The Astronomy Main Lesson includes an overnight camping trip toward the end of the course so that we can get a chance to actually see some of the stars, constellations, planets, and other things we’ve been discussing all session long. So, with Florence to help protect us from bears and such, Javonne, Cris, Fletcher, Manoj, Max, Nick D. and I set off on a Thursday afternoon in the Parkmont Van.
We drove to Warrenton, stocked up on cookout supplies, and headed up to Big Meadows Campground in Shenandoah National Park. After dropping our things off at our campsite, we took a short hike while there was still some daylight to see the views from the rocky overlooks, where we met up with a group of hikers who were traveling cross-country hitting major sites.
After getting tents set up, coals primed, and cooking some burgers and brats, the sun was down, so we packed up the telescope and headed to the eponymous Big Meadow. Weather can be very unpredictable, and you need to reserve campsites far in advance, but we had amazing luck: incredible clear skies, tons of stars, constellations, satellites, and even Jupiter were all visible. The students individually demonstrated what they remembered. They did an excellent job identifying the stars they had previously seen only on screens and pages.
In the morning, we were able to see the waxing crescent moon through the telescope (and show a few of our camp neighbors), before packing out and heading down the mountain to get warmed up with breakfast at a local diner.
All in all it was an excellent trip, and I think everyone really enjoyed not just witnessing the majesty of the mountain skies, but the overall adventure together. Big thanks to Florence for helping make it a smooth and relaxing trip!