Telescopes for schools

Finally, the Telescopes for Schools initiative for the International Year of Astronomy 2009 has defined how schools can apply for telescopes.

The Telescope itself is a 70 mm refractor with a focal length of 700 mm, and is produced by Phenix Optical Group of China. It is mounted on an AZ2 type altazimuth mount, and has a small finder telescope which you use to locate objects prior to observing them through the main instrument.

This looks like a nice piece of kit and is suitable for attaching cameras and webcams. It is also ideal for the upcoming MoonWatch weeks scheduled for next year.

I'm happy to say that David Boardman pulled himself out of his sick bed (where he has flu...not just man flu) and filled out the application forms on behalf of St Augustine's. Following is David's proposal (for those interested). Hopefully the school will be happy with this and just sign and send in the paperwork before the deadline of Dec 31st.

If the application is approved I feel it would be a great feather in our cap and hopefully appreciated by the school, and I'm sure plenty of members will be happy to show the kids how to get the most out of the telescope in class and at the dark site.

Thanks David!

IN UP TO 500 WORDS, DESCRIBE WHAT YOU AND YOUR CLASS WILL DO WITH THE TELESCOPE.

Background
The Redditch Astronomical Society (RAS) was established in late 2007 by a small group of professional people completing an Astronomy class. The club has grown rapidly with currently over 25 regular members. A RAS member developed links with St Augustine’s Catholic High School (ACHS) and recognised a desire for both organisations to support each other’s interests; namely, widening participation and outreach for the RAS to engage more young scientists and ACHS’s strategy for continuous improvement in applications for its Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) students. In September 2008 ACHS agreed to provide RAS with meeting facilities on a monthly basis and RAS agreed to provide free membership to ACHS pupils in addition to teaching 5 STEM related lessons a year. Furthermore, a qualified RAS member is delivering ACHS’s first Astronomy GCSE.

What project(s) will you do with the telescope?
The telescope will support many projects including by way of example:
Investigate and map by hand the moon’s surface (Mountain regions, lunar cycle, leading to lessons on gravity, tides, galaxy motions and eclipse’s;
Variable stars, binary stars, the Doppler Effect and understanding the expansion of the Universe

What parts of the curriculum will it support?

Key stage 3 science aims to link direct practical experience with scientific ideas. Experimentation is used to develop and evaluate explanations, encouraging critical and creative thought. Pupils will use the telescope to learn how knowledge and understanding in science are rooted in evidence. Using astronomy and space science will provide insight into the nature and observed motions of the sun, moon, stars, planets and other celestial bodies. For example, through studying the moon the concepts of gravity and celestial motion will be introduced and by studying specific stars and their colours, an understanding of elements and compounds and their characteristic chemical properties and patterns in their behaviour will be drawn out.

Key stage 4 science theories of the universe will be developed. The solar system is part of the universe, which has changed since its origin and continues to show long-term changes. The telescope will be used to look at variable stars and develop the concepts of binary stars leading to understanding the Doppler Effect and how we establish that the Universe is continuing to expand.

Additionally, the telescope will be used to form the basis of lessons in basic optics and the electromagnetic spectrum including radiations, and in particular ionizing radiations from the sun and the effect on communications and electronics and energy transfer / climate change.

How will it develop pupils’ skills?
The telescope will develop pupil skills by linking direct practical experience with scientific ideas. It will help them to open their minds to the potential to study the universe in their own time through the further support of the RAS where the sharing of telescopes would allow them to see other galaxies and the planets. By instilling a desire to learn it will help pupils in their broader academic studies.

Give the Universe for Christmas

Thanks to a request from a new prospective member, the Redditch Astronomical Society is going to start offering Gift Annual memberships.

If you have a friend, partner or family member with an interest in Astronomy then why not purchase a year's membership to the Redditch Astronomical Society as a gift. A gift membership will include an introduction to the society and its aims, along with a CD of software that we, as a society have found useful and recommend.

More importantly, membership gives the recipient the opportunity to share their interest with friendly, like minded, local individuals; an interest that as amateur astronomers we know is not always shared by those closest to us.


Contact membership@redditch-astro.org.uk for details, and we will do our best to get membership gift packs out in time for Christmas.

See Redditch Astronomical Society Membership page for details

Karen and Chelsea give a talk to the Astwood Bank Beaver scouts

Karen asked me if I would help give a short talk to a local scout group which in some way scared the pants off me, it made me wonder if the 6 to 7 year olds might sit there arms folded and correct everything we tell them through what they have already learned on the discovery channel.

Not so! We blinded them all with pictures of our solar system, and even got them to participate in a walking model of our planetary line up, and as our confidence gained dizzy heights, we charmed them with descriptions of each planet and there deadly atmosphere's and explained how it would take so long to travel to them.

The look of awe on their faces turned Karen and I into God like story tellers who's power through our incredible knowledge raised us on a pinnacle such that we now charge good money for our short talks.

