Nocturnal Gnosis

Tonight was my clubs monthly event called Skywatch, where we observe under a moderately dark site and allow the public to join in on the fun. The forecast called for clouds, but when I got noticed that the event wasn't canceled I decided to pack up the car and head out, in hopes of seeing some people I haven't seen since Christmas time. We spent about an hour and a half under the clouds waiting for it to get dark, and before we knew it, we were able to see Saturn, Arcturus, and Spica peaking through a thinner area in the clouds! By this time about 30 or so people had gathered around, mostly boy scout and girl scout troops on a camping trip. Saturn looked terrible because of the clouds, although incredibly steady. Almost every member of the public who got a look at Saturn was blown away by the rings, and the moon Titan, that was visible. After viewing Saturn, I showed people Epsilon Lyrae, and M13, though some of the small kids had trouble seeing M13 through the thin layer of clouds blocking it. I also showed of the star system Graffias, in Scorpius, until it got cloudy again. Once the people left, I decided it was time to pack up and go home, as it had begun to get cloud again and other club members were leaving as well. I really can't wait to get out to a darker and clearer sky sometime soon!!