by Paul Voss
The sky was clear and the temperatures cool when Jeffry and Paul gathered to explore the night sky on October 22. Bright Venus followed the setting sun as Mars and Saturn made their appearance. Once again Jeffry’s 6-inch reflecting telescope revealed a clear view of Saturn’s rings. As the sky darkened, the telescope brought into focus the Andromeda galaxy and the M2 globular star cluster in Aquarius. Familiar constellations filled the overhead sky.
Glowworm sparkling in the grass
October 21 marked the peak Orionids meteor shower, and 24 hours later there were still several streaks across the sky to enjoy.
Turning our eyes the other direction revealed several spots of white light in the grass. The glowworms seemed delighted by the autumn night coolness. (Lampyris noctiluca, picture from the internet)
We’re going to try to make these stargazing evenings a regular event while we follow the seasonal progression of the planets, stars and constellations. Look for announcements and come join us next time!
