AstroAssembly 2019
Saturday Program
All day at Seagrave Memorial Observatory
Poster Session, Swap Table (please bring your own table), Solar Viewing, Astrophotography Contest (entry form), Homemade Telescopes (bring yours), and the Famous Astro Bake-off Contest.
The Next Generation of Amateur Telescope Making
Zane Landers
This presentation will be focused on the maturing concepts of sub-f/4 and meniscus mirrors, silvering, and the advantages of rich-field telescopes. Zane will also be briefly talking about what got him into telescope making and a few other ATM/refurbishment projects he has worked on and is currently working on. He will be bringing his newly-completed 10” f/3.2 Dobsonian as well.
Zane Landers is a well-known amateur astronomer and one of the younger active members of the amateur community. He has been featured in Sky & Telescope (September 2018) as well as TIME (Labor Day 2018/online) and National Geographic (online) for the construction of his homemade 6" f/4.3 Newtonian and handmade primary mirror. Zane's other projects include homemade 6", 10" 12", 16", and 20" Dobsonians including his new 10" f/3.2 which will be one of the subjects of his talk, as well as the refurbishment and cataloging of dozens of amateur-class telescopes in the past few years, and active involvement in the relocation of the 22" Stamford Observatory Maksutov-Cassegrain. Zane is currently a high school senior and is also working on earning his associates degree at Norwalk Community College.
Lunch at the Skyscrapers Grill
Stars Through the Araucanias: Mapuche-Pewenche Ethnoastronomy
Roger Fu
The Mapuche-Pewenche people of the southern Andes have developed a unique way of understanding movements in the night and daytime sky. In their astronomical tradition, the naming of certain key stars is based on the timing of local rising while the determination of new months and years are based in part on the sidereal lunar month instead of the more familiar synodic month. I'll start with an introduction to Mapuche and Pewenche culture and then present the results of my own field research between 2009 and 2010.
Roger is an assistant professor in Earth and Planetary Sciences at Harvard University with a research focus in planet formation and the early Earth. He has been an amateur astronomer since receiving a 60mm refractor for Christmas in 1998. He admits to spending too much time thinking about how to improve his several telescopes.
Chile 2017-2018 Astronomical Trip
Ed Ting
In 2017 and 2018, Ed traveled to Chile on a grant from the National Science Foundation as part of the "ACEAP" Ambassador program. Join us for a look at the long, thin country "down under" as we explore Chile, from perspectives astronomical and otherwise.
Ed Ting is a well-known amateur astronomer. His works have appeared in Sky & Telescope, Night Sky, Skywatch, Amateur Astronomy, Discover, and Popular Mechanics magazines. His writings have been translated into several languages, and he speaks frequently on the topics of astronomy and astrophotography. He has been on New Hampshire Public Radio, and on the Manchester, NH TV program, Star Hop. His web site, www.scopereviews.com, is a widely-read telescope review web site. He is a National Science Foundation Ambassador to Chile and a NASA Solar System Ambassador. He holds a BS in Engineering from the University of Illinois and an MFA from the New Hampshire Institute of Art, where he teaches a course on astrophotography. He is currently in graduate school at Dartmouth, where he intends to write a thesis on astroimaging.
Southern Skies: A trip below the equator to see an eclipse, the southern Milky Way and even a llama or two
Steve Hubbard
Steve and his wife Sue have been very fortunate over the last few years to be able to travel to some exotic, unique places across the globe chasing Total Solar Eclipses.
This year was no exception and they were able to visit the beautiful country of Chile which provided exceptional, clear views of this past July’s eclipse as well as unparalleled views of the Southern skies.
His talk this morning will be both a bit of a travelogue exploring some of the incredible sights that Chile has to offer as well as parts geared for us amateur astronomers such as the eclipse itself and the night sky.
Steve has been an amateur astronomer for over 45 years and a member as well as current president of Skyscrapers. He has built telescopes, met many famous people and made many long-term friendships thanks to his interest in astronomy for which he is eternally grateful.
Saturday Evening Program
At North Scituate Baptist Church, 619 W Greenville Rd (Route 116), North Scituate, RI 02857
Directions to North Scituate Baptist Church
Reception & Antipasto Bar (pre-registration required)
Evening Banquet – Italian-style Buffet Dinner catered by Quik Stop Deli (pre-registration required)
Words of Welcome, Awards, Raffle Drawing
What Will Mars 2020 Tell Us About the Planets?
John Mustard
Excitement is building for the launch of Mars 2020 next year. Professor Mustard will provide an update on the progress of the mission towards launch and its goals once it safely arrives on the Red Planet.
Dr. Mustard received his B.S. with Honors in 1983 from U. British Columbia and his Ph.D. in 1990 from Brown University. Following postdoctoral research in the Department, He was appointed W. M. Keck assistant professor (research) in 1991 after a nationwide search. His interests in the applications of remote sensing have been integral to the Department's interdisciplinary work with Environmental Sciences, the Environmental Change Initiative and the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) joint program.