AMERICAN URBAN STAR FEST 2004
 ---------------------------
 John Pazmino
 NYSkies Astronomy Inc
 www.nyskies.org
 nyskies@nyskies.org
 2004 October 16

    Despite clouds and threat of rain, the annual American Urban Star 
Fest convened in Central Park, Manhattan, on 9 October 2004. All that 
day of Saturday was positively discouraging against the Fest, with 
rain in some parts of New York in the morning and dense overcast for 
the rest of the day. Even toward sunset, when the Fest opened, the 
clouds stayed over the City. 
    Never the less, I went to Central Park, arriving at about 17h 
EDST to meander around Sheep Meadow and vicinity. For the hourish 
before the Urban Park Rangers arrived, there was no favorable action 
in the sky. The clouds rumbled by yet remained thick. A peek of sun 
near sunset, evidenced by its glint off of skyscrapers east and south 
of the Park, closed up within minutes behind more clouds. 
    The Rangers arrived in their trucks at quite 18h and went right to 
work setting up their tables and exhibits. Within minutes the local 
astronomers began to show up and deploy their equipment. I did not, 
then or later, circulate thru all of the scopes, so I don't know for 
sure how many setups there were. I worked at a few in the north side 
of the field. There were on hand the usual core of astronomers, with 
some arriving after dark. Basicly we were the bunch who attend the AAA 
Observing Group and Seminar meetings. 
    With the tables ready and crewed, the Fest opened with no formal 
announcement as such. The Rangers waved the visitors to the scopes 
after they collected assorted litterature. Among the handouts were the 
new 2004-2005 Enjoy the Stars from the Amateur Astronomers Association 
and a NYSkies starchart for the night. The Rangers had flyers about 
their other park activities. 
    I met Bill Schmidt, now assigned to Inwood Hill Park, and Gary 
Rozman, a Ranger official. Both were enthusiastic about the Fest and 
possible other astronomy sessions in the New York City parks. I noted 
that there is a large overlap of membership between AAA and NYSkies, 
so the two groups would naturally be on hand to help the Rangers. If 
the Rangers asked me specificly to crew an event, I would put the 
notice on NYSkies. AAAers would learn of it and be free and clear to 
take part in it. 
    Due to the miserable prospects of the weather, the attendance, 
fluffing up for the scopes I didn't get to, was about two hundred. Much 
of the time was spent showing what targets did peek thru the clouds to 
other telescopists! 
    The scopes did offer views of Vega and epsilon Lyrae, Albireo, 
Almach, Double Cluster, at the least. These were best shown during a 
roughly one hour thinning of the clouds from around 20:30 to 21:30. 
The visitors who did come were the typical City folk, well aware 
generally of space and astronomy news. They asked good questions, 
which in some cases stretched the Fest crew to answer. I was called 
over a few times to field a tougher question in one area of 
astronomy. I referred certain other tough ones to other crew. 
    So, by 22:30h, with the clouds still hanging over us and looking like 
they will close up the few small open spaces among them, I left for 
home. Bernie Kleinman and Tony Morales went with me, riding the IND 
downtown from Columbus Circle