Monday, December 31, 2012
Sunday, December 30, 2012
CSC wrong
Was really hoping to do some observing in dark skies... But the Clear Sky Chart proved completely wrong. Totally, completely wrong. Bummer.
delivered red lights
Transported some new red LED lights, two 16 foot strings, to the CAO. We'll put this in the GBO, replacing the incandescent lighting.
We'll install them in the spring.
We'll install them in the spring.
Friday, December 28, 2012
puny parking pass problem
Sent the CAO winter parking pass to the crew. Lora printed it but reported it very small. Wallet-sized. That's no good. Might be Mac issue. Or it might be that I built it in Powerpoint... Not really the right tool.
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A little birdie told me the problem went away...
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A little birdie told me the problem went away...
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
referred Denis to membership team
Denis asked about the recent RASC Toronto Centre fee announcement. Expressed some concerns about changes required to the national system. Hey, I'm just the messenger. Suggested he talk to the membership team or the pres.
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
seeing looked bad (Union)
Peaked outside. Could see Sirius to the south. Flickering madly. Bad seeing. Very bad.
Thought I might get some viewing it, maybe spot an airborne sleigh. Alas.
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It was cloudy an hour later... No luck. At all.
Thought I might get some viewing it, maybe spot an airborne sleigh. Alas.
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It was cloudy an hour later... No luck. At all.
Monday, December 24, 2012
sent notice to membership
Helped Phil send out a mailing to the whole membership, regarding the fee increase. I pulled the email addresses (once I finally synched the dropbox) from the database. Broke it into two lists. And then used the MailMan list profile set up for the president.
researched the 4495C
Manuel sent me a photo of the plate from his family member's old telescope. He described it as a Dobsonian. But on a mount with counterweights. Huh? Asked him to shot more photos if possible.
The Meade Model 4495C. Diameter = 114mm (or 4½"). Focal length = 910mm. Focal ratio = f/8.
OK. Time to do some research.
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Seems the Meade 4495C is a reflector on a small equatorial mount and a wooden tripod. Nice little reflector. The bad news though is that it used 0.965" eyepieces. Ugh.
Couldn't find the manual for it. I did find a page at Meade for the 4500. Looks to be similar.
The Meade Model 4495C. Diameter = 114mm (or 4½"). Focal length = 910mm. Focal ratio = f/8.
OK. Time to do some research.
§
Seems the Meade 4495C is a reflector on a small equatorial mount and a wooden tripod. Nice little reflector. The bad news though is that it used 0.965" eyepieces. Ugh.
Couldn't find the manual for it. I did find a page at Meade for the 4500. Looks to be similar.
merry spacemas!
Elaine and Charles sent an astronomy-themed card with their Christmas wishes. Cool. From Cafepress.
Thank you! All the best!
Thank you! All the best!
Sunday, December 23, 2012
viewed some doubles (Union)
At one point, while watching TV, I looked out the west-facing window and saw the Moon. Headed out to Mom's observatory with netbook.
The Telrad was a little finicky. At first I thought it was bad batteries. Proved to be a loose connection.
Couldn't find a power cord. Headed to the garage for an extension cord. While near the house, I'd grab astronomy box α.
Viewed the Moon to verify the alignment of the finder and get the telescope at focus. It was nearly full. Aged 9.7 days according to SkyTools. Around 78% phase according to my location portal page. Viewed, briefly, some craters. Went to Mizar/Alcor to monitor tracking.
On the netbook, shut down Starry Night (had been testing/reviewing earlier in the evening). Started up SkyTools 3. Was not getting a wifi signal, unfortunately. Had previously built an (ambitious) observing list. 123 items. With priority. I sorted by Observation priority column. That said, some the items were for entertainment purposes, showpieces, for family viewing. Donna and Steve had left about an hour previous. Mom was in bed.
Sorted by priority. The first suggestion was the Winter Albireo aka HR 2764. Since I wasn't trying to impress anyone I moved on. Next up was double star 32 Eridani—from the RASC Coloured Double Stars list. Reviewed the digital atlas. It was in-line with Menkar or α (alpha) Ceti or to Rigel β (beta) and then Saiph κ (kappa) Orionis. Between Menkar and Rigel, almost in the middle.
Checked the tracking. Neither Mizar or Alcor were in the field. Turned out I still at the lock on. Released it.
I kept noticing a "Scope Not Connected" message in the ST3 atlas. It was distracting.
Moon was close to Menkar. Around 16 or 17 degrees apart. I thought 32 Eri might be tricky. Not a lot of bright stars for star hopping. Finally set the correct location and telescope. Checked the field of view. Decided to wing it.
Checked the tracking again. It was not bad. It was off a little. Probably due to the polar alignment.
Aimed in the general area. Kicked myself for not having binoculars. Compared the atlas views.
Found a tight double star after some panning. Looked yellow and orange. The Observer's Handbook described the 32 Eri double as topaz and blue. So, that didn't sound right. More checking and cross-checking.
1:26. (48 minutes.) Someone's car alarm went off.
I was getting frustrated. I wondered if I was going about this the wrong way. Swearing. Did a meridian flip.
1:38. I had definitely found 32 Eri. Just a coincidence. Spotted a little, stretched or flattened diamond pattern. RST 4760B, close to HIP 71855, dim stars. Fainter. HD 23876. Headed a bit south. I definitely thought it the correct colours. Topaz or yellow with a pale blue. Not an intense blue. Easily split at low power (47x). Bumped the power (68x) with the 18mm Meade ocular (after removing the spacer ring).
Haas describes this showcase pair as grapefruit orange and silvery blue. Smyth says they are topaz yellow and sea green.
After reviewing the double more closely, I saw a faint star, in-line, to the north. In an L-shape of stars. Turned out that this mag 11.6 star, at the apex, was another companion, the C star. Cool! A triple, Σ470 (Struve). ST3 showed the tip of the L, the mag 9 star, was over top a mag 14.6 galaxy (MCG-1-10-46), which I did not see. Not a good target to show people...
Still, my first double in Eridanus.
1:42. The stars seemed dimmer. Perhaps the elevation was becoming a factor. Clouds.
Next up was 38 Geminorum. More clouds though. Could not see either of the Bears...
1:49. Swung over to Jupiter. Seeing was really good but the transparency was bad. Good detail. Thin dark band, near one of the equatorial bands. North hemisphere. Almost a Sagitta pattern to the moons. Europa and Callisto were close together. Spotted a faint star, HD 28137, near Ganymede, to the west, almost in-line with the moons.
Conditions improved a bit. But could not see the GRS. A decent view.
Tried again for 38 Gem. Off the left foot, not far from γ (gamma) and ξ (xi). Sky to the south got a lot better. Wondered where to jump off from.
Struggled a bit with the view being offered in ST3, the "hopping" view, with the 3 panels. It was not showing many stars. Part of it was that the software was showing a star HIP 33202 and, for a moment, I thought this was not the correct star. That's actually the designation of the B star. Why would SkyTools do that? Regardless, I planned my Telrad hop...
Needed my large flashlight and couldn't find it. Used deep red.
Was feeling a little chilled. Not too bad. But I wanted to activate the heater in the studio. Couldn't find the remote control for the fireplace. Mom had put it somewhere strange. Who knows where. Could even been in the house... And after a long search, very frustrated, I gave up. Spoiled my mood.
2:11. Gave up on the heater search. Headed back to the deck. Streamer clouds covered the sky. I was upset. Put the weather station outside. Took another look. It was only clear around Canis Major.
2:18. Didn't feel like sucker hole chasing (with a push-to and a Telrad). Decided to quit. Started the tear down. Dropped the mount, before removing the counter weights. No damage, it seems. Lucky.
2:27. The Oregon sensor showed 61% and 3.2°.
Saw the whole constellation of Leo, rising.
§
I had had it on my list to install the optical finder scope, the old Celestron, to her tube. Never got 'round to it.
§
Forgot to do time stamps (or splitting) with the Sony recorder. Forgot to bring out red keyboard light.
Instrument: Edmund Scientific 6-inch Newtonian
Mount: equatorial
Method: star hopping
12:38 AM. Plugged in the red LED Christmas lights. Started the setup of the telescope. Attached the mount to the pier. Eyeballed north and tightened it down. Installed the Newtonian to the mount. Added the counter-weights. And my Celestron 26mm. Went smoothly. Put the chair out. There were some clouds in the distance. Not perfect skies.Mount: equatorial
Method: star hopping
The Telrad was a little finicky. At first I thought it was bad batteries. Proved to be a loose connection.
Couldn't find a power cord. Headed to the garage for an extension cord. While near the house, I'd grab astronomy box α.
Viewed the Moon to verify the alignment of the finder and get the telescope at focus. It was nearly full. Aged 9.7 days according to SkyTools. Around 78% phase according to my location portal page. Viewed, briefly, some craters. Went to Mizar/Alcor to monitor tracking.
On the netbook, shut down Starry Night (had been testing/reviewing earlier in the evening). Started up SkyTools 3. Was not getting a wifi signal, unfortunately. Had previously built an (ambitious) observing list. 123 items. With priority. I sorted by Observation priority column. That said, some the items were for entertainment purposes, showpieces, for family viewing. Donna and Steve had left about an hour previous. Mom was in bed.
Sorted by priority. The first suggestion was the Winter Albireo aka HR 2764. Since I wasn't trying to impress anyone I moved on. Next up was double star 32 Eridani—from the RASC Coloured Double Stars list. Reviewed the digital atlas. It was in-line with Menkar or α (alpha) Ceti or to Rigel β (beta) and then Saiph κ (kappa) Orionis. Between Menkar and Rigel, almost in the middle.
Checked the tracking. Neither Mizar or Alcor were in the field. Turned out I still at the lock on. Released it.
I kept noticing a "Scope Not Connected" message in the ST3 atlas. It was distracting.
Moon was close to Menkar. Around 16 or 17 degrees apart. I thought 32 Eri might be tricky. Not a lot of bright stars for star hopping. Finally set the correct location and telescope. Checked the field of view. Decided to wing it.
Checked the tracking again. It was not bad. It was off a little. Probably due to the polar alignment.
Aimed in the general area. Kicked myself for not having binoculars. Compared the atlas views.
Found a tight double star after some panning. Looked yellow and orange. The Observer's Handbook described the 32 Eri double as topaz and blue. So, that didn't sound right. More checking and cross-checking.
1:26. (48 minutes.) Someone's car alarm went off.
I was getting frustrated. I wondered if I was going about this the wrong way. Swearing. Did a meridian flip.
1:38. I had definitely found 32 Eri. Just a coincidence. Spotted a little, stretched or flattened diamond pattern. RST 4760B, close to HIP 71855, dim stars. Fainter. HD 23876. Headed a bit south. I definitely thought it the correct colours. Topaz or yellow with a pale blue. Not an intense blue. Easily split at low power (47x). Bumped the power (68x) with the 18mm Meade ocular (after removing the spacer ring).
Haas describes this showcase pair as grapefruit orange and silvery blue. Smyth says they are topaz yellow and sea green.
After reviewing the double more closely, I saw a faint star, in-line, to the north. In an L-shape of stars. Turned out that this mag 11.6 star, at the apex, was another companion, the C star. Cool! A triple, Σ470 (Struve). ST3 showed the tip of the L, the mag 9 star, was over top a mag 14.6 galaxy (MCG-1-10-46), which I did not see. Not a good target to show people...
