Transcript 20/20 Vision Team of Citizen Sky

20/20 Vision Team of Citizen
Sky
Our team will encourage the visual observing of our
feature star Epsilon Aurigae, plus the other 9 stars in
the Citizen Sky program. I want to carry this further to
encourage and train observers in observing 10 other
variable stars besides those in the "10 Star
Tutorial" plus 10 other night sky objects such as deep
sky objects, the moon and planets. We will also assist in
basic training in how to use your telescope.
Chris Stephan, AAVSO Robert Clyde Observatory
Sebring, Florida [email protected]
equipment: 10X50 binocular, 25X100 binocular on mount
4.7 inch refracting telescope, 10 inch reflecting
telescope, and 14.25 inch reflecting telescope
Teaching and Mentoring
We have 47 members from 10
different countries.
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USA- 28 members
Canada- 6 members
Spain- 1 member
United Kingdom- 1 member
India- 3 members
Kuwait- 1 member
Ireland- 2 members
Bulgaria- 2 members
Mexico- 1 member
Germany- 1 member
Leading the Team
• My greatest satisfaction has been to teach
and communicate with these people from
great distances. Some have not been very
active, but several have really done a
great job, and are submitting observations
to Citizen Sky and/or the AAVSO. It is
great to read of their excitement. Many
have had a passion for astronomy ignited
in them. They have been an
encouragement to me.
Keeping the Team on Track.
Here’s some of the Team
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Kent Birkle:
My interest in astronomy goes back to in the early 70s. The first
time I saw my Uncle Chet Richardson's observatory located on
his Cherry Farm in Niagra Falls, I was fascinated with
astronomy. Although I did not own a telescope until 2005, I was
always watching the night sky with binoculars. Astronomy
history, constellations, meteor showers, wandering planets,
comets and the conquests of NASA were my main interests. I
joined the AAVSO in 2006 and have submitted one observation
of Epsilon Aurigae before it vanished below my backyard's
horizon for the rest of the summer. I read the 20/20 Vision
Team blog when I can. I am the 2nd Vice President of the
Pontchartrain Astronomy Society, and help with multiple
outreach events every year, including Sun/Earth Day at Stennis
Space Center in Mississippi. I am very happy to see Citizen
Sky and hope that with the help of the internet and outreach the
organization will flourish in the future. I hope you can send me
a copy of your presentation or maybe you can post it on
http://www.aavso.org/presentation-library-0..........Hope this
helps, Kent Birkle BPK - www.pasnola.org
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Unni Sukumaran in India:
Has your excitement for astronomy gotten others interested? Perhaps
family members or friends?
Yes, I conducted a small demo with my telescope to my relatives and a
couple of kids. They were amazed to see the moon, Venus , Saturn, Orion
Nebula.
I have the epsilon Aur theme on my desk top. Some of my office staff were
asking what was this strange picture and I explained to them the basics of
variable stars and the light year distances of the picture from left to right.
Other basic details from Citizen Sky/AAVSO on Epsilon Aur was emailed
to my brother who is in Canada. A couple of months after I purchased my
telescope , he purchased an Orion MCT (5.1"). My second brother who is
a Surgeon in India also is in the process of buying a simple telescope with
the help of a local club at his place.
Equipment : 130mmx900mm Skywatcher with 6mm and 25mm plossl,
12mm,16mm,25mm,38mm ramsden, 2x variable and 4x fixed barlow. 10x50
olympus Binos.
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by Chris Stephan has been a
great source of information and
inspiration, just as the whole
Citizen Sky project has been, for
amateur astronomers new to the
hobby. I look forward to the email updates Chris sends out
with variable star lists to help us
expand beyond the 10-star
program as new variable star
observers. This team, as well as
the whole Citizen Sky project,
allows newcomers to astronomy
to learn and grow and contribute
to science in small but important
ways.
More from Murice in Texas
• 2.) I recently found out about a new Astronomical League observing
club, the Variable Star Observer club and knew this would be a
perfect way to continue and enhance my newly acquired interest in
variable stars. A lot of the observations I have already done for
Citizen Sky are applicable to those needed to attain a certificate and
pin but there are newer objectives within it that I have not yet done.
I’ve even challenged our 20/20 Visions Team members to join me in
completing the club, which I think would be a great reflection on the
Citizen Sky project as well as the AAVSO.
• 3.) I have made observations of Epsilon Aurigae and all of the stars
in the 10 star program several times each. I’ve also branched out
from that list a little as I learn how to create and use charts from the
VSP at the AAVSO website, for other binocular, telescope and even
naked eye objects. Finding and orienting the field through the
telescope for visual observations has been the toughest part so far
for me. To this point I have amassed 178 observations, it’s not much
but it’s a start!
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My name is Lori Lynn Anderson Doering
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I was born in Canada in the province of Alberta but I have lived almost half of
my life in Andalucia in the south of Spain. I came to Spain in 1987 with a Rotary
Scholarship to Study flamenco guitar with Mario Escudero and Manuel
Cera. At the same time I finished my classical guitar studies at the Superior
Conservatory of Music in Seville and I now work as a guitar professor at the
conservatory of Isla Cristina in the province of Huelva.
My love for astronomy began as a child. When I was 10 years old I bought a
book through my school called “Know the Stars” by H. A. Rey. It was a
wonderful book available through a magazine aimed at fostering reading skills
in school children. The book, which I still have, taught me the basics on stars
and the most important constellations. When I was 12, I took an astronomy
course at the planetarium of Calgary as a member of the girl scouts which
helped to strengthen my basic knowledge.
