> I'm organizing a small star party for our school at
> Del Valle reservoir the night of Thurs May 1, 2003 and I'm
> looking for
> someone who has (or knows somebody who has) an image
> intensifier (similar to
> the TeleVue/Collins I3 for 1.25" eyepiece) that we could
> borrow for the star party.
I do many star parties at school grounds. I myself show planets, but
my colleagues show star clusters, M31, etc., and are quite successful,
even in the bright city.
The kids often ask (about Saturn, especially) if that's for real? Is
it a picture? No, it's real light coming directly from Saturn, taking
well over an hour to come down here and into your eye. Nothing else in
the way.
The kids love, it, and suddenly the planets are real places -- not
mere theoretical objects in a book or on a screen.
Gary and Bob have similar success with deep-sky objects, and I believe
you will, too. Pick out bright clusters, be sure there's no interfering
flashlights, and allow their dark adaptation to do its work. Then shift
to fainter things. We can show M57 in the light-polluted city. It's
even more spectacular from your dark site.
Please read the stuff on my web site with advice (below).
Clear Skies!
-- Jim Van Nuland, San Jose (California) Astronomical Association <a href="http://www.svpal.org/~jvn/newteach.htm#tips ">Advice at star party</a>