June newsletter 2013 by Andy Lee

Meet the core team Members astro images New Junior section IAS review Nick Howes pops by to tell us about himself Altair Astro 115mm refractor reviewed and more inside...

1 Venus, Mercury and Jupiter over Littlehampton harbour 26th May 2013. image Andy Lee.

Hello and welcome to the first newsletter of Astronomy 4 Everyone. Inside you’ll find out a bit more the group and the team that help to run things in the background. We are also hoping that in the future members of the group take part in filling the pages of this newsletter with their own experiences in astronomy, not only what they have seen or imaged, but also their personal views on equipment, star parties, trade shows and well pretty much anything else to do with astronomy. We hope you enjoy our first issue and look forward to receiving stories, articles and images in future issue’s. Remember, this is your newsletter, together lets make it great.

Contents 4

A little about the group

Meet the core team - Andy

Member interview - Mark Koehn

International Astronomy Show 2013 - A newbies view

Disciples of the Dark Arts - We hear from the founder John Slinn about what some call our “sister” group

Meet the core team - Sunita and BB

Iuvenes Astronomi - Young astronomers with BB

Who is Nick Howes? - Here’s what he told us

Image of the month 2013

Meet the core team - Dennis

Thoughts from the dark side

Time with the Altair Astro 115mm f7 Triplet - Dave

Meet the core team - Symon

Mike moon and the all stars

Parker

To submit an article, review, story or anything thing else, including placing an advertisement in future issue’s please email Andy Lee astronomy4everyone@gmail.com for details. 3

A little about the group We are an astronomy group based in Guildford, Surrey, UK, but members are from all over the world. People from all walks of life, ages and experience levels in Astronomy are members of this group. We are a really friendly bunch of people who enjoy sharing our interest with others and take part in various outreach events across the county and beyond. We also run our own public events from our base in Albury and also like to collaborate with other astronomy groups/societies like Worthing Astronomers and HantsAstro to name but two, and have done a live web cam hook-up with the Halley observatory in Holland as well as members from the USA and Ireland. We are very active with BBC Stargazing Live and host events like International Observe the Moon Night and we’re always looking at new ways to promote the wonders of our night skies. As a group we now have plenty to offer members including our own book and DVD library, a selection of loan scopes, our own group PLI cover, gazebo, PA system, projector and walkie talkies. All of this equipment is for the use of it’s paying members free of charge Our base is a local cricket club (a "where to find us" is on the main website). From here we have access to the pavilion which in turn allows us use of the facilities there. During the evenings and nights there we also offer Tea, Coffee, Hot Chocolate and soup for a very small charge per cup. We operate an "Ad-hoc" email alert, and being introduced very soon a text message alert, observing list for the more locally placed paid up members, this lets them know when the skies are going to be clear and when and where we shall be observing from. We are also looking to introduce a second observing site soon. To get on these lists you will need to signup on our website, all details are listed there. We are proud to be an affiliated member of the Society for Popular Astronomy (SPA), Astronomers without Borders (AWB) and Members of Open Skies Association (OSA) You can also find us on various social media sites: Facebook as “Friends of Astronomy 4 Everyone”, Facebook fan page “Astronomy 4 Everyone” Twitter “@astro4everyone”, Youtube “astronomy4everyone” UStream “astronomy4everyone”, Skype “astronomy4everyone” and Flickr “astronomy4everyone” We look forward to welcoming you into the group and hope that we will be able to share some evenings under dark clear skies with you all. Wishing you all clear skies Andy and the Core team Astronomy 4 Everyone