Still, my first double in Eridanus.
1:42. The stars seemed dimmer. Perhaps the elevation was becoming a factor. Clouds.
Next up was 38 Geminorum. More clouds though. Could not see either of the Bears...
1:49. Swung over to Jupiter. Seeing was really good but the transparency was bad. Good detail. Thin dark band, near one of the equatorial bands. North hemisphere. Almost a Sagitta pattern to the moons. Europa and Callisto were close together. Spotted a faint star, HD 28137, near Ganymede, to the west, almost in-line with the moons.
Conditions improved a bit. But could not see the GRS. A decent view.
Tried again for 38 Gem. Off the left foot, not far from γ (gamma) and ξ (xi). Sky to the south got a lot better. Wondered where to jump off from.
Struggled a bit with the view being offered in ST3, the "hopping" view, with the 3 panels. It was not showing many stars. Part of it was that the software was showing a star HIP 33202 and, for a moment, I thought this was not the correct star. That's actually the designation of the B star. Why would SkyTools do that? Regardless, I planned my Telrad hop...
Needed my large flashlight and couldn't find it. Used deep red.
Was feeling a little chilled. Not too bad. But I wanted to activate the heater in the studio. Couldn't find the remote control for the fireplace. Mom had put it somewhere strange. Who knows where. Could even been in the house... And after a long search, very frustrated, I gave up. Spoiled my mood.
2:11. Gave up on the heater search. Headed back to the deck. Streamer clouds covered the sky. I was upset. Put the weather station outside. Took another look. It was only clear around Canis Major.
2:18. Didn't feel like sucker hole chasing (with a push-to and a Telrad). Decided to quit. Started the tear down. Dropped the mount, before removing the counter weights. No damage, it seems. Lucky.
2:27. The Oregon sensor showed 61% and 3.2°.
Saw the whole constellation of Leo, rising.
§
I had had it on my list to install the optical finder scope, the old Celestron, to her tube. Never got 'round to it.
§
Forgot to do time stamps (or splitting) with the Sony recorder. Forgot to bring out red keyboard light.
Saturday, December 22, 2012
The End: cancelled
Stayed up, watching late-night TV... Channels didn't go static-snow. Power didn't go out. Everything didn't fade out. If the The End of The World happened, I must have missed it.
Friday, December 21, 2012
Orion above the pyramid
Enjoyed the photo on APOD. The central Mayan pyramid at Chichén Itzá in the foreground; Orion in the background. Apropos. And a beautiful photo.
Apropos to me on a couple of levels. The goofy end of the world stuff. But also that I'm reading Pat Murphy's Falling Woman.
Apropos to me on a couple of levels. The goofy end of the world stuff. But also that I'm reading Pat Murphy's Falling Woman.
Chris at ISS
Watched the Soyuz dock to the ISS. Chris is in da house!
This time, no gathering in a Facebook chat. Aside from Manuel. Everybody busy perhaps...
This time, no gathering in a Facebook chat. Aside from Manuel. Everybody busy perhaps...
SkyNews to promote clinic
Heard from SkyNews magazine. They agreed to promote the RASC Toronto Centre new owners telescope clinic on their web site. All right!
bestest pal
Malcolm sent me his seasonal "happy solstice" message. And added, "If today really does turn out to be the end of the world, then it's been good knowing you." Sure has.
Thursday, December 20, 2012
hoping for skies
Headed to Mom's. Hoping for some clear weather. In a dark location. But I've been scuppered the last couple of years...
Home for the holi—I mean, the apocalypse.
Home for the holi—I mean, the apocalypse.
first 2013 SkyNews arrived
Exact arrival date unknown. Had it before I headed down to Mom's.
Will need to scan it for the "big" events for the new year.
(No calendar—with big Canon lenses everywhere—this year from SkyNews.)
he found mit-gloves
David said he was browsing my blog and I noticed my "mit-gloves." He liked the idea so went looking for them. He learned that Mountain Equipment Co-op has them for $38. Said he's gonna' get some.
He also didn't think I looked like Skinny Puppy fan...
He also didn't think I looked like Skinny Puppy fan...
no December city observing
Stu called a no-go for the RASC City Observing Star Party for Thursday. Clearly we were going to be clouded. He had called it no-go last night too. But the skies cleared up later Wednesday evening. I, once again, did not set up on the porch. Tough calling it, this time of year... The December window closed.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
angry Stellarium people
After a nasty flame war and some very unfriendly behavior on the Stellarium / Sourceforge forum at the beginning of December, I saw another conversation rapidly erode...
Merv noted that there was no information about the meteors shown in the software, no names, no details. He asked, perhaps a bit abruptly, if this could be rectified.
Rob, the writer of the meteor component, explained that he never intended to simulate a named shower. And the radiant was simply where the Earth was headed toward. So, totally random.
Then Dotan said, "Exactly what technical measure did you expect Stellarium to employ to know where a meteor is falling at any given moment, in real time?" Holy crikey. Here we go again! Dotan needs to take a pill.
Merv seemed to take it somewhat in stride: "I expected that Stellarium would show meteor showers according to the annual dates that they would occur. If, as I understand you to say, they are just randomly generated then I regard it as useless."
Not fun.
Merv noted that there was no information about the meteors shown in the software, no names, no details. He asked, perhaps a bit abruptly, if this could be rectified.
Rob, the writer of the meteor component, explained that he never intended to simulate a named shower. And the radiant was simply where the Earth was headed toward. So, totally random.
Then Dotan said, "Exactly what technical measure did you expect Stellarium to employ to know where a meteor is falling at any given moment, in real time?" Holy crikey. Here we go again! Dotan needs to take a pill.
Merv seemed to take it somewhat in stride: "I expected that Stellarium would show meteor showers according to the annual dates that they would occur. If, as I understand you to say, they are just randomly generated then I regard it as useless."
Not fun.
worried about that
Allard sent over the latest registrations. Someone signed up for the "new owners telescope clinic" who doesn't have a telescope. I asked if they'd be getting one before Jan 19...
visit gift
Followed up with someone local to the CAO, someone in the Blue Mountains area, who would like to provide a "visit" as a Christmas gift. What a lovely idea!
generated 2011 stats
Generated the Yahoo!Group membership data stats and graph for 2011 for Phil.
Reminded him that this was the year we did a "big purge," kicking out a large number of expired members...
Reminded him that this was the year we did a "big purge," kicking out a large number of expired members...
updated database again
Made more mods to the RASC TC membership database for Phil. Including added a sex field so we can do some demographic analyses.
software at OSC upgraded
Doug, from the OSC, sent me a note. The IT staff upgraded the Stellarium on the stage computer. That should make the updating of the comet and asteroid data easier.
He also asked which version of Starry Night would be best to get, the Pro version, Pro Plus, or one of the other ones. I suggested, in addition to Brenda, he could ask Geoff for some perspective. Pointed out I am still a Starry Night n00b.
He also asked which version of Starry Night would be best to get, the Pro version, Pro Plus, or one of the other ones. I suggested, in addition to Brenda, he could ask Geoff for some perspective. Pointed out I am still a Starry Night n00b.
watched TMA-07M launch
Watched the TMA-07M Soyuz launch on Spaceflightnow.com. Perfect launch.
They're heading to the International Space Station to join expedition 34.
The ground camera view of the expended boosters created an interesting image. It looked like a little constellation.
Chris Hadfield was aboard at the Soyuz. It was cool to see a Canadian heading uphill. First time in a long time. And cool knowing that he'll be taking command of the ISS in a couple of months.
Enjoyed the launch with fellow RASC members. We had a group chat on Facebook. It was a good turnout with Katrina, Manuel, Ed, Grace, Tony, Andy, Nicole, Sharmin, and Bill. Brenda and Eric jumped in while south of the border. It was fun. Phil didn't join us, unfortunately, while he watched the launch at home. Got thrown off my the "Facebook Live Chat" wording. And I, somehow, did not see him online. Everyone signed off and headed off to work.
I sent a follow-up note to the Yahoo!Group. Encouraged people to watch the ISS flyover tonight, if it was clear.
They're heading to the International Space Station to join expedition 34.
The ground camera view of the expended boosters created an interesting image. It looked like a little constellation.
Chris Hadfield was aboard at the Soyuz. It was cool to see a Canadian heading uphill. First time in a long time. And cool knowing that he'll be taking command of the ISS in a couple of months.
Enjoyed the launch with fellow RASC members. We had a group chat on Facebook. It was a good turnout with Katrina, Manuel, Ed, Grace, Tony, Andy, Nicole, Sharmin, and Bill. Brenda and Eric jumped in while south of the border. It was fun. Phil didn't join us, unfortunately, while he watched the launch at home. Got thrown off my the "Facebook Live Chat" wording. And I, somehow, did not see him online. Everyone signed off and headed off to work.
I sent a follow-up note to the Yahoo!Group. Encouraged people to watch the ISS flyover tonight, if it was clear.
recent locations clunky
Asked about the "recent locations" feature in Starry Night. I find it very odd that it doesn't remember your other visited locations from session to session. Sure, some people always observe from the same location. But I would think a good number of users work with the software in different locations: at home, at the cottage, at various star parties, at an observatory, at a campground or two, a conservation area or two. I suspect I have to explore the Favourites feature. Still, it just seems clunky and roundabout (compared to SkyTools). Of course, Stellarium is no better. Strange.
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
generated Yahoo membership stats
As Phil was preparing the RASC Toronto Centre membership statistics, he reached out to get some numbers on the main Yahoo!Group membership numbers. I reminded him that I was, as the IT chair, in charge of this stuff, still assisted by Ralph. Then I verified what he was after and then generated the statistics and a chart for the 2012 season. Sent him an Excel file.
It was interesting to see the group growing by 2 people (median) over the year. Big dips were due to purges...
It was interesting to see the group growing by 2 people (median) over the year. Big dips were due to purges...
returned repaired finder
Dropped off the repaired, er, tuned, Orion finder scope to John. He can put it back into the loaner program fleet.
switched to the Ops group
Completed the switch/sign-ups of people on the RASC Toronto Centre Council Yahoo!Group over to the new Operations group.
With everyone on board, I handed the reins to Charles and had him boot me out of the Council group.
With everyone on board, I handed the reins to Charles and had him boot me out of the Council group.
SN doesn't do short names
Learned that Starry Night 6 Pro does not do short constellation names. It shows the full name. Or it can show the "common" name. And it normally shows the short, genitive name when referring to stars. But no short forms for the constellation display. Amazing. Well. At least it is not my imagination.
Monday, December 17, 2012
learning SNP6
Started learning Starry Night, Pro, version 6. Perhaps instigated by the problem at the OSC last week, where I could not update (the slightly older version of) Stellarium (due to admin restrictions) and the prospect of using SN, shotgun, in the middle of my presentation, and possibly fumbling around... Ugh. No. No way. I guess it had been lurking in the back of my brain, but this incident turned up the temp. Or maybe it's been the Stellarium seminar date "negotiations" of late, readying for the next event, the next session, to help members. Maybe it's all the grey skies lately. Regardless, late at night, the last couple of nights, I've started exploring the software. Learning the basics.
Still very early in the process.
But it's already clear this application is big! Rich. With a lot of features. And, curiously, a lot of different ways for doing things. It's a little overwhelming, at the moment.
