Mrs Russell is a keen astronomer who has recently bought a telescope to further her hobby. She held the party as a follow-up to viewing sessions held in Geraldine and Timaru during April as part of the worldwide ‘‘100 hours of astronomy'' event.
From the many enthusiastic partygoers who attended, the South Canterbury Astronomers Group has now been formed to provide an opportunity for experienced and novice astronomers to get together to share ideas, hold workshops, bring in guest speakers and generally observe the night skies.
South Canterbury Astronomy Group co-ordinator Robert McTague said those attending Saturday night's party were able to use telescopes to view objects they had never seen before.
‘‘We were all amazed to see the international space station move across the Northern sky and suddenly disappear as it moved out of the sun's rays in orbit,'' he said.
One keen young astronomer who attended the star party was Tim Coulter, of Timaru.
‘‘I very much enjoyed the event, especially seeing large star clusters and constellations from powerful telescopes. Also, it was a good opportunity to see stars that couldn't be seen with the naked eye. Another great thing about the star party was meeting other people who enjoy astronomy,'' he said.
Tim hoped by being part of the club he would be able to learn from others how to set up the telescope's mirrors and which eye pieces to use for certain things.
The group has its own website - www.langwoodsphotography.com/ scastro. Interested people and budding astronomers can also contact Mr McTague on 688-3735 for more information.
--Andrea Kydd-Law
