SMILE2340
  • HW 78620
    • HW Trails >
      • Heritage Trail Loop
      • Orange Trail
      • Big Foot trail, vacant construction road, SE square
      • The Blue Trail
      • The Upper Red Trail
      • Upper Green Trail
      • Yellow/Canyonwood Trail
      • The East/West Trail
      • The Lower Green Trail
      • Roy Branch Creek Trail
      • The Best Trail to Run On Trail
    • HW Sidewalk Loop Distances
    • Stargazers >
      • Next Night Observation Notes >
        • Nov 15, 2024 notes
        • Oct 11 2024 Notes
        • April 8, 2024 Total Solar Eclipse HW, Dripping Springs, TX
      • Frequently Asked Questions >
        • How do you set up your night sky observation sessions?
        • Explain why there are four sunrises/sunsets?
        • What are the fundamental motions of the night sky?
        • Explain magnitude of night sky objects?
        • What is a constellation?
        • Star Enlightenment
        • Moon Enlightenment
        • Have you ever gone into space, Mr. Konichek?
        • Do you have some Earth orbiting the sun stories?
        • Woman's image on Moon?
      • Aniruddh Nayak's Photos
      • Paul's 12" Telescope Photos
      • Kinesthetics >
        • Planets PM or AM h-above
        • Earth/Sun & times of day
        • Moon Proof that it spins on axis
        • Earth / Moon perigee & apogee
        • Sun / Earth Seasons, Zodiac Sign
      • Activities - Hands On >
        • Celestial Sphere with fruit
        • Constellation Puzzles - h-above
        • Outdoor solar system walk
        • Bugs Bunny What's Up Doc
        • Stars on Ceiling Kit
        • 13 constellations on the ecliptic?
    • Field Camera Critters >
      • Nov 2024 HW
      • Winter of 2023-2024
      • NOV23 CRITTERS 14, ONE UNKNOWN
      • bobcat
      • Porcupine
      • Two different at same time
      • Pigs (wild) with piglets
      • Coyotes
      • Fox
      • Skunk
      • Raccoons
      • Deer
      • Other
    • Plot Maps (many but not all) >
      • Crescent Moon Crt
      • Crimson Sky Court >
        • Crimson Sky 112-313
        • Crimson Sky 355 - 477
      • Dayridge Drive >
        • Dayridge Dr 112 to 245
        • Dayridge Dr 220-786
        • Dayridge Dr 497-841
      • Hazy Hills Loop >
        • Hazy Hills Lp 134-520
        • Hazy Hills Lp 531-654
        • Hazy Hills Lp 719 to 1054
        • Hazy Hills 1076 to 1307
        • Hazy Hills Lp 1363A-D to 1651
        • Hazy Hills Lp 1661 - 1897
      • HW BLVD
      • Moonlit Stream Pass >
        • Moonlit Stream 119 - 379
        • Moonlit Stream 390-688
      • Phase 3 off Roy Branch Rd >
        • Cactus Wren Ct
        • Iron Willow Lp 354 - 566
        • Iron Willow Ct area
        • Silver Sage Ct
      • Sage Thrasher Circle >
        • Sage Thrasher 136-224
        • Sage Thrasher 250-840
        • Sage Thrasher 900-1202
      • Smoke Tree Circle
      • Starfire Drive 120 to 328
      • Tierra Tr 133-306
      • Tierra Trail 323 - 411
      • Townes Court
  • PHYSICS
    • Year Round Physics Pages >
      • Calendars 2013-2014 >
        • Calendars 2012-2013
      • Physics Textbooks Online
      • How to do a Lab Report
      • How to Graph in Excel
      • GNATS >
        • Infinities
    • Vectortines & Astrotines Day Video - Normal Pre-school morning
    • Physics 1st Quarter 2012-2013 >
      • Unit 1 Motion (1st half) >
        • Sept. 3 Welcome & Intro
        • Sept. 4 Bernoulli >
          • 2013-14 videos
        • Sept 5 Intro to Motion
        • Sept. 6 GREAT RACE
        • Sept. 9 Review Great Race
        • Sept. 10 Physics 500
        • Sept. 11 Graph Your Route
        • Sept. 12 Measurement Lab-Day 1
        • Sept. 13 Measurement Lab-Day 2
        • Sept. 16 Sonic Ranger-Day 1
        • Sept. 17 Acceleration
      • Unit 1 Motion (2nd half) >
        • Sept. 18 Sketch-A-Graph
        • Sept. 19 Fab Five
        • Sept. 20 Rocket Lab
        • Sept. 23 Homework Gravity
        • Sept. 24 Law of Falling Bodies
        • Sept. 25 Freefall Terminal Velocity
        • Sept. 26 Parachutes
        • Sept. 27 Parachute Competition
        • Sept. 30 Review
        • Oct. 1 TEST
        • Oct. 2 Review Awards
      • Unit 2 Acceleration (1st half) >
        • Oct. 3 Factors of Acceleration Lab-Day 1
        • Oct. 4 Factors of Acceleration Lab-Day 2
        • Oct. 7 Donatello, B & B Lab, Prob.
