Telescope amnesty beats the weather to attract an eager audience

15 September 2009

The Michiana Astronomical Society from Indiana, U.S.A, realised that many people in their community possessed telescopes but did not know how to use them. In support of IYA2009's aim to make the Universe accessible to all, they decided to take action.

The idea, recently put into action, was to run an all-day drop-in event where anyone could bring their underused telescopes, learn how to use them, and, if necessary, have them repaired by expert volunteers.

Adding to this, the organisers planned to run sidewalk astronomy events. Unfortunately heavy rain prevented this from occurring, although a portable planetarium and hands-on educators helped to keep the information and enthusiasm flowing despite the bad weather. An empty storefront area was also borrowed for educational activities.

Every 15 minutes or so a new person would arrive with a telescope in need of attention. Some had damaged telescopes, several had been assembled incorrectly, and a great many people simply wanted a lesson on how to correctly use them. Thanks to this group of keen amateurs, now more people are getting the most from the sky.

The Michiana Astronomical Society encourages other amateur organisations to run similar events, reintroducing telescopes into the lives of would-be stargazers.

To see images of the event, please visit: http://www.lettherebenight.com/telescope.html

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