Look Up! August 2008
HantsAstro.org Review: William Optics Megrez 90 Refractor
Ready to Look Up? Observing with HantsAstro An outline of the schedule
Exclusive Interview with Dr Jenny Shipway: INTECH Planetarium - How it works.
news | reviews | views | what’s on | out there
Discover Astronomy Starting September 2008, HantsAstro will be offering the chance to get involved in astronomy for free, in the grounds of the INTECH Science Centre & Planetarium, every fortnight through to April 2009. This unique collaboration is the first of its kind in the UK. With a choice of 6 telescopes from small refractors and reflectors to large Dobsonians, we can show you the beauty of the universe from within the grounds of one of the most exciting places in Hampshire. This offers you a chance to view the wonders of the night sky
completely free of charge. By registering for free
you will be able to join in and develop the experience of using telescopes to discover more about our solar system and the universe, and meet other people who share their interest in this rewarding amateur science pursuit. Numbers are strictly limited, so book your place now by registering for a free pass from
subscribe@hantsastro.org or by phoning 023 9261 7092 for more details.
Hands on.
Hampshire is our Playground
Cover: Butser Ancient Farm ‘Roundhouse’ by Graham Green during site evaluation using a Canon EOS 350 DLSR, and a small tweaking session in Adobe Photoshop.
contents
Hampshire is our Playground
Look Up! August 2008 edition 04 News
Page 4
Page 6
HantsAstro - Are We Nearly There Yet.?
Review
William Optics Megrez 90
View - M27 via an 80ED refractor
Page 8
Anthony, you are a clever chap
Interview - Dr Jenny Shipway
Page 9-13
Butser Ancient Farm
Page 14-15
Ground Control....
Page 16-18
How the INTECH Planetarium works
Update
Observing with HantsAstro for the coming year
Out There
Page 19
Look Up in August
Page 20
Astronomy Talks/Seminars in Hampshire for August
Contacts and Details David Woods - Editor & Publisher Look Up! eZine Editorial David Woods - david.woods@hantsastro.org Web Site: - www.hantsastro.org Tel: 023 9261 7092 Fax: 023 9257 0283 Skype: iodesign Post: HantsAstro.org 11 Drift Road, Clanfield, Hants PO8 0JJ Look Up! Electronic Magazine is published 1st of the month ISSN 1758-2210 This eZine is published on behalf of the HantsAstro.org. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Editor, Publisher, Sponsors or Advertisers of HantsAstro,org. HantsAstro is a society member of the Federation of Astronomical Societies (www.fedastro.org.uk). Where Links take you to other sites, the Editor, Publisher and Webmaster cannot be held responsible for the content of those sites. HantsAstro.org and Look Up! eZine and related devices are protected by registered copyright ©2008 All Rights Reserved. HantsAstro.org a trading name of I.O Design Limited. No reproduction of any material is permitted without express permission of the owners.
First Type Seems a bit strange putting togther the fourth edition of a magazine for a group that hasn’t actually met yet. Although I did by chance meet some of you the other day at the SAGAS Summer Meeting. It was heartening to discuss HantsAstro with others that found what we do a bit intriguing. No other group has started in such a full-on way. Within a month it had a website, eZine and now six telescopes, ready for use by our members. No other group is attempting to aerially map Hampshire in search of dark sky sites and measure light pollution. HantsAstro goes beyond astronomy, it connects people with not just other worlds but to ours. That has to be a good thing. Rather than bleat about light pollution, get the data and show the difference, change peoples minds with real proof. This is where we need everyone’s support. I sent out our new membership form the other day, some of them came back in minutes, all with ideas on what we can do and offers of help. What I discovered most is that there is something missing from our modern lives, a sense of community, of doing things together.
David Woods: Founder HantsAstro.org
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NEWS
HantsAstro in August
Butser Ancient Farm
Naturally shielded from the worst of the area’s light pollution.
Are we nearly there yet? Five months ago when we started this project, September was a date that seemed so far away that we all thought it would be just a casual stroll to get things set up and running. That’s why we launched the group and the web site to take people with us on that journey. It’s one that has encompassed a gumut of emotions of both highs and lows. Now with September nearly upon us we have bravely launched our Membership Form and presented how we operate with just three rules. Some may think the idea ridiculous, other’s why not? Time will tell. It took months of discussions with both amatuer astronomers at all levels and people who know a little about clubs. and what’s involved. We found out that people like simplicity.