The other thing I keep running into is... differences. Or expectations. That is, I'm expecting that such a rich, complex, established, long-running product would have... well, all the bases covered. So, while I know I need to approach things different than I would in other planetarium software tools and certainly planning software products, I must say I'm a little surprised as I hit "road blocks." Where it seems some things are not possible in the application.
I sent Geoff a note to ask him if I could grill him...
Still very early in the process.
But it's already clear this application is big! Rich. With a lot of features. And, curiously, a lot of different ways for doing things. It's a little overwhelming, at the moment.
The other thing I keep running into is... differences. Or expectations. That is, I'm expecting that such a rich, complex, established, long-running product would have... well, all the bases covered. So, while I know I need to approach things different than I would in other planetarium software tools and certainly planning software products, I must say I'm a little surprised as I hit "road blocks." Where it seems some things are not possible in the application.
I sent Geoff a note to ask him if I could grill him...
Sunday, December 16, 2012
blinked for streaks
Finally got 'round to blinking the Geminid night photos on a large monitor. No meteors...
a double star solution
Read Michel Michaud's article in JDSO - volume 8 number 4 . He talked about measuring double stars (in the Pleiades) using a Canon DSLR and a big 'scope on a Paramount. Uh huh. And he in turn sited articles in the old Double Star Observer periodical that had inspired him.
This was very inspiring! I was excited to see this technique used with a high degree of accuracy. And the more I thought about it, the more I realised this could be "the magic bullet." The solution I've been looking for, for a long time.
I noted that he's Canadian. And then I noted he's a RASC member. I sent him an email.
This was very inspiring! I was excited to see this technique used with a high degree of accuracy. And the more I thought about it, the more I realised this could be "the magic bullet." The solution I've been looking for, for a long time.
I noted that he's Canadian. And then I noted he's a RASC member. I sent him an email.
avoid shopper remorse
Fantastic resources for the telescope shopper on the Sky and Telescope web site... With links to an online telescope guide and an article on low-cost starter scopes.
There's also a reference to the What to Know Before You Buy article (in PDF, 2MB), from the SkyWatch 2010 magazine. Still chock full of great advice.
There's also a reference to the What to Know Before You Buy article (in PDF, 2MB), from the SkyWatch 2010 magazine. Still chock full of great advice.
OK, that's enough
The curious thread that Zoran initiated (and kept fuelling) on the RASC Yahoo!Group took a turn today. I saw a member show their exasperation today.
I immediately sent out a note to the group and asked that the item be closed, at least online. I encouraged the appropriate parties to follow-up.
I immediately sent out a note to the group and asked that the item be closed, at least online. I encouraged the appropriate parties to follow-up.
Saturday, December 15, 2012
white on black
Cool! Successfully switched the theme for the mobile version on my blog. Easy peasy with blogger, on blogger, while on a full computer. Stumbled across the setting actually. Now in white on black!
Looks much better...
Looks much better...
closed the loop
Re-sent the Aug/Sep 2011 SCOPE newsletter to Mom. I was never sure that she received it. Or noticed that I made the cover photo...
§
She acknowledge receipt. OK. Can close that loop now.
§
She acknowledge receipt. OK. Can close that loop now.
added importing routine
Did more work on the RASC TC membership database. Wrote VBA code to import the CSV data supplied by National Office into the Access database. Specifically to import the new members into the Access database so to eliminate manual keying and laborious copying and pasting. Fun little project. I had to dust off some memories. And dig out some old code from the AMG project. Got everything up and running. Uploaded the revised database to our Dropbox folder. Told Phil to call me when he was ready to test it.
I also took the opportunity, while I had the MDB checked out, to clean up the mailing addresses.
I also took the opportunity, while I had the MDB checked out, to clean up the mailing addresses.
Friday, December 14, 2012
eyeballed meteors (Toronto)
When RASC members started sharing that they were seeing Geminid meteors, I headed out to the porch. And saw 3 meteors! All bright, blue-white. That's a first in the city...
Shot about 20 photos. Didn't capture any... Boo!
Shot about 20 photos. Didn't capture any... Boo!
Thursday, December 13, 2012
received weather presentation
Frank sent me his presentation on weather. From the RAN meeting I missed a little while back. Thanks! Hopefully I can learn a few tricks.
shared eyepiece info
Built a page on the RASC Toronto Centre site for Doug's eyepiece presentation information.
created new group
Created the new "operations" group on Yahoo for the RASC Toronto Centre. We're going do some reshuffling. There are a bunch of people in the "council" group who technically shouldn't be in there.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
SkyTools raffle a success
Ran the SkyTools raffle. Many members participated. David R won the draw for our final copy of the Standard Edition, version 3, planning software. All proceeds to the centre. Leslie drew from the hat. Tickets from Charles. Hat provided by Ralph.
will demo collimating binos
Sure!
There seems to be a lot of interest in this topic, of late. Good idea.
Offered my crummy Bushnells as demonstrators!
delivered last TSTM for 2012
Delivered my presentation The Sky This Month. Covering mid-Dec 2012 to mid-Jan 2013. Used Google Apps again. Provided my double-sided handout as per usual: calendar with comet finder chart.
First time in a long time, I used Stellarium to demo certain events, primarily conjunctions.
§
Uploaded the presentation content to the RASC Toronto Centre web site. Provided the calendar and finder chart in PDF format. Link killed. Look on the lumpy darkness companion site's presentations page.
First time in a long time, I used Stellarium to demo certain events, primarily conjunctions.
§
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
bent peg
Manuel reported the "peg" in his CGEM DX mount was bent. Huh? What's the peg? Asked him to send over a photo.
I still did not recognise this part. Had to dive into the manual. Ah. The peg is the vertical post that the azimuth knobs push and tighten against.
How the hell did that get so pranged?
I offered to straighten it. But I was wondered about repeat damage. Maybe a quick fix would be to rotate it 90. But that would require shimming. Maybe the part should be replaced, if stressed. If replacing it, perhaps a strong material should be used...
I still did not recognise this part. Had to dive into the manual. Ah. The peg is the vertical post that the azimuth knobs push and tighten against.
How the hell did that get so pranged?
I offered to straighten it. But I was wondered about repeat damage. Maybe a quick fix would be to rotate it 90. But that would require shimming. Maybe the part should be replaced, if stressed. If replacing it, perhaps a strong material should be used...
on providing material
The matter of providing materials to the participants of the RASC new telescope owners clinic came up again.
Eric suggested that USB keys might be good to do. And he wondered about a source who may provide complimentary units. However, it was a little indefinite. And would not be possible to determine, it sounded like, until January. A little late maybe, this time 'round.
Steve wondered how much USB keys might cost. I surmised that small capacity ones could be had for cheap, probably. That said, I reminded everyone that I did not have a big budget for the event. And much of it would possibly be consumed in advertising and a bit of photocopying. There'd also be the matter of transferring gathered content to the keys.
I did admit to really like the idea in principle. In a perfect world, I'd like us to provide branded keys. USB keys with the RASC logo. That'd be really awesome. Alas...
Someone suggested optical discs. Again, not a bad idea, but still expensive. And tedious to make. Probably more time consuming then USB.
And then Steve suggested the perfect solution. We can just put the material and links on our web site. Cheap. Easy to update. Easy to keep fresh. Most of the stuff is online anyway. And it would drive people back into our web site. At least once. We can track it. Cool. Not as easily lost. Arguable. All we'd need to do would be to provide a single, one-page handout, neat and tidy, with one link!
Done! (Well, consider it done.) Now we need to assemble good content...
Steve wondered how much USB keys might cost. I surmised that small capacity ones could be had for cheap, probably. That said, I reminded everyone that I did not have a big budget for the event. And much of it would possibly be consumed in advertising and a bit of photocopying. There'd also be the matter of transferring gathered content to the keys.
I did admit to really like the idea in principle. In a perfect world, I'd like us to provide branded keys. USB keys with the RASC logo. That'd be really awesome. Alas...
Someone suggested optical discs. Again, not a bad idea, but still expensive. And tedious to make. Probably more time consuming then USB.
And then Steve suggested the perfect solution. We can just put the material and links on our web site. Cheap. Easy to update. Easy to keep fresh. Most of the stuff is online anyway. And it would drive people back into our web site. At least once. We can track it. Cool. Not as easily lost. Arguable. All we'd need to do would be to provide a single, one-page handout, neat and tidy, with one link!
Done! (Well, consider it done.) Now we need to assemble good content...
Monday, December 10, 2012
get ready for bad weather
I bumped the weather notice article on the RASC Toronto Centre web site. And reminded meeting organisers that we're heading into the "bad driving season." And that we agreed, in the future, to make the cancellation of a meeting happen earlier in the day...
Sunday, December 09, 2012
reviewed membership additions
Phil and I did a brief review of the membership updating process.
I believe that I can greatly simplify his work in terms of adding (completely) new members. I offered to develop an import process to pull the new member data from the CSV file available from National Office.
I believe that I can greatly simplify his work in terms of adding (completely) new members. I offered to develop an import process to pull the new member data from the CSV file available from National Office.
fine tuned N11
I tuned the NexStar 11 GPS. The azimuth clutch was too tight. Unfortunately, this required a full tear down.
Saturday, December 08, 2012
camera 4 up
Tony and I repaired the camera 4 wiring.
We started by looking at the power source. We confirmed that wall warts, one for each camera, were connected to the UPS behind the server. Curious. Dietmar must have missed there. We swapped the supplies. Confirmed the number 4 supply was good (it powered a different camera). And confirmed a known-good supply did not recover the camera 4 feed.
Outside we tested the power line and saw good volts up to the junction. All right. That meant we'd not need to do attic recon.
On wiggling the cables, we saw the camera image come up briefly. This confirmed the problem was in the power line between the junction and the camera body.
We brought the camera inside and looked closely at the wire. At first I wondered if it was oscillating from the wind. But we decided that mice gnawed on the power wire. Little bastards.
We repaired the line. Reinstalled. All good.
We started by looking at the power source. We confirmed that wall warts, one for each camera, were connected to the UPS behind the server. Curious. Dietmar must have missed there. We swapped the supplies. Confirmed the number 4 supply was good (it powered a different camera). And confirmed a known-good supply did not recover the camera 4 feed.
Outside we tested the power line and saw good volts up to the junction. All right. That meant we'd not need to do attic recon.
On wiggling the cables, we saw the camera image come up briefly. This confirmed the problem was in the power line between the junction and the camera body.
We brought the camera inside and looked closely at the wire. At first I wondered if it was oscillating from the wind. But we decided that mice gnawed on the power wire. Little bastards.
We repaired the line. Reinstalled. All good.
Friday, December 07, 2012
another brilliant image
He caught the moon shadow too! In addition to the two other moons...
Awesome. Look at that detail on the surface of the planet. That's everything working right. What I find more impressive is the detail on the surface of the moon! Breath-taking.
I'm really happy with the collimation work we did on this 'scope. It looks spot on. It's letting Manuel get good data.
Kickin' myself now...
Awesome. Look at that detail on the surface of the planet. That's everything working right. What I find more impressive is the detail on the surface of the moon! Breath-taking.
I'm really happy with the collimation work we did on this 'scope. It looks spot on. It's letting Manuel get good data.
Kickin' myself now...
Thursday, December 06, 2012
doh!
Stu asked if anything needed anything. He was heading to KW Telescope tomorrow.
Homer Simpson moment!