Founded Feb 2009

Andy Lee Hi everyone I'm Andy and the founder of this group. I started in astronomy with my first scope in 2008 after seeing Saturn through a telescope. Like many I was blown away with what I was seeing and decided then and there to get myself a scope, so I did (In the photo). Now, after owning 11 different scopes, I've finally found the one I love the most, it's 98mm FLT William Optics refractor, does everything I want it to do and then some. It sits on a modded Skywatcher Pro 6 mount and I image deep sky objects like Galaxies, Nebulas, Comets, Star clusters and Super novaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. I started the group in Feb 2009 purely to keep my sister quiet after she nagged me to share my (little) knowledge of astronomy, but since then the group has under gone a few changes and grown to have members from around the world. I'm pleased to say that the group ethos is all about the sharing of knowledge and experienceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s with a view to helping others in their enjoyment of this awesome and fascinating hobby. Wishing you all clear dark skies, keep looking up :)

12th October 2013

To find an event near you to attend or to register your own event go to

www.observethemoonnight.org 5

Member’s interview Mark Koehn Interviewed by

Andy Lee Biography: Born in St.Helena, Napa Valley, Ca. USA. At the time a small farming community north of San Francisco with a population of less than 3000 and very clear skies. So small the town wasn’t on any roadmaps. Later moved to Hollywood after being invited to play in a rock band and played the club circuit there for a few years. Upon moving back to Napa Valley got involved in the wine business and have been doing that ever since, specializing in barrel care.

The Mark Koehn interview begins Andy: Ok, so the age old question I guess for you Mark, How did you get interested in astronomy? Mark: Seriously can’t remember a time when I wasn’t interested in astronomy. Still have astronomy books that have my name written in crayon inside the cover. Got my first scope when I was 8, a pathetic cardboard tube with a plastic focuser and some kind of polished metal mirror. By the time I was in my teens was on my third scope, a 3” refractor with an actual EQ mount.

Andy: Do you remember the first object you ever saw through a telescope with your own eyes and what were your impressions of what you were seeing? Mark: Well that would be the moon of course and I remember thinking “that’s not made out of cheese!” I was only 8!

Andy: Before joining this group have you been a member of any other astronomy group/society? Are you still currently a member of any other groups/societies? And do you think it’s a good idea to be a member with more than just one group/society? Mark: This would be my first group and what I would call my home group. Of course the DDA group is excellent also. Belong to a few other groups on facebook but some are just “dead zones” and others I use as an outside observer. Don’t really interact with them but are good for info. Would really like to get a local observing group organized here in the valley at some point.

Andy: I know we’ve not had a chance yet to do a public outreach event in person, but we did do a live web cam hook-up with you back in 2011 as part of International Observe the Moon Night, where some of your family living in the UK attended, how did that feel from your point of view as a member living overseas? And do you think this use of technology ha s a place in modern amateur astronomy events? Mark: I felt like I wanted to be there! Was so happy to have my uncle and cousins at the event. I think my uncle mentioned something about me being a star after seeing me on the big screen Lol . Was also very pleased with the group making them feel so welcome. A big thank you to everyone for that. Despite a few glitches I think it went off well. With some fine tuning I think the technology is a great, fit for astronomy events.

Andy: Living in sunny California, how does that impact on doing astronomy? I remember that you mentioned before something to do with mountain lions? 6

Mark: Sunny California? Ha ha! That’s a myth. As a rule we get thick fog most nights during the summer month so it’s a matter of trying to image before it rolls in. Yes, the days are sunny but as Mark Twain once said ”The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.” Lol The Sierra Mtn. range on the other hand is probably one of the best places on earth for viewing. Yes, plenty of mountain lions around as I live just a mile or so from wildlands where they roam at night. Some have been sighted in back gardens already this year. You wouldn’t catch me out by myself ever, and even with company it’s always good to be prepared for any situation. Just glad to have a well protected back garden and a very loud dog.

Andy: Fancy telling us a bit about past and present telescopes and mounts you’ve used and of course which is your favourite and why? Mark: My first serious kit was a loaner from a friend. An old C-8 fork mount with an EQ wedge and clock drive. That was plenty to wet my whistle so to speak. I knew at some point someone would come out with a go-to EQ mount so I waited for it. When it came out I bought the Celestron 9.25” on a CG5 mount. My favourite kit at the moment is my Skywatcher 100ED on a Meade LXD75 mount. Spot on every time in go-to and visually crisper images than a SCT.

