At the hilltop observatory, Mara opened the ephemeris before dusk. The equinox was near, and the cooling dome faced the ecliptic. She checked each asterism while the last luminous cloud faded. A chart listed azimuth and declination for every target. Her notebook compared aphelion with perihelion in plain language. It also explained sidereal time for younger visitors. When the Moon crossed the umbra, the penumbra first dimmed the fields. No one confused zenith with nadir after her calm demonstration. A brief occultation made the audience whisper. Then a bright conjunction rewarded their patience. By parallax, the group estimated one nearby star. By albedo, they guessed which moon soil was older. A slight libration revealed a sliver of the far side. The solstice exhibit waited under glass. A meter recorded the exact meridian crossing. Children repeated the strange words without fear. Their questions turned formulas into stories. Mara smiled as the dome closed. Outside, the town lights seemed small. The logbook praised curiosity more than equipment.