20070520 - 1st International Sidewalk Astronomers Night in NYC
Session name: 20070520.1500

Despite the gloomy darkness and threatening clouds, many people stopped to ask what was special today. I relayed to them the efforts of Donna Smith trying to mobilize a thousand amateur astronomers around the world to the street to share the night sky through our optics with the public on Saturday, 19 May. Since yesterday was a no-go, I was giving today a shot to show off the solar system. Through out the day from 3:00 to about 9:30, I would say a hundred or so folks stopped by. Early in the session not all had a chance to see anything but still stuck around asking questions.
I arrived mid afternoon wanting to share sights of the Sun. Sunspot 956 was clearly evident. Often times we had for the clouds to yield to the Sun. Actually, I think the clouds help the pedestrian grasp what they are looking at. For many, I inform them that the entire white disk they see is the Sun. With a black field of view, it is very easy for one to miss the fact that sun is not the little black dots on the white circle, rather the entire white circle is the Sun & the little black dots are a grouping of sunspots. (magnification ~ 26x; field of view ~ 2°). With the clouds passing before the Sun it provides something familiar the observer can relate to. Also, I suggest that folks look through the viewing window to see safely observe the Sun with no magnification. once again seeing a round disk and clouds passing over now become a familiar, known sight that when they look in the eyepiece, an equivalent to Eureka! moment occurs. I can't help but a grow a smile when this occurs.


The wet sidewalks and shallow puddles from the rain dried rather quickly. The lawn before us was now empty, people returned slowly but fewer in number.
Ben would arrive about this time and he concentrated on Mercury. He pointed it out above the western treetops to the assembling crowd where it was a difficult naked eye object but rather easy in the bins.



I am glad that I made it out to share with teh public and hope that the others in the City were able to get to the street. Two AAA observers, Bruce & Rik, were planning to setup by the American Museum of Natural History while Derek was to be headed downtown to Union Square. Rich was setting up with others in Brooklyn. I'll be checking the gomsa board to see if any reports are posted.
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