Andy: So is it just you that’s into astronomy in a big way, or are there other members of the family that are like you? Mark: Well my cousin Chris is making headway with imaging. Had a nice pic of the moon posted here last month. My Golden Retriever gives me dirty looks when I set up my kit so she’s not into it. No one else with the obsession, although I do give my Mom an earful when I visit. ;-)

Andy: I know that your into astro imaging, has this always been the case or just something you found yourself doing one evening? Mark: When my buddy loaned me his old C8 it came with a 4” thick owner’s manual that had a section on astrophotography. Up until that point I didn’t know it was possible for the amateur. I just happened to own an Olympus OM-1 which was the recommended 35mm camera. Bought a t-ring and that’s how I started out imaging.

Andy: What advice would you give anyone who is thinking of getting into this awesome hobby? Mark: There’s a lot of amazing stuff in the night sky and you don’t really need a fancy scope to enjoy it. Just a pair of binocs will open up a whole new world. Enjoy the wonders and remember to have fun. Also joining a group just adds to the experience.

Andy: I know you have done some public outreach over there, how important do you think these events are and for what reason? Mark: I think most people aren’t aware of what can be seen through even small scopes. I think it’s great to give someone their first ever look at something like Saturn’s rings and it’s something they will probably never forget. Astronomy enriches a person and instils a sense of wonder.

Andy: Last question for you now buddy, I’m sure you’ll be pleased to hear that right! Do think you could ever do astronomy for a living if the right opportunity arose, or do you just prefer to do it as a hobby? Mark: If someone wanted to pay me to do what I love, I’d jump at the opportunity in a heartbeat!

Andy: Thanks Mark for your time in doing this interview with me, I think our readers will love hearing about your views and experiences with astronomy. It’s always great to hear from you and see what your getting up to over there in Cali, if you ever get over this way you can be sure of a very warm welcome from us all, and we’ll do our best at keeping the skies for you at Albury. May I wish you clear dark skies always, keep looking up! Images supplied/taken by Mark Koehn

International Astronomy Show 2013 ....or.... IAS for Dummies When I was asked to do a review of this years’ International Astronomy Show, I was a tad confused, What do I know about astronomy shows?, but then it was explained to me that a “newbies” perspective might be interesting so I agreed to give it a go. I suppose if this is to be a comprehensive review I should start in the car park. Ample spaces (2000) and they were all free. I know it’s not a big deal but it’s these small things that all add up. From there it was just a short stroll to the main entrance to purchase my ticket. Here I was greeted by two very pleasant young girls who seemed genuinely happy to be there as opposed to the “supermarket” style of service. You know the one that makes you feel guilty for making them serve you. So I’m inside now and so far I’ve had nothing but good experiences and I’m walking around with a silly grin on my dial. (Now this is not a good look for a man of 50 yrs on his own, but that’s another story entirely). Now my plan of attack is simple... (Made so by my handy map included in Mays Sky @ Night magazine). Start at the beginning, half way round stop for sustenance and continue to the end where I’ll finish. All this to be done with my wallet secured in my hip pocket. What is it they say about the best laid plans? After mindlessly wandering from stand to stand I decided the best plan would be coffee... so I went up to the restaurant/cafe again was pleasantly surprised. Good food at good prices. What more can you ask. Right.... an hour gone and you’ve done nothing Scott...get your act together. My first port of call was Astronomia to introduce myself to John Slinn. (a big thanks to John for the advice re: guiding). Whilst I was waiting to get a chance to speak with John, I found myself grinning (again with the silly

grin) while I was listening to two fellas talking about the pros and cons of 2” eyepieces V’s 1.25”, I found myself thinking “18 mth ago this would have been Greek to me and now I understand nearly half of it”. One thing that really struck me was the lack of hard sell, in fact if anything it was quite the opposite. All the stands seemed to be manned by staff who genuinely wanted to see that you bought what you needed and not what was going to net them the biggest profit. 8

My next stop was to be at Telescope House to see Gary Palmer, his enthusiasm for solar imaging is somewhat contagious. Such a shame the weather wouldn’t play fair. (Looking through that monster Lunt would have been a highlight).

