Join Martin Park on Sunday afternoons 2pm - 4pm in July and August to learn more about the big, bright ball of burning gases that sits about 149.6 million miles away from us. That’s right, we’re talking about the Sun, or Sol, as we like to call our local star. We’ll have a solar telescope so you can safely look at the Sun’s features up-close, fun facts to learn about our hot neighbor, and Friends of Martin Park will have craft kits available for purchase to make your very own kaleidoscope, sun catcher, or sun print art!
We are looking for two Club volunteers to man the telescope and trade off over the 2 hour period. You can also bring your own solar equipment for the public to look through.
Martin Nature Park Center visitor please use this link to register for the events. Registration is free for these events.
Just returned from the park. For those who may not know where it is, it’s just west of Mercy Hospital near Memorial and Meridian and the entrance is on the one way eastbound portion of Memorial. Any telescope is welcome, white light or solar. Our setup location is directly off the back porch of the Nature Center which provides shade, a/c in the building and they will provide cold drinks for us.
It went well. The clouds were mostly high clouds so didn’t really obscure the sun. Also had a few inquiries about the club. I plan to take a white light scope next Sunday as I don’t have a solar scope.
The nature center’s 76Ha was already set up and tracking flawlessly when we got there.
Jeremy brought his own Lunt, plus a seestar, plus a 70 mm old Celestron manual alt/az that he’d adapted with a funnel and filter for a pure white light reflection view. Genius.!
The Nature Center counted 41 participants at their tables, but we must have had all of them, plus 10-15 walk-through adults and children. Old Sol cooperated perfectly until a few moments of shadow in the last 15 minutes or so. But there was very little down time for the duration. Several people were very interested in joining the club.
I think it was a fine event for our outreach, and the Nature Center treated us very graciously.
Be aware that there is about a 100± yd walk from the parking lot to the building. You may want a wagon if you bring your own scope.
I hope more of us will help support this 2 hour event!
I DO plan to be there. I sure hope others can join me with or without their own solar setup. It’s a popular attraction as visitors enter and exit the building to the trails. Especially families with children! The Park provides a sturdy stepstool for kids.
Great outreach opportunities! Wish I had some signage or cards. OR to be really Hi-Tech, a printed or on-phone scan code to the club’s main website! would be really cool.
We are in the shade (except for the scope(s) of course), right next to the building with plenty of water support from the Staff.
They have added a pop-up too to keep viewers mostly out of the sun. And on the banner (toward the bottom) there is a QR code to connect the interested with the club. Thank you Marvin!
