Saskatchewan, the ‘big event’ is the Saskatchewan Summer Star Party in the Cypress Hills, being held this year August 3rd through 7th.
Yes, all these people spend a lot of their free time in the dark fighting either frostbite or mosquitoes, and they like nothing better than to share that experience with you. Oh, and the astronomy part too.
Most amateurs I know support astronomy education and public outreach. Many offer star nights and solar viewing to supplement elementary science classes. Efforts extend into educating the public into appreciating efforts to protect the night sky from light pollution. Goals may vary from just getting members off the couch and out observing, to building a shared use or public observatory.
But in the end, star parties like Astronomy Day happen because amateur astronomers believe that you cannot appreciate your place in the universe until you’ve seen it with your own eyes. And that, of course, can happen any night of the year by simply walking outside into your own back yard.
