AstronomyNZ

WINTER ASTROCAMP 2009

Hosted by the Phoenix Astronomical Society

FRIDAY 21^st AUGUST

07:00 Observing Sessions at the Observatory/ Socializing at the RSA

Observing (Clubrooms and Observatory)

Operators: Bernard Watt, Roger Gibbs, Chris Picking

Program includes star & constellation, recognition and special telescope viewing sessions

10:30 Late Night Movie at the Clubrooms

SATURDAY 22^nd AUGUST

Morning (RSA) 

09:30 Registration, Kay Leather, Ann Hay

10:00  Conference Opening, Antony Gomez

Chair Antony Gomez

10:10 Realm of the Giant, Kay Leather

Jupiter is larger than all the other planets put together. It resembles the Sun more so than the Earth and, like the Sun, it has its own retinue of worlds. In this presentation we take a close look at this giant and explore its larger moons - Io with its lakes of molten sulfur, the oceanic world of Europa, the glass-like terrain of Ganymede and the crater smothered surface of Callisto.

11:00 Morning Tea 

Chair:  Cameron Jack

11:20 Aye, Aye, Aye, David Sabiston

Of all our senses, none is quite as precious as that of sight. The evolutionary pattern is intriguing, ultimately providing us with the pair of structures that we have now. The eyes, during development, have migrated from a lateral position to that of a frontal situation, providing us with binocular vision, much as in binoculars (binos), primarily to improve our hunting skills, but now to accurately judge distances. Talking of binos, eyes have many of the components of telescopes, and it would be interesting to know if Galileo actually dissected any eyes from post-mortem specimens. I think not, as eyes were regarded with a lot of mystique, as is still the custom in many cultures. With the most recent total eclipse, there will be the usual crop of eclipse blindness, a catastrophic event, causing total central blindness. The Chinese as is usual will probably not issue too many facts about any of these disasters. This will be discussed along with the anatomy, in relation to telescopes, physiology and some of the more important eye diseases.

11:50 International Space Camp 2009, Gary Sparks

I spent a week in Huntsville, Alabama with teachers from 20 other countries and the 50 state teachers of the year from the US. The NASA education team took us through a variety of activities including two simulated shuttle missions to the ISS. I'll share some of my experiences from this fantastic trip.

12:30 Lunch

SATURDAY AFTERNOON (RSA)

Chair:  Antony Gomez

01:30  The Winter Night Sky, A.V.  

 This audio-visual takes us on a tour of the winter night sky in preparation for the evening’s observing.

02:00 The Hunt for the Elusive Neutrino, Dr Pauline Harris

Iwi: Rongomaiwahine, Ngati Rakaipaka, Ngati Kahungunu, School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, VUW 
The search for one of the smallest particles in the Universe from the most explosive phenomena in the Universe is underway at the South Pole. The detector is the Radio Ice Cherenkov Experiment, designed to detect high energy neutrinos. This telescope utilizes the Antarctic ice and radio receivers to detect, these very elusive particles from sources such as Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs) and Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN). This talk will introduce in an easily understandable manner some basic particle physics and astronomy, in order to help us understand where neutrinos are created and how they are detected.

03:00 The Dawn Mission to Ceres and Vesta, Edwin Rod

Take a look at the journey to the small dwarf planets or Ceres and Vesta and a look at the spacecraft that is going to explore them.

03:30 Afternoon Tea

Chair: Antony Gomez

04:00 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

05:00 Session closes

SATURDAY EVENING

05:30  Evening Meal (RSA)

Chair:  Kay Leather

07:30 Hitchhikers Guide To The Universe, Richard Hall

Special Public Session
Discover the Universe.  In this presentation astronomer Richard Hall, using spectacular images from spacecraft and the Hubble Space Telescope, will take you on a grand journey from Carterton on Planet Earth to the Edge of the known Universe. Along the way we will encounter all manner of fantastic objects such as the Pillars of Creation, alien worlds, and black holes. 