Truly however, we both had a good time with the scout group and surprised ourselves that we could in fact entertain such young people and teach them some thing about the other worlds in our solar system, we were shown a great welcome by Karen Wilmer and Sally, the scout leaders who even asked us to come back and give another talk some day.

- Chelsea Page

As seen at: http://www.redditch-astro.org.uk/NewsLetterDec.html

Adripio Caelum (Seize the sky) by Patrick Ward

For many people and especially those of us with an interest in science, astronomy is a truly rewarding hobby. Indeed, being under a clear dark sky stargazing with a telescope or binoculars is so inspirational that makes almost any inconvenience worth while.

As we know reaching the actual stargazing stage normally involves quite a lot of preparation. Getting our telescopes out from where they are stored, taking them outside (or into the car and then dark site), aligning the mount with the celestial pole, letting the telescope cool down, etc. All of this represents a significant investment in time and energy (astro-gear can be heavy!). Often this is compounded by our variable English weather. Many times you may have asked yourself: “How long will it stay clear?” or “Is it worth getting the telescope out?”

Any hobby you choose, from chess to Morris dancing, will have an “opportunity – preparation – execution – disassembly” cycle. For us amateur astronomers, opportunity means a simultaneous clear dark sky and free time combination. We then need to make a judgment on the weather. This equation usually tends to balance towards cloudy skies and no stargazing!

A good way to beat the weather and increase our quality telescope time is to minimize preparation and disassembly. If you have a reasonably dark sky at home and space in the garden you may think of setting a telescope up permanently. There are many ways to do this. From a “roll away” wooden shed to a purpose built room with a movable roof; it does not need to be expensive. Building your observatory can be a fun project to undertake and once finished it will allow you to seize the sky before the clouds do.

Clear skies and good observing!

Patrick Ward - Redditch Astronomical Society

Lunatick Astronomy - Andrew Lound

TO BE PUBLISHED DECEMBER 2008
Released to coincide with the bicentennial of Matthew Boulton’s death 1809

The Lunar Society was one of the most influential gatherings of intellectuals in the eighteenth century. The group of friends met informally every month on a Monday evening closest to the full Moon. It is this singular astronomical connection from which the group of friends developed their collective noun – although they often referred to themselves as the ‘Lunaticks’. Matthew Boulton was the prime mover behind the moonlit gathering and most people today know him as the great manufacturer of Birmingham and the partner of James Watt. His friend and fellow Lunatick James Keir once observed that electricity and astronomy were at one time among Matthew Boulton’s favourite amusements. The question for the author with an interest in astronomy living only a few miles from Boulton’s home was just how much of an interest in astronomy did Boulton and the other Lunar Society members have?
The book is an account of Andrew Lound’s research into Matthew Boulton’s and his friends’ interests in astronomy discovering Matthew Boulton’s design for an astronomical observatory as well as snippets of information on one of his favourite amusements. The write-up of the research has been produced on the urging of several experts in astronomy history and Professor Carl Chinn of the University of Birmingham, in order to assist those with an interest in the Lunar Society and to give wider public awareness of Matthew Boulton’s astronomical interests. This publication contains additional material that is aimed at a wider audience, placing together for the first time a complete ready reference to the Lunar Society’s astronomical interests.

An Odyssey Dramatic Lecture ‘Lunatick Astronomy’ is also available to accompany the book.

Published by Odyssey DL Publications. Softback. Colour cover. 99pp.
48 B&W illustrations. ISBN 978-0-9561111-0-4

Cheque or Postal Order for £10 Including P&P available direct from the author. Payable to Andrew Lound

110 Sandringham Road, Birmingham B42 1PQ Tel: 0121 356 5446
e-mail: odyssey@dial.pipex.com Web: www.odyssey.dial.pipex.com

As seen at Redditch Astronomical Society

November Meeting - Chris Livingstone

Yesterday we had another excellent lecture from Chris Livingstone (of Livingstone Telescopes in Worcester), this time recounting several trips he has made to Namibia, and showing us some excellent slides of astronomical photographs he has taken of the southern skies.

Personally I was amazed at the breathtaking images that are possible with a 50mm lens on a standard SLR camera and a home built Scotch mount constructed from a few scraps of wood!

In the Introductory course to Astronomy run by Richard Hendy we were shown a Scotch mount, and I have started to build my own out of interest, but I doubt I would have the patience to crank the handle at just the right speed for several minutes

Chris also gave us some excellent tips, in particular the idea of using a blackout cloth over the camera lens. Even remote shutter releases can induce some shake int he camera, so by using a fabric cover over the lens the shutter can be opened and the dark fabric can be removed from the lens once all camera shake has subsided. The same can be done when closing the shutter. I feel inspired to try harder

Chris's tales of Black Backed Jackals reminds me of one of my early attempts to take some astronomical images under dark skies. I had the opportunity to spend some time in the Utah Desert, in particular Bryce Canyon.

My results were less than ideal though...despite the darkest skies I had ever seen, the news that mountain lions had been seen in the area recently meant that I wasn't brave enough to stay outside alone for very long

Redditch Astronomy Society