Why Should I Set Up the Scope for a Public Viewing Session?

Abstract

One of the most gratifying and fun evenings you can have with your telescope is a public viewing session. We have learned not to call this a star party, because the uninitiated public will show up expecting a “party”. Providing people a chance to view the wonders of the sky for the first time allows you to get in touch with your first time, also. Do you remember the very first time you saw the rings of Saturn, or the Ring Nebula? Can you recall when a fuzzy globe focussed to become a giant ball of glittering stars? If that first evening has become a faded memory, then you can recover some of that sense of wonder by helping others get in touch with their place in the Universe. (See Fig. 17.1)