When the clock struck midnight on January 1, 2010, Celestron reached a new milestone in its storied history by celebrating 50 years of optical and mechanical innovations in telescope manufacturing.  What better way of starting off the new year than by "kicking off" the celebration at the largest and most well known gathering of the latest in electronic gadgets and technology breakthroughs - the Consumer Electronics Show (CES).  Held at the convention center in fabulous Las Vegas, NV, the event drew more than 2,500 technology oriented companies from around the world, CES is the undisputed king of tradeshows.

Celestron attended the convention with a full contingent of representatives from the president & CEO, Joe Lupica, to his staff representing Engineering, Marketing and Sales Departments.  For the first time, Celestron had a booth set up inside the main central hall, alongside some of the biggest giants in the electronics industry.  This year, our Marketing Department came up with a rather unique looking booth structure which swayed radically away from the more traditional booth setups around.  At first glance, one could not help but notice the appearance of a futuristic galactic structure, reminiscent of a planetarium or even the LAX theme building.  Looking up, a huge mural of the Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) graced the ceiling of our booth, which gave our guests, an uncanny feeling of voyaging out into space and traveling amongst the stars!  The center of the booth was purposely kept open to give guests a more welcoming invitation to come in for a look.  It was really cool.  Well done Marketing!

CES is always an ideal time to debut new and exciting products to start off a brand new year.  For 2010, we proudly displayed several new products lines, including several handheld magnifiers and a complete lineup of weather stations.  For our binocular and spotting scope categories, we introduced the new UpClose No Focus binoculars; a new state-of-the-art, fully multi-coated, BAK-4, Nature Series binoculars; a 25x70 Porro SkyMaster binocular; a new C90 Mak; an Electric Zoom spotting scope and a Travel Scope 50.  The telescope lineup included several new models such as the new entry level LCM telescope line - available in 60, 80 and 114 aperture sizes; a revamped NexStar SLT line - now with 90 and 127 Maksutov-Cassegrain optics; a limited edition, orange colored 50th Anniversary FirstScope series and a limited edition 50th Anniversary CPC 800 series - with a glossy carbon fiber optical tube, 50th Anniversary badging and gold eyepiece kit.  A CGE Pro 1400 HD, equipped with a DSLR camera, stood gracefully at the front corner of our booth which attracted many of the uninhibited.  On more than several occasions, it wasn't uncommon to hear people say "that's one heck of a telescope!"

Several new products were recognized and received Innovation Honorees awards in the Personal Electronics category this year at CES.  These items included our Aplanatic Schmidt-Cassegrain optical system - the Edge HD - which alleviates off-axis coma and delivers astrograph quality pinpoint star images across a wide field; the LCD Deluxe Digital Microscope with the first 3.5" touch screen and 180 degree rotatable head - makes it perfect in a classroom setting; and finally, the upcoming LCD Handheld Digital Microscope with a 2.4" touch screen that's easy to use for children and educators.  All three products were proudly displayed at the Innovations Design and Engineering Awards showcase in the main central lobby. 

Our booth featured two flat screen monitors that played Celestron video clips for the duration of the convention.  We've concentrated and produced videos during 2009, and will continue to do so into 2010 and beyond.  One of the monitors, featured a touch screen which enabled guests to view our new 50th Anniversary mini-site.  This site came complete with an interactive time-line, presented the latest news, videos, celestial images, photos and even had a guest book for people to sign.  Visitors were also able to view a "sneak peek" trailer of our upcoming documentary titled "The Path of Light" which will be a 6 part mini-series that takes a closer look into the world of Celestron, its employees, astronomy, telescope making, public outreach and more.  Additional highlights will include interviews with professional observatories and even rock and roll stars!  Our guests even had the chance to submit their names for a chance to win one of the limited edition orange colored 50th Anniversary FirstScope.  At times, the line to submit names for the drawing became quite long, but nobody seem to mind much. The FirstScope is not only a fully functioning 76 mm reflector telescope, but is quite attractive and will definitely become a collector's item.  See for yourself in the photo below.         

After the conclusion of Friday's show, Celestron hosted a dinner party for their dealers, distributors and special guests at The Palm Restaurant inside Caesars Palace.  It was a very festive atmosphere with everyone having a great time catching up on the latest news in the industry, while making new acquaintances or reestablishing old ties.  After working the booth for several days, everyone looked forward for the evening's social and to enjoy a delicious meal.  President Lupica led off the evening with a motivational speech and a toast for having a successful 2009.  Although the economy was harsh for many industries, Celestron continued to pull through and keep growing, while taking on a more aggressive approach to all facets of the business.  When the evening came to an end, everyone posed for photos, and each guest was given a goody bag which included a 50th Anniversary t-shirt, cap and commemorative pin.  What a great way to start off the anniversary celebration in the new year.

The rage at CES 2010 was unquestionably 3D HD Technology that was announced from nearly all the major TV manufacturers in the industry.  Everywhere I looked; 3D HD demonstrations were being conducted outside on smaller screens and on giant theaters erected inside the convention center.  Sampling some of the 3D action myself, I was quite impressed at what I saw, especially having watched Avatar recently in IMAX 3D.  It's amazing how fast technology keeps evolving year after year, and the optimism and enthusiasm it creates by building excitement among manufacturers and consumers alike.  It makes me contemplate - what is the next frontier for Celestron?  It's been a very successful 50 years, and it's inevitable that we're already looking into the future to integrate new technology into our products.  Am I excited?  You bet I am!

The city of El Segundo (Recreation and Parks) and the South Bay Astronomical Society, co-sponsored and hosted their final local star party of 2009 at Hilltop Park on Saturday, December 19, 2009.  El Segundo, located just south of Los Angeles International Airport, is well known for its aerospace companies such as Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Raytheon - all of which have their facilities in the city.

