Sky & Telescope - December 2021 - 84

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FOCAL POINT by Alan Rifkin
The Art of Sidewalk Astronomy
A veteran offers some hard-won tips on how to perform it successfully.
WHEN I FIRST STARTED doing sidewalk
astronomy, I'd stand in the town
common on Saturday afternoons with
my solar telescope and ask people strolling
by if they'd like to look at the Sun. I
might as well have had a placard around
my neck reading " Creepy Guy " as I
watched mothers drag their children
away. So I made a sign explaining what I
was up to and what visitors would see.
I've learned a lot more since then.
For starters, once you have a sign,
where do you take it? The answer to
that question is anywhere and everywhere!
Libraries and museums, outdoor
concerts and farmer's markets, near the
exit of a Walmart - any place with lots
of people is good for outreach. I once
got permission to set up in the middle
of the New York State Sheep and Wool
Festival, and it worked out very well.
Campgrounds are my favorite site to
inspire new stargazers. You can spend
more relaxed time there with folks,
including kids, who are sponges that
often soak up astronomy as fast as
you can dish it out. Just be careful not
to treat them like children: You may
be surprised how much some of them
know about space! Altogether, if over
the course of a weekend I get just one
The author cherished his friendship with the
" father of sidewalk astronomy, " John Dobson,
seen here showing off one of his homemade
solar telescopes in downtown Portland, Oregon,
in 2003.
found don't bounce when dropped on
sidewalks or other unforgiving surfaces.
What hardware to bring? Day or
night, choose any equipment you aren't
afraid to have manhandled. I'll never
forget the time I asked a kid to hold one
of my treasured Nagler eyepieces, and
he dropped it in the mud. After that
I started wearing clothes with lots of
pockets. As for scopes, Edmund Scientific's
classic red Astroscan is a kid magnet
and nearly indestructible.
Typically I bring a mix of refractors
and reflectors so I can describe the
difference between them. To display
how the light path travels through each
design, I have laminated diagrams. I
also put out a pair of cheap binoculars
on a tripod to show how magnification
differs between binos and scopes.
To demonstrate Earth's rotation, I
make sure I have at least one scope with
tracking, and, while keeping the magnification
up, I ask visitors to observe the
Moon through the eyepiece as I shut off
the drive. They're often stunned at how
I'll never forget the time I asked a kid to hold one of my
treasured Nagler eyepieces, and he dropped it in the mud.
After that I started wearing clothes with lots of pockets.
child excited about astronomy, I've succeeded
in my mission.
When sharing your telescope with
the public, safety is essential. For solarviewing
with strangers, I always carry a
roll of blue painter's tape to secure my
filters so there's no way someone can
accidentally remove them. The tape also
helps to protect the filters, which I've
84 DECEMBER 2021 * SKY & TELESCOPE
quickly our satellite drifts out of view.
If you have to park far from your
outreach site, a wagon comes in handy.
I bought a Radio Flyer EZ Fold wagon,
which holds two scopes plus handouts
and snacks. I also keep a 55-gallon
garbage bag rolled up by each scope. If
it starts to rain, I can quickly cover all
my gear. Always bring soft cloths and a
lens-cleaning pen. You'd be amazed how
many people want to stick their finger
or even their eyeball right into your eyepieces.
Lastly, for nighttime observing,
don't forget your red LED flashlight and
laser pointer (if you use one).
I hope, if you're not doing it already,
that you'll consider joining the ranks of
sidewalk astronomers. The warm feeling
you come away with from sharing your
love of astronomy with other people
makes it all worthwhile.
¢ ALAN RIFKIN, a retired technical consultant,
passed away in November 2019,
just four days after turning in a draft of
this article. His fee will go in his memory
to the Springfield, Massachusetts STARS
club (https://is.gd/STARSclub), of which
Rifkin was once president.
https://www.is.gd/STARSclub
Sky & Telescope - December 2021

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