introduction

QuantumGravity · Post by **QuantumGravity** » Thu Jun 17, 2004 1:07 am

oh yeah, i think ri does care about astro... for the past few years, the competitions were won alternatively with bp... one year bp wins, nxt year ri, then nxt year would be bp, and so on.

And yes, astrochallenge does have a observation round. it only stopped since this year because of some sort of "unfairness", whereby some schools just don't have the good telescopes and so on...

starfirez · Post by **starfirez** » Thu Jun 17, 2004 4:28 pm

hi.. weixing is right, you don't need any experiences to join us for observation. if lack of experience is y u hold back frm joining other ppl den i think your experiences have no chances to improve anyway. in that case you might nv join us.

joining more experienced ppl like weixing is a good way of learning hands on. nobody will look down on u for knowing nth cos half of us (like me) dun really know anything either. dun hafta be so self conscious. if it is really you interest n u have no problem going out at night den i think by all means u shud join when someone have an observation going on. you will find obing with a bunch of ppl like u is a joy.

QuantumGravity · Post by **QuantumGravity** » Thu Jun 17, 2004 5:03 pm

well, currently i'm trying to get used to the SCT in my school. the autostar and GPS and those electronic stuffs are new to us so might take some time to get the hang of it.

geeksoo · Post by **geeksoo** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 9:29 am

Hi
"I think your school is not using newtonian... newtonian don't use any prism... Also, I think newtonian is the only scope design that won't give you any awkwards observation position..."

are you talking about diagonals.some newtonians have detatchable diagonals.

anyway i'm from vs

newbgalore2 · Post by **newbgalore2** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 12:35 am

hi.several things i would like to comment on:

1. im from chs. our school has a 4.5" newt. I said i would like a spotting scope, so obviously i want an erect prism on a SCT or MCT. Obviously newtonian is awkward for terrestial viewing.

2.true, ya just need to be good at mugging to win astro. we dun haf sci/astro cca and everythin is read from books. all q in finals[nus] we knew, just response too slow.

3.no time to go obbing now, mebbe later cos ou sch mugging for os! see first.got time sure join u.

QuantumGravity · Post by **QuantumGravity** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 10:32 pm

hi again.

it's not very good to be so confident about winning 100%. Many schools are strong too. About reading from books, what i can say is that my school also reads from books. The "lectures" we have do not really help us and we have to rely on self-study. Also, response can be trained? you mean... playing with buzzers in school?

newbgalore2 · Post by **newbgalore2** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 10:46 pm

response can be trained by playing snap:) as for astro competitions, who reads and practices questions the most and can handle the pressure the most wins. simple. there's no secret formula, that's what im trying to say.

blazingice · Post by **blazingice** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 1:37 am

yep response can be trained by playing snap...it's effective to some extent, but the effect 'wears' off after a period of time...

i agree, but i think that winning will depend on experience too. e.g. if you've been participating in competitions for four years, and someone else has much less experience than you, then you're likely to have an edge over that 'someone else'.

MooEy · Post by **MooEy** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 11:45 am

hmm..if winning astro challenge is just mugging and playing snap, then we might have to talk to the organizers. i do not think our younger astronomy society should turn into a bunch of mindless muggers and snappers.

alot depends on how we view astronomy, some want to do theories and physics, some of us here treat it as a game, take our scope out and find objects, some may just wan to know a little more about the night sky. others may just practice astronomy for the sake of doing so,etc, etc. whichever u are, the only thing i hope is that u will continue to enjoy it and pass it on.

~MooEy~

blazingice · Post by **blazingice** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 1:25 pm

well, i think that to be able to have enough stamina to mug astro for a long time, one needs to have a great interest in astronomy itself. and after whatever competitions there are, and knowing much more about astro (due to mugging or whatever), one will certainly be much more appreciative of the sky and its wonders. perhaps that's part of the point of having competitions - to make people more appreciative of astro? haha...