In Canada I always watched the incredible lights of the aurora borealis and all
my life I have been careful not to miss the eclipses and meteor showers but I
never studied in depth and conformed with the little I knew until the summer of
2009. It was when I was helping my son study for a Science exam that I
discovered something that totally changed the way I understood our universe.
I realized that until then I had not understood the structure and the immensity
of our galaxy nor that there hundreds of billions of galaxies in our universe. It
is….it is just mind boggling and has left me with a thirst to learn everything I
can in the time I have left on this earth. It was like an awakening that has
changed how I feel in relation to everything. I no longer take things for granted.
I now look at the sun and feel it as the star it is and I am fascinated by its
relation with the earth and its solar system and everything beyond.
How small we are!!
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Lori Anderson and the astronomy
club in Huelva, Spain
Linda set up with her
telescope and variable
star chart. Linda’s web
site is
http://greenlandridgeobservatory.c
om/
Lori Lynn Anderson Doering
in Andalucia, Spain.
Linda Morgan-O’Connor, Danforth, Maine
Citizen Sky was there, right when I was beginning to re-engage with my long standing
interest in astronomy. Most of my middle adult years were spent in environments where
light pollution was a discouraging factor, and so I turned to geology and meteorology for
my science fix. Once I retired, however, my husband and I bought land in northern Maine
on the border of New Brunswick, where the skies were spectacular… we also travel to
the desert southwest for winter, where the skies are also spectacular! Naturally I began
to think about buying a telescope, building a small observatory, and finding ways to make
a contribution to the field of astronomy. I knew about AAVSO from my early years; but I
think finding Citizen Sky was just serendipity, found during a random browsing session on
astronomy topics and blogs. The idea of a massive effort to get observations for epsilon
Aurigae was intriguing and immediately caught my interest.
The support in terms of materials, advice and ideas has been fantastic both at Citizen
Sky and AAVSO. The step-by step guidance from AAVSO and Chris’ suggestions for
observations have been invaluable and really made a difference to me – I know that if I
just had launched out on my own I would have chosen difficult star fields, and might have
become frustrated. Instead I feel like I am making steady and consistent progress; and
often feel encouraged after making my observations, and ready to tackle new stars.
I still have challenges with the weather and the environment where I live (heavy dews
and frequent cloudy nights), but I am working through the challenges and hope to be a
steady contributor to the vast data bank of variable observations for many years to come.
Kim Hay- Epsilon Aurigae to the
Sun
• I have done some observations for Epsilon Aurigae and
Rho Cas, and have put them in through the Blue and
Gold, which has now changed, but I do have more to
enter.
We do public outreach, but I have been cutting back and
trying to get more observing in myself this year. I have to
admit I have not done as much observing as I want this
year, but hopefully that is going to change.
On another note, I have just become the AAVSO's Solar
Section Data Analysist, and still learning the ropes.
Denis Walsh in Ireland:
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First let me list some of my
equipment: I usually use the naked
eye, 15x70 binoculars or a 100mm
short tube refractor. I have a Meade
etx125 tube (Mak) which I have
adapted for photo tripods and Nikon
cameras. My favourite (sic) is my
Celestron c11s (SCT) which for
observing can be forced to about
700x with my home-made erecting
4mm eyepiece (two binocular
eyepieces, taped up in a tube).
I work for Cork's Blackrock Castle
Observatory as a teaching
astronomer, and in September and
October 2010, I have my astronomy
photo-exhibition in their space.
I am a scientist by
training, biochemistry and
environmental biotech among the
areas I have worked in.
Clarisa Nell, Calgary, Alberta Canada
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I have always been fascinated by the
stars. There's certainly something magical
about a dark sky that's lit up by millions of
tiny specks of light. As I was looking
around on the web for places to help me
learn more about the stars and
constellations, I came across Citizen Sky.
A whole new world of variable stars
opened up to me, one which I thought
would be too difficult to comprehend, let
alone enjoy, at my amateur level. I
immediately downloaded the ten star
tutorial and started observing several
variable stars in it, including Epsilon
Aurigae. To my delight, it also helped me
recognize more constellations that I have
not previously been able to. I do my
observations both unaided, as well as with
a small pair of binoculars that my
Granddad passed on to me. The website
and the 20/20 team have helped with
explaining how best to judge magnitude,
as well as provided several other variable
stars to enjoy.
Learning as a Team Leader
• The most difficult task is to discipline myself to
set aside time to communicate with the Team.
• Every few months I put out a list of other variable
stars that I recommend for that season. Several
members have told me they enjoy this.
• I continue to encourage the members to submit
their observations. I wish I could be right there to
mentor them.
• Some will join the Team and that’s all we hear
from them. I must tell myself not to take it
personally.
Lead as a Teacher
• I am a science teacher, so it is natural for me to
want to teach my team members.
• I coach them about telescopes and binoculars.
Several have built or purchased a telescope.
• I continually encourage them when they
question the quality of their observations.
• I respond to their emails and post as quickly as
possible. I feel that keeps their enthusiasm
going.
Advice for new team leaders.
• Start off excited, and stay excited. Even
from thousands of miles away, I believe
my team members sense my excitement.
• Don’t expect to win them all over. Most will
be very positive. However, chances are
you will get at least one negative person.
Try to be encouraging, but focus on the
ones who are really growing.
Teaching for Citizen Sky is Fun!
South Plantation Magnet High School
students enjoy the night sky at
Riverwoods Field Lab in Florida.