Here’s the early-morning update on tonight’s star party at Galaxy Quest.
First, the bad news. The listserv appears to be down, so those who don’t happen to check the Web site may never receive their updates via email. Now the good news…
The most important weather report, the Clear Sky Chart, predicts that Galaxy Quest will be free of clouds all night. Not surprisingly for Maine, transparency and seeing will be far better in New Mexico, but we take what we can get around here. Despite the sunny day preceding the party, it will be cold, with temperatures hovering just below freezing. It may be windy, fast enough to chill bare hands and maybe to disturb any less robust mounts, but that should improve rapidly throughout the night. All told, an adequately workable night for the ultimate field trip for a class of sixth graders who have already been postponed once.
That said, there will be an update later today, because the Gods of the Clouds do not all agree. Some weather reports predict a sunny day followed by heavy clouds rolling in just as the students arrive. Generally, the Clear Sky Chart trumps all other predictions, but we’ll be watching and will keep everyone informed.
We are anticipating at least eight telescopes, but even more astronomers. A carload from Downeast Amateur Astronomers is planning to attend, but we felt it was more important for them to mix with us and to see Galaxy Quest than to be glued to their own telescopes.
The students will arrive at 8:00pm. Those bringing telescopes or helping to chaperone the event, arrive however much earlier you like to set up, so the eyepieces will be blazing by show time.
