Free Public Talk- Basic Stargazing Skills - 7 Jun 2014 (Sat)

Alright, this is for sharing of your observation experience. Or, if you are arranging gatherings, star-gazing expeditions or just want some company to go observing together, you can shout it out here.
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Gary
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Location: Toa Payoh
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Free Public Talk- Basic Stargazing Skills - 7 Jun 2014 (Sat)

Post by Gary »

The next public stargazing talk is titled "Basic Stargazing Skills".

Date: Saturday, 7 June 2014
Time: 7:30pm - 8:30pm
Venue: Toa Payoh Public Library. Level 1 Programme Zone.

Admission is free. No pre-registration required. Late-comers welcomed!

It's a huge pity the general public is not able to appreciate and enjoy stargazing better due to lack of understanding of basic astronomical concepts and observation techniques. Most of these concepts and techniques can be easily acquired with proper explanation in simple language, presentation slides and live demonstrations.

Weather permitting, there will be live stargazing during or after the talk at the open grounds outside the library. Come see Moon, Jupiter, Mars, Saturn, star clusters and nebula (star cloud) through telescopes!

So feel free to join in the fun with your family and friends. It's the June holidays after all!
http://www.astro.sg
email: gary[at]astro.sg
twitter: @astrosg


"The importance of a telescope is not how big it is, how well made it is.
It is how many people, less fortunate than you, got to look through it."
-- John Dobson.
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Sivakis
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Favourite scope: Astrotech AT66ED APO

Re: Free Public Talk- Basic Stargazing Skills - 7 Jun 2014 (

Post by Sivakis »

Forwarded this to some of my colleagues who are curious and also their kids!

:P
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Gary
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Joined: Tue Sep 30, 2003 7:06 am
Location: Toa Payoh
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Re: Free Public Talk- Basic Stargazing Skills - 7 Jun 2014 (

Post by Gary »

Sivakis wrote:Forwarded this to some of my colleagues who are curious and also their kids!

:P
Thanks! Hope to see you and family there too if you guys are free. :)
http://www.astro.sg
email: gary[at]astro.sg
twitter: @astrosg


"The importance of a telescope is not how big it is, how well made it is.
It is how many people, less fortunate than you, got to look through it."
-- John Dobson.
User avatar
Gary
Posts: 3790
Joined: Tue Sep 30, 2003 7:06 am
Location: Toa Payoh
Contact:

Re: Free Public Talk- Basic Stargazing Skills - 7 Jun 2014 (

Post by Gary »

Wonder if you should get a 80mm triplet apochromat refractor as your first telescope? Weather permitting, come down tonight and look through one!
http://www.astro.sg
email: gary[at]astro.sg
twitter: @astrosg


"The importance of a telescope is not how big it is, how well made it is.
It is how many people, less fortunate than you, got to look through it."
-- John Dobson.
User avatar
Gary
Posts: 3790
Joined: Tue Sep 30, 2003 7:06 am
Location: Toa Payoh
Contact:

Re: Free Public Talk- Basic Stargazing Skills - 7 Jun 2014 (

Post by Gary »

Thanks to Toa Payoh Public Library and all who came for the talk + stargazing. A beautiful and timely clear night during the June holidays!

Two dobs (8", 10") and two refractors (80mm, 88mm) deployed. Crowd observe Moon, Mars, Saturn for hours. Highlight of the evening for me is showing the crowd the location of the stars in the sky that form the Big Dipper. Despite all of us standing so near to bright lamps. That's how clear the night was. Another misconception conclusively shot down with green laser. :) Clouds rolled in for about 15 mins and it was clear again for the rest of the session till we packed up around midnight.

So busy manning my dob and interacting with public that I didn't even have a chance to look through the 80 apo refractor. I did managed to look through the 88mm ED tho. Beautiful and comfortable wide view of M7 with Delos eyepiece. Saturn bands and cassini division can also be seen through the televue zoom eyepiece. Scope owner is very happy to see that too. :)

More "are you from Science Centre" questions asked during this event. I suspect this is partly due to the publicity of the newly opened KidSTOP at Science Centre.

Very grateful and impressed with TPY library's continuous effort to improve the customer experience. The latest improvement is not to broadcast the library announcement inside the programme zone where the talk is being conducted. This is to prevent the talk from being interrupted or distracting the speaker.

Happy to see the faces behind some of the newcomers to this forum. And also to see forum members bringing their family members along to join in the fun.

Next talk is 5 July (Saturday) titled "Meteor Showers". Perhaps can catch World Cup super-"stars" in action after the event. :)

Here are some pics:

Moon pic with phone + slight enhancement in photoshop:

Image

Image

Image
http://www.astro.sg
email: gary[at]astro.sg
twitter: @astrosg


"The importance of a telescope is not how big it is, how well made it is.
It is how many people, less fortunate than you, got to look through it."
-- John Dobson.
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