[pasmembers] Night Sky Training Event - Your input is requested
- From: Terri <cosmicstarstuff@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: Terri Finch <events@xxxxxxxxx>, PAS ListServ <pasmembers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2013 13:55:31 -0800 (PST)
Good afternoon PAS Members,
I'd like some input, and we have about a week to discuss this before
a date is set. So, your input is important to me. Please, if you
are on the List Serv, send your answers to that location.
If you aren't already on the List Serv, and with to continue this
discussion with the rest of the PAS Members,
please use the below info to get connected.
Topic: Night Sky Training Event
I'd like to open this up to just PAS members to start. If it goes over good,
I think we should hold 1 or 2 of these events, open to the public,
during the summer months. But let's make the first 1 or 2 PAS members only,
so that we can test the idea. If it works good, we continue. If it doesn't work
out,
can't find enough people or objects to view, then we may just not do it with the
public.
Here's the proposal:
This came about because I discovered that a few of our members who do not
get to, due to their work schedule, or other activities they are involved in,
attend star parties or do observing regular enough to learn the night sky. One
can't expect to set up a scope, and know where the fun objects are.
At a PAS meeting or it might have been a MOM's, Jerry Belcher suggested that I,
or PAS, put together a star party designed to find objects in the night sky,
as a goal, together. So, let's say you didn't know where M31 was. Yes, at times,
this is a very elusive object that can't be seen naked eye at a school event,
most of
the time. At Mike's, in Carefree, we can see it, sometimes, but most of the
time,
it is elusive. How does one find it?
So, we, some of the PAS members who were having difficulties finding objects,
decided we wanted to set up a star party to train those PAS members who may not
know where to find objects, a couple times a year. With the intent of learning
most of the Messier objects, which would help if you are doing the Messier
Marathon (and we can prepare for the 2015 Marathon, because we don't plan to
have
that many events between now and next Messier Marathon to cover all 110
objects) as well as learning some additional fun objects.
Who would teach? Everyone who attends could possibly share what they know. For
instance, if Eric attends, he has so many really awesome objects he has found in
the past, that he could point it out in the night sky, and we, as a group,
could go
find it in our own scopes, get to know it's location, make notes of what it
looks like,
maybe write down coordinates, etc.... and learn where some new objects are,
that Eric knows about. Don, he's another one with great info on where objects
are and because he has a Go-to, he can go to new objects, and we can all make
an effort to learn some new objects.
So, what do we do at these events?
Potluck 2 hours before the observing session. Why? Because if you haven't
eaten, you won't be as receptive a learner if you are concerned about your
tummy
rumbling and distracting you from the goal at hand.
Where: Mike's home in Carefree.
Fee: $1/scope. Why? We give this to Mike as a donation for the supplies
he needs to get, such as toilet paper, paper towels, etc, to keep his house
availablefor use by PAS members.
Who attends? The first 2 sessions, will be PAS Members and their scopes. I think
in order to learn a few different objects in one night, we should limit the
attendance
to only those PAS Members with scopes and immediate family members who
might want to come see some new objects. If we have too much in the way of
public, or extra people, we won't get to enough objects to make the night a
worth
while training session.
Plans: We all set up. We all work our own scopes. We pick what objects we want
to learn about. It would be helpful if we also learned some facts about each
object.
So, if someone wants to have access to the internet or books, we can discuss
each object, the distance, features, size, etc.... so that something is known
about
each object and I suggest that we all take notes. So, plan to bring a note book,
pencils, maybe even draw the object in your book as you are looking in your
scope,
as a reference to what we observed.
