Celestial Celebration 2010

Special Presentation:  Eclipses - Expeditions to Darkness

Plus Binocular Star Walk

Saturday, November 6  - 7:00 PM 

with Murray Paulson

Murray is an avid solar eclipse chaser with 6 expeditions to 4 continents over the last decade, and one Transit of Venus trip to the island of Crete in 2004.  The 2009 eclipse from China was the longest of the 21st century and the eclipse this past July from the South Pacific involved a rare clouded out view of the fully eclipsed sun.

Binocular Star Walk:

Following Murray's PowerPoint presentation on eclipses, he will give us a guided tour of the night sky using binoculars.  Bring along your binoculars and follow Murray's tour of some great star clusters, planets, nebulas and asterisms.   

Murray will also have a few pieces of the Whitecourt Iron Meteor and Buzzard Coulee meteorite for display and for sale.  Meteorites are yet another fascinating aspect of Astronomy that has infected this veteran astronomer.

Here Murray visits All-Star Telescope with pieces of the fireball that many saw in November 2008.  It landed in thousands of pieces east of Lloydminster.

More information on these meteorites and information about purchasing one of these pieces from space can be found on Murray's website at:

http://sites.google.com/site/murraysmeteorites/

Murray's PowerPoint presentation will be in a slightly heated shelter - but you should dress warm - especially to fully enjoy and learn from Murray's binocular Star Walk which will be outdoors, under the stars.   Evenings in November at Didsbury are always cold.

Telescope observing will follow the binocular star walk for anyone wishing to stay later and view many of Murray's binocular highlights in greater detail with a telescope.

Did we mention, DRESS WARM!.   You can always come inside to warm up, drink some hot chocolate and visit with others.  

The All-Star Telescope shop will be open if you are looking to purchase binoculars, a telescope or any accessories.