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sftonkin
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Astronomy Courses in Fordingbridge and Ringwood

Wed Aug 08, 2012 9:54 am

Just in case anyone here (or someone you know) is interested in looking up at things other than kites :lol: , here are some details of the autumn astronomy courses I am running:

Intermediate Astronomy (for people who have reasonable knowledge/experience of the basics): Fordingbridge, August 29th, 7:30pm, for 5 weeks.

Beginners Astronomy (for absolute beginners; no knowledge/experience assumed): Ringwood (in association with Brockenhurst College Life-Long Learning), November 7th, 7:00pm, for 6 weeks.

Further information, including full details of course content and comments from participants on previous courses, at:
http://astunit.com/courses.php
 
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Jest_of_EVE
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Re: Astronomy Courses in Fordingbridge and Ringwood

Sun Oct 14, 2012 3:00 pm

Actually I do know someone who might be interested, thanks.

Did you see the night sky last night (13/10/2012)? Clearest sky I've seen since 2006, you could pretty much see all of Orion, not just the bright bits! ;)
 
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Re: Astronomy Courses in Fordingbridge and Ringwood

Tue Oct 16, 2012 12:48 am

Jest_of_EVE wrote:
Actually I do know someone who might be interested, thanks.

Did you see the night sky last night (13/10/2012)? Clearest sky I've seen since 2006, you could pretty much see all of Orion, not just the bright bits! ;)


You don't see many of them Ford stopped making them years ago.

On a serious note I love astronomy ..... I would love an 8 inch reflector :cool:
 
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Re: Astronomy Courses in Fordingbridge and Ringwood

Tue Oct 16, 2012 2:36 am

harveystubbs wrote:
I would love an 8 inch reflector :cool:

Dare to dream. :wink:
Image

Trying to negotiate the purchase of 6" Schmidt-Cassegrain... have been for a while :(

Mike.
 
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Re: Astronomy Courses in Fordingbridge and Ringwood

Tue Oct 16, 2012 11:19 am

*drools*
 
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Ian Newham
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Re: Astronomy Courses in Fordingbridge and Ringwood

Thu Oct 18, 2012 1:32 pm

harveystubbs wrote:
I would love an 8 inch reflector :cool:


I may sell up - 10" Dobsonian

Planning has been approved for a Tesco immediately behind me
The council has erected two *very* bright white lampposts at the foot of my garden
My neighbour has put upward facing flood lights under all of his trees, several are on the boundary.

:(

About the only way I'll get any dark is by putting a bag over my head, and a thick one at that.
 
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Re: Astronomy Courses in Fordingbridge and Ringwood

Thu Oct 18, 2012 1:36 pm

Ian Newham wrote:
I may sell up - 10" Dobsonian

Aren't Dobsonians meant to be lugged about though ? :-k

Mike.
 
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Ian Newham
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Re: Astronomy Courses in Fordingbridge and Ringwood

Thu Oct 18, 2012 3:25 pm

Yes but a 10" is just a bit on the big side for a spur of the moment grab and go thing (plus if I stand in a dark field around here I'd just get robbed).

Really you need to be sure the weather is going to be good, you want to get to wherever before it gets dark then get it set up and check the collimation hasn't gone off while it was bouncing around in the car. Then wait a couple of hours for it to get properly dark.

To be honest I'm not that commited - I can grab a pair of 75mm binoculars and go when the whim (and weather) takes me.

It was great while I had a fairly dark back garden but something smaller would be a lot easier and would allow the kids to fit in the car as well when we go up to the N. York Moors etc.
 
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misterbleepy
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Re: Astronomy Courses in Fordingbridge and Ringwood

Thu Oct 18, 2012 4:04 pm

this apparently fits in a trailer - problem solved!

Image
Keith B
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bleep bleep bleep
 
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Re: Astronomy Courses in Fordingbridge and Ringwood

Thu Oct 18, 2012 4:09 pm

*cough* over-compensating *cough*

Mike.
 
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Re: Astronomy Courses in Fordingbridge and Ringwood

Thu Oct 18, 2012 7:28 pm

Ian Newham wrote:
harveystubbs wrote:
I would love an 8 inch reflector :cool:


I may sell up - 10" Dobsonian

Planning has been approved for a Tesco immediately behind me
The council has erected two *very* bright white lampposts at the foot of my garden
My neighbour has put upward facing flood lights under all of his trees, several are on the boundary.

:(

About the only way I'll get any dark is by putting a bag over my head, and a thick one at that.



Damn light polution
 
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sftonkin
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Re: Astronomy Courses in Fordingbridge and Ringwood

Tue Oct 23, 2012 4:03 pm

<drool>
Ooh, is that biggun a 1m scope?
</drool>

I have a 12" Flextube Dob; as much as I can handle for portability. So far my garden is not too bad (have seen M33 with the unaided eye on one particularly transparent night), but I do wonder what will happen when they change the streetlights on the road at the back.

Agree about binoculars; my 15x70 is easily my most used bit of kit now (on monopod and trigger-grip ball-head).

Often helps to invite light-polluting neighbour over for a look -- can encourage them to turn their lights down. But, as long as the legislation on light pollution and light trespass is minimal, they can only get worse.
 
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Re: Astronomy Courses in Fordingbridge and Ringwood

Wed Oct 24, 2012 6:32 am

Many of the streetlights near me have been changed from an orange colour light (presumably sodium) to a more blue colour light (presumably some sort of CFL energy efficient bulb) The light the new ones give off is almost like moonlight and the sky is certainly clearer.
Jason.
Image
 
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misterbleepy
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Re: Astronomy Courses in Fordingbridge and Ringwood

Wed Oct 24, 2012 1:07 pm

sftonkin wrote:
<drool>
Ooh, is that biggun a 1m scope?
</drool>


http://www.cruxis.com/scope/scope1070.htm

107cm apparently
Keith B

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bleep bleep bleep
 
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sftonkin
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Re: Astronomy Courses in Fordingbridge and Ringwood

Wed Oct 24, 2012 3:03 pm

Jason wrote:
Many of the streetlights near me have been changed from an orange colour light (presumably sodium) to a more blue colour light (presumably some sort of CFL energy efficient bulb)
More likely LEDs.

misterbleepy wrote:
http://www.cruxis.com/scope/scope1070.htm
Thanks! :-D