Girl Scouts at Arunah Hill

The girls of Scout Troop 252 from Williamsburg probably think that Arunah Hill is always warm and sunny during the day and clear at night, because that's just what they got last Saturday night. Troop Leaders Margie Dunphy and Ann Haxo, 15 girls and 3 other adults enjoyed and afternoon of hiking and picnicing, and topped it off with excellent observing, as skies remained clear until nearly 9:00 P.M. (the planned departure time). Jim Downing, Dan & Jon Carnevale, and Rich Volant manned the telescopes while Steve Pielock, Dee Dee Pielock, Bob Osgood, Deb Volant, Sheena Volant, Nick Volant and Jon Downing kept a campfire burning and provided great hospitality and ambiance.

The afternoon began for the Scouts with an introduction to two types of telescopes. Jim Downing explained how his 12.5" dob worked and then illustrated refractor principles on the Gaertner as part of the requirements for the Girl Scout "Sky Search" badge. Sunspots were viewed through the Gaertner and also with a Sun Spotter projection device. After viewing the far away hills through binoculars, the scouts took a hike around the top of the hill, with stops at Scout Heaven, the False Summit, Poet's Rock and Raven's Perch. While some girls (and a few adults, quietly) complained about the "long" walk, the group was unanimously amazed by the handiwork of the two Arunah shelters. After a picnic lunch, some "Red Rover, Red Rover," tutorials on finding the north star and reading star charts (more "Sky Search" stuff), and some hanging out on the hill, it got dark enough to observe.

The sky cooperated for several hours allowing good views of: M11 (Wild Duck Cluster), M13 (Hercules Cluster), M27 (Dumbbell Nebula), M31 (Andromeda Galaxy), M57 (Ring Nebula), M81, M82, the Double Cluster in Perseus, Alberio (yellow/blue double star), Epsilon Lyra (double-double star), Mars and Uranus. The Scouts were also treated to some stunning views of Neptune thanks to Rich Volant and his astrophotogrphy setup. The girls comments reminded me (and maybe a few others) of why we do this sort of thing. "Totally cool," "awesome!," "that's incredible!," were just a few of the remarks. As the clouds rolled in, scouts and leaders expressed their thanks and then headed down the hill toward Williamsburg. What a great feeling to be able to help share the wonders of Arunah Hill with others!

- Jim Downing 10/16/01

	Arunah Hill Outreach Program Girl Scouts at Arunah Hill - October 13, 2001

The girls of Scout Troop 252 from Williamsburg probably think that Arunah Hill is always warm and sunny during the day and clear at night, because that's just what they got last Saturday night. Troop Leaders Margie Dunphy and Ann Haxo, 15 girls and 3 other adults enjoyed and afternoon of hiking and picnicing, and topped it off with excellent observing, as skies remained clear until nearly 9:00 P.M. (the planned departure time). Jim Downing, Dan & Jon Carnevale, and Rich Volant manned the telescopes while Steve Pielock, Dee Dee Pielock, Bob Osgood, Deb Volant, Sheena Volant, Nick Volant and Jon Downing kept a campfire burning and provided great hospitality and ambiance. The afternoon began for the Scouts with an introduction to two types of telescopes. Jim Downing explained how his 12.5" dob worked and then illustrated refractor principles on the Gaertner as part of the requirements for the Girl Scout "Sky Search" badge. Sunspots were viewed through the Gaertner and also with a Sun Spotter projection device. After viewing the far away hills through binoculars, the scouts took a hike around the top of the hill, with stops at Scout Heaven, the False Summit, Poet's Rock and Raven's Perch. While some girls (and a few adults, quietly) complained about the "long" walk, the group was unanimously amazed by the handiwork of the two Arunah shelters. After a picnic lunch, some "Red Rover, Red Rover," tutorials on finding the north star and reading star charts (more "Sky Search" stuff), and some hanging out on the hill, it got dark enough to observe. The sky cooperated for several hours allowing good views of: M11 (Wild Duck Cluster), M13 (Hercules Cluster), M27 (Dumbbell Nebula), M31 (Andromeda Galaxy), M57 (Ring Nebula), M81, M82, the Double Cluster in Perseus, Alberio (yellow/blue double star), Epsilon Lyra (double-double star), Mars and Uranus. The Scouts were also treated to some stunning views of Neptune thanks to Rich Volant and his astrophotogrphy setup. The girls comments reminded me (and maybe a few others) of why we do this sort of thing. "Totally cool," "awesome!," "that's incredible!," were just a few of the remarks. As the clouds rolled in, scouts and leaders expressed their thanks and then headed down the hill toward Williamsburg. What a great feeling to be able to help share the wonders of Arunah Hill with others! - Jim Downing 10/16/01
02/24/2005 djc