Troop 530 Visits Stonehenge and Jupiter

Well, at least a good replica of what Stonehenge is thought to have looked like thousands of years ago. We went to Goldendale, WA to see the Goldendale public Observatory and visit the area. While we were there, we also visited the Stonehenge war memorial that was just up the road from our campsite at the Maryhill WA State park. 

The Maryhill State park has a very nice group site and the troop did a service project to pick up trash in the park. We had great luck with the weather...beautiful blue skies and not too cold. Along with advancement stations, the boys spent a little time just throwing the football and enjoying the nice facilities and weather. 

The Observatory is really an awesome place to visit, for both its historical and science value. Even before going into the Observatory, the area around Goldendale is dark enough to see the Milkyway -- something that isn't very common here in the valley. We also saw a few shooting stars. The program in the Observatory was great, and we got to view both Jupiter and a globular star cluster. The viewing conditions were good from a darkness perspective, but upper air disturbances made the picture pretty fuzzy. 

Over-all, a great Fall outing!