INTECH
A stunningly modern site in the centre of Hampshire
Observing programme.
it is just observing in the grounds of the Science Centre and will start at 8pm. Butser has a pass fee of £4 per session, to directly cover our groups insurance and running costs for use of both sites, as we do not charge a membership fee.
detail about what our observing sessions are going to be like (I hope!). INTECH is geared around Tuesday’s in the first and third weeks of the month, Butser will be once in the fourth week of the month, if we get the right sort of numbers. The pass for INTECH is free, as they are not providing any facilities,
Our insurance is not cheap and covers both Public Liability and Employee Liability, as we have Core Team members who volunteer their services. This is not covered under PLI and is often overlooked by most groups. We want everyone to be covered and to enjoy astronomy in safety.Taking risks is
In this issue we are giving you more
not an option. Butser Ancient Farm has toilets, and refreshments will be available for a reasonable charge, to help cover their costs. We support them by advertising and promoting them with some excellent photography of their site and sorting out ‘ The List’.
The ‘List’.
We like a challenge at HantsAstro. Not content with setting up a group, we thought we’d do a little bartering as well. Cont’d
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NEWS Cont’d Butser Ancient Farm at Chalton, near Clanfield, as it’s name suggests is a working farm and is open to the public. You’ll be observing to the sounds of certain ancient breeds of livestock, which is really cool. Don’t worry, the only ‘astmosphere’ you’ll detect is above you. The vibe there is very relaxing and we think it’s a great site to observe from for lots of technical reasons. They are not a charity and are run as a going concern as it’s also a science site with archeological experiments on-going. Which leads me to their Wish List. A few years ago, I donated a trailer to the farm as I heard they were looking for one. When I ‘re-discovered’ them whilst out surveying for HantsAstro they told me that only a few weeks before, the old sturdy trailer had been T-boned in an accident and was written off! The Maasai (who recently visited Butser) say that life is nothing but dreams and coincidences. How true! So I asked Butser for a copy of their latest wish list as I wanted to help, and it seemed an ideal exchange for what HantsAstro is doing. I got the list a few days ago at one of their events. It was a Maasai Warrior presentation and quite life affirming. Anyway, here is ‘The List’: 3 Trailers - one large, one small for general use and one that’s ideal for live stock. Wheel Barrows - Heavy duty ones as well as other tools such as forks and shovels, hand trowels and also buckets.. If anyone wants to donate these please get in touch with me. It helps us to help them and that, at the end of the day is what we are about. It’s a big list and I’ve got my Anneka Rice head on (she has more hair. I have a smaller behind... fair
do’s) so I am appealing to everyone to muck in. We have also planned a number of events that we will be attending as a group. Over 2009, the International Year of Astronomy is happening worldwide, and we as a group are ideally placed to become involved. Details of this programme will be released during November and December 2008. Please keep in touch, as this promises to be a very exciting time for the region!
Free Perseid Watch!
Which reminds me if you already haven’t got an invite, the team down at Butser Ancient Farm were very receptive to letting us use the site for the first of what hopes to be an annual event for HantsAstro. The Perseid Watch 2008. On the 11/12 August we pass right through a super-highway of dust and some get burnt up as meteors in the atmosphere. The moon set is about 00.06am so it will be dark and if it’s clear we could be in for quite a show! Come along, it’s free but open to members only. It will be great to finally meet you. If you’ve not sent your application form yet, then this if nothing else, will help you to. Many have already replied. Further details will be on the website. Our thanks go out to Butser for their positive enthusiasm in letting HantsAstro put this on at such short notice.
Reviews update
This month has been a bit light in terms of updates on the web site, partly because we are feverishly working away on the store and advertising element for the site. There are several reviews completed and they will be uploaded during August, as September we have a lot on our plate. as you will soon see! There are several new products we are also looking to review and we are currently seeking to get hold of those. It should be even more fun. If there is anything you would like us to review or topics to cover then please let me know, some of the ideas we have had are really good, so keep them coming.
Are we nearly there yet? The application form is on the web site and can be completed on-screen and e-mailed back, this is a real milestone for any group. More than a third of our subscriber list returned them in the first 24 hours, and a regular trickle is coming through every day. Yes, we’re near the start of the beginning of something a bit different. It’s called Real Astronomy. Can’t wait to meet you all real soon. Dark Skies.