        • Oct. 8 Who Pushed That Speeding Truck? Lab
        • Oct. 9 Inertia Homework
        • Oct. 10 Push That Cart Lab
        • Oct. 11 Push That Cart Lab-Day 2
      • Unit 2 Acceleration (2nd half) >
        • Oct. 14 Tablecloth Videos, Inertia
        • Oct. 15 Friction is Fun Lab-Day 1
        • Oct. 16 Friction is Fun Lab-Day 2
        • Oct. 17 Friction Theories
        • Oct. 18 2013 Hovercraft
        • Oct. 18 2012 Hovercraft 1,2,4,5
        • Oct. 18 2012 Hovercraft 5,7,8
        • Oct. 21 Review
        • Oct. 22 TEST
      • Unit 3 >
        • Oct. 23 Infinities (GNATS2)
        • Oct. 24 Page 1 Action-Reaction
        • Oct. 24 Page 2
        • Oct. 25 Action-Reaction
        • Oct. 28 Vectors- Where Am I?
        • Oct. 29 Addition of Vectors Lab-Day 1
        • Oct. 30 Addition of Vectors Lab-Day 2
        • Oct. 31 Vector Homework
        • Nov. 1 Resolution of a Force Lab
    • Physics 2nd Q >
      • Unit 3 Continued >
        • Nov. 4 Plane Application
        • Nov. 5 Ship application
        • Nov. 6 Weight of the World Lab
        • Nov. 7 Parking on a Hill Lab
        • Nov 8 Vector Bowling 2013 >
          • Nov. 8 Vector Bowling 2012
        • Nov. 12 Fundamental Forces
        • Nov. 13 Review
        • Nov. 14 TEST
      • Unit 4 >
        • Nov. 18 Bull's Eye Lab
        • Nov. 19 Projectile Hunter
        • Nov. 21 Trajectory Lab-Day 1
        • Nov. 22 Trajectory Lab-Day 2
        • Nov. 23 Hot Wheels Jump Through the Burning Ring of Fire
        • Nov. 25 Paper Rockets & Make Up Day 1
        • Nov. 26 Launch Day & Make Up Day 2
        • Dec. 2 Review for Unit 4 Test on Proj. Motion
        • Dec. 3 TEST 2D Motion Unit 4
        • Dec. 4 Early Release Day
      • Unit 5 >
        • Dec. 5 Circular & Harmonic Motion
        • Dec. 6 G on an Egg Lab
        • Dec. 9 Gravitation
        • Dec. 10 Zero G???
        • Dec. 11 Airplanes Airplanes Lab
        • Dec. 12 Circular HW
        • Dec. 13 Pendulum Lab
        • Dec. 16 Hooke's Law Lab-Day 1
        • Dec. 17 Mass on a Spring
        • Dec. 18 Review
        • Dec. 19 TEST
        • Dec. 20 Tops & Spinners
      • Unit 6 >
        • Jan. 2 Egg Design and Building
        • Jan. 3 All-American Egg Drop
        • Jan. 6 no school due to cold 2014 but momentum 2013
        • Jan. 6/7 cold day off 2014/Impulse 2014 Impulse-Momentum 2013
        • Jan. 7 cold day off 2014 but Center of Mass 2013
        • Jan. 8 Impulse 2014 but Center of Mass cont. 2013
        • Jan. 9 Stability 2014 but Conservation of Momentum Lab-Day 1 2013
        • Jan. 10 Center of Mass 2014 but Conservation of Momentum Lab-Day 2 2013
        • Jan. 13 Conservation of Momentum 2014 but Review 2013
        • Jan. 14 Conservation of Momentum 2014 TEST 2013
        • Jan. 15 Scavenger Hunt collection 2014 but OMIT Awards 2013
        • Jan. 16 FINALS (Odd hours)
        • Jan. 17 FINALS (Even hours)
    • Physics 3rd Q >
      • Unit 7 >
        • Jan. 22 Walking on Broken Glass Demo (Pressure, Work)
        • Jan. 23 Energy of Collisions
        • Jan. 24 Laying on a Bed of Nails, PE = mgh
        • Jan. 27 Pile Driver Lab
        • Jan. 28 Joules in a Calorie Lab
        • Jan. 29 How Fast Can You Work? Lab
        • Jan. 30 Power Tube Roll-off
        • Jan. 31 Alka-Bomb Testing
        • Feb. 3 Conservation of Energy
        • Feb. 4 Conservation of Energy
        • Feb. 5 Loop the Loop Lab
        • Feb. 6 Conservation Problems
        • Feb. 7 Dart Gun Lab
        • Feb. 10 Finish home work sheet
        • Feb. 11 Ballistic Pendulum
        • Feb. 12 Review
        • Feb. 13 Test - Energy
        • Feb. 14 Infinities
        • Feb. 14 Mt. Aconcagua
      • Unit 8 >
        • Feb. 18 Magnetism
        • Feb. 19 Magnetism
        • Feb. 20 Electromagnetism
        • Feb. 21 It Can't Work Lab
        • Feb. 24 Electrostatics
        • Feb. 25 Charging/Van de Graff
        • Feb. 26 Static uses
        • Feb. 27 Get a Charge Lab
        • Feb. 28 Coulomb/Millikan Oil Drop
        • Mar. 3 Electrophorus/Wimshirst
        • Mar. 4 Lightning
        • Mar. 5 Leyden Jar
        • Mar. 6 Capacitors
        • Mar. 7 Superconductivity >
          • Capt. Jenkins demo's bottom of Mar. 8
        • Mar. 10 Review
        • Mar. 11 TEST
      • Unit 9 Relativity & Waves >
        • Mar. 12 Relativity
        • Mar. 13 Relativity
        • Mar. 14 Relativity
