Possible Stargazing @ NParks

[Chris]

@ fizzy: Better still, I think a DIY dob raises the most eyebrows and hopes for the public... Like those 20 inch truss dobs they have in the west.... But it is very hard to make one in sg, rather buy one.

Having an observatory can work both ways. It can act as good publicity, an icon for the club owning it, a professional platform for ppl who wish to do serious stuff and many more. The 'ivory tower' image can be minimized by doing sidewalk astronomy at public places with less expensive scopes.

@ gary: My previous point about YEC astro clubs is saying that they should widen their audience, not shifting it. Furthermore, Goh Chok Tong had a dialogue session with the YEC leadership last year at Marine Parade CC, and encouraged the groups to reach out to the aging population, so that they don't get marginalised.

[Gary]

@fizzy: Haha. Oh yes! Starville condo. What the heck happen to it? lol.

NYP got small observatory? Didn't know. If no plans and under-utilised, they should modify the scope and make it portable and do sidewalk astronomy.

@chris: Got your point. Wasn't aware of the GCT dialogue. Still got links to that report?

[Chris]

Nope, didn't know where is the report or how to get my hands on that. But that dialogue told us what we need to do to please the government so that we can get more $$$.

[fizzy123]

The below are some of the pictures of the astro park that I have mentioned earlier on in this thread. Apparently, the park is up and already in a running order. They had some large bronze astro eqpt used by the ancients, some concrete piers with electrical points, a nice circular declining platform for comfortable viewing of night sky and a dome with star projections.

Of course, I am not implying that we need to copy their concept totally, but we can always go for cheaper options, by taking away the more expensive and elaborated setups.

Pictures from hkastroforum

[Chris]

That is in Hong Kong? Man, I need to go back there sometime.