Homer Simpson moment!
a dark spot
Bill found a very dark spot in Ontario. He's kickin' around a visit next year. Cool. Shhh! It's a secret.
announced raffle
Another draw for the amazing SkyTools 3 planning software. The Standard Edition.
This is our last copy in inventory.
fantastic image by Manuel
Manuel sent me a partly processed image of Jupiter. Wow!
Made with an CGEM DX mount, Celestron 8", Powermate 2.5, DFK camera, focused manually. Incredible detail. Looks like the seeing was awesome. And that's mighty-fine collimation too, if I may say so myself.
He's gettin' really good at this.
Made with an CGEM DX mount, Celestron 8", Powermate 2.5, DFK camera, focused manually. Incredible detail. Looks like the seeing was awesome. And that's mighty-fine collimation too, if I may say so myself.
He's gettin' really good at this.
Wednesday, December 05, 2012
declined his offer
Manuel invited me over to do some imaging. I told him of my blood donation appointment after work. When it ran very late and then when I finally finished dinner, I told him that I did not feel very energetic. Had to pass. Too bad too. The skies looked decent.
who's on board
New prez Charles asked who would like to maintain (or take on) committee chairs. I'll need to send him a note about staying on as the information technology chair...
Tuesday, December 04, 2012
Orion finder fixed (Toronto)
Did a star test and the final adjustment on the loan program's Orion finder scope. Locked the focus ring.
I actually looked at the Great Orion Nebula from the deck! I could see two stars in the Trapezium. Clear. Good focus (with my glasses on). Mini observing session!
I did not find anything really wrong with it. My initial impression, when I tested it in the daylight, was simply that the focus ring had been turned too far. Easy repair.
Reported to John.
I actually looked at the Great Orion Nebula from the deck! I could see two stars in the Trapezium. Clear. Good focus (with my glasses on). Mini observing session!
I did not find anything really wrong with it. My initial impression, when I tested it in the daylight, was simply that the focus ring had been turned too far. Easy repair.
Reported to John.
posters and cards out
Delivered posters and post cards for the RASC new owners telescope clinic to stores in the GTA. Dropped materials in Ralph's mailbox earmarked for KW. Let the games begin.
more data needed with small 'scopes
Said that Bill's site had been updated.
Asked for observations on Σ 389 in Cam.
She also reminded us that we could choke a big 'scope to get into her preferred instrument range.
I could do this with the RASC C14. Or even my C8...
Monday, December 03, 2012
Phil followed up with UK visitor
Phil took the ball. He contacted David in the UK to get some clarification on his expectations and wishes regarding visiting the CAO. He sent the committee a detailed communication. Thanks.
to find another way
Manuel and I had discussed going to Kitchener-Waterloo but, unfortunately, his plans changed. I'd have to meet Dr Brady another time. And I'd have to find another way to get the RASC telescope clinic flyers down that way...
Sunday, December 02, 2012
welcome desk accolade
Charles sent out a nice note...
Hello Sharmin, Tanya and Blake,You're welcome. Wearin' his new hat, I see.
I would just like to say on behalf of the RASC Toronto Centre thank you for doing a great job on our new welcome desk. This has been something that was needed for awhile and from what I saw and the pictures on FB it looked great.
I am sure that this will make us more welcoming for new and potential members as they come to our meetings. And please provide feedback to the TC council and the Strategic Planning Group as I am sure that they all will be interested.
Once again on behalf of the Centre I thank all of you.
Regards
Charles Darrow
President RASC Toronto Centre
Saturday, December 01, 2012
HPD RASC TC
I wished the Toronto Centre of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada a happy birthday.
Friday, November 30, 2012
what's up for 2013
change the forwarder
Lora created a new email address for receiving the CAO bookings. I made a note to adjust the forwarder on the server...
media next steps planned
Allard said he was ready for the next steps with the new owners telescope clinic:
- change the redirect
- change the article on the RASC site
- add a post on Facebook
- set up a Google Adword campaign
Sounded good to me.
- change the redirect
- change the article on the RASC site
- add a post on Facebook
- set up a Google Adword campaign
Sounded good to me.
between the lines
Dr Percy sent a note to Stu. He offered to contribute to a workshop on outreach. Something the Centre does a lot. Where amateurs can make a difference. And that few receive specific motivation or training on. He offered to arrange for a series of short talks on what we're doing and what the DI is doing. He suggested running it at U of T.
I saw the conversation take a funny turn. People started talking about weaving it into a strategy conference meeting. Or offering as a member's night talk, perhaps which all members should be aware of.
No. I don't think that's what Percy meant. Not what he was offering. I hinted that this needs to be explored further and some clarification should be sought.
Stu agreed.
I saw the conversation take a funny turn. People started talking about weaving it into a strategy conference meeting. Or offering as a member's night talk, perhaps which all members should be aware of.
No. I don't think that's what Percy meant. Not what he was offering. I hinted that this needs to be explored further and some clarification should be sought.
Stu agreed.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
received clinic posters
Met up with Jason tonight. Caught up over dinner. As usual, talked RASC, personalities, roles, strategy, tech, new media, astrophotography, image processing, etc.
For the new owners telescope clinic, he provided the large format colour posters and colour "postcards" on stock. They look fantastic!
On time. Under budget.
For the new owners telescope clinic, he provided the large format colour posters and colour "postcards" on stock. They look fantastic!
On time. Under budget.
tested landing page
During my lunch break, I tested the RASC new telescope owners clinic landing page, form, and form response with Allard. Overall, it's lookin' pretty good.
SkyTools and Windows 8
A lively discussion started in the SkyTools group. Greg started by asking people their general thoughts on Windows 8.
He assured people that the current versions of SkyTools would work fine, without conversion, on a "full" tablet; whereas, the RT release would not run his software. There were warnings about ASCOM: apply the appropriate upgrades, in the right sequence.
Greg also said he wasn't entirely sure what the future might hold. For example, without a mouse, one wouldn't be able to hover over an object.
A few others jumped in, including Unk' Rod. I expressed concerns about a touch interface without a stylus not offering enough precision and that SkyTools really needed a lot of screen real estate.
He assured people that the current versions of SkyTools would work fine, without conversion, on a "full" tablet; whereas, the RT release would not run his software. There were warnings about ASCOM: apply the appropriate upgrades, in the right sequence.
Greg also said he wasn't entirely sure what the future might hold. For example, without a mouse, one wouldn't be able to hover over an object.
A few others jumped in, including Unk' Rod. I expressed concerns about a touch interface without a stylus not offering enough precision and that SkyTools really needed a lot of screen real estate.
set a date at OSC
Jesse from OSC, while setting the 2013 spring NOVA dates with Leslie, asked me if I might want to dovetail in, run a software course one of the same evenings, over on the other side of the Gemini room.
I had not thought that for down yet... But, OK.
I had not thought that for down yet... But, OK.
pitched a new Dob
Talked to John about my telescope switcharoo idea. That we really do need an easy-to-use, basic telescope to live permanently at the CAO. And that the Centre's loan program could probably benefit from a new telescope... He liked the idea!
I asked that he start some window shopping...
Meanwhile Tony pitched some of the councillors.
I asked that he start some window shopping...
Meanwhile Tony pitched some of the councillors.
update group after AGM
Couldn't sleep. Jumped online. Started changing the membership of the Council Yahoo!Group.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
attended the AGM
Attended the RASC Toronto Centre Annual General Meeting.
Sat beside Phil. Hey! Where's Lora?!
Overall, good. The treasurer's report was well done: not too long; to the point; good answers to questions raised. The secretary's report though... My goodness. While he said it was two pages shorter than the previous year, it was still... incredible. There's gotta be a way to improve on this. And the companion slides? I had very mixed feelings. Some supported what was discussed and allowed the oral portion to move along faster. Other slides were mind-bogglingly dense. Wow.
The inevitable fee increase discussion was poorly handling. Out of the gate, it was wrong. It went basically as, we're increasing the rates, 'cause, well, we have to plan for the future. OK, vote. There was no background. No discussion how this arose out of strategic meetings. No comparisons against other centres. No detailed supportive information by past increases. Here was where some clear, helpful slides were needed. In the end, the majority of members approved. But some were unhappy.
Manuel made it. Yeh. He piped up too during the fee discussion. Good stuff.
The big thing was the changing of the guard... Chuck for pres! A big day, with a new president coming on board. Thank you Ralph! And the passing of the CAO booking coordinator reins. Thank you Dietmar! I shot photos of the new crew (and I shot them at 11:38!). Sheesh. Long meeting.
Sat beside Phil. Hey! Where's Lora?!
Overall, good. The treasurer's report was well done: not too long; to the point; good answers to questions raised. The secretary's report though... My goodness. While he said it was two pages shorter than the previous year, it was still... incredible. There's gotta be a way to improve on this. And the companion slides? I had very mixed feelings. Some supported what was discussed and allowed the oral portion to move along faster. Other slides were mind-bogglingly dense. Wow.
The inevitable fee increase discussion was poorly handling. Out of the gate, it was wrong. It went basically as, we're increasing the rates, 'cause, well, we have to plan for the future. OK, vote. There was no background. No discussion how this arose out of strategic meetings. No comparisons against other centres. No detailed supportive information by past increases. Here was where some clear, helpful slides were needed. In the end, the majority of members approved. But some were unhappy.
Manuel made it. Yeh. He piped up too during the fee discussion. Good stuff.
The big thing was the changing of the guard... Chuck for pres! A big day, with a new president coming on board. Thank you Ralph! And the passing of the CAO booking coordinator reins. Thank you Dietmar! I shot photos of the new crew (and I shot them at 11:38!). Sheesh. Long meeting.
a warm feeling
Helped at the new RASC Toronto Centre welcome desk run by Sharmin. And it was fun. And effective.
We set up a table in the Proctor and Gamble Great Hall. Underneath Cloud. Nice.
It had never occurred to me. But it was a brilliant idea. The typical spot for the welcome (or hospitality) table in the past, in the first meeting I ever attended in fact, was inside the "foyer" of the Imperial Oil Auditorium, inside the curved concrete channels flowing around the lecture hall. In that space, it is easily missed. The new visitor walking to the end of the bridge has no idea where to go. If we're lucky, we have our signs up. The new signs designed by Jason. The new wonderful signs that require special stands. With the large movable direction arrows as recommended by Tony. If that visitor knows what to look for, we're OK. But the new person could get to the end of the hall, look left and right, and due to sight lines not see a human. Not hear anyone. Sharmin, setting up at the end of the bridge and having volunteers around the welcome table, created a visible target from the beginning of the bridge! People know, right away, they are going the right direction.
And the more I thought about it, staying out of the foyer space, solved other problems: dense congestion from people milling, slightly awkward proximity to the washrooms, a small, possibly claustrophobic, cold space. Unable to avoid "too many people" for the possibly nervous new visitor.
Very smart.
With Tanya and Sharmin, we received people as they emerged from the bridge.
Immediately, however, I was uncomfortable! The thought of walking up to everyone and greeting them was not something I wanted to do. I don't know why exactly. Not my nature. I can do it. Yes. But it requires a lot of energy. The right kind of energy. Some psycho-emotional power. To be bubbly and friendly and receptive and, well, welcoming. Not the kind of energy I have in abundance at the best of times. Not a lot now.
But, what mitigated this, somewhat, was—remarkably—the handout. Charles's meeting handout. The thing that I have been harping about for months. Years. That I regularly make noise about. Which I reiterated at strategy planning meetings. That I talked about, way back when (Jan 2010, the start of the IYA) in my train-the-trainer Presentation on Presenting. That we must have, at every meeting, a takeaway. Something for people to take home. To look at. To remember us by.