        • Mar. 17 Waves
        • Mar. 18 Slinnnnnnky Interference
        • Mar. 19 Wave Machine
        • Mar. 20 Hot Sounds
        • Mar. 21 Resonance
    • Physics 4th Q >
      • Unit 9 Continued >
        • Mar. 31 Speed of Sound Lab
        • Apr. 1 Sound of Music
        • Apr. 2 Sound of Music
        • Apr. 3 Doppler Polarization
        • Apr. 4 Laser
        • Apr. 7 Holography
        • Apr. 8 Review
        • Apr. 9 TEST
      • Unit 10 Reflection Unit >
        • Apr. 10 TCOB Awards
        • Apr. 11 Reflection
        • Apr. 14 Draw Your Face Lab
        • continue >
          • Apr. 28 Illusions/Review
          • Apr. 28 Review/Illusions Cont.
          • Apr. 29 TEST
          • April 30 Pre-Great America
          • May 1 Physics Great America
          • May 2 Review PGA
        • Apr. 15 Parallax Blue Skies Scattering
        • Apr. 16 Reflection Lab parts 1 &2
        • Apr. 17 Part 3 of Reflection of Light Lab and Magic Cylinder
        • Apr. 21 Light Bulbs/LUX/LM/Blue Moon
        • Apr. 22 Concave Mirrors
        • Apr. 23 Convex Mirrors
        • Apr. 24 Ripple Tank Lab-Day 1
        • Apr. 25 Ripple Tank Lab-Day 2
      • Unit 11 Refraction Unit >
        • May 5 Refraction Unit Day 1
        • May 6 Refraction Effects - The Eye
        • May 7 Refraction Lab Day 1
        • May 8 Refraction Lab Day 2
        • May 9 Ray Diagrams
        • May 12 2 WAY MIRROR & HMWK
        • May 13 Lens Lab
        • May 14 Total Internal Reflection (TIR)
        • May 15 Rainbows/Mirages
        • May 16 3-D & Refraction Effects
        • May 19 Review
        • May 20 Test
        • May 21 Go Over Test
        • May 22 Senior's Last Day
      • Final Stuff >
        • May 23 Rocket Project Physics
        • May 27 Rocket Project Physics
        • May 28 Rocket Project Physics
        • May 29/30 Rocket Project Physics
        • June 2/3/4 Launch!
      • Videos 2011-2012 >
        • Period 1
        • Period 2
        • Vector Bowling
        • Period 4
        • Period 6
        • Period 7
        • Period 8
        • Pole Vault Practice W=KE=PE=Q
      • Rocket Launches 6/02/14 >
        • period 1
        • period 2
        • period 3
        • period 4
        • period 7
        • period 8
      • Rocket Launches 6/3/13 >
        • Periods 1,4 pictures 5,7,8
      • Rocket Launches 6/01/2012 >
        • Period 1
        • Period 2
        • Period 4
        • Period 6
        • Period 7
        • Period 8
        • Physics memories...
        • Physics 4th Q 2011-2012 >
          • Unit 8: Electrostatics, Magnetism, and Superconductors
          • Unit 9: Waves, sound, polarization, holograms
          • Unit 10 reflection of light and ripple tank
          • Unit 11 Refraction of Light
    • AP PHYSICS B >
      • Post Test options
      • Grading Plan till year end
      • Answers to text book Questions >
        • Chapters 1-8 >
          • Chapter 1
          • Chapter 2
          • Chapter 3
          • Chapter 4
          • Chapter 5
          • Chapter 6
          • Chapter 7
          • Chapter 8
        • Chapters 9-16 >
          • Chapter 9
          • Chapter 10
          • Chapter 11
          • Chapter 12
          • Chapter 13
          • Chapter 14
          • Chapter 15
          • Chapter 16
        • Chapters 17-24 >
          • Chapter 17
          • Chapter 18
          • Chapter 19
          • Chapter 20
          • Chapter 21
          • Chapter 22
          • Chapter 23
          • Chapter 24
        • Chapters 25-31
      • Period 3 videos
      • Calendar
      • Mechanics >
        • Sept 10 Dimensional Analysis
      • Chapter 9 Fluid Dynamics
      • Chap 13 Simple Harmonic Motion, Waves
      • Chap 15 Electric Forces and Electric Fields
      • Chap 16 Electrical Energy and Capacitance
      • Chap 17 Current and Resistance
      • Chapter 18 DC Circuits
      • Chapter 19 Magnetism
      • Chapter 20.1-20.3 Induced Voltages and Inductance
      • Chapter 27 Quantum Physics
    • AP PHYSICS C >
      • College Credit for AP
      • Princeton Exam 1 Free Response
      • Bull's Eye Lab the AP Way
      • Plover Water System Videos
      • 3rd Q >
        • Jan. 29 - Dot Product, Cross Product, Magnetic Flux
        • Jan. 30 - Faraday's Law
        • Jan. 31 - Motor Demos and CH 20 review
        • Feb. 1 - Practice Mech Exam
        • Feb. 4 - Review Practice Mech #1
