By Joan Mieritz
The Stargazers will hold their regular monthly educational meet- ing on Thursday, June 1, at the Community United Methodist Church at 434 Lewis St. Use the parking lot and enter at the door right off the parking area. (We keep the front doors locked.)
There will be a social hour starting at 6pm with coffee/tea and treats. You can bring something to share if you would like. From 7 to 8:30pm, we will be studying the new category of planets, ‘dwarf planets’… rocky and icy Pluto and Charon.
Incidentally, Pluto did not get “demoted.” It is no longer a “terrestrial planet,” but started its own very large group of dwarf planets.
The Stargazers will have many activities in June.
The Chimney Rock Interpretive Association is putting on ‘Life at Chimney Rock’ on Saturday, June 3, and Sunday, June 4, from 10am to 4pm. It is a free event, but the Forest Service has an “amenities charge” of $10 per vehicle, which is half of the regular vehicle fee. There will be areas set up for all the activities of the ancient people at Chimney Rock such as yucca pounding, bean cooking, maize grinding, weaving, rock art, pottery making, atlatl throwing, astronomy, the major lunar standstill and more.
The activities are mostly for children and adults who would like to “be a kid,” if the line is not too long. The activities are hard for adults to resist, so don’t. Just have fun. Food and drinks will be available for purchase. The Stargazers will have a table and will focus on explaining the lunar standstill, which is just beginning. Members are asked to be at our table for a two-hour shift to talk with visitors about the club and answer any questions about astronomy. There is always a lot of interest at our table and an enjoyable time is had by all.
After the full moon has dimmed at the beginning of the month, we will have a night of telescope training on June 9. The June 9 telescope training is for club members only.
On June 16, we present a program for the public, titled ‘Stars and Galaxies’, where we look for deep sky objects. On June 23, we present to the public Our Solar System with a focus on the moon and visible planets. The larger the telescope, the more amazing the surface of the moon looks.
Stars and Galaxies and Our Solar System are open to the public. You can come and pay for your ticket at the gift shop. We usually don’t fill the programs in May or June. The gate opens at 7:30pm.