| Winter Astrocamp Programme |
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WINTER ASTROCAMP 2010 Hosted by the Phoenix Astronomical Society FRIDAY 6th AUGUST Evening (Clubrooms and Observatory) 06:30 Registration, Catherine Galuszka, Joanne Gomez 07:00 Latest Equipment for Recreational Stargazers & Amateur Astronomers, 07:30 Mallincam Live Colour Video Astronomy demo, John Whitby, Darrell Ramsey, What takes many minutes, even hours with a CCD imager visible live in under a minute, and under 10 seconds for planetary nebulae! (Weather permitting) 08:00 Observing Sessions at the Observatory Operators: Cameron Jack, Terry Galuzka, Antony Gomez The Winter Milky Way and Jupiter. (Weather permitting) 10:30 Late Night Movie at the Clubrooms SATURDAY 7th AUGUST Morning (Clubrooms and Observatory) 09:30 Registration, Catherine Galuszka, Joanne Gomez 10:00 STONEHENGE AOTEAROA TOUR, Richard Hall The Tour begins in the lecture theatre with an introductory talk on the historical significance of stone circles and the reasons why star-lore formed a cornerstone to the rise of civilization. This part of the presentation will include an audio-visual about the Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain and Stonehenge Aotearoa. We then explore the stone circle, listen to tales from antiquity, and discover how stones and shadows can be used to unlock mysteries of the universe. (www.stonehenge-aotearoa.com) 11:00 Observing the Sun, Darrell Ramsey, Bill Allan, Terry Galuzka 12:00 Lunch (RSA) SATURDAY AFTERNOON (RSA) 12:30 Registration, Catherine Galuszka, Joanne Gomez Chair: Cameron Jack 01:00 Delving into the Occult - The Wonderful World of Occultations, Graham Blow Occultations are one of the simplest astronomical events to observe, yet have the potential to yield powerful results of astrophysical interest. In Part 1 of this talk I will discuss the various types of occultations and why we should observe them, and talk about the part that amateur observers with only very limited equipment can still play. In Part 2, I will describe more detailed observing techniques with an emphasis on video observing: equipment, techniques, and an introduction to data reduction. 02:00 Chariot of Fire, Richard Hall In ancient times the Sun was worshiped as the emblem of god. And well might we worship this star; for it is the be-all and end-all of life on Earth. Once thought to be “perfect” and unchanging, we now know that the Sun slowly fluctuates in brightness shifting and changing the climate on Earth. In this presentation we look at solar activity and the ways in which it was responsible the rise and fall of civilizations. Here too we find the origin some of the great of myths and legends of antiquity, including the 2012 Mayan prophecy. 03:00 Afternoon Tea Chair: Terry Galuszka 03:30 Speed of Light Measurement, Darrell Ramsey Several hundred years ago a Dutch astronomer used Jupiter and its moons to make the measurement. It took many months. Now you can do it in your own home in a minute or two; find out how. 04:00 The Binocular High-lights of Winter, Cameron Jack From Antares, the blood-red heart of Scorpius, through glittering Sagittarius and down to the shield of Scutum, these early evening constellations teem with dazzling sights and some of the most photogenic places in the heavens. I will take you on a tour of the winter Milkyway's most spectacular deep-sky objects, all of which are on display every evening during winter. 05:00 Video Astronomy - Live Viewing in Colour!, John Whitby & Richard Hall The contents of the presentation will include live colour images captured locally, Taumata Island Observatory setup and equipment used in Colour Video Astronomy. SATURDAY EVENING 06:00 Evening Meal (RSA) Chair: Antony Gomez 07:30 Exploring Astrophysics in the Radio Renaissance, Dr. Melanie Johnson-Hollit Special Public Session 09:00 Observing Sessions at the Observatory (Clubrooms and Observatory) Operators: Cameron Jack, Terry Galuzka, Antony Gomez The Winter Milky Way and Jupiter (and the Mallincam Live Colour Video Astronomy demo if postponed from Friday evening) (Weather permitting) 10:30 Late Night Movie at the Clubrooms SUNDAY 8th AUGUST Morning (RSA) Chair: Vicki Irons 9:30 The Power of the Sun, Murray Forbes In the 19th century, before radioactivity and atomic theory was discovered, debate raged among the scientists of the day about the source of the Sun's energy. The major problem with the known energy sources is that none of them could power the Sun for very long. In this talk I will explain what these sources are, the problems with them and the solution that was ultimately found. 10:30 Morning Tea 11:00 Does Time run backwards in other Universes, Antony Gomez Why is the past and future so different? The microscopic laws of physics that underlie the behaviour of the universe do not distinguish between past and future, yet the early universe – hot, dense, homogenous – is completely different from today’s – cool, dilute, lumpy. The arrow of time that points from past to future plays an unmistakeable role in our everyday lives yet this dramatic asymmetry of time of our observable universe seems to be offering us a clue to something deeper – that the universe around us is a tiny piece of a much bigger picture. 12:00 Lunch SUNDAY AFTERNOON (RSA) Chair: Murray Forbes 01:00 Building a Cheap 10 inch Occultoscope, John Talbot This briefly describes the making of a simple homemade 10" f4 telescope for observing occultations at the beginning of 2009: 01:30 Building a Backyard Observatory, John Field Building your own observatory is an exciting challenge that allows you to explore the heavens from your own back garden. In this presentation I will explore the types of observatory's available and the construction of my own “Whetu-Whare". 02:00 You and Your Binoculars, Stewart Mawson 02:30 The Colourful Women of Pickering’s Harem, Vicki Irons In this talk the links of 4 women that helped revolutionise astronomy are covered. They achieved results despite the low pay, lack of recognition and prejudice about womens’ abilities. Fleming, Cannon, Maury and Leavitt developed the finer points of spectroscopy and helped measure the Universe. What they did and how is remarkable –yet they still had fun! 03:00 Afternoon Tea 03:30 Stars of the Samurai, Kay Leather A forensic exploration of migration, starlore, early agriculture and language in the Asian and Pacific region 04:30 Closing 07:00 Observing Sessions at the Observatory There are no formal sessions organised for Sunday evening but please contact one of the organisers if you wish to do some observing. (Weather permitting) NOTES: Registration Catherine will be taking registrations on Friday evening and Saturday morning. There should be someone on the registration 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. 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 Catherine 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 staff will be busy dealing with the public. Please be considerate and wear your name tag at all times when you are visiting the site. Contact Richard if you wish to join a public session. Mobil Contact Phone numbers: Antony Gomez 021 253 4979 Catherine Galuszka 027 563 5546 Cameron Jack 021 232 6613 Kay Leather 027 230 5190 Richard Hall 027 230 5191 |
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