        • Feb. 5 - Generators, RL Circuits
        • Feb. 6 - Demos with AP-B
        • Feb. 7 - Chapter 20 Hmwk and Practice Exam Work Day
        • Feb. 8 - Practice Exam Problems
        • Feb. 11 - What is AP Looking For?
        • Feb. 12 - Coulomb's Law
        • Feb. 13 - Short Day
        • Feb. 14 - Practice Problem #3 and 15.4-15.6
        • Feb. 15
        • Feb. 18
    • Physics Sharing >
      • writing references
      • Forces on an Incline Plane
      • Resolution of a Force
  • Astronomy
    • 5 MUST SEE VIDEOS
    • Learn Constellations & Stars/Star Trails explained
    • Constellation puzzles
    • Astronomy Text Condensed
    • Comets & Asteroids >
      • Comets (Halley's Comet, Keiper Belt, Oort Cloud (four short videos)
      • Asteroids (1 short video) Keiper Belt
    • UFO UNIT
    • VENUS TRANSIT VIDEOS >
      • Venus Transit 1st dozen videos taken
      • Venus Transit next 16 videos
      • Two more videos & a picture
      • Mr. Bill Jenkins Transit Day Pictures
      • My SMART PHONE pictures
      • Learning the Sky
    • 3rd quarter 2014 >
      • Jan 22 GNATS 1 FUN MOTIONS of THE SKY
      • Jan 23 GNATS 2 IMPROVED CALENDAR
      • Jan 23 GNATS 3 TIME ZONES
      • Feb 3rd
      • Feb 4th
      • Feb 5th
      • Feb 6th
      • Feb 7th
      • Feb 10th Chap. 3 Copernican Rev
      • Feb 13th Finish Chap 4 Going There
      • Feb 14th TOSA (Top of South America Expedition) Aconcagua
      • Feb 19th Area of a Sphere -
      • March 3rd Chapter 6 The Earth Lecture
      • Teacher Planning
    • 4th quarter 2014
  • Pythagorean Triplets
    • Pythagorean Triplets
    • Calculus Differentiation Rules
    • MATH 111 >
      • The Class Songs
      • Course Info.
      • Homework & my solutions
      • Class Notes & Extra Problems
      • Quizzes & Exams & my solutions
      • Extra Credit & GNATS
      • Solutions to Hmwk
      • Getting Hooked on Math
    • Dr. George Kung
  • Rubics Cube
    • Photo Solution >
      • Vocabulary of Solution
      • Step 1 of 7
      • Step 2 of 7
      • Step 3 of 7
      • Step 4 of 7
      • Step 5 of 7
      • Step 6 of 7
      • Step 7 of 7
    • Abbreviated Solution
    • Original Solution
  • Ancestry
    • Family Birthdays >
      • Birthdays by Month
      • Birthdays by Family
      • Konichek family by generation
      • Birthdays by Age
    • PDC area Konichek genealogy >
      • 1st, 2nd, & 3rd generations of Konichek
    • My DNA Results Explained
    • My Grandparents ///////////////// 9 Generations >
      • My Paternal Grandfather's Side
      • My Paternal Grandmother's Side
      • My Maternal Grandfather's Side
      • My Maternal Grandmother's Side
    • Ava & Emmett's Grandparents 1st - 9th >
      • 10th Grandparents
    • Ancestry of Grandchildren (actual immigration papers!)
    • Grandchildren to Adam Ancestry on BOTH Ava's mom & dad's sides
    • Ancestry & Inventions
    • Moms Clark Photo Album
    • My Dads Paternal Side >
      • 1 John & Elizabeth Konichek
      • 2 Joseph & Mary Konichek >
        • 3 William J Konichek
        • 3 John Konichek
        • 3 Kate Konichek
        • 3 Fred Konichek
      • 3 Frank & Anna Konichek
      • 4 Edward & Mary Konichek >
        • 5 Mamie Konichek
        • 5 Elsie Konichek
      • 5 Leo & Dorothy Konichek
      • 6 Paul & Judith Konichek >
        • Judy's m, p,, p, maternal side
        • Judy's m, m, paternal
        • Judy's m, m, maternal
        • Judy's maternal paternal, maternal
        • Judy's paternal side
    • My Dads Maternal Side >
      • 1 Tomas & Rosalie Mezera
      • 2 Mathias & Josephine Mezera
      • 3 Frank Mezera & Anna Chvatal
      • 4 Mary Mezera & Edward Konichek
      • 5 Leo & Dorothy Konichek
      • 6 Paul & Judith Koniichek
    • Leo & Dorothy Konichek Genealogy >
      • Clarence & Carolyn Bierman
      • Floyd & Sue Konichek
      • Steve & Donna Metzger
      • Paul & Judy Konichek >
        • Alissa & Fred's Published Articles
        • Drew & Sam >
          • Church Entrance
          • The Vows
          • Reception
      • Greg & Mary Mandigo >
        • Greg and Jamie
  • Infinities
  • Other
    • Space Foundation Teacher Liaisons >
      • Workshop Presentation 2019 >
        • Lights Off Learning
        • Astronomy Five Must See Videos
        • Mental Multiplying
        • To Infinity & Beyond
