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Category: Parktakes Courses
Bill Burton Class - Exploring Mars

 Bill Burton   Exploring Mars 2022 12 10

Bill Burton Class - Exploring Mars

This has been an extraordinary year for Analemma Society and its volunteers at Observatory Park at Turner Farm. Analemma Society has contributed to Fairfax County with opportunities for education, stimulating interest in astronomy, and serving the community. During 2022 Analemma Society presented 77 astronomy courses and events through Fairfax County Park Authority, with courses such as "Introduction to Telescopes", "Nebulas, Star Clusters & Galaxies Oh My!", "Stargazing with Binoculars" and many more interesting topics. This resulted in a 2022 total attendance of 1623 adults, students and children, garnering nearly $24,000 for Fairfax County Parks.

In addition, Analemma Society continues to provide free Friday Night Public Observing. This year more that 4000 adults and young people have come to these Friday night observing sessions as well as watching meteor showers on the lawn and coming out for an early morning lunar eclipse. By the end of 2022, each Friday night more than 100 adults and young people attend the Friday night sessions to learn about astronomy, see the pattern of stars that make up constellations in the sky, and look through telescopes at the cosmos with an observing list that typically includes the moon, planets, star clusters, nebulae, and a galaxy or two.

To make all this possible, Analemma Society members have contributed nearly 1700 volunteer hours. A new member to the Analemma Society emailed "Tonight was a blast! ..."

To make the Friday night public observing and Partakes classes happen,Analemma Society thanks the following volunteers: Jeff Kretsch, Alan Figgatt, Gerald Kassalow, Colleen O’Brien, Bill Burton, James Nguyen, Dan Ward, Blake Spendley, Steven Powell, Kaushik Nagakar, Jonathon Cross, Mike McHugh, Alex Nguyen, Calvin Powell, Gary Szpatura, Mary Blessing, Christina and Kevin Wenks and from Riverbend, Bridget McArdle and many others. Happy New Year.