I first became aware of the El Segundo Star Parties when Celestron's Q.A. Inspector, Deverlin Osborne, informed me that his wife, Liana, had came across a newspaper article which featured El Segundo's Mayor, Kelly McDowell, who just so happens to be an avid amateur astronomer, praising our FirstScope.  We sent a thank you message to Mayor McDowell and soon thereafter, he responded back and invited Celestron to join in at city's next star party.  Marketing Manager, Michelle Meskill, felt it would be most fitting to present the Mayor with his very own FirstScope. 

Michelle, Deverlin, Tech Support Supervisor, Mark Teitelman and I represented Celestron and brought along several telescopes ranging from the CPC, SE and SLT lines, as well as the FirstScope, SkyScout and SkyMaster binoculars.  The South Bay Astronomical Society was also well represented with their members volunteering at the event, including my long time friend, Joe Fierstein. The club, with the help of the park personnel, erected a makeshift outdoor theater where they showed an astronomy related video to the guests.  Club members also brought along various telescopes from all different makes and models, for the public to look through, including a beautifully handmade wooden reflector and an earlier generation NexStar 8i.

Although it was a rather small star party since most folks were probably out shopping on that last Saturday before Christmas, a few families still came by and enjoyed the views of the Moon and Jupiter through all the telescopes.  Michelle brought along her ever popular orange glow sticks that the children and adults seemed to enjoy a lot.  Mayor McDowell stopped by about midway through the star party and thanked all the participants for coming.  He then jokingly mentioned that we (Celestron) should pack up all our belongings and move our headquarters next to all the big aerospace companies in El Segundo.  In reality we're only just a few miles away.  Michelle presented Mayor McDowell with his very own FirstScope, which was the reason what brought us all together.  Michelle and the Mayor posed for a few photos, and excitedly chatted about working together again on future projects.  Everyone then called it a night and that closed the final star party chapter for 2009. 

It's been such a productive year for us, especially with IYA activities, which brought astronomy awareness and telescope observing to millions upon millions of people around the globe.  We will be continuing our outreach efforts right where we left off at the close of 2009.  In addition, as I had mentioned in my previous blogs, Celestron will be celebrating its 50th Golden Anniversary in 2010, so the celebration will be taking place throughout the year!  Thank you all for reading my blog recaps and sharing your comments.  Until next year, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!

On a clear and cold Wednesday evening, December 16, 2009, a group of well know telescope manufacturers (Celestron, Explore Scientific and Meade Instruments) came together, not as competitors, but as educators to participate in a one hour public seminar aimed at the beginning astronomy crowd looking to purchase their first telescope, spotting scope, binocular or other astronomically related product this holiday season for themselves or for gift giving.  The venue was the Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon Theater, inside the famed Griffith Park Observatory, which overlooks the city of Angels.  A star party would immediately follow the presentation outside on the observatory's front lawn with additional representatives on hand to demonstrate products highlighted during the seminar.  The presentation began promptly at 7:30 p.m. with Griffith Observatory's Astronomical Observer, Anthony Cook, taking on dual roles as host and presenter. 

Tony started off the evening by introducing basic telescope concepts and useful telescope terminology including different types of optical configurations, the importance of aperture (light gathering ability), mountings and magnification.  He also spoke about the usefulness of binoculars, and its ability to scan a wide swath of the night sky for unprecedented views of the Milky Way.  I was up next (by alphabetical order of the manufacturers) and spoke first on why Griffith Observatory played a major role in my life - as the place where I first looked through a telescope and saw Saturn's rings as a young boy, which inspired me to have a lifelong interest in astronomy and telescopes.  I then proceeded to discuss some of Celestron's most popular products which were specifically designed towards the beginning amateur astronomer - The SkyScout, FirstScope and the NexStar SE telescope lineup.  Time was limited to only 10 minutes per presenter, so I only had enough time to discuss some of the major highlights of each product.  Next up was Scott Roberts, President of Explore Scientific, and well known for his prominent role in promoting astronomical outreach.  Scott discussed the importance of public outreach awareness and introduced some his company's telescopes to the audience.  Chris Morrison, Vice-President, Support Services, Meade Instruments, followed suit and rounded out the talks by speaking of his company's recommended products designed for the beginning astronomer as well.  With just a few minutes to spare, a question and answer session took place, which was then immediately followed by the star party. 

After a week long period of rain, the sky was clear and all of our favorite objects to view - Jupiter, M42, Double Cluster, M45, M35, Castor, Albireo and more, were plainly visible above the beautiful Los Angeles city skyline.  Celestron's Marketing Manager, Michelle Meskill and Marketing Coordinator, Yasmine Rios, accompanied me to the event and were on hand demonstrating and allowing visitors to "test drive" our products, so they could get a feel on how user friendly and fun our products are to use.  Chris and Scott also had their fellow representatives on hand doing the same.  The star party provided a wonderful avenue for prospective telescope buyers to meet with the representatives, try out a variety of different telescopes and ask questions and receive helpful advices.  And yes, the "oohs" and "aahs" could be heard throughout the lawn.  By 9:45 p.m. the park ranger came by and made an announcement signaling the end of the star party, and like all successful star party events, time always goes by quickly, especially when everyone is having a good time.

Celestron would like to thank Griffith Observatory and especially Anthony Cook, for inviting all the local, major telescope manufacturers to participate in this first ever Pre-holiday Telescope Buyer's Guide seminar workshop.  It was great teaming up (for a change) with Chris and Scott and their respective organizations.  Hopefully, everyone who attended the event will now have a better understanding of telescopes or binoculars and will make a good choice of bringing the night sky a little closer this gift giving holiday season and beyond.  Happy Holidays everyone!