        • NIM (a game opening ones first door to learning about bases)
      • The 2015 Space Foundation Teacher Liaison
      • How to Become a Space Foundation Teacher Liaison
      • 31st National Space Symposium
      • What is the Space Foundation?
      • 29th Space Symposium >
        • Pre and Start of Opening Ceremony
        • Opening Ceremony (cont.)
        • Workshops Tuesday
        • Other
    • Christianity/Math/Science >
      • No Volume in Heaven
      • Rational Man cooping with Irrational #'s
      • My Second Sermon Story
      • Variety in Religions & People?
      • Math Proof of Christianity
      • Matter is the exception
      • Jesus Stories of My Life
    • Scouts >
      • Bernoulli's Principle
    • Homecoming >
      • Mr. SPASH BACKWARDS 2nd Half
      • Mr. SPASH 1ST HALF
      • Parade
      • Pep Rally
      • Prom
    • Barbershop
    • Newspaper >
      • Astronomy (40 articles) empty
      • Untitled
      • Math (evolves into math) >
        • All the number systems...
        • The next 13 (empty)
        • The final 13 (empty)
      • Physics (evolves into Physics)
    • Comp Prog >
      • First Half >
        • Arrays
        • Projects
        • Graphics
        • Integer Programs
      • Second Half >
        • Logic Programs
        • Math and Science Programs
        • Statistics and Finance Programs
        • Two Easy Programs
        • $ Programs
        • Cool Bible Facts
  • Mountains
    • HISTORY OF MTS. CLIMBED
    • COLORADO 14er's Summitted
    • Wetterhorn 2015
    • Future Mts. of 2016 >
      • Culebra Peak 7/22/2016
      • Mount Sneffels 7/24/16
      • Grizzly Peak 7/27/2016
    • 50 for Tibet >
      • Itinerary 2013
      • Mt. Pico Videos
      • Andorra Videos
      • Gibraltar Videos
  • Ava & Emmett's Grandparents 1st - 9th
  • Gibraltar Videos
  • Ancestry of Grandchildren (actual immigration papers!)
  • Grandchildren to Adam Ancestry on BOTH Ava's mom & dad's sides
Notes on last Saturday, April 14th, 2022 observation session.
    A private reveal party was happening in the pavilion and pink smoke came out of the flares (that was my intuition I told a member when I arrived).   First names of people that showed include Emily/Scott/Evan, Ryan/Amber/Ava/Addison, Dave/Diane, Mark & Ani of those that signed the sign-in sheet.   It was cloudy but that didn't stop us from a great Stargazing session.   While it was still light out, I started by showing Dave some kinesthetics and photos from my Astronomy textbook that allowed one to see the outline of a womans face on most of the upper right of the moon and Dave & I did some kinesthetic Astronomy until others started arriving.  Dave then taught what he had learned to the new arrivals and Emily signed her family in and helped get others signed in on the sign-in sheet.  Evan (I think I have the right nice young man) helped me get the big telescope out of my car while others carried other gear up.   As I showed one how to use a telescope by turning the scope to the blinking red lights on antennas in the distance, they in turn showed another and so forth as I answered questions of others.   One subject was an objects magnitude (brightness) that I went through a short history of.   I reminded everyone (and I'm reminding you) that everyone should go to my webpage smile2340.com and then HW 78620 and then Stargazers and then Frequently Asked Questions and go through the answers to those questions which will slingshot you further into knowledge of the night sky.   Many of the answers to these questions are not available on the internet and if you search them, often take you to my webpage.   I'll continue adding more info to our Stargazers category as time goes on.   
Ani and his wife Veda will be moving into a home on Tierra soon and Ani has several telescopes, of which, his best telescope is probably the one most of us dream of having so it's exciting to Ani's expertise of using a telescope to take long exposure photos of heavenly objects.   Ani's photos that he shared with me were as good or better than I've ever seen in Astronomy magazines over the last several decades.   I'm sure there are many more Headwaters residents with telescopes, so in the future HW residents will learn from several of us as they absorb the beautiful of our universe through our telescopes and/or that can run Stargazer evenings when I'm not able to.

