[pasmembers] Night Sky Training Event - First event is March 9th
- From: Terri <cosmicstarstuff@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: "pasmembers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <pasmembers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 1 Feb 2013 13:28:40 -0800 (PST)
Night Sky Training Event
I was re-reading the comments that were given about this topic. I love the
ideas everyone has shared and i want to do everything, everyone has mentioned.
We may need more than 2 sessions to make this work. The dates of the first 2
events of this kind are on Mar 9 and Apr 13 and both are at Mike's home in
Carefree.
At the moment, the plan is to attend the potluck so that everyone has been fed,
and food isn't an issue. No one is hungry, so they are feeling good and we can
do this with some fun and learn something from each other.
We will start with the obvious, brighter objects. So, if Jupiter is available,
let's get everyone aligned to Jupiter first.
Then talk about facts of Jupiter and it's four moons.
Talk about Jupiter sky lore, if any is known. Take notes,
try different filters and eyepieces and find out what works
best in your scope. Make notes.
I'm predicting a minimum of 1/2 hour on each object to allow for discussion,
research and note taking.
Then we will move to the next object. This first event, we may have a bunch of
PAS members who need help setting up their scopes, aligning, etc. We will start
with that so that everyone has the opportunity to be involved equally, and
doesn't have to fight with their equipment. I know what that is like.
Doesn't matter if you do your object hunting manually or with a Go-to or
Push-to system. The idea is to learn where in the sky the object is, how to
find it the fastest, and what starts to hop from. This portion might need to
take into consideration that in the city, only the brighter stars are seen, so
you'd want to learn to find it by
star hopping from brighter stars, rather than finding fainter stars to hop
from.
Here's what I hear from you'all so far.
* What I'd like is an opportunity for some ppl to share their favorite
objects and give tips on what methods they personally use to locate it.
* Someone mentioned learning the folk lore, and the facts about the
objects. I'd like to include this in the training session. Discussion is good.
* We should probably do favorite objects first, especially for the
public star parties, and then more to more challenging to see, or challenging
to find objects as we get better and more into these classes. So, plan to make
a list of objects you want to share at the March 9th event.
I'd like to keep discussing ideas about this first Mar 9 event to get an idea
how we should proceed. Input is welcome. If you don't feel this is worth
your time, and you'd rather do a star party, we will have a separate area
you may set up, same area but further away from the group learning, so that
those learning can be close enough for talking distance. But you are still
welcome to join us and show off the objects you can find. I know that if you
do that, it will increase the time it takes us to get to the next object, but I
believe, since Mar 9 and Apr 13 are good dark sky nights, that it will
be worth it to have you doing that, and maybe helping others with their
set up and alignment.
Thank you all for your input. Keep it coming. We have about a month
more for discussion, so I'd like your input to help me decide the best
way to do this event that will benefit everyone attending.
Terri, Event Coordinator for PAS
Good friends are like stars. You don't always
see them, but you always know they are there.
Terri Phoenix Astronomical Society Event Coordinator
Visit the P.A.S. Blog & My Facebook Page
Visit my Music Page: Private Music Instructor
>________________________________
> From: William Finch <psychogilgamesh@xxxxxxxxx>
>To: pasmembers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>Sent: Thursday, January 10, 2013 6:17 AM
>Subject: [pasmembers] Re: Night Sky Training Event - Your input is requested
>
>
>I'd have to say, it wouldn't be for everyone but, I've noticed that some of us
>have our own list of favorite 5-25 objects that we show over and over again.
>What I'd like is an opportunity for some ppl to share their favorite objects
>and give tips on what methods they personally use to locate it.
>
>
>On Jan 9, 2013 11:41 PM, "Tim Jones" <timj@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
>I agree with Sam here. Especially since I already do this for most visitors
>to our outreach and viewing events because they almost all ask "that" question
>-"how do you know where to look?"
>>
>>
>>To Eric, I agree that pointers and guidance are useful ( otherwise, Terri
>>would have no students), but we need to make sure that finding things is a
>>skill learned through doing, not listening to others and that skill takes
>>years to become good.
>>
>>
>>Tim
>>
>>Sent from my iPad
>>
>>On Jan 9, 2013, at 8:15 PM, insanas@xxxxxxx wrote:
>>
>>
>>We have so many cancelled star parties because of rain, clouds, wind, etc.. I
>>hate to set up a new star party just for this topic. I would be happy to take
>>one hour of a regular public star party to work with new pas members who want
>>to learn the night sky. I would show them star charts, planispheres, messier
>>handouts, telrad charts, setting cirlces, constellations charts, sky and
>>telescope planet charts, etc... Once the newbies see how an object is found,
>>they can try to find the next object and I would help them if they get lost.
>>Anyway, spending one hour at a public star party saves setting up a whole
>>separate star party. Take care, Sam
>>>
>>>
>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>From: Eric Steinberg <eric@xxxxxxxxxx>
>>>To: pasmembers <pasmembers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>>>Sent: Wed, Jan 9, 2013 5:43 pm
>>>Subject: [pasmembers] Re: Night Sky Training Event - Your input is requested
>>>
>>>
>>>Tim, your point is well taken - you can only learn it ultimately by
doing it. Yet I think there is some validity to the idea. Though it
comes naturally to some of us, others have some difficulty making
overall sense of the sky even with a planisphere, and may not even know
where to start. Eventually, those with an interest will have to do exactly what
you say,
but we can help with some basic explanations, like how to use the
planisphere, the idea of star-hopping or things like the precession of
the stars and the celestial equatorial/polar concept. That along with
some hands-on demos might get people kick-started to do their own
learning. JM2C
Eric -----Original Message-----
From: pasmembers-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:pasmembers-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Tim Jones
Sent: Wednesday, January 09, 2013 3:03 PM
To: pasmembers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [pasmembers] Re: Night Sky Training Event
- Your input is
requested While I appreciate the intent behind this, the only way to learn the
night sky is to get out under it and look up. A session here or there
really is not going to help. Imagine one of your music students that you only
see 2-3 times a year
because their schedule doesn't allow them to practice the instrument
more often. Just how quickly do you think they would learn to master
the instrument? Learning the night sky is very much like learning to
play an instrument. While a bit of guidance will help keep the student
on the proper track, it only practicing regularly that results in the
student learning to play the instrument. My recommendation for learning the sky
- get a Planisphere (either an
app or a real one) and spend evenings looking at the sky and learning
the lay of the land (so to speak). You don't even need a telescope for
that. Tim
>
>
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