BAKER LAKE - More than 100 people came down on the ice for a magical evening of looking at the heavens in Baker Lake this past month.

Grade 7 science teacher Frances Ross had been fielding a lot of questions about space from her students, when she had a chat with former Jonah Amitnaaq Secondary School (JASS) principal Bill Cooper.

Cooper told Ross about an evening a few years earlier when he and Jim Kreuger held an outdoor event for people to look at Mars through a telescope when the planet was close to the Earth.

Ross thought that was a great idea and, after two weeks of stubbornness from Mother Nature, a perfectly clear evening finally arrived for taking a closer look at the craters of Earth's moon and two of Jupiter's moons.

Ross said it was decided to make it a family event, so the JASS stargazing was advertised in the elementary and secondary schools and on local radio.

She said when the big night arrived, there were a dozen machines and vehicles on the ice, and a number of families came out to take in the cosmic scenery.

"We have a great telescope at the school, so our unit on space ended with everyone on the ice viewing all the stuff we had been talking about," said Ross.

"It was a bigger turnout than we expected and everyone seemed to have a really great time.

"The weather was perfect and there was almost a full moon, so the students saw the craters really well."

Cooper helped keep everyone warm on the ice by serving hot chocolate from his sled box, while community librarian Josh VanMeerveld kept the telescope in focus, and JASS high school science teacher Jennith Peart prepared snacks and brought guidebooks.

Ross said the students were amazed to see two of Jupiter's moons before the planet set.

She said the kids kept oohing and aahing as they looked through the telescope.

"A lot of them told me even though they had seen pictures, they didn't think it would really look like that.

"Many of them were in awe as they looked at the moons and craters with their own eyes.

"A project like this is essential to tying in what we learn in class to the real world.

"The family involvement is also very important, because it means a lot to the kids when their parents are there to share their excitement over learning."

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