Alachua Astronomy Club, Inc.	Member Astronomical League	Member International Dark-Sky Association
	Kanapaha Moonlight Walk
	29°39' N,  82°21' W Altitude: 50 Meters (more or less)		Updated Apr. 14, 2004
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Annual Kanapaha Botanical Gardens Moonlight Walk

2004 Moonlight Walk: Saturday Night, April 24

Public Viewing 7:00 to 11:00 p.m. EDT
(AAC members please arrive by 5:30 p.m. to set up)

Location
Kanapaha Botanical Gardens
4700 S.W. 58 Drive, Gainesville, Florida
On SR 24 (Archer Rd.), 1.2 mi. west of I-75 (Old Exit #75; New Exit #384)
(Enter SW 58 Dr. on north side of SW Archer Rd.)
Click for Locator Map

Admission
Adults: $5.00; Children 6 to 13 $3.00; under six free (NO PETS!)
(AAC members free if come early to help)

Come join us and celebrate Kanhapha Garden's Annual Celebration of the Spring Moon.

Each spring Kanapaha Botanical Gardens sponsors a "Moonlight Walk" on a Saturday evening (often near times of full moons but this year much before). The Alachua Astronomy Club, Inc. (AAC) brings telescopes, and members are present to answer questions. The AAC also has a booth showing a rotating slide show of astronomical objects. Walks are lit with over 1000 luminary candles, legions of fireflies and paper lanterns. Amenities include live band, chairs, refreshment stand (or bring picnic basket) and rest rooms. Although bright moonlight interferes with viewing faint objects, planets, double stars and a few bright star clusters, nebulae and galaxies can sometimes be observed along with, of course, the Moon.

• Info about Kanapaha Botanical Gardens and Locater Map (12K)
  
  
• Members should arrive by 5:00–5:30 p.m. at latest to set up scopes, exhibits, etc. AAC members admitted free if arrive early . Bring telescopes for public viewing (or just come to help), chairs and supper.
  

Note: Sunset: 8:02 p.m. EDT

Astronomical Notes:

• Waxing Crescent Moon: A perfect Moon for viewing only five and one-half days after New (illumination 25%). Rises 10:10 a.m. and visible all evening. Crescent moons show exquisite detail that cannot be seen when the Moon is near Full. Moon also at apogee tonight (furthest from Earth — distance 405,000 km or 252,000 mi), which will cause its disk to look about 6% smaller than average (29.5 arc min compared to 33.2 arc min at its next perihelion on May 6)
• Venus: Dazzling bright yet showing a crescent phase like the Moon! (mag. -4.5, diameter 33 arc sec, illumination 34%) Venus will have a crescent shape similar to that of the Moon! Greatest brilliancy on May 2 so Venus is easily seen during daylight hours
• Jupiter: Cloud belts and the four big Galilean satellites or "moons" (mag. -2.3, equatorial diameter 41 arc sec). All four Galilean satellites will be visible around Jupiter in the order (East to West):
      [Callisto] - [Ganymede] - [Io] - [Jupiter] - [Europa]
  (However, Jupiter's Great Red Spot will not be visible since it will be on the side of Jupiter facing away from Earth.)
• Saturn: Ring galore, Cassini's division, cloud belts and its large satellite Titan (mag. -0.3 , equatorial diameter 17.5 arc sec, rings 40 arc sec). Titan should be visible to the SW of Saturn. Look carefully and you may see 2-4 more satellites nearer to Saturn.
• Spring stars rising in the east; winter stars descending in the west with the Great Orion Nebula and oodles of star clusters

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