The handout!
I love handouts. Sure, some may say it is wasteful. Not green. Consuming paper at every meeting. Wasting paper. In this modern era. In the internet era. Smartphones everywhere. QR codes. When all the information is already online. And people can just look it up for themselves. And, if they want, on their printer, with their ink or toner, print it, at their expense. It can be considered very wasteful when viewed from the perspective of the existing, active member. Who regularly attends the meetings. Do they need the handout? No, not really. They already know where to get the information. They're already dialled-in. And they may employ some efficiency too; they won't go after data they don't want. If they don't attend city or dark sky observing gatherings, they can ignore that.
But I've never worried about the existing members. I'll admit that some may receive the handout, take it home, perhaps even put it somewhere prominent, and never look at it again. So, yes, there's some waste. Into the recycling stream. Perhaps. Or the landfill. Some expense. Whatever the cost of photocopying, per sheet. Or laser printing, per sheet.
All that said, time and time again, I see members responding positively to the handout. When I've provided handouts for my presentations, people have always been very thankful. When I've provided the general meeting handout, everyone wants it. It is rare that one refuses it. And I often see people looking at it, reading it, at meetings. I've often raised this when people question the value of the handout. It really struck me recently when I looked closely at a photo taken of the audience in the auditorium, taken from the stage, wherein I noted several members looking at their handout. Proof. I'm not makin' it up!
But, again, it's not them, I'm thinking of. It's not the existing member I'm really considering. It's the new person. The first-time, or maybe second-time, visitor. Someone who's heard about RASC. Or is getting interested in astronomy. Or wants to buy a telescope. Or just got a telescope. The NOVA people we "bring across." Someone in the science or astronomy community, coming to see and hear the speaker. It is the non-member. The handout is essential for the non-member.
The incredible useful handout. Cheap. Chock full of information. Critical.
Having that handout made this new welcome role interesting, fun, doable for me. It gave me a reason to walk up to someone I didn't know and start talking to them. It was the ice breaker. It was common ground.
A hand, outreached.
Something I hadn't thought about a lot but recognised it as soon as I saw it, is that the handout also offered an out. An escape. A way for a minimal acknowledgement. The person receiving the handout had a lot of latitude and it made it their choice. Their decision. If they were comfortable with it, comfortable with the rendezvous, it opened the door. They could ask their immediate questions. Or chat. Start a dialog. But if they didn't want to talk, if they were not ready to engage, they didn't have to. Handout received. All they needed to do was say, "Thank you," and move on. They were free.
I really liked this context. I wasn't under any pressure. I did not have to engage them. I could read their body language. Watch if they lingered. Leave them alone. Not pressure them. Off you go. And they were grateful.
For those receptive, I could take another step. "First time?" And chip away at the ice some more. But then, at that point, I was on firm ground.
Funny, those first moments are the difficult ones.
It was good connecting with the visitors this way. It was working.
And then we ran out of handouts! And it all changed. I felt strange, standing there, empty-handed. Now, once again, I did not feel comfortable.
I don't know how it happened exactly but I suddenly realised where I could get more handouts. A moment of inspiration. I ran into the auditorium and sequestered sheets from people. Our long-time members. Those who I knew wouldn't mind. Couples with two. I drummed up 10 or dozen or so. Not enough, I knew. But better than nothing.
The numbers were askew admittedly. We were getting way more people tonight. It was our speaker! Despite estimates, we ran out. Again. With the last couple of sheets in hand, I experienced another dynamic. Unexpected. Disquieting. I wanted to ensure the handouts went to the new people, those I didn't recognise, versus known members. And that created a those-who-have and those-who-have-not situation. Possibly worse than nothing at all. OK. Now I was not feeling good. But, essentially, I was saved by the bell. It was close to 7:30. Time for the meeting to start. I asked Sharmin to be released. And I scampered away.
The really great outcome of all this, was connecting with people in need. Sharmin had anticipated some of the issues. Had her notepad and pen ready. And it all worked. I met very new member and NOVA participant Helen. She wanted to explore benefits of her new centre. Get more involved. She wanted to get connected on the Yahoo!Group. "You're talking to the right person." We walked over to the table, took up the notepad and pen, and Helen gave me her info. Mission accomplished. Another mission accomplished. This time, one I could directly see through to completion.
I felt good helping bring to life one of the key ideas from the strategic conference.
Funny. Helping at the new welcome table... Floodgates opening. All these thoughts. And a prevailing one: we're on our way to being a better centre.
Three cheers for Sharmin.
We set up a table in the Proctor and Gamble Great Hall. Underneath Cloud. Nice.
It had never occurred to me. But it was a brilliant idea. The typical spot for the welcome (or hospitality) table in the past, in the first meeting I ever attended in fact, was inside the "foyer" of the Imperial Oil Auditorium, inside the curved concrete channels flowing around the lecture hall. In that space, it is easily missed. The new visitor walking to the end of the bridge has no idea where to go. If we're lucky, we have our signs up. The new signs designed by Jason. The new wonderful signs that require special stands. With the large movable direction arrows as recommended by Tony. If that visitor knows what to look for, we're OK. But the new person could get to the end of the hall, look left and right, and due to sight lines not see a human. Not hear anyone. Sharmin, setting up at the end of the bridge and having volunteers around the welcome table, created a visible target from the beginning of the bridge! People know, right away, they are going the right direction.
And the more I thought about it, staying out of the foyer space, solved other problems: dense congestion from people milling, slightly awkward proximity to the washrooms, a small, possibly claustrophobic, cold space. Unable to avoid "too many people" for the possibly nervous new visitor.
Very smart.
With Tanya and Sharmin, we received people as they emerged from the bridge.
Immediately, however, I was uncomfortable! The thought of walking up to everyone and greeting them was not something I wanted to do. I don't know why exactly. Not my nature. I can do it. Yes. But it requires a lot of energy. The right kind of energy. Some psycho-emotional power. To be bubbly and friendly and receptive and, well, welcoming. Not the kind of energy I have in abundance at the best of times. Not a lot now.
But, what mitigated this, somewhat, was—remarkably—the handout. Charles's meeting handout. The thing that I have been harping about for months. Years. That I regularly make noise about. Which I reiterated at strategy planning meetings. That I talked about, way back when (Jan 2010, the start of the IYA) in my train-the-trainer Presentation on Presenting. That we must have, at every meeting, a takeaway. Something for people to take home. To look at. To remember us by.
The handout!
I love handouts. Sure, some may say it is wasteful. Not green. Consuming paper at every meeting. Wasting paper. In this modern era. In the internet era. Smartphones everywhere. QR codes. When all the information is already online. And people can just look it up for themselves. And, if they want, on their printer, with their ink or toner, print it, at their expense. It can be considered very wasteful when viewed from the perspective of the existing, active member. Who regularly attends the meetings. Do they need the handout? No, not really. They already know where to get the information. They're already dialled-in. And they may employ some efficiency too; they won't go after data they don't want. If they don't attend city or dark sky observing gatherings, they can ignore that.
But I've never worried about the existing members. I'll admit that some may receive the handout, take it home, perhaps even put it somewhere prominent, and never look at it again. So, yes, there's some waste. Into the recycling stream. Perhaps. Or the landfill. Some expense. Whatever the cost of photocopying, per sheet. Or laser printing, per sheet.
All that said, time and time again, I see members responding positively to the handout. When I've provided handouts for my presentations, people have always been very thankful. When I've provided the general meeting handout, everyone wants it. It is rare that one refuses it. And I often see people looking at it, reading it, at meetings. I've often raised this when people question the value of the handout. It really struck me recently when I looked closely at a photo taken of the audience in the auditorium, taken from the stage, wherein I noted several members looking at their handout. Proof. I'm not makin' it up!
But, again, it's not them, I'm thinking of. It's not the existing member I'm really considering. It's the new person. The first-time, or maybe second-time, visitor. Someone who's heard about RASC. Or is getting interested in astronomy. Or wants to buy a telescope. Or just got a telescope. The NOVA people we "bring across." Someone in the science or astronomy community, coming to see and hear the speaker. It is the non-member. The handout is essential for the non-member.
The incredible useful handout. Cheap. Chock full of information. Critical.
Having that handout made this new welcome role interesting, fun, doable for me. It gave me a reason to walk up to someone I didn't know and start talking to them. It was the ice breaker. It was common ground.
A hand, outreached.
Something I hadn't thought about a lot but recognised it as soon as I saw it, is that the handout also offered an out. An escape. A way for a minimal acknowledgement. The person receiving the handout had a lot of latitude and it made it their choice. Their decision. If they were comfortable with it, comfortable with the rendezvous, it opened the door. They could ask their immediate questions. Or chat. Start a dialog. But if they didn't want to talk, if they were not ready to engage, they didn't have to. Handout received. All they needed to do was say, "Thank you," and move on. They were free.
I really liked this context. I wasn't under any pressure. I did not have to engage them. I could read their body language. Watch if they lingered. Leave them alone. Not pressure them. Off you go. And they were grateful.
For those receptive, I could take another step. "First time?" And chip away at the ice some more. But then, at that point, I was on firm ground.
Funny, those first moments are the difficult ones.
It was good connecting with the visitors this way. It was working.
And then we ran out of handouts! And it all changed. I felt strange, standing there, empty-handed. Now, once again, I did not feel comfortable.
I don't know how it happened exactly but I suddenly realised where I could get more handouts. A moment of inspiration. I ran into the auditorium and sequestered sheets from people. Our long-time members. Those who I knew wouldn't mind. Couples with two. I drummed up 10 or dozen or so. Not enough, I knew. But better than nothing.
The numbers were askew admittedly. We were getting way more people tonight. It was our speaker! Despite estimates, we ran out. Again. With the last couple of sheets in hand, I experienced another dynamic. Unexpected. Disquieting. I wanted to ensure the handouts went to the new people, those I didn't recognise, versus known members. And that created a those-who-have and those-who-have-not situation. Possibly worse than nothing at all. OK. Now I was not feeling good. But, essentially, I was saved by the bell. It was close to 7:30. Time for the meeting to start. I asked Sharmin to be released. And I scampered away.
The really great outcome of all this, was connecting with people in need. Sharmin had anticipated some of the issues. Had her notepad and pen ready. And it all worked. I met very new member and NOVA participant Helen. She wanted to explore benefits of her new centre. Get more involved. She wanted to get connected on the Yahoo!Group. "You're talking to the right person." We walked over to the table, took up the notepad and pen, and Helen gave me her info. Mission accomplished. Another mission accomplished. This time, one I could directly see through to completion.
I felt good helping bring to life one of the key ideas from the strategic conference.
Funny. Helping at the new welcome table... Floodgates opening. All these thoughts. And a prevailing one: we're on our way to being a better centre.
Three cheers for Sharmin.
asked Lora to upload shots
Now that we finally had Lora in the CAO super group (sheesh), I asked if she wouldn't mind uploading all her CAO photos. People photos. Of people. Occasional puppy OK. But mostly people.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
shared next Moon-ISS event
Forwarded the ISS-Moon crossing alert to the RASC listserv.
Kiron asked if I was interested in catching it. I was not feelin' real enthusiastic about it. Although, I must admit, I'd like to capture better video than my first attempt.