David Woods
Pictures Please?
Anthony Emberson of Stargazerslounge fame has given us our first proper astroimage. So I guess he’s thrown down the gauntlet! If anyone out there has anything they think could adorn these pages, then please send it in. We are also setting up a gallery for the web site too (along with everything else, how it will be remains a secret - actually we’re making it up as we go along). We don’t just cater for the newbies as there are some talented people out there we can all learn from, so c’mon send them in!
TOOLBOX
Did you know that Acrobat PDF’s are quite interactive? All website addresses in this publication can take you to a site or help you email direct. Last month we put up this little block and it wasn’t quite ready, sorry. It still isn’t but be assured we’re working on it.
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REVIEW Words & Pictures: Graham Green
William Optics Megrez 90 APO OTA £680 Described as the HOTTEST refractor of the year (2007), Megrez 90 FD Doublet AirSpaced! Optics Highly precise CNC (computer numerical control) machined lens cell. Doublet air spaced lens, in adjustable lens cell. Highest-quality coatings, STM coated. Crayford Focuser Extra-smooth dual speed Crayford focuser: a treat to use during photography. No more image shifting! 360 deg. rotatable. Stainless steel reinforcement inserts on both sides and on the back to allow heavy loading without problems. Ball bearings on both sides of the focuser gave me the best focusing experience ever experienced with a scope! It has a graduated scale for precise camera alignment. Do-all Telescope Solid L-bracket tripod connection. which guarantees better stability on camera tripods. A one-piece dual speed microfocuser is standard. Beautiful Finish Quality fit and finish: powder-painted white CNC-machined aluminium tube, golden finish, retractable dewshield, 360 deg. rotatable Crayford focuser, dewshield cap.
L-bracket can be used to hold the finder bracket without problems when using mounting rings. Attention to Detail 2” to 1.25” adapter included in the price. Anti-marring brass compression rings are now becoming the standard and also better for collimation! Unlike old style screws they don’t mark the barrel of your eyepiece Quality Each scope is tested several times both for mechanical performance and optical performance (high-power star testing). For the price it also comes with a practical and safe aluminium case.
In recent years apochromatic refractors (APOs) have had a tremendous raise in popularity mainly due to their affordable prices. With an added interest in widefield photography using good quality and very affordable DSLR cameras the market has boomed. These small 50-90mm APOs make great all-round scopes and can be great ‘grab-and-go’, or travel scopes that make for some nice photographic optics. The Megrez 90 is an impressive telescope. As soon as you touch this fine quality APO you will understand what quality is! The smooth play free action of the focuser,
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William Optics Megrez 90 APO OTA £680
How high is that?
Specifications OPTICAL DESIGN: Refractor APERTURE: 90 mm FOCAL LENGTH: 621 mm FOCAL RATIO: 6.9 EYEPIECE: Not supplied MAGNIFICATION: 180 x HIGHEST USEFUL MAGNIFICATION: n/a FINDERSCOPE: Optional STAR DIAGONAL: Optional LIMITING STELLAR MAGNITUDE: 11. RESOLVING POWER: 1.35 arc seconds LIGHT GATHERING POWER 165x OPTICAL COATINGS: Fully Multi-Coated OPTICAL TUBE LENGTH: 23.2 in (590 mm) retracted (430mm) TELESCOPE WEIGHT: 3.8 kg
Buying Advice: £680 is a lot of money to stump up for a tube and a few pieces of glass. But this is a crass understatement. This is engineered, and feels like it would last forever. It is like the Harley of tube assemblies, heavy duty and beautifully made. The dual speed crayford focuser makes you curse every other ‘scope that does not have this buttery smooth action.With both 2” and 1.25” adapters it is a most versitle piece of kit. Compared to the ED80 of last month this thing performs best when attached to a CCD camera or DSLR. It can be used for observing, but technically and cost wise there are better and bigger options if that is your bag. William Optics are going through a bit of shake up at the moment and the recent release of the Megrez 88FD at £519 is just 2mm less aperture for £160 less. But this is still an object of desire. Recommended. DW
about 7 miles up!
First Flight with the Megrez 90?
