Sorry we have to cancel sidewalk astronomy this weekend. Clouds, rain or both don't mix well with telescopes. Luckily we've been able to work in 4 (or more) school/public star parties over the last 2 weeks or so. Two of them had a Disney connection. First, the Sidewalk Astronomers and the Los Angeles Astronomical Society were invited to set up telescopes on the sidewalk outside Walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown Los Angeles on the 10th, 11th and 12th of January. http://twitpic.com/burd6f The concert? Gustav Holtz's The Planets, Opus 32, naturally! Then on the 22nd, Mojo set up our big refractor telescope outside his Disney Grand Central Creative Campus office in Glendale. http://twitpic.com/bxgwt3 We dodged clouds but moon and Jupiter popped out every now and then. In between, we had successful school star parties at Andres Duarte Elementary and Hamilton Elementary in Pasadena. This time of the year is perfect for school star parties since it gets dark by 6 p.m. A note to teachers thinking of asking us to bring telescopes - ask several months in advance, and let us recommend the date to maximize the chance of seeing something :-) We are planning a Mojave National Preserve spring star party, but I have not heard a final date. I put in for March 9, or April 6 or May 11. I'll let you know which date is - those from our email list who have attended can vouch for the fun and fabulous skies! Mojo and I will likely head to Amboy Crater on the other two dates, and you are free to join us - it is a large parking lot, not a campsite, tho. So what's Up? January has been spectacular for the doorstep astronomer - all you had to do is step outside and see planets and moon pairings at dawn and in the evening. Our friend Jack learned a good tip -- hold on to something sturdy when looking straight overhead at the moon and Jupiter! My January podcast is all about those pairings, and is linked to my blog below. And February's podcast will be about a near-Earth asteroid on the 15th (won't be visible easily, and only through telescopes), Mercury as high as it gets on the 16th, Mercury moon and Mars near one another from the 6-11th) and moon and Jupiter on the 18. And some other stuff. :-) I sat down and mapped out monthly What's Up in 2013 previews to offer a tantalizing peek into the future. It's right here on my blog post, which I'll be updating as we learn more about the two potentially great comets in 2013 - one in March and one in December! http://jane.whiteoaks.com/ Our next astro dates, weather permitting, will be Feb 9 (potential dark sky trip, weather and schedules permitting) Feb 15 Pasadena, and 16th Monrovia. Take care, everybody! -- Jane Houston Jones Monrovia, CA What's Up Podcast for January: Close Encounters (planets & moon) On Youtube:http://is.gd/kPUtSx Twitter:http://twitter.com/jhjones /CassiniSaturn /otastro My Blog:http://jane.whiteoaks.com/