First of all, my deep apologies for my absence these past few weeks on The Catholic Astronomer. One of the occupational hazards of parish priests is assignment changes. As of July 5, 2018, I started a new assignment at St. Olaf Parish in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. It has been a smooth transition to a city I know well and a parish that is home to some of my best students from my High School teaching days. Now, I’m celebrating their weddings and doing the baptisms of their children. I’m feeling older than I should!
Now that the boxes are almost unpacked and a new sense of “normal” is setting in, I’ll be getting back to my weekly blurbs for you. A fun event that is on my radar screen is the Chippewa Valley Astronomical Society’s Star Fest from August 17-19, 2018. It’s an annual event that brings local amateur astronomers together to enjoy a weekend of star gazing and education at the Hobbs Observatory, just outside of Eau Claire at the Beaver Creek Nature Reserve. I will be a presenter at Star Fest this year, talking about the history of the Vatican Observatory and the research that the Vatican Observatory does! In that spirit, below are a couple videos that nicely summarize the themes I will explore in my presentation.
Question: What are the summer star party events in your area? How can you explore your love of astronomy as part of your summer fun? Pray with and explore these questions. I invite you to post star party events in your area in the comment section below. May all of us make gazing at the heavens a part of our summer relaxation!
Image from the Chippewa Valley Astronomical Society.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDz9rFVtzaQ