As we were moving towards the Thanksgiving holiday, one event remained on our calendar for the month of November - the Armijo's Family Daycare Star Party.  Lead Repair Technician, Hector Antuna, who can often be seen representing Celestron at star party and dealer events throughout the southland, organized this special star party for his 4 year old son, Geovanni and his classmates.  Would sharing the night sky through telescopes be a bit too much for such young children at this early age?  Not a chance!  For at least a month before the star party took place, the children, ages 4 to 5 years, with the guidance of their teachers, Carmen and Luis Armijo, prepared for the big night by learning astronomy words and conducting their own space related art projects.  As the event grew closer and closer, Carmen explained that the children's excitement really began to unfold, as they were so anxious to look through telescopes to view some of the very same solar system objects which they have been learning about.

Before long, the night of the big star party finally arrived.  With the assistance of Repair and Returns Warehouse Supervisor, Daniel Fuentes; Repair Technician/Returns Warehouse Clerk, Flavio Dominguez; Returns Warehouse Clerk, Salvador Roldan; and myself, the daycare's playground was transformed into a field of telescopes ready to open up new and exciting worlds for all those in attendance.  Before the star party began, the daycare treated us all to a pre-Thanksgiving dinner, complete with pumpkin pie, turkey and all the trimmings.  There was even pepperoni pizza on the menu too!  A big "Welcome Celestron" sign greeted us, along with some of the children's celestial art works, drawings and photographs.  We were extremely humbled by the warm greeting we received and touched by all the hard work and efforts the children made with their special astronomy projects.  It was simply awesome.

After dinner, Carmen gathered the children together, and they sang a couple of astronomy related songs for everyone, including "twinkle twinkle little star."  Next, each child stepped forward and given the microphone, so they could read aloud verses from their astronomy projects.  This provided an early but valuable lesson to teach each child to not be afraid of being in the spotlight.  It was also a great opportunity to show everyone how much they've been progressing with their reading skills.  It was truly heartwarming to witness the children's smiling faces, as the audience and especially their parents, cheered in approval.  "Yes, you can do it, and don't give up," I said out loud.  The star party was then ready to begin and everyone went outside eager to see what's up in the night sky.  In fact, the parents seemed just as excited as their children to view celestial objects through the telescopes for the very first time too!

The Celestron team brought along several computerized telescopes, including a SkyScout.  In addition, Frisbees, glow rings and t-shirts were brought along as gifts, but Hector felt it would be best to present these items to the children until after the star party concluded, so they wouldn't be too distracted.  Good idea.  The children eagerly lined up in rows and were on their best behavior, as one by one, they stepped forward and peered into the eyepieces and saw their first ever views of the Moon, Jupiter and the colorful double star, Albireo.  Many came up with some really interesting questions such as "Is there people living there?" "How far away is that?" "What are those "stars" next to Jupiter?" and "Why are there so many holes on the Moon?"  How intriguing considering these questions came from 4 to 5 year olds with a young mind full of curiosity.  Parents were just as captivated, and were not afraid to display their emotions out in the open.  I guess we can all relate to how we reacted during our first telescopic views of the Moon, for example. However, in my generation, most of us had our first celestial views through small aperture telescopes, and not through telescopes like the CPC series!  As an added treat, the Space Shuttle Atlantis had just undocked from the International Space Station earlier in the day, and flew overhead like two "stars" side by side, right on schedule. 

The star party lasted more than 3 hours, and throughout the evening, Danny, Hector, Flavio and Sal, commanded their telescopes to seek out other fascinating objects in the night sky such as the Double Cluster, the Pleiades, Orion Nebula, and double stars Castor and Polaris.  One mother had to leave but soon returned with her husband in tow.  She wanted him to experience the amazing views that she and her young daughters had seen earlier that evening.  She said "I got addicted to the views and had to come back."  Hector also brought out the SkyScout and wowed everyone even more by demonstrating how it's able to identify, locate celestial objects in the night sky.  The audible narration proved to be a big hit as well.  

Unlike most of the larger star parties that we participated at this year, this star party took place to a much smaller and younger audience; however, the impact was just as significant and everlasting as the others.  I was proud of our Repair/Returns Warehouse team for volunteering their time to make this star party happen for the children, their parents and to the daycare staff.  Sharing the night sky with everyone is always such an enjoyable experience.  I wouldn't be surprised if most of these youngsters will always remember where they were when they saw the Moon, Jupiter and other wonders of the universe for the very first time. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

On November 7th and 8th, the 2009 Sea and Sky Spectacular took place in Jacksonville, Florida off the waters of the picturesque Atlantic Ocean. This much anticipated air show featured the prowess of the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels Squadron, as well as numerous military and civilian daredevils of the sky.  The Sea and Sky Spectacular represented just one of the many featured events of the "Week of Valor," which paid tribute to the brave men and women in uniform of the entire armed forces.  With the city of Jacksonville having a strong military community, it allowed for a wonderful opportunity for everyone to come out to support and thank our veterans and active duty military personnel for keeping our nation safe. Additional highlights from the week included a Veterans Day Parade, guided ship tours aboard U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard vessels, Search and Rescue demonstrations, street festivals, Jacksonville Jaguars football game and much, much more.  Best of all, admission was free.