Terry asked me what I used learn of these events. I sent him the link to CalSky.
Kiron asked if I was interested in catching it. I was not feelin' real enthusiastic about it. Although, I must admit, I'd like to capture better video than my first attempt.
Terry asked me what I used learn of these events. I sent him the link to CalSky.
shops promoting clinic
Started contacting the stores and shops in the GTA (and beyond) that sell telescopes and accessories to ask if they'd help promote the RASC new owners workshop in January. They all think its a great idea!
Gifts From the Earth
Kendrick
Khan Scope
KW Telescopes
Radio World
Thank you!
Gifts From the Earth
Kendrick
Khan Scope
KW Telescopes
Radio World
Thank you!
webspotting 28 - atlas of Andromeda
As published in the Dec 2012/Jan 2013 issue of SCOPE, the newsletter of the RASC Toronto Centre. Republished here with permission.
§
The Thursday night before the 2012 Annual Algonquin Adventure many Toronto and North Bay astronomers were able to enjoy the very good dark skies. I had my trusty 8-inch Celestron and, as I had been forbade by Phil Chow to view double stars, was tracking down faint fuzzies. Not far away was Adam Clayson and his Dobsonian telescope (the small one, I think). This beautiful reflecting 'scope has an 18" mirror and a focal-ratio of 4.5. Stunning views, easy to use. Adam employs excellent eyepieces to compliment the tremendous light gathering power. And, as he is want to do, he likes viewing deep sky objects. Very deep sky. In fact, he likes looking at deep sky objects INSIDE other deep sky objects.
While I was tracking down a few more targets from the Messier catalog, Adam took in some objects "close" to home, nebulae and clusters in the Milky Way. I wondered, out loud, how to find M33 naked eye. Adam quickly aimed the truss tube at it.
The 33rd object in Messier's famous list is often referred to as the Pinwheel Galaxy. But then M99 and M101 are also tagged with that moniker. The Triangulum Galaxy might suggest it has a peculiar shape; it does help us remember where the faint fuzzy is located. The prosaic label is NGC 598, in reference to the New General Catalog, with thousands of entries.
But, it was not the galaxy, per se, that Adam was interested in, that night. He was looking at, and sharing, objects within M33. In particular, he showed us NGC 604, a star forming region, at 66 power. I could see it! A brightening within a graceful arm of the canted spiral. A nebula within the galaxy. And then I started to really think about it. We were seeing a diffuse emission nebula, probably not unlike our Great Orion Nebula, in another galaxy, some 2.9 million light years away.
Adam was in his element. He briefly showed me a detailed paper chart with multiple targets identified (I forgot to ask him the source). When I returned to my computer and checked SkyTools, I found that I could make it show small objects within the oval outline of the spiral. M33 harboured at least 6 IC and 4 NGCs.
This all came flooding back when I caught the delicious APOD image on 24 October 2012. The host galaxy, this time, our sister, Andromeda, M31. About the same distance away. The object in question this time: the stellar association of young blue stars making up NGC 206. Wow. I promptly downloaded a copy for my screen saver.
Then I got to thinking, as the neighbour galaxy soars directly overhead every evening this time of year, what about going after some of these? If and when I have the privilege of using a "big gun," a 'scope with lots of aperture, when going deep, what shall I use? Even when I heavily tweak and coerce SkyTools, I can still only get it to show one NGC within M31.
By chance, I stumbled across a links page at another astronomy club. A compilation of favourite web sites. The one that caught my eye? The "Atlas of the Andromeda Galaxy." Ah ha! An atlas.
http://ned.ipac.caltech.edu/level5/ANDROMEDA_Atlas/frames.html
I surfed into the framed site by Paul Hodge and started looking for a map. My wish was quickly answered. Not one; there are 40 of them. Detailed annotated charts. And then I spotted the tables. Table A. Globular clusters within M31. There are over 300 items on the list! Those Mr Hodge catalogued in 1981.
This is all part of the LEVEL 5 site, a "Knowledgebase for Extragalactic Astronomy and Cosmology."
So, next time you're under dark transparent skies (if you can somehow avoid constant churning clouds) with some aperture at your disposal, why not go hunting inside a galaxy. And not the Milky Way.
§
The Thursday night before the 2012 Annual Algonquin Adventure many Toronto and North Bay astronomers were able to enjoy the very good dark skies. I had my trusty 8-inch Celestron and, as I had been forbade by Phil Chow to view double stars, was tracking down faint fuzzies. Not far away was Adam Clayson and his Dobsonian telescope (the small one, I think). This beautiful reflecting 'scope has an 18" mirror and a focal-ratio of 4.5. Stunning views, easy to use. Adam employs excellent eyepieces to compliment the tremendous light gathering power. And, as he is want to do, he likes viewing deep sky objects. Very deep sky. In fact, he likes looking at deep sky objects INSIDE other deep sky objects.
While I was tracking down a few more targets from the Messier catalog, Adam took in some objects "close" to home, nebulae and clusters in the Milky Way. I wondered, out loud, how to find M33 naked eye. Adam quickly aimed the truss tube at it.
The 33rd object in Messier's famous list is often referred to as the Pinwheel Galaxy. But then M99 and M101 are also tagged with that moniker. The Triangulum Galaxy might suggest it has a peculiar shape; it does help us remember where the faint fuzzy is located. The prosaic label is NGC 598, in reference to the New General Catalog, with thousands of entries.
But, it was not the galaxy, per se, that Adam was interested in, that night. He was looking at, and sharing, objects within M33. In particular, he showed us NGC 604, a star forming region, at 66 power. I could see it! A brightening within a graceful arm of the canted spiral. A nebula within the galaxy. And then I started to really think about it. We were seeing a diffuse emission nebula, probably not unlike our Great Orion Nebula, in another galaxy, some 2.9 million light years away.
Adam was in his element. He briefly showed me a detailed paper chart with multiple targets identified (I forgot to ask him the source). When I returned to my computer and checked SkyTools, I found that I could make it show small objects within the oval outline of the spiral. M33 harboured at least 6 IC and 4 NGCs.
This all came flooding back when I caught the delicious APOD image on 24 October 2012. The host galaxy, this time, our sister, Andromeda, M31. About the same distance away. The object in question this time: the stellar association of young blue stars making up NGC 206. Wow. I promptly downloaded a copy for my screen saver.
Then I got to thinking, as the neighbour galaxy soars directly overhead every evening this time of year, what about going after some of these? If and when I have the privilege of using a "big gun," a 'scope with lots of aperture, when going deep, what shall I use? Even when I heavily tweak and coerce SkyTools, I can still only get it to show one NGC within M31.
By chance, I stumbled across a links page at another astronomy club. A compilation of favourite web sites. The one that caught my eye? The "Atlas of the Andromeda Galaxy." Ah ha! An atlas.
http://ned.ipac.caltech.edu/level5/ANDROMEDA_Atlas/frames.html
I surfed into the framed site by Paul Hodge and started looking for a map. My wish was quickly answered. Not one; there are 40 of them. Detailed annotated charts. And then I spotted the tables. Table A. Globular clusters within M31. There are over 300 items on the list! Those Mr Hodge catalogued in 1981.
This is all part of the LEVEL 5 site, a "Knowledgebase for Extragalactic Astronomy and Cosmology."
So, next time you're under dark transparent skies (if you can somehow avoid constant churning clouds) with some aperture at your disposal, why not go hunting inside a galaxy. And not the Milky Way.
Skylights invited
Chris offered to promote the new owners telescope clinic to his Skylights followers. Turns out he issues a semi-regular text-based news bulletin to many friends, family, teachers, and students. About 80 to 90 people. All about astronomy, upcoming events, what's in the sky, etc. He archives the newsletter on tumblr and then embellishes, adds photos and diagrams.
Happy to receive some free advertising.
Happy to receive some free advertising.
we need cards
Jason said he didn't want to do the takeaway cards for the telescope clinic. Huh. I thought that was water under the bridge. I reminded him that cards were, in fact, more important than the poster. I reminded him how many would likely be distributed to or received by participants. OK. Let's go.
keeners consulted
Stu is looking for topics and themes for the upcoming season of members-only nights at the David Dunlap Observatory. He reached out to a select group. Active members. Past presenters. His "keeners."
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Richard caught M33 at CAO
While he did not make the CAO when Kiron and I went up, he did return. Richard sent out a link to his photo gallery, specifically to his M33 image made with a DSLR, captured a week ago.
kickin' and screamin'
Like herding cats. Finally received the OK to add Lora to a couple of RASC Yahoo!Groups.
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
nose piece on sale
Phil sent me a note. Pointed out the clearance page on the Kendrick web site. And that he had some T-adapters for sale. Particularly ones with a 2" nose piece. Like the one I've borrowed in the past from Dietmar.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
captured X (Toronto)
Viewed and imaged Lunar X.
Was minding my own business when Phil, Lunar Freak, phoned and said, "Get off the phone and go outside!" Oh. Look. It's clear all of a sudden. I guess it would have been worth it to set up the big telescope and a camera. Alas.
I headed to the porch. It was cloud-free overhead. Damn.
Dragged out the baby Celestron. OK. Didn't drag. Picked it up from the kitchen table. Put it on the deck box. Grabbed a kitchen chair. Not too cold. Threw on a sweater. Picked up the Moon in the lower power eyepiece. Tree branch in the way. Brought the A/V table out. A better height. And waited for the Earth to turn a little.
When I saw Luna clear the tree, I grabbed the FujiFilm J20. Played with settings. Fireworks mode wasn't needed. Dropped the ISO from 1600 to 200, so to reduce noise. Zoomed in. And simply held (or tried) the lens to the eyepiece, flat, flush.
Too small. Overexposed. Zoomed in. White balance set.
Huh! Can see craters! Still fiddling with settings.
Ooh. Better exposure. Not centred.
Wow. Handsome image scale.
There it is! There it is! The X! Damn it. Shakey hands.
Got it!
Now, can I go back inside?
§
Final shot details: FujiFilm finepix J20 point-n-shot camera, hand held. 1/40 second. f/3.8. ISO 200. Zoomed. 9mm focal length. Daylight white balance. Celestron First Scope.
§
Wikipedia link: Lunar X.
Was minding my own business when Phil, Lunar Freak, phoned and said, "Get off the phone and go outside!" Oh. Look. It's clear all of a sudden. I guess it would have been worth it to set up the big telescope and a camera. Alas.
I headed to the porch. It was cloud-free overhead. Damn.
Dragged out the baby Celestron. OK. Didn't drag. Picked it up from the kitchen table. Put it on the deck box. Grabbed a kitchen chair. Not too cold. Threw on a sweater. Picked up the Moon in the lower power eyepiece. Tree branch in the way. Brought the A/V table out. A better height. And waited for the Earth to turn a little.
When I saw Luna clear the tree, I grabbed the FujiFilm J20. Played with settings. Fireworks mode wasn't needed. Dropped the ISO from 1600 to 200, so to reduce noise. Zoomed in. And simply held (or tried) the lens to the eyepiece, flat, flush.
Too small. Overexposed. Zoomed in. White balance set.
Huh! Can see craters! Still fiddling with settings.
Ooh. Better exposure. Not centred.
Wow. Handsome image scale.
There it is! There it is! The X! Damn it. Shakey hands.
Got it!
Now, can I go back inside?
§
Final shot details: FujiFilm finepix J20 point-n-shot camera, hand held. 1/40 second. f/3.8. ISO 200. Zoomed. 9mm focal length. Daylight white balance. Celestron First Scope.
