Join us on Saturday Aug. 2nd at 7:30pm for the next MAS Beginner Group outdoor observing session. It will be held at Metcalf Field at Belwin Conservancy, near Afton. Sunset will be at 8:38pm that evening.
This event is weather dependent. If Saturday night is forecasted to be cloudy, the backup night will be the prior Friday Aug. 1st at 7:30pm. So, if you are planning to attend, please respond here or drop me an e-mail at
c3VyZXNoa3MxIHwgbXNuICEgY29t so I can keep you informed of changes due to weather.
There is no charge to attend an MAS Beginner group event, and you do not need to be an MAS member to attend -- everyone is welcome, including children. The purpose is to help beginners learn the night sky, and to learn how to set up and use a telescope. Volunteers from the MAS will be on hand to answer your questions and show you objects thru their own telescopes. We typically have around 50-60 attendees, with 25-30 telescopes of all types set up across the field.
Bringing a telescope to the event is optional, but if you have one, bring it!! If you need help with learning how to set up and use it, we are happy to help. There is AC power available at Metcalf Field on the north and east sides, so if you need power to run your telescope or other equipment, just bring an extension cord so you can connect.
The Moon will be 64% illuminated and will set around midnight. That will give us time early in the evening to view lunar craters and then have time under a darker sky to go after nebulas, clusters and galaxies. This is a great time of year to view all sorts of deep-sky objects. As dusk falls, we will start with some amazing globular clusters, such as the Hercules cluster (M13), M3, M4 and M5. And then we will point our telescopes into the Summer Milky Way, which will cross the sky diagonally as darkness falls. Among the targets will be the Lagoon (M8), Trifid (M20), Swan (M17), Eagle (M16), Ring (M57), Dumbbell (M27) and Crescent (NGC 6888) nebulas. Several beautiful open clusters will also be visible, such as the Butterfly (M6), Wild Duck (M11), Sagittarius Star Cloud (M24) and M34. And then, after we've had our fill of the Milky Way, we can view some galaxies coming up in the east, such as Andromeda (M31), Triangulum (M33) and NGC 891.
Saturn rises around 10:30pm this night and will clear the trees in the east around 11:15pm or so. Saturn passed its equinox last March, and its thin rings were nearly invisible. But they are now visible once again thru our telescopes. People who can stay later into the night will have a special treat. Saturn's largest moon Titan will cast its shadow onto the Ringed Planet, starting around 1:25am. About a degree due north of Saturn lies Neptune. We will seek out that distant blue world and its mysterious moon Triton.
So come join us!! As usual, we will again have the goodie table!! Feel free to bring something to share, such as cookies or other treats. This is totally optional, and no one should feel obligated to do so.
If you are planning to come, please bring a lawn chair or blanket and a few extra layers of clothing, in case temps dip overnight.
Directions to Metcalf Field: (see this Google Maps link):
https://goo.gl/maps/ UNkt67YPWg4qAjuP6
Metcalf Field GPS Coordinates: 44.93734 N / 92.82157 W
For more information on Metcalf Field, see here:
http://www.mnastro.org/ facilities/metcalf/
Driving Directions: Head east past Woodbury on I-94 to the Manning exit (exit 253). Turn south and then take the first left onto Hudson Road S. Continue east about 1.5 miles and turn right onto Indian Trail. Check your odometer here, and then travel 1.1 miles. You'll see an unmarked chain-link gate on the right side. This is the entrance to Metcalf field. Enter the dirt path and park on the left side. There will be 2 small reflectors on poles and a larger white MAS sign marking the entrance. If you have a telescope with you, you can also park on the right (north side) of the field.
If you haven't been to Metcalf Field, it can be a little difficult to locate the entrance. So please plan on arriving in daylight.
I plan on making the Go/No Go call weather call the evening of Thursday July 31st. As mentioned, if Saturday night is forecasted to be cloudy, we may reschedule this event to Friday night if the weather prospects are better. So please e-mail me at
c3VyZXNoa3MxIHwgbXNuICEgY29t to stay informed. If you have any issues finding Metcalf Field, you can call my cell at 612-910-0444.
Also, if you'd like to volunteer to help out at this or any future Beginner group events, please let me know!
Also check out other Trips & Adventurous Activities in Afton.
