Outreach

[Thumper]

We were dropping our friends off at their house after dinner last night, and I was pointing out Venus to my buddy and suggested he could walk over to the golf course to get a better view of Mercury in the next half hour. The cute little girl from next door (who was making some great art in her driveway with chalk) came over to see what I was pointing at. I told her it was another planet, the planet Venus. And she said "Venuth." and looked up at it. Then she dragged my buddy over to look at her chalk art.

He came back, and I told him a little later, Jupiter, then Saturn, then Mars would follow in the same arc and that he should stay up all night and watch. He didn't think he would do that. The girl came over excitedly to tell us she'd found another planet. We walked over to her drive and pointed up at Venus. After she walked back across her yard and several trees, she looked up and had thought that what she was seeing was a different planet, because it was in a "different spot, above a different house." Steve explained that it was the same object. She went back to chalk drawing. We're still talking and she comes running over and said she'd "found another planet!" I was delighted when she pointed over to the other side of the Moon and after I squinted for a while, I finally saw Jupiter in the bright twilight.

She asked what it's name was. I told her it was a big planet called Jupiter. She tried to say it. Venuth, The Moon, and Oopitur. Steve's wife came over and asked her what planet are we on. She looked at us and I said, while stomping my foot on the ground, "What do we call this planet." She paused and looked at us then down, the back at us. She said, "Uuthe."

I was ecstatic.

[SciFiFisher]

Gooooooo Science!

[Thumper]

I try to do my tiny little part here and there.
She made me feel good.

[Rommie]

That's awesome!

Already got my niece a planets board book. My sister claims she likes it, but in actuality I've mainly seen my niece chew on it than pay any attention.

Speaking of outreach, I'm doing a talk next week for a local library in Toronto, that has an active adult education series. I've never done a thing quite like this, but I'm sure it'll be fun!

[pumpkinpi]

That's awesome. You should consider yourself an "amateur astronomy educator!!"

[Sigma_Orionis]

Very Cool

[Thumper]

I'm sure it will be fun for all involved, Rommie.