I spent the next few hours roaming from stand to stand. It was a real treat to be able to handle so many ep’s, filters, scopes and mounts that I would otherwise only be able to view “on the net”.

Of course there were quite a few things there that, failing a lottery win, will be destined to live out their lives in my dreams but, hope springs eternal I’m told. It was great to finally meet some of the people from “Astronomy 4 Everyone” in the flesh, and it was also a shame I never got to any of the excellent talks being given, maybe next time. So, what did I think of my first “Astro” exhibition? Absolutely brilliant and I’m already looking forward to my next one. And I managed to keep my wallet in the pocket.......well almost Thanks for reading

Scott Prideaux. Images by John Slinn and Scott Prideaux

For more information and photos of this show please visit their Facebook page (link) 9

Hi there, My name is John Slinn and a little over two years ago I created the now popular ‘Disciples of the Dark Arts’ (DDA) astrophotography group on Facebook. I have been into all things astronomical ever since as a young boy of ten I watched Neil Armstrong's first steps onto the Moon on a blurry black and white television. I started getting into astrophotography about 5 years ago and after encouragement from my friends who thought I was getting quite good at it I decided to help others achieve their own successes with their images. I was proud to be shortlisted in the Greenwich Observatory's 2010 Astrophotographer of the year competition, in the newcomers category. The aim of the DDA is mainly to teach how to process astronomical pictures using software such as Photoshop but we also to advise on image capture too. The group is open to anyone who wishes to learn how to take and process their own astro images. We also encourage all members to share their methods and processes with each other, to further our understanding and enjoyment of our hobby. Image John Bozeman

We held our very first star party at the Brighstone holiday camp on the Isle of Wight last October and I am planning another this year over the weekend of the 3rd to the 6th October. We have over 176 members from all over the globe including India, USA, Australia, The Philippines, Germany and Canada. Members that are local to Guildford, Surrey meet up every 4 – 6 weeks to present talks, give demonstrations and share ideas. We have also just started doing some Ustream broadcasts of our meetings in Guildford so that members from overseas and members who cannot personally attend can take part in the discussions online. Image by Simon Großlercher

If anybody would like to join please click on the banner image at the top of this page. We look forward to welcoming you in to this friendly group. John Slinn DDA members hard at it. 10

Sunita Edwards Hi All, a Big Welcome from Me, My name is Suni and I have a great passion for our Beautiful Universe. I first noticed the beautiful night Sky when I was a little Girl age 5. I started to notice the Stars had different patterns. When I was a little older I started to read Astronomy books by Sir Patrick Moore (Amazing Legend). I have been quite busy with other sports and activities such as Rifle Shooting at Bisley. I am a Reiki Master Teacher. I am also interested in Motorbikes, MMA and Boxing. A Few Years ago I looked up and saw the Amazing Night Sky. I saw some beautiful constellations and I just wanted to know more. I found Andy Lee at Albury, such a great inspiration, I'll never forget the first time Andy showed me Saturn through the Telescope. Since then I have a great passion for Astronomy - I'm learning from the best! ;) My Favourite is M45 The Pleaides. Astronomy is beautiful, it can be appreciated with just our eyes and little starter knowledge. I now have a 5 year old Girl who loves the Night Sky. (She knows more than me already!) Wishing you all Clear Night Skies, Happy Stargazing :)

Brianna “BB” Hebberd Hey everyone, I’m BB the newest member of Astronomy 4 Everyone's core team, I’m heading up the new junior section. That's a photo of me with my first telescope, a Celestron AstroMaster 70EQ Refractor, almost as big as me! You can find out more about me on page

see you there :)

