Jefferson College Obs Boy Scouts

We did a star gazing event with the Cub Scout pack at the Jefferson College Observatory a couple years back that was a great experience for the kids. Now that many of those kids are older we would like to do an education event/viewing for our Boy Scout Troop 778 (Fenton Mo). The scouts range in age from 11-18. If you have a member that is a BSA certified Astronomy merit badge counselor that would be ideal but if not, that is totally fine. Learning about astronomy and the universe is the ultimate goal, with an emphasis on orienting when camping and knowing the constellations and planets in the night sky. We would like to cover some of the items below so that if any of the scouts would like to complete the Astronomy merit badge, they would have a start

• Explain why binoculars and telescopes are important astronomical tools. Demonstrate or explain how these tools are used.
• Describe the similarities and differences of several types of astronomical telescopes, including at least one that observes light beyond the visible part of the spectrum (i.e., radio, X-ray, ultraviolet, or infrared).
• (d) Describe the proper care and storage of telescopes and binoculars both at home and in the field.
• Identify in the sky 10 constellations, at least four of which are in the zodiac.
• Identify in the sky eight conspicuous stars, five of which are of magnitude 1 or brighter.
• Explain what we see when we look at the Milky Way.
• Describe the motion of the planets across the sky.
• Observe a planet and describe what you saw.