Mercury,
November/December 2000 Table of Contents
With
little effort you can help bring the wonders of the universe down
to Earth.
by
Steven W. White, formerly of Kitt Peak National Observatory
"I
get paid to show people Saturn in a telescope. I get to watch people's
eyes light up and hear them say, "Wow!" I get to see misconceptions
dispelled after a lifetime of comfortable, unchallenged residence.
I get to plant the seed of curiosity in the minds of children. Sometimes,
I get to see normal people transform into amateur astronomers."
Author
Steven White describes his work at the Kitt Peak Visitor Center
in southern Arizona. White and three other dedicated amateur stargazers
conducted the Nightly Observing Program. They gave visitors an understanding
of the astronomical distance scale. They showed people how to identify
constellations. And if the weather was clear, they gave them spectacular
views of the heavens through the Visitor Center's 16-inch telescope.
Along the way, they had a lot of fun.
The
Kitt Peak program has turned thousands of people into budding amateur
astronomers. White says that Kitt Peak's success can be duplicated
elsewhere. He outlines step-by-step how the Kitt Peak group organized
and conducted their stargazing program, and how other amateur astronomers
can learn valuable lessons from the Kitt Peak experience in order
to start a program of their own.
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