Local telescope expert Bill Fournier presented a "Telescope Nuts and Bolts" workshop for kids at the Windsor Locks Public Library on July 24. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory and NASA ambassador brought his various telescopes to introduce the world of astronomy to kids in an interactive program.
"We use telescopes as ways of seeing better," Fournier said, and held out a replica of a sundial and hand-held rudimentary telescope. He explained how the old ones were like tubes with lenses on either end. "And, of course, now everything is digitized," he added.
He showed a telescope with a magnifying mirror that has a lens to look at what's being magnified. He pointed a small flashlight into the eyepiece end and demonstrated how the light funnels down and hits a mirror that is at a 45-degree angle, bending the light so it can be seen. Fournier explained the basic parts of a telescope and showed classic "old school" ones as well as modern fancy ones with motors and various "bells and whistles."
"We are moving under the great canopy of sky," Fournier said as he described how it seems like the stars and planets are moving, but really it's the Earth that's moving at an amazing 1,000 miles an hour.
He brought up books such as the "Farmer's Almanac," stating what planets will be seen and when they can be seen, and displayed maps used to locate constellations called star charts. "You move the top part around, finding the date and time, and then you can see what constellations are available for viewing if it were dark out," Fournier said. "Eclipses of the moon are wonderful things to look at," Fournier added.
People can modify their telescopes to make them user-friendly and able to do different things. He talked about these "engineering solutions" to make them adapt to other tools, and for different people of all heights and abilities to be able to use the scopes.
Fournier also talked about an upcoming program called a "Star Party," which in the past has drawn about 120 people gathered on the lawn outside the Windsor Locks library, with a number of telescopes for use by all the participants. This event will be held on Saturday, Aug. 9, from 7 p.m. to midnight, to view the Perseids meteor shower, providing there's a clear sky. It's suggested to bring a lawn chair or blanket and bug repellant, and, of course, telescopes are welcome. For more information and to register, call 860-627-1495.