February 20, 2013 ALP NAW Stargazing Session Report
by Christopher Louie Lu
Images by Christopher Louie Lu & Gary Andreassen

Last February 20, 2013, the Astronomical League of the Philippines gathered at SM by the Bay besides Astrocamp Observatory Services to conduct the mid-week National Astronomy Week Free Public Viewing.  Scheduled activities include Solar Observation from 3pm to 5pm and Night Celestial Observation from 6pm to 9pm, featuring Waxing Gibbous Moon and the planet Jupiter.

Members assembled at around 3pm were Christopher Louie Lu with his Celestron Powerseeker 80EQ, Per Edman brought his Orion 6” Dobsonian Reflector. Other members also arrived to give support and manpower are Gary Andreassen, Nathaniel Custodio, Mike Enage, Michael Thomas with wife Leah. Later on they were joined by fellow ALP members Mark Ian Singson, Cris Tina and Jan Karlo Hernandez. Representatives from sponsor Cutting Edge and Celestron arrived and brought a Celestron Prodigy 70mm Refractor.

Spirits were high in anticipation for the Free Public Viewing but unfortunately due to tropical storm ‘Crising’, this later became a waiting game for skies to clear. From 3pm to 6pm ALP members waited for any signs for clear skies. At 7:45pm, when no clear skies were in sight, they decided to pack up but just before they took their customary group picture for posterity.

ALPers setup early in the afternoon at AstroCamp Observatory in SM MOA to give solar observation to the public.	ALPers pose before concluding the session after weather did not cooperate for the free public viewing session.
ALPers posed with Cutting Edge representatives after the conclusion of the free public viewing session.	ALPers take a break at Starbucks after the session.