Connect your camera and use it like a super telephoto lense at day cosmos catcher at night
the 360 deg. Rotatable Crayford focuser is so-so smooth, the retractable dewshield too is smooth in its action. Mounting The Megrez 90 APO has a solid Lbracket tripod connection for use with camera tripods (heavy duty, mind you) or can be used to hold the finder bracket without problems, once fitted with the William Optics mounting rings and dove-tail plate (not supplied). I use a parallelogram-type mount for eyeballing; for future astrophotography my advanced series GoTo computerized German equatorial mount will be used (Watch this space!). Viewing This telescope is suited for wide field viewing and imaging as dictated by its fast focal ratio and short focal length but, this does not mean that planetary and lunar viewing are any less stunning, with fantastically crisp views and very good contrast the Megrez shines with
its performance as bright as the brightest stars... Overview Now that the balmy summer nights are drawing in to give way to the darker autumn and winter nights the opportunity for some potentially stunning photography (with practice) comes ever closer, what would you need more than the fine quality of this Megrez 90mm APO for this well priced piece of optical perfection. Well, until something else better comes along, which no doubt it will.
William Optic Megrez 90 OTA purchased from Steve Graham at First Light Optics Tel: 01392 420 792
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M27 (Dumbbell Nebula) Anthony Emberson Taken with a Canon 300D DSLR at prime focus on a Revelation APO ED80, mounted on a Skywatcher HEQ5 Pro. As I live in a fairly light polluted area I also use a 2” Baader Neodymium Filter. I took 40 x 4 minute exposures at ISO800. These were then stacked in Deep Sky Stacker, and processed in Photoshop CS2. I had a fair amount of help from MartinB (from Stargazerslounge.com) on the processing side of things.
The mount was pulse guided from a piece of software called PHD guiding, using a TouCam webcam and a 6” F/5 Reflector. For some reason one frame was badly trailed and discarded, the other 39 were OK. The image was taken on Thursday 3rd July 2008 between 11:55 and 02:35. Dark frames were subtracted during the stacking process (but were taken on a previous night).
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INTERVIEW: Dr Jenny Shipway INTECH Planetarium
“To team up with someone who can offer really good observing sessions, we can get them whipped up, excited, with the question ‘what do I do next?’. Then the answer is to come along one night and see it for yourself though a telescope.
It’s real.” Dr Jenny Shipway
Words: David Woods Pictures: Graham Green
When you drive along the A32 towards Winchester, you will be greeted at the end by a massive white pyramid attached to a giant dome. What is it? It’s the INTECH Science Centre & Planetarium, where HantsAstro will be observing from in September 2008. Want to know what’s going on inside that dome?
We talk to Dr Jenny Shipway, about one of the most advanced planetariums available and what goes on inside: David - Hello Jenny The Planetarium opened formally on 19th March this year what was the launch like? Jenny - The launch was absolutely tremendous! We had a fantastic day, with Sir Patrick Moore and Terry Pratchett who formally opened it. We had a good day itself and when we opened (the planetarium) it was crazy we had so many people come through the doors, down to the entrance, and people in their cars queuing to get in the car park! The response has been tremendous. DW - It must have been huge! How big is the car park? JS - Depends on how many people travel per car but we can get about a thousand a day through the planetarium working at full tilt. DW - How many seats are in the planetarium? JS - 176 seats. with 6 spaces for wheelchair users.
DW - So this is the largest digital planetarium in the UK.
DW - So what sort of show do you run then?
JS - In terms of capacity yes, in terms of size there is one slightly, slightly larger. In other countries there are larger, but we’re confident to say that we are the best in the UK.
JS - At the moment we are running three different shows for the public. We have one on black holes which has absolutely amazing graphics, it’s pre-rendered and runs like a film. It doesn’t have a live presenter. We have one called Cosmic Journey 3, which is about bodies in the Solar System and where you might find life.Then we have our own in-house production, which is a presenter-led show. It’s basically me on the stage explaining the sorts of things you might see from your own back garden.
