South Plantation Students Enjoy Night Sky From Riverwoods

Riverwoods Field Lab of the Center for Environmental Studies of Florida Atlantic University in Cornwell, Florida
 http://www.ces.fau.edu/education/riverwoods/
has and will be hosting students from various schools. Part of our program is to present them "The Night Sky From Riverwoods". I am the part-time Education Specialist at Riverwoods and run the evening astronomy program. I have been teaching the students about Citizen Sky, Epsilon Aurigae, and the night sky in general.

Attached you will find a photo of one of the Environmental Science classes from South Plantation Magnet High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida recently enjoying the night sky. Look at the excitement on their faces. They absolutely love it. We are at the last dark sky site in all of south-central to south Florida. These students come from the big city and see our pristine dark skies to 6.0 magnitude or better. They love it when I do the constellation and star show with my green laser pointer and teach them all the constellations, bright star names, mythology, point out naked eye variable stars, and show them the Moon and planets.

The second attached photo shows a South Plantation student studiously peering through our 12 inch reflecting telescope.

I want to encourage the Citizen Sky members to continue to spread the good news of the night sky. These are our future amateur astronomers.

Just a fun side note with the group photo. I am the tall fellow in the red shirt. I am six foot six inches tall. Behind me in the white shirt holding the orange flashlight is a 10th grader who is six foot eight inches tall. It was great to finally have to look up to someone!!!

Chris Stephan
Robert Clyde Observatory
Sebring, Florida USA