Headwaters Stargazers

Purpose:  Just another way to bring Headwaters Residences together; to get to know each other but at the same time learn simple things about our planet's night sky.   In each session, Mr. Paul Konichek & hopefully others in the near future, will tell precious stories about our night sky, for that night, as each night is unique.   Each nigh is unique, not simply because of the sky phenomena, but because of what you bring to the session.   Kids are more than welcome and even encouraged.  One example story is above about April 14th, 2022 session and another below.
For example:  (I'll take you through another past session)
              As I was setting up when a mother and her son walk up (Let's call them Katy & Nate), all smiles.  The sun had just set so it was plenty bright out yet.  Katy apologized for not bringing a telescope or binoculars but did bring a chair to sit in.   They had actually walked all the from Crimson Sky, the length of Tierra and hung a left down Hazy Hills to just beyond the bridge, were I was setting up, on a concrete section with three metal posts that were folded down and a large commons field that was left, without a house, because of possible flooding.  
         
         First we looked for the Moon as it was a New Moon (meaning the moon past under/over the sun) at 2 am that morning so by 8 pm (20 hours later) should have moved 10 degrees east of the setting sun (the moon moves it's diameter [1/2 degree] each hour east) so I had Kati look at my notes, on the card table, to see when the moon was suppose to set as I was off looking for the very young crescent moon.  Then, while I was still looking for it, Kati brought up an app on her phone that could see right through the Earth (or houses) and Kati located the moon behind a home on Tierra, so we knew we couldn't see it anymore this night.

       Then a neighbor girl showed up, all smiles, and mentioned to Katy that she was in Nate's class.  So she just stopped in to say hi to Nate and was needed at home so left again.   She had participated the last session with her friends and father during setup.