Iuvenes Astronomi Hi everyone, I'm Brianna, AKA "BB", and I'm the youngest member of the group. I've been asked by Andy and the rest of the core team of this group to take charge of a junior (under 16) section. So what I'd like to do first is tell you a little about me. I have been interested in Astronomy for as long as I can remember, to be precise I was 8 or 9 and me coming up to 14 now would make that 5 or 6 years. However I was only inspired to become a budding young astronomer when I was in year 5 when my year had a visit from a chap from the Mullard space science laboratory in Holmbury St. Mary. When I learnt about the solar system and the universe I really wanted to know even more. So I started to buy space posters and books, until eventually there was no more room on my walls to put anything! Now as my book collection started to build up my uncle made me a book shelf, and as you can probably guess this shelf is now full and I have tried to pack as many books into it as possible! When I reached year 6 and had a little bit more money in my pocket I decided that I wanted a telescope. Now before I even had half the money for a Telescope it was Christmas and all I wanted was a telescope, my mum couldn’t afford to buy a ‘’Proper’’ telescope so my brother kindly went to Argos and bought a small little National Geographic one. I was so excited to see my first telescope; I loved just taking it out in the garden on a starry night and looking up with it. Eventually when I had saved up some more money my mum took me on a trip to Astronomia in Dorking, (in case you don’t know what that is, it’s a telescope shop). I looked around and my mum told them how much money we had to spend and they suggested a Celestron AstroMaster 70EQ Refractor Telescope. When I saw how large it was I was so excited! So I brought that one and assembled it when I got home. Then I wanted an even better one, so again the saving up started and by the end of year 6 I had saved up enough money for another scope. This time I could do a part trade thingy at the shop where they knocked off the price that I paid for my old scope off the new one. So I went ahead and brought a Celestron AstroMaster 114EQ, now this one was brilliant., I had some brilliant pictures out of this one. Then yet again I wanted an even better one! So again I did the part trade thingy and got myself a Celestron NexStar 4SE, and this is a cracker! It has been the best so far but the only thing that lets the NexStar’s down is their handsets! This one does not do what it says on the tin! However once it gets going a whole new world opens up in front of you. Saturn’s rings are strikingly clear and Jupiter’s gas clouds are stunning, oh and the moon is just indescribable! 12

Now I still have my NexStar but hope to get a new scope soon as and when money allows. I have passed the stage at school now where I chose my GCSE options and of course when I saw the chance to take Astronomy GCSE In triple science It was straight down as my first option! A few weeks ago I took my first practise test for it and got 18/20 marks! I would have got full marks if on the question that said Write down the process of nuclear fusion I put Hydrogen Nuclei Fuse instead of Hydrogen Atoms Fuse.

Now I think that just about wraps it up for this edition so If there is anything that any junior member would like to write in about, or any topics you might like covered in future issue's please let me know by email, after all, this is your newsletter and your section, so come on, get your fingers on that keyboard, remember to include pics as well, but please check with your parents first to make sure they are OK with it. juniorastro4everyone@gmail.com Look forward to hearing from you, keep looking up! BB

So who is Nick Howes? We asked, and here’s what he told us..

I guess my love of astronomy started at the age of 3... my parents saying that I would bang on the TV when the last of the Apollo missions was on, and then aged 7 with the Viking Landers, my imagination was really captured. Then Voyager 1&2 cemented it. The next Christmas, my grandmother bought me a small telescope and a book on space, and that was it. My every waking hour through school was consumed with space, until about the age of 13, when music (my other passion) entered my life. After Astrophysics at University, combining music and computers led me in to a 16 year hiatus from astronomy, working in the research and development wing of Yamaha, designing ideas and testing a wide range of musical instruments...then in the late 90s, I went back to University to do a Masters Degree in acoustics and my graduation present was a telescope. That was it...hooked on astronomy again, and from 1999 onwards I’ve again devoted almost every waking hour to space and space science, even moving house to get darker skies in the West of England.

