by Sid Baglini
Saturday, September 14, 2024
7:30 PM
Meet at the Paoli Battlefield near the flagpole
No, that title is not wrong. This month, we are doing something a little different and a lot exciting! At the invitation of the Chester County Astronomical Society (CCAS), we are partnering with them in the celebration of International Observe the Moon Night. We will join groups all over the world who pause on that night to take a good, long look at our beautiful partner in our dance around the Sun—The Moon. Members of the CCAS will set up their telescopes on the eastern side of the Battlefield, looking toward the trees that border Malvern Prep, and our Moon Walkers will have the benefit of their expertise and their enthusiasm for all things Space related, but especially Earth’s lunar satellite.
You may wonder why this does not occur on a night when we can view the entire Moon rather than a Waxing Gibbous Moon when it is merely 82% illumination. The brilliance of a full Moon tends to wash out the shadows that define the geography of the Moon. It also greatly limits what else can be seen in space. We need light to see what is here on our planet but darkness enables us to see what is shining in the universe. Since our focus on the 14th is the Moon, we will take advantage of it being nearly full which will let us get up close and personal with most of it.
An added bonus is that our eyes on the Moon during the peak of bird migration season may allow us to see flocks of birds moving south as they are backlit by the Moon. You can sometimes see this with binoculars but it will be quite extraordinary if we catch sight of it through the telescopes.
As our Walk When the Moon Is Full group nears the 5 year mark, we should feel honored that our small band of night sky enthusiasts was chosen out of all the communities in Chester County to share this special event with the Chester County Astronomical Society. If you are planning to attend, it would help if you respond in the affirmative to this message so I can give the CCAS organizer a ballpark number of attendees. Of course, all of this is dependent on cooperative weather so collective fingers crossed for clear skies. Very cloudy skies or threatening storms will result in cancellation. Convenient parking is available near the flagpole and monuments at the top of the hill on the Paoli Battlefield. We will not be walking from the Borough Hall in order to maximize our telescope time!
This special event will be in lieu of our regular Full Moon walk this month. In October, we Moonatics will resume our regular walk with a new appreciation for our Lunar companion.