Celestron teamed up with Popular Science magazine as a featured vendor during this weekend event.  Representatives from Popular Science magazine included Account Manager, Alex DeSanctis and Group Director of Creative Services/Events, Michael Iadanza.  Representing Celestron included Marketing Manager, Michelle Meskill; Repair Department Supervisor, Daniel Fuentes; Technical Support Representative, Tyler Michaelis and I.  Together, we combined forces to promote astronomy awareness and to demonstrate our computerized and noncomputerized telescopes, spotting scopes, binoculars and SkyScout to a brand new audience.  We also hosted a two night "Take a Tour of the Stars" star party, which allowed thousands of guests to view celestial objects such as the Moon, Jupiter, double stars, galaxies and nebulas through telescopes.  Many of whom, observed for the very first time!  In addition to the general public who joined us at the star party, so did the performers!  How cool it was having the Blue Angels Squadron, their flight support teams and the UK's Parachute Regiment Freefall Team "The Red Devils," stop by for a look, and were all utterly amazed while observing our nearest neighbors in the Solar System.  Most importantly though, we sold hundreds and hundreds of raffle tickets for prize drawings of several Celestron products, including a NexStar 6 SE, NexStar 60 SLT, SkyScout, FirstScopes, AstroMaster 70 AZ and several binoculars.  Winners did not have to be present to claim their prizes, and all proceeds from the raffle drawing were donated to a very worthwhile and honorable cause - The United Services Organization (USO).  

Having been to several military air shows back home in California with my fellow Celestron coworkers throughout the years (MCAS Miramar), we knew how popular and exciting these air shows could be.  Sea and Sky Spectacular would be no different.  Several officials who spoke to us during the event, indicated attendance numbers for the two day event would exceed over 400,000 people!  In addition to the Blue Angels, the event also featured performances by the B-2 Spirit, F-15 Eagle, Short Range Recovery aircraft, F-16 Fighting Falcon, SH-60B Seahawk, A-10 Thunderbolt, Heritage Flight, The Black Daggers, The Red Devils, Czech Six, The Red Bull Helicopter, Daredevil Sean D. Tucker, Red Eagles and more.  It was the most sophisticated display of skill, advanced avionics technology and military might to be seen and definitely heard.  Jacksonville Beach was definitely the place to be, and there was nothing more stimulating to the ear than hearing the deafening roar of twin afterburners being ignited from an F/A-18 Super Hornet as it zips by, shaking the ground and cleansing your soul.  It's simply - the sound of freedom.

Popular Science magazine and Celestron are simply honored to be a part of this year's Sea and Sky Spectacular.  It's by far, the largest event we've attended this year.  With many US Military Veterans employed at Celestron and family members currently on active duty, we proudly support the US Armed Forces, and we proudly support the United Services Organization.  For more information on how you too, can become more involved to support the USO, please visit:  http://www.uso.org/. We are very grateful towards our US military forces and would like to sincerely thank them for defending and protecting our great nation and keeping us all safe.  We would also like to give a special "shout-out" and say "thank you" to David Liles of the Alachua Astronomy Club of North Central Florida for driving all the way down to Jacksonville to assist us and lend his astronomy expertise at last Saturday night's star party.  It was great seeing you again.  God bless our troops, and we pray you will all come home safely.

Just a few miles south down Interstate 110 from Celestron headquarters in the port city of San Pedro, California, resides the Toberman Neighborhood Center. This multi-purpose, non-profit community center provides various social services to nearly 14,000 inner-city individuals and families in need of assistance.  The center's mission is to help those to "get back on their feet" and reclaim their lives by providing tools and resources through counseling, teaching and training.  This includes working with children, teens, families, adults and senior citizens within the community. 

On Monday, October 26, 2009, the Toberman Neighborhood Center hosted the "Toberman Meets the Man on the Moon" event which Celestron Marketing Coordinator, Yasmine Rios; Technical Support Representative, Derek "DarkMatters" Wallentinsen and I attended.  The evening began with an official presentation by Celesron of a NexStar 102 SLT to the Toberman Neighborhood Center.  Robert Brandin, who helped organize the event, served as the Master of Ceremonies.  Speeches were given by the President and CEO of the Toberman Neighborhood Center, Gloria Lockhart and Consultant, Fund Developer, Kristy Day.  Robert introduced Yasmine to the audience, and she thanked the Toberman Neighborhood Center for their years of services to the community.  Yasmine then spoke words of inspiration to all the children in the audience as they sat and listened attentively.  I spoke next and told my personal story of how I was once given the opportunity to look through someone's telescope when I was their young age, and how it inspired me to have a lifelong interest in astronomy and telescopes.   I made sure to let the children know that their generation will be our future scientists, astronomers, teachers or even astronauts as long as they follow their dreams and keep studying hard.  They could become anything they want to be.  The children were given a few minutes to pick my brain and ask me various astronomy related questions.  I was quite amazed at the types of space related questions these 5 to 7 year olds were coming up with. The interest level about space was definitely there!  With time being limited, the hosts wrapped up the question and answer session and moved everyone outside. The much anticipated telescope viewing was ready to begin.

The hosts laid out the ground rules such as no running, no touching the scopes, etc.  Yasmine passed out lighted glow rings that really got the children excited, including some of the adults.  Our Technical Support Representative, Derek "DarkMatters" Wallentinsen was already outside waiting with a vast array of telescopes, including his NexStar 5, Onyx 80, as well as my NexStar 6 SE.  Joe Hellum, the Toberman's resident astronomer and math tutor, set up the new NexStar 102 SLT.  With all the telescopes already aligned and aimed at the Moon or Jupiter, the children formed lines and began taking in the views.  How exciting it was to hear the kids counting how many moons they could see around Jupiter and scanning in amazement over the lunar terrain.  You know what?  That's something we just never get tired of hearing.  The excitement of people, both young and old alike, enjoying and taking in the views of the night sky never gets old.  If we inspired and sparked just one child's interest that evening to think astronomy and science is cool, then it was all worth it.   We're confident many people discovered and experienced something new.  When a mother and her young son took their first glimpses of Jupiter, I heard the little boy say "when I grow up, I want to be an astronaut."  I said to myself "you know something, he may just become one."  We wish the Toberman Neighborhood Center many clear nights using their new telescope to explore and open up new worlds to all the members of your center.  When you're ready to host another star party, we'll be back.

