Medomak Camp: Family Camp: Special guest J. Kelly Beatty

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Astronomy Week at Medomak

Remember when the skies were dark? Remember being able to see the Milky Way? You still can in Maine!

Over the past four summers J. Kelly Beatty, Past Senior Contributing Editor of Sky & Telescope Magazine and camp's own night sky "Guru", has led campers in star walks and sky gazing at Medomak. We are always thrilled to welcome Kelly and his wife, Cheryl, back to camp. Campers benefit from Kelly's expertise and love of the night sky. Each summer he brings his telescopes to camp to share with campers and to view a myriad of cool astronomical phenomenon. Kelly enjoys speaking to campers of all ages and interest levels about his passion for astronomy. Additionally, he is active nationally in the fight against light pollution. Kelly's star walks are a special treat. We hope you and your family will consider joining us!

During our 2009 season Kelly will be joining us during a portion of the seventh and eighth session of camp (Blackberry Season). The highlight on August 5th will be a penumbral eclipse of the moon. One of the most wonderful things you’ll see in the Maine sky is a lunar eclipse. A lunar eclipse occurs at least twice a year, whenever some portion of the Earth's shadow falls upon the moon. The moon will be directly behind the Earth. Therefore in order to be eclipsed, the moon must be near one of the two intersection positions, north and south, its orbit makes with the ecliptic, which are referred to as the moon's ascending and descending nodes. The shadow of the Earth can be divided into two distinctive parts: the umbra and penumbra. Within the umbra, there is no direct solar radiation. As a result of the sun's large angular size, solar illumination is only partially blocked in the outer portion of the Earth's shadow, which is given the name penumbra. This eclipse will be observable from eastern and central North America during moonrise. Not visable with the naked eye Kelly has promised us he will come to Medomak bringing his usual assortment of scopes and gizmos!

The highlight the following week will happen on the morning of August 12, the Perseid meteor shower peak. At its peak during a clear, dark sky up to 80 ‘shooting stars’ or meteors may be visible each hour. Although the Perseids peak on the 12th August, the shower can be seen for some time either side of that date and it is worth looking out for them the night before. In clear weather and away from the light pollution of major cities we often observe a meteor at least every few minutes, with most appearing as brief streaks of light. Perhaps best of all, and unlike many astronomical phenomena, meteors are best seen with the unaided eye, rather than through a telescope or binoculars and are perfectly safe to watch. Star week at Medomak is a perfect opportunity to introduce your children and yourself to the science of astronomy!

Of course our beautiful night skies are available to all our campers throughout the season. We encourage all our campers to bring their telescopes with them to camp. Mother Nature permitting you will be in for a treat. For more information contact us at 866-633-6625.

What campers are saying about Medomnak astronomy week:

"Our fourth year at Medomak was delightful. We bouught a telescope fr Marta and she loves it! Our last night was perfect for stargazing. Marta stayed out late. When she can back, I went out and looked at M-35 and M-31 with Kelly's semi-pro scope- gorgeous!"

“Our family thought the star party was a terrific and unexpected bonus to our time at Medomak. The Kelly Beatty was terrific, we learned a lot, and had fun. Trevor will never stop talking about how he drank 3 cups of coffee to stay up all night to watch the stars (long after the rest of us went to bed). As we plan our trip for next year, if this were offered again, we would choose to attend during the week something like this was held.”

“What a great time our family had at the Star Party at Medomak Camp! The bright clear Maine sky was the perfect place to see such a beautiful display of nature. Kelly Beatty did a great job explaining what we were looking at and answering all of our questions. He could explain things in simple, novice language, so that even the kids understood what he was saying. "

"The Star Party was a really unexpected bonus, especially for a family that lives under a bright orange urban sky! It was a wonderful experience to see not only the shooting stars but also the full array of stars and satellites that are visible in clear, unpolluted skies."

For more information contact us at:

Medomak Camp and Retreat Center,
13220 Westmeath Lane
Clarksville, MD 21029

Phone: 301-854-9100 or toll free 1-866-Medomak

e-mail: family@medomakcamp.com

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