This past Sunday we had our regular club meeting — followed, somewhat spontaneously, by a “comet watch” star party. Normally, impromptu events are an automatic no for me, but I wasn’t about to miss the chance to glimpse a newly discovered comet.
Unfortunately, Lisa was out sick this time (feel better, bathroom buddy!), so I braved the meeting without her. The meeting itself was lively, and the post-meeting sky even livelier.
Meeting Highlights
We welcomed three new members — Nancy, Lon, and Ezra — always a great sign of our growing club community!
Jamye shared some excellent info about the Astronomical League, which we’re all automatically members of through our local club. She highlighted their Beyond Polaris Certificate, a great introductory program for anyone wanting to strengthen their astronomy basics. It’s designed as a simple checklist of fun, educational activities that help you build foundational observing skills. You can find more about it at astroleague.org.
Our evening’s presentation came from Rod, an accomplished former planetarium director and astronomy teacher from Pennsylvania. Despite a few technical hiccups, he managed to share an engaging talk on Alan Shepard, the Apollo 14 astronaut best known for hitting a golf ball on the Moon.
All in all, he sounds like my kind of guy. A playful fellow; intelligent and driven, but didn’t take himself too seriously. A few folks recommend The Right Stuff (1984) for a cinematic take on Shepard’s story.
Rod also shared insights about Shepard’s friendly rivalry with John Glenn and a medical issue that nearly ended his flight career — until a successful experimental procedure cleared the way for his historic mission. I didn’t catch all the details, but it sounds like the astronaut had a pretty fascinating life!
Star Party: Comet Swan
After the meeting, the group headed out for a quick Comet Swan viewing. I headed home to work on some things, but checked in with Paul later that night to see if they had it in view. Once he confirmed, I jumped in the car.
Now, this recently discovered Comet Swan (R2 2025) is not to be confused with another recently discovered Comet Swan (F2 2025), found in April. This one was just discovered in September. They’re just coming out of the woodwork these days, I guess.
When I arrived, Paul briefly lost the comet in the scope, but quickly found it again. While waiting, I tried spotting it through binoculars — and think I caught it once or twice. It’s such an elusive little smudge, barely visible unless you look just right.
Through the telescope, though, I definitely saw it: a faint blur, no visible tail, but incredible to think that just weeks ago, no one even knew it existed. Moments like that remind me how wonderfully vast and unpredictable our universe really is.
It was a quick pop in/pop out for me, but a fruitful one. And for the mosquitoes. They very much enjoyed my ankles for the several minutes I was out there. I had considered putting on socks but thought, nah, it’ll be fine for a few minutes. It wasn’t. Florida.
Coming Up
There’s a lot to look forward to this month for astronomy enthusiasts. In addition to the new comet, we’ve got pieces of an old one coming around. Halley’s Comet, that is — in the form of the Orionids Meteor Shower.
This shower peaks the week of October 20, with viewing best around 3:30 a.m. if skies are clear. Paul will be headed up a viewing party at the fairgrounds every opportunity. Hopefully, I can join in at least once.
We also have a new outreach event planned for October 25th or 26th (depending on weather). It’s in a small nearby state park and Paul seemed very excited about it. If skies are clear, I’ll cover it here.
Until next time, keep your eyes on the skies and your ankles covered.
Affiliate Disclosure: Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, Novice Astronomer may earn a small commission—at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the site!