With sand, water, stars and sky, the 13th Annual Astronomy at the Beach took place September 25 and 26, 2009 at Maple Beach, Kensington Metro Park, Milford, MI.  Astronomy at the Beach, more commonly known as AATB, is a yearly event hosted by the Kensington Metro Park and the Great Lakes Association of Astronomy Clubs (GLAAC) - the Ford Amateur Astronomy Club, Warren Astronomical Society, The Astronomy Club at Eastern Michigan University, University Lowbrow Astronomers, Oakland Astronomy Club, Seven Ponds Astronomy Club, Sunset Astronomical Society and the Amateur Astronomers of Jackson.  Major sponsors for AATB 2009 included Cranbrook Institute of Science, Co-op Services Credit Union, Camera Mart, Rider's Hobby Shops, Detroit Science Center and Celestron. AATB is unquestionably Michigan's largest public outreach astronomy event drawing thousands upon thousands of guests each year that are eager to learn about astronomy, space and science. Many Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, elementary, middle school, high school and college aged students attends the event in droves to learn and enjoy anything and everything about astronomy!  Guests also have the opportunity to observe through telescopes, listen in on exciting astronomy talks or just being around anyone else sharing the same interest in astronomy.

Celestron's Marketing Coordinator, Yasmine Rios, and I flew out to Michigan and represented Celestron at this year's AATB event. While back home in Los Angeles, our colleagues attended the big Pacific Astronomy and Telescope Show (PATS), which also took place the same weekend. We teamed up with Rider's Hobby Shop's John Kirchhoff and Bob Justin, to display and demo our telescopes and astronomy related products for the guests.  Rider's Hobby Shops also helped to organize a children's treasure hunt, where kids were encouraged to view at least 6 different celestial objects through telescopes and learn more about what they saw from telescope operators.  Children also had to answer astronomy related questions and once completed (with or without help), were submitted in to receive prizes.  What a fun way to learn about astronomy!

Cloudy conditions graced Friday night's sky compromising telescope viewing somewhat, but that didn't seem to put too much of a damper on people's spirits.  Guests were still gathering at the beach while excellent talks were taking place inside the main tent, many of which were aimed at families and children.  It wasn't uncommon to hear laughter coming from the tent throughout the evening.  Sky and Telescope's Editor-in-Chief, Robert Naeye and Rider Hobby Shop's John Kirchhoff were among many excellent speakers that presented that evening.  The Detroit Science Center brought along an inflatable, portable planetarium with a star projector which provided tours of the night sky.  It proved to be a big hit with all the kids and parents alike.  Yasmine and I wanted to go inside and see the planetarium show too, but the line was too long.  Maybe next year!  Next door at the Ford Amateur Astronomy Club's table, members sold cool, colorful, bendable glow sticks. It was quite a sight of seeing these colorful "bracelets" worn on people's head, neck and wrists while "floating" about in the darkness.  AATB definitely wasn't a dark sky party, but it didn't have to be to learn all about the cosmic wonders of our universe, and having a great time too!

On Saturday afternoon, I presented a talk to GLAAC members at the Kensington Metro Park's Nature Center.  The topic - Celestron's Community Relations and an overview of Celestron's new optical system - the EdgeHD.  Highlights from "Celestron On-The-Go" included - IYA events, dealer shows and major star parties that we had participated in during the year.  Other topics included an overview of Celestron's social networking sites - CelestronLife.com and CelestronImages.com.  In addition, I really wanted to emphasize who we are as a company, and who we are as employees.  With Celestron on the verge of celebrating its 50th Anniversary in 2010, we are moving forward and will be sharing in the celebration with our loyal customers and fans.

Before the start of Saturday's AATB event, Yasmine and I took a tour of parts of Kensington Metro Park's 4,481 acre grounds and marveled at all the great things to see and do here.  Although time was extremely limited, we did see many key features of the park including - hiking trails, picnic areas, wooded forests, wetlands, beach areas, wildlife viewing and so much more!   Autumn foliage was beginning to take shape, as leaves began dressing in their finest reds and orange colors.  We stopped at the Farm Center for a few minutes to visit some of the local farm animals including sheep, pigs, chickens, goats, cows and turkeys.  Coming from a big city, we really do not have many opportunities to see farm animals, so it was a wonderful experience.  What a thrill it was for Yasmine to see her favorite horses and sheeps up close.

While clouds were once again predicted for Saturday night's viewing, by late afternoon, the clouds miraculously parted just enough that left enough visible sky to commence the evening star party to the delight of everyone in attendance.  By dusk, the viewing area began to fill up with people, as telescopes of every make and model adorned the beach.  The Quarter Moon gracefully lit up the sky, and people pointed out the bright "star" like object in the sky - Jupiter!  As expected, the vendor and astronomy club's area remained busy, but the majority of the crowds were out observing on the beach.  It was truly delightful to see so many people from every age group interested in astronomy and excited to observe through many telescopes set up that evening. One example which stands out in my mind took place at Eastern Michigan University's C14 setup - after viewing through the telescope, a young girl excitedly ran back to her parents and yelled out "I think I saw M13!"

