From our Other Members...

A Convenient “Grab & Fly” Telescope Setup

TimBurns

(Reprinted with permission from Tom Koonce of The Antelope Valley Astronomy Club.)

Have you ever headed out on a long trip and wished that you could do a little star-gazing once you arrived at your destination? But perhaps you have thought about the logistics of traveling with a telescope like the inconvenience of getting your telescope equipment through airport security, potential damage to the telescope, or maybe been daunted about what eyepieces and accessories to take? This article could help you to stop worrying… and start packing.

I had a unique opportunity to travel “down under” to observe from the dark skies of south central Australia, east of Melbourne, and then from the large island of Tasmania located off the southern tip of Australia. I knew I had to take a telescope with me or I’d certainly regret it. Major airlines fly into Melbourne, but only small “regional” airlines fly into Tasmania, so the amount of baggage I could take on the three week trip was strictly limited to a total weight of 23 kg (50.7 lbs). My astronomy setup would have to fit into an already limited volume that included work attire, a bulky jacket, shoes, shaving kit, notebooks of work materials, and a laptop. While the observing portion of this trip was secondary to the business portion of this trip, it was still very important to me personally and deserved careful planning ahead of time.

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One member's opinion of where to establish an observatory

romeropaul

Re: BLM land coming up for renewal of lease, August 2013

Hi ASN members. I finished reading a newsletter for the Reno Radio Control Club for August 2011. In the body of the text there was a paragraph describing where they are in touch with the BLM to renew their lease. The terms of the lease, I believe, are $1 per year for 10-15 years at a time. They have had good luck with the location, as they are able to basically do what they want with regards to improvements and they are able 'to get away with' $100/year membership dues to use the facilities.

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The Lunar Eclipse 2011

AndyD

On December 10^th several ASN members gathered at the Planetarium at 5am to watch the Lunar eclipse. While the morning was cold, the sky was clear and perfect for watching the eclipse. At around 6am the general public began arriving. In all we had approximately 20 people show up. We were unable to see all of the eclipse due to the moon setting behind Pevine Mtn. Even so, a good time was had by all. I would like to thank Mike Hopper, Paul Romero, and Tim Stoffel for coming out and helping with the public.

Wine Country Astronomy

romeropaul

Hi ASN members! I just returned from a week in the Napa/Sonoma Valleys of California. Here, the temperate weather, plentiful water, and rich soil produce the more complex (that knowledge cost me $15 and an hour for the tour) varieties of wine. It also is an area where the 'seeing' is very good due to laminar flow off the Pacific ocean.

I had searched for a camping spot in this area because the hotels were full in the last weeks of July, and by accident, I came upon the Sugarloaf regional state park, located just southeast of Santa Rosa. Here there is the Robert Ferguson Observatory, and a full service (read hot showers) public campground. I arrived to find a very well maintained campground and large observatory facility (it was closed to the public when I was there). The surrounds were full of beautiful trees, grasses, and the deer were everywhere. I estimate the temperature during the evening is about 65 degrees.

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