        Then two young men arrived, in a sports car, and asked it they could join us (let's call them Ethan & Parker).  It just so happened that the first three stars were visible and I explained that they were called the Winter triangle and their names and meanings and importance to navigation (even today).  Nate, for like the fourth time, spoke up and said the most insightful statement.   Not everyone understood what Nate said but from my knowledge of Astronomy, every time Nate spoke a higher dimensional thought came out that was so true but would take more time than we had to explain to the whole group.  I acknowledge each of Nate's insightful comments and how they did apply in a meaning way to our current situation.   More of the brightest stars appeared and the four of them were interested in learning the "sensational celestial six pack", each in a different constellation (region of the sky), their names & meanings.  Nate said that they hadn't had supper yet so asked permission to leave and return after supper so Nate & Parker went on their way.

        Then a family of four drove up (let's call them Nathan & Stacy and their young daughters, Emily & Ava).   Nathan had attended a previous Stargazers and remembered many things that he had learned so I handed him the really bright laser pointer (as he knew it is against the law to aim at airplanes and not to point it at object that it could reflect off as it is harmful to eyes) and Nathan named several of the bright stars to his family and all in attendance.   (I was really impressed).   I had lost the printout of my notes for the night but Stacy brought them up on her cell phone and Stacy kept track of all the times for the man-made satellites to go over and Stacy was a vital component that session as we did see both a rocket booster and the ISS go through the constellations and stars that she named at exactly the times that she said they would go through, from my notes.   Everyone present was surprised how dim the reflection was off the rocket booster compared to the reflection off the solar panels of the International Space Station.  We had to look between two roofs across the street and stand down the hill, closer to the ditch, in order to see the star named Shedar (the breast of Cassiopeia, the Queen of the night sky) to see the start of the reflection off the ISS.

         All the people present now took turns at looking through both the Headwaters 70 mm telescope and my new 300 mm canon (that's what a neighbor girl called it last session).  I had a ladder for Emily & Ava to climb to see through the big telescope but Nathan held up Emily and Stacy held up Ava so they could look through the big telescopes eyepiece at clusters of tens or hundreds of stars and/or nebula.  I had Nathan also move through the Milky Way Galaxy slowly as he looked with the big telescope at how many more stars that he could see (thousands) that we could not see at all with our naked eye.

         Another man, that has come to at least three other sessions so has learned to use the telescopes and has learned many of the constellations and their star names; let's call him Greg, showed up after 9 pm.  Greg has helped me teach families in previous sessions and is so very good with learning from people and teaching people.   He had used his app, on his phone, to show previous children the shapes of the constellations as he held his cell phone up, aiming at that region of the sky while at the same time I was outlining them in the sky with the powerful green laser pointer.  As a team, everyone present, saw the night sky and a whole new way.

        The previous week, Greg had helped me clean up by hauling all the tables, chairs, wooden horse holding all the red flashlights for people to use (red lights don't diminish your pupil dilation as it can take up to a half hour to regain your pupil dilation if you look at a bright non-red light), and the three telescopes & binoculars back into my home.   After cleanup Greg & I took one last look at how much the night sky had changed from the beginning of the session and a fire ball passed over.   I had seen many other shooting stars throughout the session but they were so quick that Greg had not seen them but as this fireball passed over, I said, "Do you see that (as I pointed)?" and Greg said yes.  Both our jaws had dropped as that was the brightest fireball I had ever seen.   You never know what's going to happen in any given Stargazers session.   Greg asked if he could take a telescope home until the next session and I said sure as he wanted to try to figure out the automatic part of that telescope as it was suppose to find the objects in the night sky for you; thousands of them.   The school I taught at for 18 years, had owned one of these telescopes in my past and at the time, I couldn't get the telescope to successfully do what it claimed it could do so I was thankful that Greg was going to give it a try.

      This was an example of just last night as every Stargazer session has been so unique and rewarding to all those that showed, even if just for a few minutes AND even if it was completely cloudy, sessions were fruitful.

      To me, it seemed everyone who showed up tonight were very happy they had.   They arrived with smiles and curiosity for night sky knowledge and left when they had to, with thoughts of returning to learn more, and looking up nightly to review what they had learned and apply it to things in their lives, between sessions.  I've taught thousands since 1997 the night sky,  (as many as over 250 in a single night session).  I always find sharing my knowledge of the night sky with others very gratifying.  I find Stargazing sessions are a two way street as I learn as much from those in attendance as they learn from me.  I still have friends that I stay in touch with, who were students in my Astronomy classes through the years.

