If you’ve had enough of snow and deep freezes, it’s time to enjoy early spring observing with friends at Hodgson Observatory in rural Beresford, SD! The Sioux Empire Astronomy Club (SEAC) will have its next New Moon Saturday Gathering on March 13, weather, road and field conditions permitting.
In April, clear or cloudy, we will have TWO New Moon Saturdays — April 10 and April 17 — because New Moon falls exactly between those two dates. On April 10 SEAC members are invited to come and bring a friend. On April 17 come again and feel free to invite the interested public to join us! We want to get the 2010 season off with a Big Bang! If you have questions e-mail us at
dnhodgson@iw.net or telephone 605-957-4686.
Archive for March 4th, 2010
Now we have entered March we are scheduling daytime class visits to Hodgson Observatory. Our Solar System-on-a-Fence will be open again beginning April 26. Unlike last year the Sun is now showing us fine sunspot groups almost every day! E-mail us at dnhodgson@iw.net to discuss scheduling.
After a delay of nearly two years, Sunspot Cycle # 24 has come at last! It began in late 2009, but has further increased into 2010. We now are able to see sunspots (giant magnetic storms on the Sun) almost every day from our Wide-Sky facility. In 2009 we made sunspot observations on 143 different days at Hodgson Observatory, and sunspots were seen on only 16 days, most late in the year. In January and February, 2010, we saw some fine spot groups on 12 out of 13 days we observed.
With the help of many SEAC friends we joined the international celebration of 400 years of telescope use in astronomy. The Astro-Lodge was improved with the installation of a kitchenette, wall insulation, and a second bath room. The model Solar System-on-a Fence exhibit, 610 feet long on our south fence, was improved with a new top rail, and was much enjoyed by visiting school and civic groups. Over 650 visitors attended in the course of the year, the most ever!
Entries (RSS)