Dennis Hausch was the first NWFAA member to make it through the summer tourist traffic on US 98 and start setting up for solar viewing at Topsail Hill State Park. As each member made it through the gauntlet additional equipment was added to the collection. Dennis and Dean Covey setup white light filtered scopes and Tom Haugh set up a Hydrogen-Alpha telescope. It was fortunate we had three solar scopes. We had 50+ guest observers view the Sun before sunset. That is a record for Topsail Hill.
 Guest observers look for sunspots. |
 Dennis and his filtered IOptron. |
Well before sunset Dave Halupowski unloaded his dobsonian and waited for the Sun to set. As usual Jupiter started the nighttime viewing before the Sun set. As the sky continued darkening Mars and Saturn came into view high in the southern sky. By then club member Robert Sutphen joined us as he made his first trip to a Topsail Hill event. Additional celestial targets viewed were Alberio, the Ring Nebula, the globular cluster M 4 as well as the Milky Way; the skies were that clear and that dark. In addition, the ISS was also visible as it made a low pass across the northern horizon.
 Dave checks out the Sun with Dean’s Celestron. |
 Tom and Dennis share the Sun with the guest observers. |
The estimated attendance was in excess of 80 people, but some of those were returning solar observers. Still this was our best attended Topsail Hill public star gaze. All-in-all a great event.