Project Solar Namecard

[Gary]

Hi Friends,

The Venus Transit 2012 really open my eyes literally to Solar Astronomy and the lack of regular promotion of it here in Singapore.

I will be taking my own sweet time to blog about my whole Venus Transit experience but one thing I can say for sure for now, it will definitely include this sentence -- "No doubt the Sun looks truly magnificent through solar telescopes, but what really surprised me at the Bishan Park session was how good it looked just through cheap, affordable Solar Eclipse paper glasses and viewers made with quality solar filter as seen from the reaction of the viewing public. The small dot of Venus was seen inside a Sun disc at no magnification!"

Current situation and difficulties faced with promotion of solar astronomy:

(1) Sun can only be observed in the daytime where many people (including sidewalk astronomers) are busy working, attending classes, taking care of the family, sleeping for shift work, ...etc.

(2) By the time a popular solar event is made know to the public (e.g. venus/mercury transit, solar eclipses), to the majority of general non astro-savvy public, there is very little time left to get hold of solar filters. This may lead to using dangerous false alternatives like film negative or risk being ripped off by unscrupulous sellers (e.g. dark-coloured transparencies via ebay).

So I would like to kick start Project Solar Namecard (until I can find a better name).

The main idea:

Let as many people keep a solar viewer card in their wallet. No matter how busy we are, surely there are a few seconds in one year we are outdoors and the Sun is shinning brightly (e.g. while taking a lunch break, waiting for bus at the bus-stop). Promote a Sun gazing lifestyle of frequent super-quick and adhoc solar observation with this card.

Some rationale behind this project:

- Not using eclipse paper glasses as they usually get lost in some drawer somewhere and forgotten about when the next major solar event happens (i.e. years later)

- Paper glasses are not portable enough to fit in to a wallet which most of us carry with us whenever we are outside.

- Unit cost of Solar film can be very low when bought in bulk and doesn't incur too much weight/bulk/shipping issues.

- Using namecard wording for this project instead of business card or credit card to avoid potential wrong association of commercialisation or profit-driven motive being this device.

- If we cannot even sell the idea of solar viewing in such a convenient manner, i guess we should not bother/complain about why people don't get into solar astronomy and buy solar telescopes or filters for their telescope.

Requirements for this solar namecard:

- Standard credit/business card size, no bigger.
- Solar film area only needs to be big enough for one eye viewing. The rest of the area should be designed for card rigidity when holding it.
- Comes with some thin protective holder/cover for the solar filter region to prevent scratching and from breaking when wallets are slightly bent in back pockets.
- Must be 100% safe and of good quality (e.g. thousand oaks/baader standard)
- If sold to public, MUST be at bulk order *COST*.
- Cool looking print design on card to encourage a "that's so cool I wanna buy one" interest and thus viral promotion of it to friends of card users.

Card Promotion:

- Get sponsorship so these cards can be given freely. Sponsors can have their name/website/product/cause printed on the card.

- Given/sold during night stargazing session. Just because we cannot do solar ob at night doesn't mean we cannot spread solar astronomy this way and tell others to take a look on the next sunny day. With the current Venus Transit media reports and upcoming global reports of Solar Max over the next 2 years, the public may not find it strange to take/buy one at cost during such stargazing sessions.

- Though I am a strong advocate of not selling anything during sidewalks, if there are no sponsors for these card to be given freely, I believe this is a unique exception. When the public knows such a solar card can be bought at such a low price (due to bulk order and selling at cost), it has a positive effect of shattering the misconception that solar viewing must be some very expensive affair and that if they are not willing to spend money on a telescope (mostly due to their misconception all telescopes must be very expensive), why would anyone by a pricer dedicated solar telescope to see one star?

Also, some of the sidewalk viewing public would really like to show more gratitude other than just a "thank you" so they may feel less "guilty" by buying a cheap solar card. And hopefully later they will realise how amazing the Sun looked through it, how convenient it is to do so and avoiding the hassle of last-minute hunting to buy one when a special solar event comes along.

Other related random ideas:

- We DIY this card using solar film and cardboard bought at bulk and sold at cost.

- Collaborate with companies selling sunglasses so that these cards can be given away as a promotion for the sales of their product.

- Collaborate with beach resorts to sell these cards at their beach location.

- Collaborate with Science related magazines to be included as free gifts.

- Since most of us carry our handphone wherever we go, design a solar viewer size that can fit into a phone protective cover. Since we don't bend our phones, the card can be better protected. But different phone sizes and cover designs may complicate issues.

Please feel free to brainstorm and play with such ideas and let us know your thoughts and inputs on this project and how you can help out (e.g. providing resources of where/how to get good cheap filters, card material in bulk, contacts of companies who may be interested to collaborate with).

[spykid27]

cool! But im not too keen on solar astronomy, I'm a lunar. Still, I admire this idea! Good luck!

[yltansg]

Hi Gary,

Thanks for your visit, help and encouragement for the Transit.

That's another great effort to promote astronomy. You have my full support. I am in YMCA Basel, Switzerland right now and will be joining my family in Rome tomorrow. I thought I better drop you a note whilst I have internet connection here

I have been in it for about 2 years. The most important thing for me, besides the learning is safety which you have also mentioned. From my short experience, I need to be responsible for the safety of the people visiting/using my equipment. I would only conduct solar observation if I can be in control of the safety aspect. I will come back with further suggestions after thinking about it.

Will catch up with all when I am back. Take care

Alfred

[Gary]

@spykid27 - Thanks for your encouraging words.

@yltansg - Thanks for your support! Also thought of including small paper slips of safe viewing instructions given together with the card or print them on the card itself. Was quite disturbed when I saw on TV school kids in uniform viewing the Venus Transit using film negatives. There was no mentioning of the danger of doing that. I hope imagery like this don't get published on front page newspapers to further propagate this very dangerous and wrong method of solar viewing. What an irony it is happening in a school where Educators are suppose to impart the proper knowledge to the students.

Anyway, for the amazing work you have done at NUS Venus Transit events, you deserve to enjoy your holiday to the fullest with your family! So forget about astro for the next few weeks! It's hard but try! Just plan your route far far away from Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma!

Btw, you look so young in the CNA Venus Transit video clip! You and Mr Au must share your secrets of youth with us someday!

[Clifford60]

Hi Gary,

I will show you a single eye solar viewer (thousand oaks type) which was given out free during Astronomy 2008 event to all who visited the event. By folding it into half, it will be smaller than a credit card size, open it up, it can cover both eyes. Also, the blank area can be used to print whatever stuff needed.

Must be 100% safe and of good quality (e.g. thousand oaks/baader standard) - thousand oaks material will be more robust and everyone will get a better feeling to see the sun in orange (sunrise/sunset) instead of white with baader.