Eclipses and transits-Once in a life time events!
Join us for some once in a life time events.  Learn about the upcoming Transit of Venus (June 5) and the Annular Eclipse (May 20). How they happen, when they happen and why they do not happen all the time. Join us at your local library branch for FUN games, activities and Star Gazing (weather permitting). Presented by Wayne (Skip) Bird from the Westminster Astronomical Society.

Date: Monday, 5/14/2012

Time: 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM

Location: Carroll County Public Library, Westminster Branch, 50 East Main Street, Westminster, MD 21157 (Get Directions)

Event Log

Name of Primary Presenter/Organizer: Wayne Bird

Event Type: Star Party(Astronomy night): School/Public/Other group

Number of club members participating as presenters: 2

Toolkits Used:
   Telescopes: Eyes on the Universe
   Shadows & Silhouettes
   Exploring the Solar System
   Space Rocks
   Other NSN Resources (Telecons, Astronomy Resources Download, etc)

Topics Covered:
   Asteroids/Meteors
   Black Holes
   Comets
   Extrasolar Planets
   Gravity
   Light Pollution
   Moon
   Phases & Eclipses
   Size/Distance Scales
   Solar System
   Star Life Cycles
   Sun
   Telescopes

Total number of visitors: 17

Comments and anecdotes about the event:
CCPL Westminster "Only the Shadow Shows" Program. Program from 7 to 9 pm. (2 Total) 17 guests. Most of these programs are all the same because I'm having the Transit host's watch so they can explain the same questions I cover. Using several different tool kits we put together a show that covers Eclipses, transits and why we don't see them all the time. We had the kids running around each other trying to make eclipses and we even talked about the super rare double transit also happening on June 5. That is when the Venus and Earth will both transit the sun as seen from one of the stars Kepler is observing. Lots of kids. We used them all to show how the different positions of the moon can cause an eclipse and Venus's transit.