09:00 Observing Sessions at the Observatory/ Socializing at the RSA

Observing (Clubrooms and Observatory)

Operators: Bernard Watt, Roger Gibbs, Ian Cooper

Program includes star & constellation, recognition and special telescope viewing sessions

10:30 Late Night Movie at the Clubrooms

SUNDAY 23^rd AUGUST

Morning (RSA) Chair: Nikki Vallance

10:00 The Great Comets of Our Time: How do they compare with the Past, Ian Cooper

Some people aged over fifty years may harbour long distant memories of being woken in the hours just before dawn to marvel at a rare astronomical phenomenon, a “Great Comet.” To be called a ‘Great Comet,’ the comet has to have those enduring qualities that make them stand in the memory of those lucky enough to witness them. Brightness and size, preferably a good dose of both, is what makes a Great Comet.

The generation that is now fifty years or more in age who have lived their lives in New Zealand had the chance to see three Great Comets prior to the arrival of that most famous of comets, Comet Halley in 1986.

The younger generation have also had the chance to marvel at a further three Great Comets since the apparition of Halley. The last Great Comet, Comet McNaught, was seen in January 2007 from all over the southern hemisphere. In brightness, and with its’ spectacular rooster tail a standout feature, Comet McNaught is rightly considered a millennium comet.

How do these great comets of our life time compare with the legendary comets of the historical era? Come on a journey through time and space to witness for yourself these spectacular visions that have heralded the death of kings and other momentous events in human history.

11:00 Morning Tea

Chair: Ian Cooper

11:20 My Experience of the Recent Lunar Grazing Occultation in the Scorpion, Murray Forbes

On Friday 31 July 2009, the southern limb of the Moon just skimmed past a bright star (sigma Scorpii) in the constellation of the Scorpion. In this presentation I will explain what a lunar graze is and talk about my personal experience in preparing for and observing the event. I will finish with the combined results from all of the Southern observers, in particular from the 15 strong Wellington team that made this event valuable scientifically and a lot of fun.

11:50 Visual Satellite Observation, Graeme McKay

Anyone who looks into the night sky can't help but see the occasional satellite passing between the stars. I will discuss the visibility of artificial satellites and how best to observe them.

12:30  Lunch

SUNDAY AFTERNOON (RSA)

Chair: Murray Forbes

01:30 Journey to the Moon, A.V.

02:00 Books - Perfect for those Cloudy Nights or Quiet Companions when the Stars are not visible!, Vicki Irons

In this talk some of the latest books about significant events of Spaceflight will be reviewed.  In the IYA attention has turned to both history and achievement in astronomy- these books cover an important record, and an accurate reference to lure  and inform new fans while satisfying the well-informed with insiders' comments and spectators' impressions.

02:30 American Astronomical Observatories, Robert Rea
Astronomy Section, Nelson Science Society
While on holiday in the United States a number of professional and amateur observatories were visited as well as attending a Symposium on Telescope Science and the RTMC Astronomy Expo.  The presentation will be illustrated with photos.

03:30 Closing

NOTES:

Registration

Kay will be taking registrations on Saturday morning. There should be someone on the registration/raffle desk most times. Please register and get your name badge. If you have friends arriving late, please make sure they register.

Observing Sessions

Observing sessions will be limited to 12 persons. Observing sessions will be posted in the RSA on Saturday and Sunday and you will need to book in to the time you wish to observe. The first session of the evening will be reserved for families and older persons.

Raffles

There are several raffles with different prices. Please join in the fun and take a ticket. It all helps to raise money for the society.

Meals

Morning and afternoon tea are included in your registration fee. Lunches and dinners are an extra. If you have not booked in for a meal and now wish to partake of a lunch or evening meal, then please let Kay know as soon as possible. The RSA need to know that they could be catering for extra portions.

RSA rules

The RSA have some rules regarding dress, hats etc which are displayed near the entrance. Please respect these rules. We are their guests this weekend.

Stonehenge Aotearoa

Stonehenge will be running public sessions from 10am – 4pm during the weekend, and we need to stay away from the facility during the day to allow the staff to get on with their job. Contact Richard if you wish to join a public session.

Mobil Contact Phone numbers:

Antony Gomez 021 253 4979

Kay Leather  027 230 5190

Nikki Vallance 027 666 1922

Richard Hall 027 230 5191