AATB 2009 officially came to an end at the stroke of midnight that Saturday night.  A raffle drawing took place in the outdoor pavilion immediately after for those who worked or helped plan the event. Several great raffle prizes were donated by many of the event's sponsors including gift certificates, DVDs, eyepieces and telescopes.  The grand prize was a Celestron NexStar 4 SE that Celestron had donated

Yasmine and I left Detroit the following day and flew home with an abundance of great memories of AATB and of all the friendly and enthusiastic people we had met throughout the 2 day event. We would like to personally say "Thank You" to Greg Ozimek, official photographer of AATB, for initially contacting and inviting Celestron to participate; George Korody, of the Ford Amateur Astronomy Club, for providing us with information regarding AATB at the Florida WSP; John Kirchhoff, Manager, Rider's Hobby Shops, for supporting, supplying and transporting our products; the entire Greater Lakes Association of Astronomy Club's officers and club members for their dedication towards public outreach and for banding together to host this wonderful family oriented event for the community; and Kensington Metro Park for providing an outstanding nature venue to hold AATB.  We hope to see you all again at next year's AATB.

Throughout the summer, Boy Scout Troop 378, from Torrance, CA has been meeting weekly at a local community center to learn about astronomy, as part of a program that would assist them to earn their Astronomy Merit Badge.  Troop Leader, Steven Yen, as well as volunteers from the South Bay Astronomical Society, conducted classes to teach the Scouts about the night sky, the different types of telescopes in use, the birth, life and death of stars, identifying the constellations and so much more.  Steven had contacted me to help assist with a star party for the Scouts, but each time a date was set, the star party was always called off due to the marine layer, which is infamous around the South Bay this time of year.  Finally, on Thursday, August 27, 2009, and after many delays, the marine layer withdrew and lifted far enough from land.  The Boy Scouts Star Party was back on!

Rob Hutchins, an avid local amateur astronomer and a good friend of Steven, opened up his backyard to host the special star party event.  Rob owns a private observatory with a good view of the sky and overlooks the Pacific Ocean.  Celestron's Lead Repair Technician, Hector Antuna, who also enjoys sharing his telescope knowledge, especially with children, accompanied me to the event. We brought along a NexStar 6 SE, as well as a few giveaways.  As dusk arrived, so did the Scouts, along with their parents and siblings.  Rob prepared his observatory for the evening viewing and set up a pair of binoculars which he mounted on top a tripod.  Meanwhile, Steven brought out his FirstScope and a laptop to play video clips for the Scouts to watch, which included a fascinating look at planetary nebulae.  After the video ended, Steven gathered his troop to review some of the astronomy lessons they've learned throughout the summer.  Listening in, I was quite impressed to hear how much astronomical knowledge the Scouts gained in several weeks.  The Scouts had no difficulties answering questions such as "What are the differences between refracting and reflecting telescopes?" and "Why do stars have different colors?" for example.  No question about it, the Scouts have been studying their lessons well.  Hector then gathered the Scouts together on the lawn, as we explained how a Schmidt-Cassegrain differs from the traditional refractor and reflector telescopes.  By demonstrating how easy it is to align the computerized telescope, and how to properly call up objects using the handcontrol's database, there were a lot of "wows" in the air.  One Scout said "It's like the telescope just comes to life," as the scope slewed to objects and provided everyone with nice views of the Moon, Jupiter, Neptune and even the elusive planet, Mercury.  Steven brought along a green laser pointer and used it to give the Scouts a constellation tour of the summer night sky - starting off by pointing out the "Summer Triangle" of Vega, Deneb and Altair.  We informed everyone to use their imagination as we connected the stars with the laser pointer to identify some of the more popular constellations such as Scorpius, Sagiittarius, Cygnus, Lyra, Aquila, Hercules, Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. 

At the conclusion of the star party, Steven presented us with the Boy Scouts of America Certificate of Appreciation Award.  He also acknowledged Hector for volunteering his time and sharing his telescope knowledge with the Scouts. We posed for a group photo and that concluded the star party event for the evening.  The sky became hazier from all the brush fires taking place in the nearby mountains, but luckily, we were still able to see nearly every object on our agenda and have a successful star party.  Speaking of brush fires, a rather large brush fire broke out in a remote area just over the hill from our location near the conclusion of our star party.  Thank goodness the fire departments responded and were able to extinguish the fire.  As for the Scouts, they studied very hard to earn their Astronomy Merit Badge, and it was well deserved.  Boy Scouts Troop 378, Torrance, CA, now possess astronomical knowledge that they'll carry with them and share with others for a lifetime.  It's wonderful they received a head start in Astronomy and Sciences at such an early age.  Who knows?  It may even inspire them to one day pursue a career in space related sciences.  It's good to start young.

Starfest, the 28th annual celebration of astronomy, took place on August 20-23, 2009 at the River Place Park family campground site.  Starfest is recognized as one of the top seven star parties in North America by Sky & Telescope magazine and is visibly Canada's largest annual observing convention and star party.  Nearly 600 astronomy enthusiasts from Canada and the USA joined in with the festivities.

This past February, I was contacted by Starfest President and Team Leader, Malcolm Park, who came across and enjoyed reading my Starfest 2008 blog.  After speaking with our Canadian Senior Sales Representative, Gary Stephey and I, Malcolm asked if we were interested in giving a talk at this year's event.  We agreed and throughout the spring, Gary and I tossed around several presentation ideas and discussed how we would strategize our presentation.  As the months flew by, summer came upon us rather quickly and with the announcement of new products such as the new EdgeHD optical system, we thought how great it would be if we also included an Engineer who was actively involved in its development.  I spoke with Celestron's Vice President of Engineering, Corey Lee to see if he would be available, and he was.  Our presentation team was set.

