Last night Wellesley Cub Scouts Pack 185 had the very good fortune of viewing the Super Moon from the Wellesley College Whitin Observatory. The pack was hosted by student Madeleine Beck and other Wellesley College Astronomy Department students. More than 40 Cub Scouts showed up along with parents and siblings to view the Super Moon through the College’s 6-inch and 12-inch telescopes. Ms. Beck and the astronomy students also shared an informative and entertaining slide show and mini skit to help the Scouts learn about the moon’s history. Guests also got hands-on access to actual meteorites and learned about how these “space rocks” made their way to planet earth. Of course, the highlight was viewing the Super Moon through the two telescopes that were each more than 100 years old.

Wellesley College opens its doors about once a month during Whitin Nights, when members of the community are invited to drop in.

Next up for the adventurous Scouts: a sleepover on a Battleship at Battleship Cove where they will explore every nook and cranny of the entire Battleship Cove fleet and sleep in the same authentic bunks that the sailors slept in.

Thank you to Swellesley reader and reporter-at-large Mark Lorion for this report.