Our monthly meeting originally scheduled for October 14 at the Rocky River Nature Center was canceled. The nature center parking lot was being resurfaced. The meeting was rescheduled for 7:30 p.m., October 21.
The October 2019 meeting of the Cuyahoga Astronomical Association (CAA) will feature a presentation by club member and Cleveland State University Research Astronomer Jay Reynolds. The historic 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing will be the focus of the talk which will progress into NASA’s next steps in crewed space exploration following the end of the shuttle program.
The CAA’s monthly meetings are held on the second Monday of every month except December at 7:30 p.m. in the Rocky River Nature Center; 24000 Valley Parkway; North Olmsted, Ohio, in the Cleveland Metroparks. Meeting programs are open to the public. Following the presentation and a brief social break, the club will conduct its membership business meeting.
June 22 — If you could not attend last night’s Lakewood Summer Solstice Celebration, it was something extra special.
The clouds dissolving into blue skies, a small crowd building into thousands gathered by the water’s edge. Without instruction, slowly quieting, to watch the magic that they had come for: a magnificent sunset. As the top of the Sun, disappeared, the quiet, polite, spontaneous sound of applause could be heard.
CAA was there.
Aside from all the “other” activities, the solstice steps and CAA telescopes were the most embraced by the crowd. At each scope, lines and lines to catch a glimpse of Sun and Jupiter! All while a “friend of the club” provided event drone coverage, with a requested emphasis on CAA.
Suzie Dills, Michael Estime, Jay Reynolds Observe the Sun, by Carol Lee
Our friends at Channel 3 came out in force, with their drone, a live remote truck, a reporter doing a story on Lake Erie, and Michael Estime doing weather hits. Michael specifically pointed out CAA several times, with CAA, busy in the background doing what we do best! Our own Nora Mishey, specifically, in one of the “weather hits” to show how much fun she was having.
Climbing High to See the Sun, by Alan Studt
Last year was the first city of Lakewood Solstice event. Last year’s attendance estimates, by police, were 3000-4000 people. This year, Lakewood police estimated attendance… 15,000. They base that on Lakewood’s, usual Fourth of July attendance. Last night was equivalent. Not all 15,000 were by us, or the steps. At the Celebration’s peak, people were spread out over the entire park.
Solar Filter Card, by Alan Studt
While we can only estimate how many actual people we served, attendance makes last night one of the largest non-dedicated astronomy events that we’ve supported. (Our largest dedicated astronomy event was 2012 Transit of Venus which 7,500 attended.)
A Bucket Full of Sunlight, by Alan Studt
Members were on their feet from 4:30 till 10:30 with no breaks, too many smiling people to speak with! As the evening progressed, you could hear the familiar sounds from telescope viewers expressing the happy appreciation of the views of our Sun, Jupiter and its moons. Of course when Saturn came into the scopes, you heard breathless disbelief and the question, “Is that a sticker?” “That can’t be” or the quiet statement “Wow!”
Anticipation Grew High as Sun Drew Low, by Alan Studt
We can be proud of not only our representation, but the patience and kindness of our members. Even members who did not have scopes were engaging the audience and making sure visitors “got the most” out of it. Visitors were polite and showed outright appreciation and said thank-you a lot!
Gary Kader’s Antique Telescope Projecting Solar Image, by Alan Studt
Finally, we earned the gratitude of Lakewood City Hall organizers and the mayor’s office. Not just gratitude but increased equity in our already good relationship. Organizers, and the mayor, expressed their appreciation so many times during the evening. At the end of the night, overwhelmed by such success, we were asked three times, “what can the city do for CAA?” Not something we generally hear after an event.
Spectacular Solstice Sunset, by Alan Studt
All this, is a demonstration of this organization, it’s who we are!
Our first CAA meeting of the New Year is scheduled tomorrow (Monday, Jan. 9) at Rocky River Nature Center. Our speaker, at 7:30 PM, will be Jay Reynolds, CSU astronomy instructor, who will give a presentation about NASA’s missions to Pluto and Ceres. Non-members are welcome to attend!
The night of June 21 the Cuyahoga Astronomical Association (CAA) participated in the city of Lakewood’s Summer Solstice Celebration. The event, featuring food, music, dance, and frivolity, really focussed on the solstice sunset and the beginning of summer. Representing the CAA, CSU astronomy instructor Jay Reynolds worked with city officials to coordinate safe solar observing through club member telescopes. Reynolds also convinced officials to extend Celebration hours slightly to allow attendees to observe nighttime objects through telescopes.
Reynolds reported that, “In the end, the event drew more than 4,000 to watch a sunset, do some crafts, eat at a food truck (with Lakewood Hospital “Stroke Truck” next to them), look through some awesome telescopes and interact with some really inspiring, kind and generous representatives of the Cuyahoga Astronomical Association! Really well done!”
A tremendous crowd was present, parking up city streets for blocks and covering the Lakewood Park Solstice Steps at the lakefront. There were lines at food trucks and, later, at telescopes, but plenty of space for families to spread out and enjoy the show — both natural and human-made.
Here are some photographs made during the celebration….
Celebration attendees cover the Lakewood Park Solstice Steps as they watch the Lake Erie Sunset.Girl views Sun through CAA member Tim Campbell’s telescope.Two young ladies view the Sun through a rather short telescope brought by David Nuti for kids smaller than these!Oh yes, the sunset! The Celebration was blessed with a gorgeous Lake Erie sunset. The crowd broke into applause as the last bit of red-orange sun disappeared below the horizon!
“Immediately after the sun dipped below the horizon, we were mobbed with people,” according to Reynolds. “…they saw very good views of Jupiter and its moons, Mars with polar ice cap and dark regions, and Saturn with its rings, and a lot of people saying WOW!”
Jay Reynolds, gesturing as attendees view Jupiter, coordinated CAA’s participation in the Celebration.CAA President Bill Murmann watches as young woman views Jupiter.Long line of folks wanting to view Jupiter through Suzi Dills’s big Meade. Sorry about blocking your smiling face, Suzi!A long line to view planets through an 1874 Alvin Clark & Sons refractor, brought by Gary Kader. Nope, the scope isn’t bent, it’s only fisheye lens distortion! {whew!}A Dobsonian light-bucket affords views of Saturn to a little girl.
“Towards the end of the night, the representative of Lakewood came and remarked what a nice group we were and it looks like everyone had a great time. She also remarked how appreciative they were, that CAA supported their event and brought these wonderful telescopes.” Reynolds said, “My comment to her was: “this is who we are, this is what we do”.
After sunset scopes pointed skyward and offered views of planets Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn. Bob Wiersma’s large home-built refractor was a crowd favorite.
Jay Reynolds and the CAA express their thanks for bringing the scopes to the following: Rich & Nancy Whistler, Bill Murmann, Gary Kader, Chris Christe, Dave Nuti, Tim Campbell, Carl Kudrna, Bob Wiersma, Steve Spears, and Suzie Dills. Thanks, too, Anita Kazarian who helped coordinate viewers among the scopes and provided information.
CAA: Cuyahoga Astronomical Association 