Corey and I flew out to Canada on August 19, 2009 and met up with Gary in Toronto.  During the drive up to the site, we heard stories how clear the weather had been the previous few nights, and as we made our way into River Place Park (home of Starfest), we were greeted by green, lush hills dotted with RVs and campers - a familiar sight seen each year.  The weather forecast wasn't too optimistic with 30% to 40% showers predicted throughout the weekend with a possibility of some clearing on Saturday night.  Looking up, things didn't look too promising.  We staked out our usual location near the Red Light Cafe and set up our tent.  With dark, ominous clouds moving into the area, we decided not to chance it in case it started to rain, so we left our products in the truck, as did most other vendors on site.  It was a good thing because someone ran out and yelled that a Tornado Warning has been issued within our vicinity!  It was kind of shocking to hear because we didn't think tornadoes formed this high up in Canada - we were wrong!  Before we knew it, black and light clouds began circulating, greenish clouds began to appear, rain began to fall, lightning lit up the sky and thunder boomed throughout the campground.  Within 15 minutes, looking out towards the west, we spotted the first tornado funnel cloud, perhaps an F1, that developed and touched down a mile or so away.  It wasn't your typical well defined tornado, and it was slightly broken up as it hung from the sky and eventually made landfall.  We lost sight of it as trees nearby hid it from view, but towards the north, more clouds were beginning to circulate.  People were just in awe as we saw twin lightly colored vortices making landfall about 2 miles away.  Luckily, they were moving towards the east and away from Starfest but we feared for the people in neighboring towns that were directly in the path of the twisters. The severe storms, ripped through the Durham-Markdale and Craigleith area (Grey County) leaving a wake of destruction, including down trees and damaged homes.  Starfest fared much better; however, a few tents were damaged or destroyed by high winds.  For us, the Celestron tent remained intact, but our fellow neighbor's tent didn't fare too well. 

The next day, we were greeted by the Sun and partly cloudy conditions.  Vendors began setting up their equipment for display, as we had a window of opportunity before the next storm was scheduled to blow through.  We displayed several telescopes including a new CGEM 800 HD, which brought out the curious, as well as our popular star party staples - the CPC 800 and NexStar 6 SE.  The CGE Pro 1100 HD would not make its debut until the following morning.  We outfitted our NexStar 6 SE with a solar filter and used the CPC 800 for terrestrial viewing, but sadly, that was about all the observing we did at Starfest this year.  By late afternoon, the clouds began rolling in again and any attempts to observe the sky remained fruitless.

Saturday morning (presentation day) was as gray as could be.  No Sun and no blue sky to be seen.  We were still quite upbeat and excited because not only would we be presenting our "What's new with Celestron" talk after lunch, but also because our CGE Pro mount finally arrived for us to display for our guests.  Corey, Gary and I spent most of the day fielding questions about the mount and new optical system.  New products always seem to get the most attention.  After the lunch hour, we made our way to the smaller tent and prepared for our presentation.  We were up against some stiff competition as another talk was scheduled for the main tent, and the swap meet took place concurrently.  Nonetheless, we had a good sized audience present as Gary led off our "What's new with Celestron" presentation.  Gary discussed some of the major highlights in Celestron's 49 year history including our founder; Tom Johnson's first built and sold SCT to the latest EdgeHD Optical System and every major milestone in-between.  I was up next and discussed my history with the company to the various roles and positions I held throughout my nearly 10 years with the company.  I also discussed the company's role as global sponsors of IYA 2009, various events and star parties we've participated in so far in 2009, as well as our new social networking sites - CelestronLife.com and CelestronImages.com.  I then passed the baton over to Corey, who presented the new EdgeHD Optics and discussed its design and features.  He explained how the new optical system produces a focal plane more than three-times flatter than a standard Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope and corrects for off-axis coma.  Corey then showed images of celestial objects focused on axis, which depicted sharp, uniform stars across the entire FOV.  New mechanical features of the EdgeHD were also explained in detail.  We had fun conducting the presentation and felt confident we were able to bring something of value to the audience members. 

With absolutely no hope at all for any kind of observing due to the persistent cloud cover, many vendors began to break down their tents and packed up their belongings.  The big banquet took place inside the main tent as people lined up across the vendor's field for the delicious dinner and dessert.  Soon after, the announcements and door prize festivities began and similar to last year, baseball caps were tossed into the audience that really got the crowd going.  The Canadians absolutely knows how to have a good time.  Celestron donated several "Eyes on the Skies" DVDs, a FirstScope and the grand prize, a NexStar 8 SE.  Our Canadian Senior Sales Representative, Gary Stephey, was called up to the stage to do the honors of selecting the winning tickets.  One by one, the lucky winners came forth to collect their prizes.  When the time came to draw the grand prize, all were eerily silent throughout the tent.  Suddenly, a surprised and shocked Pat McLaren of Elora, Ontario, stepped forward to claim her telescope to the cheers of the crowd.  Pat mentioned that she and her husband have been coming to Starfest since 2001 and never expected to win anything other than just a cap.  Surprise Pat!  We're sure you'll be enjoying and sharing the views with everyone around you, including your husband, who just so happens to always been a hardcore DOB kind of guy.  Maybe he'll see what CATS can do too?

Starfest 2009 is going down in the history book as the year tornadoes paid an unexpected visit.  However, no amounts of rain, lightning or even a few tornadoes will ever blow away the enthusiasm of the people who regularly attends this great event each year.  It just so happens luck hasn't been on our side lately, but even though, we must all remain positive and hope next year brings clear skies for all.  Our luck is surely bound to change.  Corey and I departed Toronto safely the next day, and upon our return back to the office, we had many interesting nature stories to share with our fellow co-workers. Californians are used to earthquakes but tornadoes are a different story.  We'll return back to Starfest next year, and we'll make sure to let Malcolm know to save us our usual spot by the Red Light Cafe.  Until the next event, clear skies to you all.