DW - What equipment drives the planetarium? JS – We have six digital projectors, so they throw the image on to the huge domed screen and the image is sliced in six parts, and where the projectors meet they are very cleverly blended together, so there’s no sharp edge between them. The blending has to be just right. DW - How do you control that and what can you do? JS - It took a few days to set the edge blending, all the projectors had to be exactly positioned and then you have to let the software know exactly where they are so it can slice up and display the images correctly. We have about four thousand pixels across the dome so it has more pixels than a HD (Hi- Definition) TV. DW – What’s the diameter of this dome? JS – It’s about 17 metres ( about 47 feet dia). DW - That’s a big screen then. JS - It’s huge. Part of the problem is getting content with a enough pixels. If you get a video camera and a put a fish-eye lens on it you’re not going to have enough pixels to fit across our screen and make it look good.
DW - You’ve got the stage area here so can you use it for other things than just planetarium shows? JS - Yeah, this is one of the most beautiful things about this planetarium in particular, we don’t have any projection in the middle of the audience, which is what you have in all the older traditional planetariums. We have a great stage area, all the audience can see the stage. We could hold all sorts of different events in here; we could have musicians, I’m looking into having a musician here, accompanied with visual effects on the screen. We could have theatre productions in here. We use it as an normal auditorium as the seats do sit upright, but you could use it for anything really. DW - The perfect job for you then! JS - I was amazed when this job came along and it is absolutely the perfect job, so it’s great to be in right at the start, getting things set up. It’s just this amazing toy! You can do absolutely anything with it. The
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hard bit is just trying to choose the projects to go with first. Obviously, we’re concentrating on getting a good solid schools programme, a good offering for the public and we’re concentrating on astronomy to begin with. Hopefully in the future, once this has settled down,
we’d like to bring in more crazy events. DW - I was going to ask, you can do all sorts of presentations, like environmental sciences all sorts of things. Can you actually produce your own bespoke shows here? JS – We have this software called UniView. It lets us fly in real time
around the observed universe. For instance, on the 1st August we have ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ a lecture that accompanies the film. They’ll be here doing that, then afterwards, we’re going to do a short planetarium show using our software. It’s exactly like you describe, dealing with environmental issues. We can show on the Earth, sea temperatures, things like this. You can do that easily with the
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software we have but you can project anything if you’ve got the content, you can put it up there. DW - How do you store this in the way of graphics? You must have a huge storage facility. JS – Well, behind that wall there, we have a room that contains not only the computers, but lots of gizmos and equipment. So each of the six projectors has their own computer. Then we have another computer that talks to those computers and synchronises them and the AMX panel that controls everything. Each computer holds 30 Terabytes of hard drives.
DW - How do you think the Planetarium is going to change people’s perception of astronomy in general? JS - I think the main thing the planetarium does exceedingly well, and is difficult to do any other way, is giving an idea of the scale of everything. Space just doesn’t fit in a book or on a computer screen or in a cinema. Because we have this, it gives you the illusion of being in a larger space because everywhere you look it’s like being in a real world.
DW - So you are one of the few people I know that can give people DW - I’ve seen you walking a the World! So to speak, and round with a touch-screen tablet, probably the Universe as well! so you can control it that way? JS - I can actually leave the JS – Yes, down from the stage, observable universe which is my wandering around with this wireless favourite thing to do, clearly not panel I can shut off the projectors, allowed by Physics! load a new show, change all the lighting and all the audio levels.
DW -Where does all this modelling come from? It must be constantly updated. JS - There is a dataset called the Digital Universe which our modelling is based on and that is updated regularly.We can put a high resolution wrap on the Earth, zoom in and see your road! Or you can have a bar graph coming out of the world, showing populations, with the shape of the country coming out. You can make your own solar systems, you could have the Death Star hovering there! Spaceships in space, with their trajectories. DW - HantsAstro - Gotta get on to the subject! How do you think that’s going to pan out with people coming here and seeing such fantastic vistas, and then going out and seeing it in a small telescope? Is it part of the hands on experience you hope people are expecting?