from journalists all over the planet were filling my in box. As I had used the 2m Faulkes Telescopes in Hawaii and Siding Spring (image left) a lot during these observations, the director Professor Paul Roche asked me if I would like to manage their program projects, which I happily accepted. This started a chain of events, which led to also becoming a member of the CARA Italian based Comet research group, and working with two phenomenal friends and colleagues Giovanni Sostero (who sadly passed away late last year) and Ernesto Guido. I now have over 350 NASA ADS citations, though compared to Ernesto with his close to 2000, I have some way to go, but we’re very proud not only of the work we do to promote Faulkes (and more recently we’ve been doing a lot of work with the iTelescope network and also working with the NSO on the Liverpool Telescope in La Palma), which has gained us multiple major news headlines from papers like the Washington Post, MSNBC, ABC news and recently the NASA homepage with our work on the asteroid 2012 DA14, but also the work with students and STEM. Nothing I think in life gives me more happiness than seeing some young person pick up the baton for astronomy.

My passion for comets started in probably 2009, when I entered the Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition and was placed Highly Commended with an image of Comet Holmes. Then in 2010 I was one of the first in the world to image comet C/2007 Q3 Siding Spring breaking up, a story, which thanks to my amateur astronomer status and the unusual aspect of the story, being that I was sat at my desk having lunch when it happened to make BBC and international news headlines. A surreal time as the phone rang off the hook for about 2 weeks, and emails

I have two daughters, one aged 7 one 2, and the 7 year old is also passionate about science and astronomy, I hope she continues with this as she grows older for sure. 15

As for recent work, Ernesto and I speak every day, despite him being in Italy and me in the UK. Pretty much almost every day now, we’re examining the minor planet centre website for new interesting objects, and conducting our own research on cometary coma/dust values (Afrho measurements). We’ve recently been approached by two major professional observatories to work on research papers on Comet ISON, as collaborators, and we’ve co authored several papers on various comets, which have been published in Icarus and the Astrophysical Journal.

I also love imaging and observing the Sun in HAlpha and CaK when I get free days off, using a modified PST and the Solarscope SV50 for the HAlpha and my own custom made CaK 80mm telescope for the UV end of the spectrum. But comets are my first love, I am now conducting more research in this field looking at reasons why

they fragment, and taking part in an ongoing comet recovery and detection projects using the Faulkes, LT and iTelescope network Telescopes. These past few years have been whirlwind ones that I don’t think I will ever forget, from meeting Gene Cernan and him asking me for my business card in relation to a project I am working on hunting for the Apollo 10 LM module, through to being invited to speak at possibly the worlds most prestigious international conference, Spacefest, on a panel with David Levy, Thomas Bopp and many others. I hope my story and journey will hopefully inspire many others to not only take pretty pictures of the sky, but also look and see what’s in those images, as you never know, a new comet discovery could be just around the corner and it could be you that makes it. Amateurs in astronomy are still making a huge contribution to professional research, long may it continue. Links: www.faulkes-telescope.com www.remanzacco.blogspot.co.uk www.itelescope.net

I managed a project in 2011 hunting for asteroids, with a high school student, and we discovered dozens, which, as we do with all our data, we dutifully logged with the Minor Planet Centre for both astrometry and photometry, and at some stage we hope to name them. Apart from my day job as a software and hardware test engineer, and the work with Faulkes, I worked for the last 18 months under contract with the European Space Agency and write as a freelance for many other magazines such as Popular Astronomy, Astronomy U.S and Sky and Telescope. I have worked with a wide range of projects from comet hunting missions involving UK schools, supporting an ESO project imaging massive star clusters, ground support projects for ESA on the Rosetta mission and their Space situational awareness program, through to developing a lander for Mars with a student at University College London.

Images taken/supplied by Nick Howes 16

Albury nights

Group me images o month for far..

embers of the r 2013 so ...