§
Wikipedia link: Lunar X.
Monday, November 19, 2012
will we see the X?
Asked Phil if we might get lucky viewing Lunar X tonight. He thought the weather looked sketchy. "50/50," he posited.
Then he asked if I was going to post a reminder nudge notice on the RASC Toronto Centre Yahoo!Group. No way!
Then he asked if I was going to post a reminder nudge notice on the RASC Toronto Centre Yahoo!Group. No way!
CAO report in the can
I forwarded Bailey's CAO work party report to Eric for publication in SCOPE. Done! Bailey wrote an excellent report and found some great photos. Tony liked it. I touched it up. And Bailey is very keen to do more. w00t!
need to bump a page
Phil asked the web team to look into the membership pages. To try, somehow, to emphasise that associate memberships can be purchased from the Centre. The content is very far down in a search. And not interlinked on any of the main membership pages.
Sunday, November 18, 2012
viewing Europa (Etobicoke)
Pulled the camera out of the telescope. Dropped in an eyepiece. Viewed Jupiter. It was a good view. I didn't notice it at first—Manuel cleared saw it—the little black dot of the moon shadow. I looked again. Nice.
Watched Europa touch and merge with the planet.
But then, I noticed a very bright point, in the shadow. Holy cow! It was the moon in the foreground. The seeing was very good. And I could see the moon in front of Jupiter's clouds. Sweet!
A career first!
Watched Europa touch and merge with the planet.
But then, I noticed a very bright point, in the shadow. Holy cow! It was the moon in the foreground. The seeing was very good. And I could see the moon in front of Jupiter's clouds. Sweet!
A career first!
some successes
While we didn't get everything done that we wanted, it was a good evening at Manuel's.
Headed over in the earlier evening. Caught him in the middle of a Skype call. I watched a bit of NASA TV. Had dinner together.
I rigged up the new ADM hardware. D Series adjustable rings with plate adapters. Long dovetail bar with RCX end pieces. After first, when I unpacked everything, I thought we were short some screws. But it was OK. For some reason, only 3 screws are used to secure the dovetail brackets to the Celestron OTA. And, though I had forgotten to bring my Allen key sets, Manuel had all the tools necessary for the install, including Metric and Imperial sets, and regular screwdriver.
Needed to move the Telrad base slightly around the Celestron 8" SCT.
We set up in the driveway, or rather lane way, behind his place. I wasn't sure it would be a good idea but it proved OK. Easier to lug clear to and fro. And the sight lines were not as bad as I thought they'd be. I think he wanted to use this space for privacy reasons. Certainly we did not have to deal with any other humans.
Another thing I wanted to check in the evening was that the Orion mount was working OK. That the set-up was good, that using a multi-star alignment would work as required, and that we'd be able to track well. But we had a devil of a time with it. We received many ALIGN FAIL reports from the hand controller. I tried it. He tried it. We looked up stupid stars in Stellarium.
It was very frustrating. Every once in a while it would work. So, I knew it was something we were doing. He wanted to swap the mount but I insisted it was a user error. I didn't know what we were doing wrong exactly. But it had to be the stars we were selecting.
Wondered if the big huge dish heater was chewing too many amps. We shut it off.
Manuel wanted to image. And try out the new gear. The plan was, after we sorted all the other issues, he'd bolt up the CCD camera. Actually, I think he wanted me to do the bulk of the steps, i.e. he wanted me to capture the image or be responsible for that. Nice gesture. But when we tried to connect the camera to the OTA, it seemed that there was something missing, some adapter. He looked through all his gear and couldn't find it. He wondered if he had loaned it to Mr Soler. We had to abandon imaging for the night.
Headed over in the earlier evening. Caught him in the middle of a Skype call. I watched a bit of NASA TV. Had dinner together.
I rigged up the new ADM hardware. D Series adjustable rings with plate adapters. Long dovetail bar with RCX end pieces. After first, when I unpacked everything, I thought we were short some screws. But it was OK. For some reason, only 3 screws are used to secure the dovetail brackets to the Celestron OTA. And, though I had forgotten to bring my Allen key sets, Manuel had all the tools necessary for the install, including Metric and Imperial sets, and regular screwdriver.
Needed to move the Telrad base slightly around the Celestron 8" SCT.
We set up in the driveway, or rather lane way, behind his place. I wasn't sure it would be a good idea but it proved OK. Easier to lug clear to and fro. And the sight lines were not as bad as I thought they'd be. I think he wanted to use this space for privacy reasons. Certainly we did not have to deal with any other humans.
Another thing I wanted to check in the evening was that the Orion mount was working OK. That the set-up was good, that using a multi-star alignment would work as required, and that we'd be able to track well. But we had a devil of a time with it. We received many ALIGN FAIL reports from the hand controller. I tried it. He tried it. We looked up stupid stars in Stellarium.
It was very frustrating. Every once in a while it would work. So, I knew it was something we were doing. He wanted to swap the mount but I insisted it was a user error. I didn't know what we were doing wrong exactly. But it had to be the stars we were selecting.
Wondered if the big huge dish heater was chewing too many amps. We shut it off.
Manuel wanted to image. And try out the new gear. The plan was, after we sorted all the other issues, he'd bolt up the CCD camera. Actually, I think he wanted me to do the bulk of the steps, i.e. he wanted me to capture the image or be responsible for that. Nice gesture. But when we tried to connect the camera to the OTA, it seemed that there was something missing, some adapter. He looked through all his gear and couldn't find it. He wondered if he had loaned it to Mr Soler. We had to abandon imaging for the night.
received Orion data
I wanted to capture the versions of Manuel's Orion mount firmware. He offered to email them to me as I read them from the controller display...
- hand controller firmware 3.27
- motor controller 2.04
- hand controller hardware 3.06
- database 3.27
- Power voltage is 11.09
- Temp is 11.50
settled date and format
Chatted with Stu about the new owners telescope clinic. He cleared the January 19 date, no conflicts with member events. We also talked about format. Day-time clinic first; and then observing in an evening, on a later date. He wondered if we might dovetail into a city observing session. Not a bad idea but I think it wouldn't work, for a few reasons. Primarily, that we need to have a definite GO context...
improved the ECR
Dealt with some ECR "issues."
It started with Paul saying he could not attach a scanned image of his signature. He correctly assumed this was due to cell protection. I shared that the cell protection could be easily disabled as there was no password. Then he asked me how. I didn't know the version of Excel he was using so I sent the instructions for version 2003 and 2007.
Meanwhile Scott told him not to send it electronically. Paul did anyway.
Then Scott asked me to fix the spreadsheet. At first I didn't know what he was talking about, partly given how the thread started. Turned out that when Paul scanned his completed, printed form, the blue font colour did not reproduce well. Scott request black. I switched from blue to grey.
During the revision, I thought I'd touch base with Phil to gauge his thoughts on the usability of the form. And got an ear-full. Not with my spreadsheet design work; with how he was treated the last time he submitted cheque requisition.
He also sent over the "instructions" document. I had never seen this. And it was jaw-dropping.
I can understand if treasury gets frustrated with missing or incomplete information, but there are tactful and encouraging ways to resolve these matters. I'm getting discouraged because I'm doing what I can and I still get yelled at.
It started with Paul saying he could not attach a scanned image of his signature. He correctly assumed this was due to cell protection. I shared that the cell protection could be easily disabled as there was no password. Then he asked me how. I didn't know the version of Excel he was using so I sent the instructions for version 2003 and 2007.
Meanwhile Scott told him not to send it electronically. Paul did anyway.
Then Scott asked me to fix the spreadsheet. At first I didn't know what he was talking about, partly given how the thread started. Turned out that when Paul scanned his completed, printed form, the blue font colour did not reproduce well. Scott request black. I switched from blue to grey.
During the revision, I thought I'd touch base with Phil to gauge his thoughts on the usability of the form. And got an ear-full. Not with my spreadsheet design work; with how he was treated the last time he submitted cheque requisition.
He also sent over the "instructions" document. I had never seen this. And it was jaw-dropping.
I can understand if treasury gets frustrated with missing or incomplete information, but there are tactful and encouraging ways to resolve these matters. I'm getting discouraged because I'm doing what I can and I still get yelled at.
his collimation is OK
Jim shared details of his imaging run. Remarked that after collimating his Newtonian and running the fans for several hours, he found everything iced up. Had to run the hair dryer for 20 minutes. Then clouds rolled in. However, he experienced 10 minutes of clear sky, noting very good seeing. Captured Jupiter. Good detail. Jim appears to be very good at collimating a reflector. I think the image is a bit heavy on the processing though.
Saturday, November 17, 2012
missing pre-game
Wanted to go to the pre-season opener for the members-only nights at the DDO. But I couldn't round up any victims in the High Park area.
no power to camera
Dietmar and Richard took a look at camera 4 at the CAO.
The removed the large bird's nest. They reported the nest was wet and might have allowed moisture to enter the housing. Not finding a small Allan Key, they were unable to open the housing. They tried covering the sensor to check power but reported it did not work. They said they switched the channels on the computer and verified that channel was working OK. They said they could not locate the power supply and wondered if it was in the attic. And it was Charles, we thought, who last crawled up there.
At night they checked for power by looking at the infra red LED emitters. Nothing. Whereas the other cameras showed the faint red ring.
The removed the large bird's nest. They reported the nest was wet and might have allowed moisture to enter the housing. Not finding a small Allan Key, they were unable to open the housing. They tried covering the sensor to check power but reported it did not work. They said they switched the channels on the computer and verified that channel was working OK. They said they could not locate the power supply and wondered if it was in the attic. And it was Charles, we thought, who last crawled up there.
At night they checked for power by looking at the infra red LED emitters. Nothing. Whereas the other cameras showed the faint red ring.
got wood
Received ½" plywood sheet from Tony via Grace. 12 x 14". This will form the new base under the cooler bag of the battery tank. All part of an effort to ease transport and prevent further damage to the case. Thanks!
looking for a presenter
Grace sent a note. A grade 6 teacher found out that she belonged to the RASC. She asked her to talk to the class about astronomy! Grace deferred. Asked how do I proceed. And pointed out that the astronomy unit was to start in a week or two. OK. We'll need more info.
listed on editing team
Freaky. My name's in the 2013 RASC Observer's Handbook. In the editorial team section. For corrections or suggestions to improve the Handbook. For the double star proofing I did, I guess...
Dietmar called
Dietmar called from the CAO. We chatted about the security system. Suggested some things for him to check.
Friday, November 16, 2012
3 percent
Wow.
According to the Astronomy magazine article entitled Great observatories find candidate for most distant galaxy, a newly discovered galaxy, detected with the Hubble and Spitzer telescopes, has set the record for distance. It is 13.3 billion light-years away.
The current predicted age of the Universe is 13.7 billion.
That puts this galaxy's age at around 420 million years after the Big Bang.
And that's 3% of the age of our Universe.
And that's, just... wow.
And, and! It's small. 600 light-years wide. The Large Magellanic Cloud near our Milky Way is 2000.
This could mean it is one of the first galaxies. Or building blocks for another galaxies. That it may have merged and remerged with other nearby objects.
This is very interesting on many levels. But perhaps the most interesting is just what we're able to coax out of these telescopes. Makes one wonder what we'll be able to do with bigger mirrors!
