Author: n4mqu

Astronomy Outreach Fall Festival

Astronomy, Outreach, RCAC
Signs advertising the event

Rockingham, North Carolina November 1, 2025. Thanks to the First Assembly The Possibility Church for inviting Richmond County Astronomy Club to host their Star Gazing section of their fall festival. We had two members bring their telescopes. John Sullivan had his 6 inch reflecting telescope and Mark Gibson had his Seestar S50. Both telescopes allowed the visitors to control the telescope using smart tablets. Just like everything else in society technology has came to the amateur astronomy hobby allowing users to use it to do the routine work of finding objects, viewing objects and creating professional astrophotography images.

I would say we had about 40 adults and children come by to view the Sun, moon, Comet Lemmon and the Andromeda Galaxy. Many visitors reported it was their first time looking through a telescope.

The event started at 5:00 PM so the sun was still visible

The Sun
Pastor Wiggins Church of God of Prophecy
Our first visitor Loves Astronomy
The Seestar Display
iPad showing what the telescope is viewing
It was cold! Nice Fire

The moon
Saturn
Comet Lemmon
Another moon shot
Andromeda Galaxy
John with his telescope
Green light used to protect night vision
Andrew putting out the fire

Now There are Three Comets

Astronomy, comet
Three comets in one night. Comet Lemmon, Comet Swan and Comet Wierzchos. I originally intended to image Lemmon and Swann but my PHD friend suggested Wierzchos so I decided to give it a try. I was at an Amateur Radio POTA Park Pee Dee River State Game Land but I didn’t do amateur radio but did astronomy instead. It was a great day. I’ll be working with on a video that shows the three comets moving through space.

 

 

Comet Lemmon

Comet Lemmon The Movie 

Here is a video of Comet Limmon. You can see the movement of the comet against the stars. 

Two Comets In One Evening

Astronomy

 

 

 

 

I stand to be corrected but I believe this is the first time I saw two comets in one evening. Comet photo credit Olivia Hege using Seestar

I have made it safely back home. First time I saw two comets in one evening. Olivia Hege took the comet photos I took a few messier objects photos. I survived camping but may have to wait until it gets warmer to do it again.

Showed Olivia how to image C-2025 A6

 

C-2025 R2

First time comet chasers

After the comets I took a few Messier photos 

 

 

 

 

 

 

M 110. M31 is the showing on the corner of photo 

M 103

 

 

M 76

The camper set up

Tour of WUNC FM Tower

Amateur Radio, SWL

Amateur radio. After I served my wife breakfast up in bed for her birthday (well I offered too) I left for Carboro As a member of the Raleigh Amateur Radio Society and part of their Tarheel SWL SIG. I enjoyed the tour of the WUNC FM tower today. We enjoyed the tour and I think the host enjoyed showing a more technical group the inner workings of a radio tower.

Rockingham GMRS Luncheon

GMRS

Rockingham GMRS group put a great spread today for what i believe was their first luncheon. I had the Seestar telescope out and showed the sun. Thanks for inviting me. I plan to join the club my Call WSDA411

Photo Credit Richmond County GMRS

Mineral Springs Elementary School STEM Event

Amateur Radio, Astronomy, STEM

Thanks to Mineral Springs Elementary School for inviting us to their event today. Fred Lathan and Mark Gibson introduced amateur radio and astronomy to our visitors. We showed two types of telescopes a visual telescope and a smart telescope.  We worked amateur radio into our presentation by demonstrating Morse code.by sending the visitors name using a home made key equipped with a speaker so they could hear the sound. We emphasized how amateur radio was the primary means of communication after Hurricane Helene hit the western part of the state. Fred and Mark are members of the   Richmond County Amateur Radio Club and  Mark is a member of the Richmond County Astronomy Club.