Dennis Butcher I’ve always had a natural curiosity for anything to do with science and that of course includes astronomy. I’m of a generation that grew up with publications like ‘The Eagle’ comic with daredevil adventuring space ace Dan Dare and who went to Saturday matinee cinema performances to view the space adventures of the likes of Flash Gordon. As a child I also collected cards that were packed with (to the best of my memory) products like tea, cereals and cigarettes. They often featured planetary images and futuristically imagined rocket ships that were to enable astronauts to tour the solar system. All in all, pretty limited resources compared to today’s TV and internet offerings. It was some years later that TV programmes like Tomorrows World and our much loved Sir Patrick Moore’s Sky at Night appeared on our screens. Encouraged by Patrick who always stated that one could, or indeed should, start viewing the night sky through a pair of binoculars, I dutifully turned a gifted pair of 10 x 50’s towards the heavens and was blown away by the number of stars on view. I later found out that poorly aligned optics was causing the field of view from each binocular optic to overlay itself in a slightly shifted position to the other! Nonetheless the view was spectacular and provided me with my first realisation of how limited the human eye is at detecting stars. It hardened my resolve to one day own a telescope. As the years passed I followed the manned missions of Gemini and Apollo, staying up all night to watch the live broadcast of Neil Armstrong taking his “one small step…” whilst a growing fleet of unmanned craft such as Mariner, Viking, Voyager, Galileo, Cassini, Soho, etc. returned ever more detailed images of bodies in our solar system. Orbiting and ground-based telescopes were producing better and better images at an increasingly wide variety of wavelengths. As the digital era progressed, I was finally reaching a point in time, retirement, where the increasingly sophisticated amateur equipment advertised in my favourite magazines, ‘Astronomy Now’, ‘Sky and Telescope’ and ‘Sky at Night’ might finally be affordable. A trip to Astronomia in Dorking resulted in the purchase of a C11 Edge HD on a computerised CGEM mount. It was here that I also met Andy Lee, John Slinn and Gary Palmer who between them talked me into joining their Facebook Groups (I took a bit of convincing!). Thanks to Andy, John and Gary, and through other FB group members I have learned a great deal more about the night sky and an immense amount more on how to image it. I’ve also discovered a small community of people devoted to providing amateur astronomers with high quality free software, how refreshing is that in this day and age! It has taken quite a while for my interest in astronomy to develop into a serious hobby. It’s about 2½ years now since I purchased that first scope and in that time I have made some good like-minded friends and taken photographs of better quality than the professionals of my childhood years could manage. With a little knowledge under my belt it has even been my pleasure to occasionally help out others embarking on this fascinating hobby. It’s been well worth the wait! Dennis Butcher.

THOUGHTS FROM THE DARK SIDE A JEDI’S EYE VIEW ON ASTRONOMY, THE UNIVERSE AND THE CAMPAIGN FOR DARK SKIES.

Welcome friends to the first of many of my musings on our diverse universe. I was sat in a coffee shop the other day, a cup of piping black coffee in front of me, I added the sugar and stirred it well and fast unto a speed when the vortex will appear and low it did, I watched fascinated at the bubbles of caramelized sugar rising through the steaming hot black liquid. As the vortex dissipated as the liquids rotation began to slow the caramelized bubbles started to cluster together in the centre of the cup, very much like a globular cluster of stars. Slowing some more the pattern changed, spiral arms emerged as if Galaxy formation was taking place before my eyes. The odd bubbles where being thrown out of the pattern, looking as if they were moving at a much greater speed than those that remained in the spiral arms. Next all the bubbles broke away from the arms as the coffee became almost motionless, forming uniformly around the edge of the cup. My Padawanns by now you’re probably thinking Jedi Sy’s gone mad or has too much time on his hands. I am I do that is true, but there are reasons for these observations, what I was witnessing was a coffee cup sized version of the “Big Bang” and the following first few millions of years of the universes creation.

The Campaign for Dark Skies continues even though it may appear to at a snail’s pace. Surrey is certainly looking darker at night with three quarters of the street light replacement now done. Some still complain that the new lights are to white, my answer is observe above them not through them. I will tell you the other solution when the County Council have them ready.