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The 6-way digital projector system at the INTECH Planetarium
JS – This is the point, INTECH’s history is that we are a ‘hands-on’ science centre, and we encourage people to get to grips with things. In the Planetarium it can be quite a passive experience. You’re sitting back, watching and listening, but you feel that you are in the action, all the same. What I want to do is to get people excited about astronomy and the other subjects too. But I want them to leave here and then take action to get involved. We’re not an observatory, we’re open during the day. To team up with someone who can offer really good observing sessions, we can get them whipped up, excited, with the question ‘what do I do next?’. Then the answer is to come along one night and see
it for your self though a telescope. It’s real. DW – Telescope Amnesty What can you tell me about that? JS - It’s trying to get people out observing and see stuff for themselves. The idea is there are probably quite a lot of telescopes, hidden away in attics, not really being used because people are not quite sure what to do with them. They just need a bit more encouragement. So if you have one of these telescopes, being it along here. You get free advice from our experts and people we’re teaming up with, astronomical societies, people from universities, on how to use these instruments. We can poke them up in the sky, as it’s going to be an
evening event. Have a look and see what you can find with them. Then afterwards, a planetarium show, which is going to be about ‘now you’ve got your telescope working what can you see’. DW - We’re going to be involved with that as well and with several really good friends of ours. I’d like to thank you for the time you have spent with us this afternoon and showing us around. Thank you!
The INTECH Telescope Amnesty is planned for 22nd October 2008. Details to be released soon. www.intech-uk.com
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Introducing -
Butser Ancient Farm A Potted History of the Project The Project Proposal
By 1970, the archaeological world had determined to adopt a programme of education and research to inform the interpretation of prehistory and history. In January 1970, a proposal to establish a working “ancient farm” was produced. The proposal to set up a permanent working ancient farm on Little Butser is being made by the Research Committee on Ancient Agriculture of the British Association for the Advancement of Science and the Council for British Archaeology.
It was as a direct result of this proposal being adopted by the CBA, that Peter Reynolds was identified as a candidate to run the project because of his emerging work and publications in the field of experimental archaeology, while still teaching classics at Prince Henry’s Grammar School, Evesham.
The First Site
By 1972, work had been initiated to set up the site on Little Butser, as people now referred to the location. The first public Open Day was in 1974.
The Demonstration Site
Once the research site on Little Butser had been established, it was recognised that its inaccessibility did not lend itself well to public access and for educational activities.
Thus, in 1976, a second site, proferred by Hampshire County Council, was started in the valley bottom nearby, and known as Hillhampton Down. This coincided with the completion of the original terms under which the farm had been established. With the lower site, it was possible to expand the educational activities and increase the public opening. This provided welcome income. This gave an opportunity to start construction of the most ambitious building yet .... the Pimperne House, based on excavations in Dorset UK. (Research continued on the Little Butser site right up to 1989).
Bascomb Copse
In 1991 the project moved (lock, stock and barrel) to Bascomb Copse, off Chalton Lane, Chalton.
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dark skies at
Butser Ancient Farm Nestling in a wooded crook of Hampshire downland, Butser Ancient Farm is an unusual place because it is neither a historic site nor a museum, it is a real working farm. But, as you immediately notice when you visit us, the farm is very different to any other in the late 20th century and early 21st century. It is the only place in western Europe where prehistoric livestock, cereals and other plants are presented, along with fields and fences, Iron Age Houses and other buildings, now extended to include a Roman Villa based on an excavation in Hampshire . Butser Ancient Farm is really an open air research laboratory where the ancient world of the Celts and Romans is being explored. Based on evidence from archaeological excavations of prehistoric sites in Britain and the rest of north-west Europe, our work is an attempt to find out more about the agricultural and domestic life of the Celtic Iron Age.
From September 2008, in collaboration with HantsAstro, we are offering the opportunity for amatuer astronomers to utilise one of the darkest observing sites in Hampshire for Deep Sky Observing & Astro-Imaging.
For further info and to book yourself a pass, please contact HantsAstro on 023 9261 7092 or by e-mail: subscribe@hantsastro.org
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ground control....
Butser Ancient Farm For Butser Ancient Farm the emphasis is using your own equipment for DSO and CCD imaging work, in a safe and tranquil environment. It is an ideal place to develop your astronomy skills with others.
Access is from the A32, A272, A3 and the A27/M27. Postcode: PO8 0BG Our equipment for use is tailored to reflect the use of this site and is subject to change.
BUTSER Ancient farm Only skyglow issue is mostly cloud dependant, but mainly shielded from Bascomb Copse/Windmill Hill, and Butser to the north. Low buildings, only small light source of note is from Red Lion Pub, Chalton 1 mile away, shielded by hillock. Excellent vistas. 19.520.5 mag/per arc second average, Mag 20.76 best in total darkness perfect for deep sky observing, CCD astrophotography and video-astrophotography. Toilets and Hot refreshments available. First Aid Kit + Fire Extinguisher. Large site, easy access and parking for 100 cars. Groups own light red LED safety markers. Site pass - ÂŁ4.00 per session. TimeShift available with notice.