Here we are again in the middle of summer and for us Californians, July means warm, sunny blue skies, sandy beaches, summer Milky Way and Oceanside Photo and Telescope's Southern California Astronomy Expo (SCAE)!  How quickly an entire year has rolled around since the last SCAE 2008!  This past Saturday, July 18, 2009, OPT Boss, Craig Weatherwax, hosted the 5th Annual SCAE event and invited down nearly 40 vendors of astronomical related gear to showcase their latest wares to the public.  Just a week earlier, OPT held a very successful parking lot swap meet, followed by a film presentation and vendor star party at nearby Palomar College.  Like always, the events were free and open to anyone interested in astronomy and telescopes.  Part 2 of SCAE included a BBQ, mini presentation seminars by vendor reps, and the ever so popular "Raffle Prize Extravaganza" which this year, included an online giveaway for those who couldn't be at OPT in person.  The best part - raffle tickets were free! 

Celestron sent out a variety of representatives from different departments within the company.  Vice President of Engineering, Corey Lee, came down to SCAE this year and presented a talk on the new EdgeHD optical system to a curious audience.  With the official announcement made just 3 days earlier, the EdgeHD was no doubt, one of the most talked about new products at the event, and we were proud to have to have someone who worked extensively on the EdgeHD project conduct the presentation.  The Marketing Department was represented by Marketing Coordinator, Yasmine Rios, who's already become an event veteran, and I, Community Relations Coordinator, Kevin Kawai.  Representing the Repair Department included Repair and Returns Warehouse Supervisor, Daniel Fuentes and Lead Repair Technician, Hector Antuna.  The "dynamic duo" can adjust, clean and repair nearly every Celestron telescope and mount!  And finally, newly hired Special Sales Manager, Ben Hauck, joined in with the festivities and made his first public event debut with Celestron.  Welcome aboard Ben! 

The Celestron booth was located right in the middle of the upper level parking lot with two large tables to display our LCD Digital Microscopes, Axiom and Ultima eyepieces, Eyepiece kits, FirstScope and a SkyScout.  In addition, there was ample table room for giveaways such as catalogs, sell sheets, IYA posters, beanies, caps, pens and Frisbees.  With the Sun shining brightly throughout the day, we displayed our popular CPC 1100 and NexStar 8 SE telescopes for solar viewing even though there really hasn't been much activity on the Sun in recent memory.  Still, the Sun is always a popular target to view through telescopes, and our guests agreed.  We also set up a SkyMaster 25x100 binocular and a Regal 100F-ED spotting scope for terrestrial viewing.  The CGE Pro 1100 HD and CGEM 800 HD were set up right in front of the booth and always had a steady stream of people that gathered around for a firsthand look at the new optical tube/mount setups.    Some guests who came for a closer inspection included advanced imagers and visual astronomers. Those who missed out on Corey's presentation were still able to get an up close look at the new EdgeHD's mechanical features and learn how the optical system alleviates off-axis coma while producing a flat field.  There was even a beginner who wanted to get into the hobby but wanted to start off with only the top-of-the-line equipment!  Sure! Why not start with the latest and greatest?

By 6 PM, the vendor event officially came to an end, but not before the giant SCAE Giveaway commenced in its place with Craig serving as Master of Ceremonies.  Thousand upon thousands of dollars worth of raffle prizes were up for grabs in the children, adult and online categories.  This was the biggest raffle prize drawing ever and Celestron contributed with the prize pool too by donating an "Eyes on the Skies" DVD/Book and a FirstScope for the children's drawing and a CPC 800 for the adult gold prize.  The children's raffle drawing took place first, and a very happy young girl won the FirstScope.  Her big smile said it all as she claimed her prize!  In keeping with tradition, for the past 2 years, our gold prize winners would always spend time talking to me earlier in the day before having their winning ticket drawn during the raffle.  Would the same good fortune take place again this year?   I did speak with quite a number of guests.  When it came time for Celestron's gold prize to be drawn, Craig summoned Yasmine and I to the stage area and announced the winning number.  Would there be a "three-peat" once again?  Well, yes and no.  The man with the winning ticket turned out to be Bob Buckner, an OPT SCAE regular who indeed spent some time at the Celestron booth talking to Yasmine earlier in the day.  I have the photo to prove it - (see photo on bottom left). Although while Bob didn't actually speak with me, he did speak to Yasmine, so I guess that's good enough to keep the streak alive.  Congratulations to Bob and hope you enjoy your new CPC 800. 

Immediately at the conclusion of SCAE, we loaded up our belongings and joined the other vendors and OPT staff for a reception in the downstairs Art Gallery for cheese, wine, grapes and crackers.  It was a relaxing way to recap the day's events with old friends and even with a few competitors, while making new acquaintances as well.  Dinner immediately followed just walking distance away at Vigilucci's Italian Restaurant.  Craig had rented out the entire restaurant, and the food was excellent like always after working a long, hard day.  It was really amazing to see most of the major astronomical equipment manufacturers get together and dine together under one roof.  Leave it to Craig to make it all happen.  As always, Celestron would like to give a very big "thank you" shoutout to Craig and Leigh Weatherwax, Penny Distasio, Rayna Roberts, Eric Blackhurst and the entire staff at OPT for all your hard efforts in putting together another great SCAE event.  There's no doubt a lot of planning, cooperation and coordination were involved, but for all your hard efforts, it brings together the best annual summertime astronomy event period.  We'll see if there will be a "four-peat" during next year's raffle prize drawing.  Until next time, enjoy the hobby and keep looking up!  Click on the first picture in this blog recap to be automatically sent to the OPT SCAE 2009 photo album on Flickr Photos.