Bishan Park sidewalk astronomy- Tonight (1/9/2014)

[Gary]

Nice report! Thanks for writing and sharing.

@Dave: Still very impress with the objects viewed through your 4" XLT. Very nice optics for a 4-incher for its price. Also your memory is getting better. More details and accurate recollection of sidewalk events. Keep up the good work

@Clifford: Thanks for dropping by and passing me the solar viewer for the Project Solar Namecard research, showing us your Venus Transit photos and driving me back home in the light drizzle.

@Koh: Thanks for giving me a lift to Bishan Park. Always nice to catch with you. Looking forward to going back to dark Johor skies with you guys to shoot the Milky Way and chill out in the waterfall there.

@Hazrie: Thanks for coming and showing the public views through your scope. Glad you manage to find Saturn with it and enjoyed the view.

@Khurram: Thanks for dropping by. Hope you enjoy seeing the stars and planets through the scopes and have a better idea of the performance of 3 different refractors of different aperture size and importance of AFOV in eyepieces for wide rich-field viewing. Nice to chat with you and have a wonderful trip under the stars!

@Avarielle: Thanks for bringing your whole 70mm Powerseeker setup along by public transport! Respect! Thanks for creating and distributing the pamphlets. If it can remind just one person to go back home to check/follow the links, that will already be a good achievement. Glad to finally see Saturn (and some star clusters) through your scope during the good seeing last night. If not for the minor balancing issues of your scope and mount design, we could have easily push more magnification on it. Sometimes it is hard to convince people that a small scope can still the rings of Saturn. But I believe last night a few walked away totally convinced and amazed. My best memory last night for your scope is the shocked look in people's faces when you told them how much your scope cost after they saw Saturn through it. Great job!

@Thomas and others whom I can't recall your names now: Thanks for dropping by and hope to see you guys again soon. It's stargazing season after all!

[Avarielle]

@Avarielle: Thanks for bringing your whole 70mm Powerseeker setup along by public transport! Respect! Thanks for creating and distributing the pamphlets. If it can remind just one person to go back home to check/follow the links, that will already be a good achievement. Glad to finally see Saturn (and some star clusters) through your scope during the good seeing last night. If not for the minor balancing issues of your scope and mount design, we could have easily push more magnification on it. Sometimes it is hard to convince people that a small scope can still the rings of Saturn. But I believe last night a few walked away totally convinced and amazed. My best memory last night for your scope is the shocked look in people's faces when you told them how much your scope cost after they saw Saturn through it. Great job!

Actually my scope's a Astromaster. I think we got mixed up since Khurram's using the Powerseeker. AHAHA. All the different models so it's easy to get mixed up. Thanks also for helping me with the balancing issue.

[Gary]

Thanks for the clarification! Ya confusing indeed. I prefer to remember just the aperture size.

[Davegn]

Oh one of the names you can't remember is my good friend from poly. His Name chew or we just call him chewy. He is a little interested in astronomy but always inform me that is crazy to invest in such a scope in singapore. Until yesterday!

He was even shocked with the 60mm refractor when viewing the moon!

[Gary]

Haha. Perhaps we should change the phrase sidewalk astronomy to shocking astronomy.

Btw, nice to hear kids saying zei zei Avarielle during the sessions instead of the usually uncle this uncle that.

[Davegn]

Weather permitting, I will be conducting a sidewalk astronomy session at Bishan Park.

Date: 18/06/2012
Time: From 7.45PM onwards
Venue: Bishan Park's McDonald's (viewtopic.php?f=5&t=10766&)

Primary focus: Saturn and mars

Would bringing my 6" SCT for the session.

Feel free to join me.
All are welcome to join in the fun with or without telescope.

[Gary]

I will be there with my telescope. See you guys later.

[Davegn]

18/6/2012 sidewalk session @ bishan park

Upon reaching the ob site at bishan park McD at 7.20ish PM, only one word in my mind after I look up to check the weather, "gone!". Super cloudy! Despite the cloudy weather, I still decided to stay as the wind was strong and refreshing. So took my time to destress and enjoy the wind while listening to music and waiting for the skies to clear up. Was join my Gary at about 7.45pm

At 8pm, decided to take our chances an setup. All the way from that to 9ish PM, Saturn, Mars, Alpha Centauri and the stars of the Dipper were playing hide and seek with us. 

At around 9Pm onwards, weather began to clear up. Mars Ice caps visible, NGC 6231, M7, alpha Centauri, double double, Mizar and Alcor. When the weather began to clear up even more decided to push my C6 even more. SUPER SATURN! Was able to push the power up to x320+. Wow! Hopefully on clear and less hazy night able more. 

Big thanks to Gary, Hazrie, Avarielle and others for dropping by. 

[Gary]

Thanks for the report Dave. We were all entertained by the reaction of the crowd looking at Saturn. One said " OH !", another said "ah ah AH AHHH !!!!".

Last night sidewalk reminded me of my Mak127 shootout with James's C6 XLT on Saturn. One more inch and better coating, it was not even close, Saturn looked brighter and more contrasty in Dave's C6. Very happy your "customers" at Bishan Park will be served by such a good grab-n-go setup.

Thanks to Avarielle and Hazrie and friends for coming down to support the sidewalk.

Was very glad to see Hazrie and friends engaging the public with one more language - Bahasa Melayu. Hopefully we will have a sidewalker who is fluent in Hindi or Tamil to join our group in the future.

[Davegn]

Weather permitting, Some of us will be conducting a sidewalk astronomy session at Bishan Park.

Date: 25/06/2012
Time: From 7.45PM onwards
Venue: Bishan Park's McDonald's (viewtopic.php?f=5&t=10766&)

Primary focus: Moon, Saturn and mars

Would bringing my 6" SCT for the session.

Feel free to join me.
All are welcome to join in the fun with or without telescope.