Prof. Dunn, Danyelle, Prof. Wheeler, Eugenia, and
Lance (left to right) at the
2004 Kisatchie Star Party in the Kisatchie National Forest.
What an adventure! Faculty and students from Delta attended its first significant star party in the beautiful Kisatchie National Forest located 20 miles south-southwest of Natchitoches, Louisiana. The annual event was sponsored by the LSU Astronomy Club. Some 50 or so professional and amateur astronomers pitched tents and telescopes for the five day event. Delta participants were able to meet many new people at various levels of expertise. Two people had their own mobile observatory complete with rotating dome (see left background of the group photo above).
We arrived at the site around 5PM Friday evening and quickly found our little niche. Danielle, Eugenia, and Lance put up the tents. OK, mostly Danielle. Wow, can she put up a tent! Lance eventually put together the all important grill for burgers. Professors Dunn and Wheeler assembled the telescopes. Steven Bailey and his daughter from West Monroe joined us around 10 PM. Mr. Bailey whipped up some bacon and scrambled eggs Saturday morning. Mmmm Mmmm Good!
Perhaps the most dazzling astronomical display was the planets. Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn were all visible at the same time. Mercury will be added to the group by late March. Many globular clusters, galaxies, and nebulae were also visible. We also toured the grounds and visited other setups. Some of the die-hard astronomers really had some great set-ups. Of course, we were allowed to view objects through their scopes. It was definitely a learning experience for all of us.
Stay tuned for the next star party! Photos of the event can be found below. Enjoy!
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"Photo of the Trip"
Jupiter and its four Galilean moons. Photo taken March 19, 2004.
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*All photos above by Don Wheeler and/or La. Delta Community College
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A view from a Martian landscape? No, it
was a mini-cam attached to a remote controlled truck.
