Runnymede event a success

I'd like to take a moment to thank the generous volunteers who supported me at the Runnymede Public School star party.

The Runnymede PS Volunteer Committee had asked me to conduct a brief talk on astronomy in the library and then give everyone a chance to look through a telescope. I knew I'd need lots of help to pull this off.

From the RASC Toronto Centre, William S (80mm refractor, info sheets), John B (8" Dobsonian), Tony H (5" Mak-Cass), and Ken B (binos and green laser), joined myself (8" SCT, super-green laser), and parents Jennifer and Alex C (10" Dob, orange safety cones) in the school yard at dusk. Everyone put on a good show for the kids and others!

We had many passers by, cyclists, baseball players dropped in too. I gather we made quite the commotion on Runnymede Rd North.

Saturn was the big attraction, of course. Everyone could easily see Titan. Alex and Jennifer's big Dob coaxed out Rhea, Dione, and the gaggle Tethys/Mimas/Enceladus, as well as clouds and shadows on the planet's surface.

The weather conditions were remarkably good. It was warm! No dew (as predicted). And the air became extremely stable around 9:30 to 10:00 PM as I started to view double stars! Rock solid! We were not troubled by the bright 15.9 day old Moon.

Everyone had left and during my last trip to the car I finally saw a flyover (around 10:19 PM)! Started very bright in the north, estimated mag. 1 or 0 even, about 25° up, travelled slowly to the east, passing through Gemini and under Mars, dimming rapidly now, and finally disappearing below Procyon. I have no idea what it was. Spy-Sat, I assume.

I was honoured with the assistance of the RASC crew. Could not have done it without them. A big thanks is due to Jennifer and Alex for the help in advance and during. Thank you to Hilary I for inviting me to share my life-long passion with the children and parents of Runnymede Public. And finally, a big thanks to the custodial staff of the school for shutting off the lights for us!