On today's LIFE section and yesterday Zaobao's ZbNow section, there are 2 separate articles devoted on astronomy and the small, obscure yet thriving communiy of stargazers in SG. The newspaper is bascially advertising Science center's Leonids 2009 session, that is to be held at the Japanese garden at the the early morning on 171109. Both articles also spoke about the existence of the official astronomy society in SG, which is TASOS and the weekly friday session that is held at Science center observatory.
For the benefit os those that do not speak or read chinese, I have decided to contribute by translating the chinese article into English for all to read. Thos those who have scanners, pls help me scan in both articles. Thanks in advance.
Title: Star-gazers and their quest for the stars
The Leonids meteor shower is expected to arrive on pre-dawn wednesday. This spectacular celestial event is expected to produce 500 shooting stars per hour and the Science Center is organizing a meteor shower obs, tuesday night. The occurence of every magnificent celstial event has never failed to generate the public's interest in the night sky. In this article, we will interview two well known star-gazers in the local astronomy scene; and they will share with you the secrets to unlocking the mysteries of the night sky.
Albert Lim's passion for astronomy was triggered when he spotted a meteor from his window at the age of 12. He tried to seek for answers about this shooting star, but no one could give him an answer. Then at the age of 14, he made his first telescope out of a magnifying glass, wood and cardboard. He then acquired a three inch refractor via mail order for 63 dollars. From then on, his curiosity of the night sky would eventually end up becoming his life-long passion for astronomy.
Fast forward to today, the 50 years old Albert is the chairman of the TASOS. In 1986, he founded the Astro-scientific Center, which deals mainly in Opto-electro systems, which includes the building of astro domes and selling of astronomy books and parts. Albert said “The arrival of the Halley’s comet created a huge stir in star-gazing. So I have decided to do my part for the astro-barren SG, by selling astronomical instruments, to allow the public to take up the bold steps in observing the night sky.” “No doubt, this business has it’s risk, but I truly enjoy it, and help inspire Singaporeans interest in star-gazing.
Presently, there are 1000 star-gazers in TASOS, with a small portion being extremely active. These include professionals like doctors, lecturers, students, and their numbers are increasing. Albert comment “By in the 80s, to find another enthusiast is as hard as flying to the sky. Now, there are many astro clubs in schools and channels like Discovery and National Geography. This gave birth to a new generation of enthusiast. Unlike a laptop, which is highly personalized, the telescope is a tool which can be shared by many.” As much as Astro-Scientific Center is selling commercial telescopes, the heart of the business still remains in the sales and setting up of observatories.
The two observatories that are presently in Science Center, are built by Albert. Many astro domes in Singapore are also constructed by him, like ACS, NUS, and NYP. He is also responsible for the construction of various observatories in south east Asia.
There is a second part to this article, I will translate later. Stay tuned.....
Astronomy/star-gazing news articles on local newspaper
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superiorstream
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Yes,and to what I can see, the telescope is a RC(judging from the scale of the photo perhaps 16 to 18 inches diameter) that can produce a sharp wide field image and the mount is a paramount mount from the U.S. that can be used to track even satellite.Real pro staff.I really wonder how much that cost!!
