Providence, RI
Sunday, October 25
Weather: Clear, 55°
Participants: Francine Jackson, Jim Hendrickson, Bob Swift, Christine Stevens, Terry Turner, Denise Turco, Amer Hodzic, Fred Sammartino
Attendees: 50
Observed: Full Hunter’s Moon, Saturn
Photos: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjD8FHX
Report by: Jim Hendrickson
Several members of Skyscrapers, Inc. descended on the banks of the Seekonk River across from Blackstone Park on the East Side of Providence on Sunday, October 25 for Moonrise on the Seekonk, an annual celebration of the Moon hosted by Blackstone Parks Conservancy. This was the 8th year that Skyscrapers was invited to participate.
Moonrise was a few minutes after 5:00pm, just seven hours before its full phase. Setting up early allowed us a few minutes to enjoy some birdwatching and planespotting over the river.
Bob Swift used a Seestar S50 in landscape mode to display and capture Moonrise on a tablet.
Francine Jackson had her Astroscan reflector, and Jim Hendrickson had an 80mm refractor. Denise Turco and Terry Turner brought binoculars to watch the Moonrise.
Additionally, we were joined by Christine Stevens, Amer Hodzic, who brought an Orion 80mm refractor, and Fred Sammartino, a Ladd Observatory volunteer. Local naturalist Greg Gerritt was present, and recorded a video of Moonrise, which he published on his Moshassuckcritters YouTube channel.
There’s always an air of anticipation when observing from a venue that offers a wide horizon: checking the time when the Moon attains the necessary elevation and scanning across the treetops, waiting for the first glint of Moonlight to appear. Finally, at 5:25pm it appeared behind a power pole.
As the Hunter’s Moon rose over a subdued belt of Venus, about 50 visitors enjoyed the view. Some saw birds flying in front of it, or a plane flying over it, and a few commented how you could still see the terminator, despite being “full” (an effect of it being offset from the ecliptic plane).
When the sky darkened a bit, we offered views of Saturn, which is always the crowd-pleaser. For several people, this was their first time looking at anything through a telescope. We invited all who came to visit Seagrave and Ladd Observatories.
Music in the field was provided by Traveling Light, who performed several Moon-themed songs during the program, and pizza was generously provided by the Conservancy.
The date has already been set for next year’s Moonrise on the Seekonk event: Saturday, October 16 at 6:00pm.
