In response to a request that was originally received via the DAS Facebook page, DAS members Ron Hranac and Dena McClung joined members of the Rocky Mountain Islamic Center on the
eastern edge of Sloan’s Lake on the evening of March 21 to attempt to spot the tiniest sliver of the newborn moon. This would have enabled local Muslims to begin the holy month of
Ramadan one day early, but clouds on the western horizon and a tight interval of separation between the setting sun and the moon thwarted the effort.
However, the outreach effort was still a success from the standpoint of bringing views of the sky to members of the community. Ron’s large binoculars, equipped with solar filters, were a hit
before sunset as many people were able to see the sunspots on the face of the sun. The majority of the sky was clear, so viewing continued as the sky darkened, with Venus, Jupiter, and the Orion Nebula being reliable crowd pleasers.