Site Equipment Vixen A70lf Refractor f/12.9 Solar/Planetary: Skywatcher SkyMax102 Maksutov f/12.7 Solar/Planetary: Skywatcher Explorer 130 Reflector with RA drivef/6.9 General / Nebula Skywatcher 150P Reflector f/5 Photo/DSO Revelation 10 250mm Dobsonian f4.9 DSO/ Nebula/ Planetary/Afocal Meade DSI+ Laptop for imaging Binoculars 10x50mm 15x70mm
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ground control....
Observing @ INTECH For the INTECH site the emphasis is on hands on practical astronomy of all types and for all levels of astronomers. The location offers easy access from major routes, A31, A32, A34, M27 and the M3. Postcode: SO21 1HZ Our equipment for use is tailored to reflect the use of this site and is subject to change.
INTECH Science Centre Open ground near building, lowish light pollution with dark sky levels 17-19.2 mag/per arc second average Mag 20.07 best in total darkness. Ideal for general observing and some limited astrophotography and better than most suburban skies. Southampton Centre measures Mag 12-16 as you move out towards Winchester. Good views of North East to South. Sky Glow from Winchester in Western vista, building can also obstruct. No building access. NO toilets or facilities at present. Lights off in building by arrangement. First Aid Kit + Fire Extinguisher from HantsAstro. Groups own light red LED safety markers. Site pass – free.
Site Equipment Vixen A70lf Refractor f/12.9 Solar/Planetary: Skywatcher SkyMax102 Maksutov f/12.7 Solar/Planetary: Skywatcher Explorer 130 Reflector with RA drivef/6.9 General / Nebula Optrons 150/1400 Reflector with RA Drive General/Planetary 300mm INTECH Truss Dobsonian f/5.6 DSO/Nebula/Planetary Binoculars 10x50mm, 15x70mm
TimeShift available with notice.
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ground control....
TimeShift
INTECH
BHF
Site III
September 08
9/23
11/25
1-4
22-30
1-4
22-30
October 08
7/21
9/23
1-5
20-31
1-5
20-31
November 08
4/18
6/20
1-4
20-30
1-4
20-30
December 08
2/16
4/18
1-4
19-31
1-4
19-31
January 09
6/20
8/22
1-4
17-31
1-4
17-31
February 09
3/17
5/19
1-4
16-28
1-4
16-28
March 09
3/17/31
5/19
1-4
17-31
1-4
17-31
April 09
14/28
16/28
1-4
16-30
1-4
16-30
The above table... Won’t make much sense to you yet. Our plan is to run up to three sites with fortnightly observing sessions starting with INTECH on the 9th September 2008. Tuesdays/Thursdays are the planned days, first two columns. Simple, one night gets called off go on to the next slot. Butser Ancient Farm observing sessions slide between those alternate weeks or are at the end of the month. The idea is only to meet and observe on clear nights. That’s why we put the dash from 1-4 or 22-30, it could be any day.... In Blighty we have the weather gods that literally rain down upon us, so while HantsAstro might be able to claim we can avoid light pollution, clouds and bad weather are something else. But we do have one or two tricks up our sleeve. The timetable is flexible and hopefully you are too. We could offer a fixed timetable, but the weather isn’t fixed and who wants to go to a cloudy site? Join our group and you will be added to a network of weather technologies that can predict better than a finger in the wind, a week ahead if the sky is clear. Not only that, because the sites are so close to us we can check right up to the day before. It’s new, it’s tested but there is still a margin for error. If you’re game, so are we.