Come to the Dark side you know it makes sense. Sy the Jedi.

Symon Plant Ok first lets settle an argument my first name is spelt with a “Y” its on my birth certificate spelt thus, the reason for “I” version used on facebook is simple, it made finding me harder for my own personal online security. I learned my Astronomy on my father’s knee, I was about four when he first let me look through his telescope, a 15”Fuller. My Dad would have loved the modern GOTO systems we have now, as he used to grumble about the maps and setting circles often. I enjoyed school and had some inspiring teachers, mainly the sciences, history, theology and art(s). I bracket the “s” as my art teacher was also my martial art teacher/master. My adventurous nature has led me to some interesting places, both North and South Poles, up Everest, across deserts and wildernesses, and to experience other cultures and religions on my way. I enjoy Astronomy so much that it has become almost an entire lifestyle changing device. Not only am I a core team member for Astronomy 4 Everyone and observing coordinator with Dennis, but also am a committee member of Guildford Astronomical Society, plus I am the Surrey county representative for the British Astronomical Association’s Campaign for Dark Skies. My favourite objects in the night sky are the moon and Orion. 25

www.bambinosbooks.co.uk My name is Janet Slinn and I am an Independent Usborne Organiser and Team Leader. Please see below a small selection of the marvellous Usborne Astronomy & Space related books and cards, all available to buy from my website. Usborne Book of Astronomy and Space Superb introduction to the universe, with breathtaking surface-eye views of the planets and wonderful deep space images of stars. Gives a planet by planet guide to the solar system, 20 pages of star maps plus a guide to famous and easy to spot stars, nebulae, galaxies and meteor showers. Includes practical information on star-watching, home astronomy and using a telescope or binoculars. Internet links to recommended websites with the latest space information, and fabulous images from the Hubble Space Telescope.

Spotter's Guides: The Night Sky Usborne Spotters Guides are perfect companions for enthusiasts of the natural world. Includes detailed full-colour illustrations plus short descriptions and essential details. Internet links to recommended websites to find out more about each subject. Perfect for both children and adults alike and incredible value for money.

See Inside Space A flap book of astronomical proportions, packed with facts and information about the stars, planets and the universe. Fabulous double-page topics show our solar system, the Milky Way, how scientists think the universe was created and the latest space travel technology. Over 50 flaps reveal fascinating facts about the universe and there's a little book of star maps tucked in a pocket at the back of the book. Includes internet links to websites with the latest space information, games and photos. “A great introduction designed to stimulate further learning.” Publishing News “Perfectly pitched for Key Stage 2, a mix of facts, humour and novelty flaps...This series is proof that the right non-fiction still sells.” The Bookseller 27

www.bambinosbooks.co.uk 100 Things to Spot in the Night Sky Cards A pack of 50, double-sided, pocket-sized cards to help identify constellations, planets, meteors and other starry sights. Each card shows a feature of the night sky, one to a side, including a detailed picture and description, interesting facts, statistics and position in the night sky. An easy, convenient and informative companion for stargazing, with or without a telescope. With internet links to star maps and websites to find out more.

Astronomy and Space Fact Cards A pack of 50 fact-filled cards perfect for young space enthusiasts. Contains hundreds of amazing facts, covering everything from stars to space exploration. Find out the answers to questions such as ‘What makes stars shine?’ and ‘Is Pluto a planet?’

Discovery: Astronomy Practical guide to all the things that can be seen in the night sky Advice on using and buying binoculars and telescopes Seasonal star maps and glossary Internet links to exciting websites Pictures to download from the Usborne Quicklinks Website On a clear night, thousands of stars can be seen in the sky - but they are just a tiny part of what’s out in space. This book shows young readers how to discover some of the amazing things that are out there, many of which can be seen with just a pair of binoculars or a small telescope.

For more information, on these or any other Usborne books, please contact me on 07802 833947, or janetslinn@live.com, or through my website www.bambinosbooks.co.uk 28