The rule will be: who ever knows how to find that object, uses a green laser
pointer - or super blue laser pointer if you have one - to point out in the
night sky where to find this object. Then, ALL scopes go to the object
and find it. We then compare views. So, let's say I find it in my 8", Sam also
has an 8", and maybe for his view, he decides to zooooooooom way in on it
bringing it in larger than my view. Doesn't matter, we aren't competing on
the view of it. We are learning to find the object. We want to see it well
enough
to confirm we have found it. And we aren't in any rush. So, after it is found,
let
everyone attending look through your scope. If we do this for each object,
I'd guess we can find and complete one object about every 1/2 hour.
What I had in mind was to make notes of what eyepiece, filter, etc, i used
to make this object look good. Then, I would want to keep a hold of that
info, maybe type it up and make it look good, and use it at star parties, so I
remember my best view, using the notes I took while doing this training class.
So, the next thing is... when do we want to hold these events? I suggest on the
nights that are marked on the calendar for the Antenna's site. However, I
do not want to take all those dates, but maybe every other month so that the sky
is slightly different and we learn different objects. Or even every 3 months.
Also, those who like to attend Antenna's site, may want to do this event as
well, and since the Antenna's events were listed first, I don't' want to be the
one
who messes up the schedule for the Antenna's attendees. That wouldn't be
very fair.
So, when do we want to do this? Here are the next possible dates. Let's get
1 set up for now, and then I will figure 2 or 3 months later, for the next
event.
I"d like 2 events before the summer, to test this idea, and then maybe 2 during
the summer (because 1 may be canceled to monsoons), for the public.
Mike, of course has to agree to this, as well, since it is his home we are using
to do these events at.
The next Dark Sky Antenna's event is on Feb 9. Do we think it will be warm
enough
to just have a medium weight jacket and not be freezing? Or do we want
to use the Mar 9 event, which is the date that the other clubs are using
as a practice session for the Messier Marathon? I was leaning more towards
the Mar 9 event. That's my input. We already have an event lined up to
start at 4:30 with a potluck on Mar 9, although it isn't on the site just yet,
and it would be perfect as our first session, temperature wise. Easier on the
fingers and toes and noses if it isn't as cold as the Jan 4th event for the
Scouts.
So, that is the input I'm looking for.
Feb 9 or Mar 9. I vote Mar 9 for the first event of this kind. If it goes over
good,
we can do 2 months in a row, if needed, based on the below possible dates to
have
a second event of this type before the Summer months.
Or, should be do both those dates... why?
Looking ahead:
We aren't doing January because it will be just downright too cold on Jan 12,
with this storm coming in that's due to arrive and leave a super cold front,
according to Ch3 News. So, January is out.
Feb 9 works in the schedule.
Mar 9 works in the schedule.
However April 6 is Antennas, and I can not attend. I have a Garage Sale that
whole weekend. And Mike has 2 events 2 weekends in a row, already for April.
Dark Sky Private event, oh, that's our event. we could do Apr 13.
And Public Astronomy Day Apr 20.
Well, Apr 13 would work, as well.
Except if the attendees of the Dark Sky star party for PAS Members only is
not when they want to have this training session. It has be something all
the attendees want to have, or it doesn't work for everyone.
In May, we have the dark sky event on May 11, but there is a paid
star party that Eric, Don, me, and a few others who want to do this
type of event, need to be at THAT paid event instead. So, May is out.
June 8is the next dark Antenna's night. It is a possibly and might
be doable if the monsoons don't catch up to us that soon.
So, those are the dates in question. Give me your input.
I will duplicate this to the List Serv so that those of you who are on the
List Serv can answer directly back to the List Serv, and those
who are not, know the discussion and can join the List Serv using
the directions below.... if you care to. Remember, the List Serv
is the PAS Life Line. We discuss weather, events, cancel events through
the list serv, and plan events, too. It is where you want to be connected.
Consider joining today, if you aren't already with us on the PAS List Serv.
Everyone have a super Wednesday!
Your input is greatly appreciated.
Terri, Event Coordinator for PAS
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Good friends are like stars. You don't always
see them, but you always know they are there.
Terri Phoenix Astronomical Society Event Coordinator
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