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WHAT’S ON Talks & Seminars August 2008 Hampshire Interesting local Astronomy talks take place in the County nearly every month, so please check the relevant website for any updates and contact details. Southampton Astronomical Society No Meeting - See site for details www.southampton-astronomical-society.org.uk
Hampshire Astronomical Group No Meeting - See site for details www.hantsastro.org.uk
Basingstoke Astronomical Society 11/12 Perseid Meteor Watch - See site for details www.basingstokeas.org.uk
Border+ August 2008 Talks & Events across the county line. Please check relevant website for updates and contact details. INTECH Science Centre + Planetarium Winchester, Hants Cost £2 per show in addition to exhibition entry Cost - £6.95 Adults £4.65 under 14’s Check site for schedule www.intech-uk.com Southdowns Planetarium Chichester, West Sussex Various Monthly Shows Check site for details + times and booking Cost - £6 Adults £4 under 16’s www.southdowns.org.uk/sdpt
Solent Amateur Astronomers Society August 19 - Titan, an Update on Cassini & Huygens Probes Speaker - Jerry Workman Oaklands Community Centre, Lordshill, Southampton - @ 20:00pm Cost £2 Non-members www.delscope.demon.co.uk/society/home.htm
Vectis Astronomical Society August 25 - AGM - See site for details www.vectis-astro.org.uk
Hampshire is our Playground.
Farnham AS Farnham, Surrey www.farnham-as.co.uk Guildford AS Guildford, Surrey www.guildfordas.org Newbury AS Newbury, Berkshire www.newburyas.org.uk Worthing AS Worthing, Sussex www.was.org.uk
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OUT THERE...
Planet+
Our Hampshire Sky - August 2008
August 2008
Partial Solar Eclipse
Where the Planets are in our Solar System in August.
See the partial solar eclipse on the 1st August, first contact is at 09:32 and the greatest coverage is at 10.17 (BST). A solar eclipse is when the moon comes between the Sun and the Earth and obscures a part of the Sun (partial eclipse) or the whole of the Suns disc (total eclipse), then the eclipse will be total. If you are going to observe this eclipse then proceed with caution – the Sun is bright and can blind, (for those of you who didn’t know). If you have a quality solar filter and know how to use it, that’s fine. If you do not have a solar filter then you can use the projection method using a pair of binoculars. For example – keep one of the large lens caps on and use the other ‘binocular tube’ to guide the sun’s light onto a piece of white card as if you would with a magnifying glass. With the projected image at the size of approximately 4-5 inches you will be able to see the Sun safely.You may need to sharpen the image by using the binocular focuser. Play safe!
Table Key RA - Right Ascension Dec - Declination Constell. - Constellation Elongation - Angle between Sun & Planet as seen from Earth Distance - From Earth in Astronomical Units (AU) = 149.598M Km Magnitude - Brightness Diameter - in ArcSeconds Phase - % Visibility of object disc
Comets
Comet C/2007 W1 Boattini, if you miss it then you will need to wait for another 63,000 years! This month it will be poodling through Aries towards the direction of Triangulum at an estimated magnitude of +7 from the beginning of the month and will dim down to about +9 by the end of the month. It should be easily seen with binoculars or small telescope.
All Data is based on 15th of the month from Central Hampshire.
Next Month.
Meteors One of the best showers of the year occurs between July 23rd and Aug 20th, the Perseid meteor shower. It peaks in the early hours of the 12th when the Moon has set; you can expect to see 75 per hour (ZHR).The tiny dust grains responsible for these “shooting stars” originate from the tail of comet Swift/ Tuttle. Set up your Sun lounger, brew a cupper, grab your cake and enjoy the cosmic fireworks – Moon set is just after midnight (early morning of the 12th).
Review of the William Optics New Releases! Meade LXD75 & Astrophotography News, Views and more info on our web site. www.hantsastro.org
Solar System Data for August 2008 Objects
Sun
Mercury
Venus
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
The Moon
RA
09h39m35s
10h40m39s
108h51m27s
11h50m47s
18h58m33s
10h46m28s
20h11m41s
Dec
+13°59’50”
+09°33’58”
+08°49’17”
+01°43’41”
-23°01’41”
+09°34’50”
-22°30’08”
Leo
Leo
Leo
Virgo
Hercules
Leo
Capricorn
Constell. Elongation
-------
-15.6°
-18.4°
-34.7°
-140.9°
-16.9°
-157.5°
1.013 AU
1.289 AU
1.607 AU
2.351 AU
4.339 AU
10.292 AU
0.394 MKm
Magnitude
-25.97
-0.48
-3.39
1.72
-2.46
0.73
-12.01
Diameter
31’35”
05”
10”
03”
45”
16”
30’17”
-------
87%
94%
96%
99%
99%
96%
Distance
Phase
Hampshire is our Playground. Now it’s yours...
If you have any suggestions for improving this star information then please e-mail: david.woods@hantsastro.org
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