According to the Astronomy magazine article entitled Great observatories find candidate for most distant galaxy, a newly discovered galaxy, detected with the Hubble and Spitzer telescopes, has set the record for distance. It is 13.3 billion light-years away.
The current predicted age of the Universe is 13.7 billion.
That puts this galaxy's age at around 420 million years after the Big Bang.
And that's 3% of the age of our Universe.
And that's, just... wow.
And, and! It's small. 600 light-years wide. The Large Magellanic Cloud near our Milky Way is 2000.
This could mean it is one of the first galaxies. Or building blocks for another galaxies. That it may have merged and remerged with other nearby objects.
This is very interesting on many levels. But perhaps the most interesting is just what we're able to coax out of these telescopes. Makes one wonder what we'll be able to do with bigger mirrors!
Thursday, November 15, 2012
the right direction
Received some good words from Paul. A vote of confidence. Helped me settle on the style and approach for the new telescope owners clinic. Crystallising.
no motors for you
And now he's just confused. Francis says he talked to Bob and Bob said they were motors for the shutters and we didn't provide the motors for the shutters and he wants these 4 motors. Huh? No. There were no actuators or motors for the shutters. You are mistaken. As is, dude. As is.
discussed workshop
thin Moon over Bloor West (Toronto)
Spotted the Moon, walking home from the subway. Hazy thin crescent. Did the math. about 2.5 days old...
missing Frank's talk on weather
I did not attend the RASC meeting. Even though I really wanted to see Frank's presentation on weather. I asked if he'd share his presentation.
Starry Night tools
While discussing François's The Sky This Month presentation, Eric shared a link to the online Starry Night planetarium tool. Neat.
I backed up a level. And spotted their apps for the web, Google, Macs, and iOS devices. Ha!
I backed up a level. And spotted their apps for the web, Google, Macs, and iOS devices. Ha!
IT report sent
Submitted the Information Technology report to the RASC Toronto Centre secretary. Missed the deadline by about 2 seconds!
§
Eric acknowledged receipt!
§
Eric acknowledged receipt!
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
any new stores?
Asked members about stores in the GTA that sell 'scopes. I was pretty sure that I knew of all of them but I just wanted to check. David, Ed, Ron, and Gilles replied. Lot fewer options now...
calendars coming soon
Tim responded to Shawn's query. The RASC calendars will be on sale at the November 28 meeting.
Oh. Nice design.
Oh. Nice design.
checking direction
Asked Paul for his thoughts on workshop. He said he'd get back to me on the weekend. I hope I'm going the right direction.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
would have missed it
If I had gone to Australia with the main group (Katrina, Ralph, et al.), I would have missed it...
watched solar eclipse
I've been enjoying the reports and updates from our intrepid RASC Toronto Centre travelers from down under. Ralph's been emailing the Yahoo!Group on a regular basis. Monitoring Katrina's blog with photos. Charles and Elaine, of course, were in a different spot, on the ocean. Hopefully, between the two groups, they'd meet with some success.
At 2:33 PM, Katrina sent a message. She was going to try to upload live video with Ustream TV. Cool! Unfortunately, it was looking cloudy for them. I couldn't access the feed immediately. But watched it afterwards.
I watched a NASA feed. They had patchy cloud too. But it broke at 2nd contact. Wow! People cheering and clapping.
At 2:33 PM, Katrina sent a message. She was going to try to upload live video with Ustream TV. Cool! Unfortunately, it was looking cloudy for them. I couldn't access the feed immediately. But watched it afterwards.
I watched a NASA feed. They had patchy cloud too. But it broke at 2nd contact. Wow! People cheering and clapping.
Monday, November 12, 2012
a blue screen
Noticed one of the CAO cameras was down. Dietmar did too. Bad wire? Bad power? Shared the news with the committee.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
birthday fun
During my belated birthday dinner, I received a fun three-dimensional astro-themed card from my sister. The "swing" card is made by Santoro London. It even features Pluto!
I also received an astro-themed bookmark.
Perfect, as I read my SF or science books.
I also received an astro-themed bookmark.
Perfect, as I read my SF or science books.
shelter needs repairs
Was very discouraged to see the telescope shelter at Mom's essentially falling apart. Much of the siding is falling off. The PL adhesive is not holding up. I had not wanted to have things piercing the exterior cladding, as much as possible. But, clearly, I'm going to have to rethink this...
comment away
Manuel phoned. Found my blog. Was surprised by the amount of material. Said he wanted to comment but could not. Not much more info. I wondered if it was a mobile device issue. Or just not understanding the identification options. Or was he thinking of my challenges posting to his webs service? I sent a screen snapshot from a Windows browser. And pointed out he could submit stuff anonymously. No login required.
bars and rings
Manuel messaged me. He bought some ADM accessories. A dove tail bar and OTA rings. So to mount his refractor to one of his SCTs, piggyback style. Asked if I'd help him rig it up. "I got a brand new pair of roller skates..."
astronomy in ads
Weird. I usually don't pay much attention to television commercials, in general, and computer commercials less so. But two, in the same weekend, caught my eye. For tangential reasons...
An ASUS commercial showed a close-up at one point and it was running astronomy software. Cool.
A Canon commercial showed a user, outside, at night, aiming up into the sky. Doing astrophotography. They were prompting this as a feature. Sweet.
§
Found the Canon Canada piece.
An ASUS commercial showed a close-up at one point and it was running astronomy software. Cool.
A Canon commercial showed a user, outside, at night, aiming up into the sky. Doing astrophotography. They were prompting this as a feature. Sweet.
§
Found the Canon Canada piece.
no opportunities
Readied the observatory. Set up Mom's 'scope. Had my eyepiece case nearby. And astronomy box α. But, sadly, the skies did not cooperate.
Friday, November 09, 2012
learned more about Orion
Read Unk's article on the Orion mount... Share some words with Manuel.
"Apparently the problem was me, not the SynScan. Choosing alignment stars for this hand control is a different proposition compared to what it is with the NexStar. With the Celestron firmware, 'good stars' are usually stars as far apart in azimuth as possible. The mount chooses the stars for you, anyway, so unless they are blocked by an obstacle and you have to pick alternates, it’s a no-brainer.
"SynScan is different. The azimuth separation between the two initial stars matters somewhat, but what really makes a difference is R.A. For a good go-to alignment, the first two stars should be separated by at least several hours of Right Ascension. Third star? Not as critical, but it should be on the other side of the Meridian and between 30 and 70 degrees declination north or south.
"The real kicker? The SynScan presents you with a list of alignment stars. B-U-T these are not given in order of how good they are. It is just a list of possible stars, and the first two in the list may be the WORST alignment choices for your time and date. You have to scroll through this list and pick three stars that meet the above requirements."
As I suspected.
"Apparently the problem was me, not the SynScan. Choosing alignment stars for this hand control is a different proposition compared to what it is with the NexStar. With the Celestron firmware, 'good stars' are usually stars as far apart in azimuth as possible. The mount chooses the stars for you, anyway, so unless they are blocked by an obstacle and you have to pick alternates, it’s a no-brainer.
"SynScan is different. The azimuth separation between the two initial stars matters somewhat, but what really makes a difference is R.A. For a good go-to alignment, the first two stars should be separated by at least several hours of Right Ascension. Third star? Not as critical, but it should be on the other side of the Meridian and between 30 and 70 degrees declination north or south.
"The real kicker? The SynScan presents you with a list of alignment stars. B-U-T these are not given in order of how good they are. It is just a list of possible stars, and the first two in the list may be the WORST alignment choices for your time and date. You have to scroll through this list and pick three stars that meet the above requirements."
As I suspected.
picked up Phil's heater
I'm heading to Phil's place to fix a computer, talk about membership maintenance, fix windows, and fix windows. Will save him a trip.
received replacement
Jim helped me out. Swapped my bad 2" eyepiece dew heater for new. I think he agreed that it was a lemon.
Made a note to share the positive experience on the RASC Toronto Centre Yahoo!Group...
Made a note to share the positive experience on the RASC Toronto Centre Yahoo!Group...
good lookin' Jupiter (Etobicoke)
Manuel sent over an image from last night. Pretty good despite soft focus. Collimation just fine.
He noted in the email that it was "your Jupiter image."
I'm just the repair guy.
He noted in the email that it was "your Jupiter image."
I'm just the repair guy.
Thursday, November 08, 2012
telescope repair night (Etobicoke)
Finally, I could stay out late and play. I think Manuel goes into work, in general, late morning. Maybe noon. This schedule let's him stay up late and sleep in. Tomorrow, I didn't have to be at a client site so I didn't feel constrained. We planned to meet for dinner and then head to his place. The big job for the night would be to check, and fix, the collimation in the Celestron 9¼" SCT.
A little after 8:30 PM, we met up. He was still very upset about the night before. In addition to the collimation issue, he talked of difficulty with the star alignment process, with the Orion mount. I suggested it was a modelling issue, that possibly certain stars needed to be used, and others avoided. I told him that I knew this to be the case with some Meade mounts and that people had written software apps to help select the best alignment stars.
Once at his place, we started the set-up. OTA to the deck to begin cooling.
I started working on the Orion mount outside. I noticed something strange right away when the hand controller fired up. At the location prompt, I spotted a question mark on the display, in the longitude value, after the 79. Didn't look good. And immediately I realised what happened. The longitude had been entered as a two digit number, not three. I re-entered the longitude number with a leading zero and everything went swimmingly.
As I began a multi-star alignment, I found the Telrad way off. Oh boy. What happened here? I tuned it. All fixed. And then slewed to objects with reasonable accuracy.
When Manuel emerged from the house, I explained that I had resolved his mount alignment issues. He was happy to hear that.
We commenced the big job. The collimation of the 9¼. With DFK camera, it proved very easy, in the end. I did however have to remove the camera for the initial adjustments, the telescope was so far off. I had never seen collimation so bad.
I also found the adjustment screws very tight to turn in. I believe, looking back, they had been turned to their maximum depth. What a mess. But, we fixed it. And Manuel was very happy.
I helped with focus. We captured some frames of Jupiter.
At 11:47 I headed inside to warm up. And I suddenly realised how tired I felt. I was done. I think Manuel was tired too, in addition to feeling the effects of a cold. I headed home.
A little after 8:30 PM, we met up. He was still very upset about the night before. In addition to the collimation issue, he talked of difficulty with the star alignment process, with the Orion mount. I suggested it was a modelling issue, that possibly certain stars needed to be used, and others avoided. I told him that I knew this to be the case with some Meade mounts and that people had written software apps to help select the best alignment stars.
Once at his place, we started the set-up. OTA to the deck to begin cooling.
As I began a multi-star alignment, I found the Telrad way off. Oh boy. What happened here? I tuned it. All fixed. And then slewed to objects with reasonable accuracy.
When Manuel emerged from the house, I explained that I had resolved his mount alignment issues. He was happy to hear that.
We commenced the big job. The collimation of the 9¼. With DFK camera, it proved very easy, in the end. I did however have to remove the camera for the initial adjustments, the telescope was so far off. I had never seen collimation so bad.
I also found the adjustment screws very tight to turn in. I believe, looking back, they had been turned to their maximum depth. What a mess. But, we fixed it. And Manuel was very happy.
I helped with focus. We captured some frames of Jupiter.
At 11:47 I headed inside to warm up. And I suddenly realised how tired I felt. I was done. I think Manuel was tired too, in addition to feeling the effects of a cold. I headed home.
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