   I had taught a semester Astronomy class, twice per school year and sometimes a third session in the summer, from 1996-1997 through 2013-2014 with as many as 300 high school students per school year and taught an adult class for the Space Foundation in Colorado Springs, the summer of 2003, at the Air Force Academy, an Astronomy course for college credit.   I had also written educational Astronomy newspaper articles monthly, for two county newspapers (3 hour drive apart), for over a decade and NASA had hired me to represent all the high school teachers in the nation, on a special Blue Ribbon Panel, to write the "Criteria for the Next Teacher in Space".   What that means is that our 8 member, K-16 panel (an elementary teacher from Florida, a Junior High Teacher from St. Louis, myself representing all High School Teachers in North America (I was from Wisconsin), a principal, a superintendent, and a NASA teacher;  had the task of figuring out what made the best of the best teachers, as NASA would use our criteria to choose two teachers to train to be Astronauts so they could teach from the International Space Station.   The remaining 48 of the top 50 the Space Foundation made the first flight of teacher liaisons and they invited me to be a member of flight 2, 2005, teacher liaisons and I've been a teacher liaison every since.   As a teacher liaison, I am available to the public, to teach Space and Night Sky (Astronomy) concepts in exciting ways.   I do have four hoops to jump through each year to remain a NASA Space Foundation Teacher Liaison and now that I've been retired, a few of the hoops are tougher to jump through, and that is why I attend the annual National Space Symposium in Colorado Springs as my work with that symposium each year aids me in jumping through those remaining hoops.   Each year they induct a new class of Teacher Liaisons (a few dozen), from so many more that apply, to become a teacher liaison, so this year the flight 17-2021 teacher liaisons will be inducted.   I get to meet these newly inducted liaisons each year, at the symposium, and share some of my space teaching knowledge with them and learn from them also.  If you know a teacher that might be interested in being a teacher liaison, you can have them contact me [email protected] or search for Colorado Springs Space Foundation Teacher Liaison's and get the information online.

Where does Stargazers meet?

Every week may be a different place.   We started out at the HW HUB on the field but the pool lights and outdoor gym lights were shining down on the field.   So we moved above the playground where the building blocked those lights but the parking lot lights were in our way.  So we moved to outside my home, in a commons field, but now we are lower than the bridge lights and lower than the neighbors porch lights so I'm thinking of trying another place within HW with the least light pollution.   To find out anything (including where) concerning Stargazers, I'll always post information in this webpage:  smile2340.com     under the HW 78620 category as we go.

What are you future goals for Stargazers?

   I'm thinking that I want Stargazers to appeal to everyone, no matter what age or knowledge of the night sky they have.   I've been told that I have a gift of making difficult concepts easy for others to understand as I can feel where you're at currently, and take you to that next level.
   My plans are to start with simple small bites of knowledge and place them in my webpage under the Astronomy tab each week.   That way if you miss a Stargazing session, you can read the previous lessons, to catch up to the current session of knowledge of the night sky.  Each lesson will start out with a question that I answer so if you'd like to know the answer to that question, you can read it, otherwise you can skip to the next question.
    Just think, if I do one question per week, there will be 52 questions answered each year.  I will be listening to your questions each Stargazers session, to decide which questions to answer next in my weekly postings, on my Astronomy section, of this webpage: smile2340.com.
    I hoping and praying that the entire world can learn from this webpage so I really want to make what I post, meaningful to everyone; no matter age, sex, or nationality as from space station, international Astronauts do not see any borders and they always have a hard time understanding why riots and/or wars are happening on this planet, they are circling every 45 minutes, and we call home? 
      
Please enjoy learning with me as I start the lessons now, 04/02/2022, in the Astronomy section of this webpage: smile2340.com

Why did you name your webpage: smile2340.com?

   Smile was my password to get into my classroom (not the word, but the actual facial expression) for decades and I tried Smile.com and smile1.com and smile2.com, etc. and when I got to smile13.com and it was already taken (because of dentists and other face professionals) I got frustrated and through in my classroom number at the time which was classroom # 2340 at SPASH High School in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. 
   Side Note:  If you were in the last class I taught at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, my password was a positive 2nd derivative expression (which is the same thing as a smile).
   Side Note:   If you search my webpage, you'll find unbelievable diamonds of knowledge hidden all over the webpage.   There are even 100's of secret knowledge that you cannot even find anywhere in the cloud, but I purposely hid them in the hardest to find places, so I challenge you to find them and let me know if you do.  Enjoy your search.