Observer's handbook comments

I heard from two astronomy clubs about the Observer's handbook.
Oh, yes, the two clubs requested a few copies each, which were duly
filled. It's the discussion that got to me. The clubs here are left
unnamed for the hideous probable embarrassment,
One club noted that it had an Observer's Handbook program in past
years. Over the years its membership declined, now to where the club
no longer can qualify for a quantity discount. It was ready to tell
the members to go and find the book elsewhere and pay list price.
This IS a disgusting development! It's tough enough to hold a
club
together without having to shoo away its remaining members, however
unwillingly.
The other club noted that it has the members to get the OH by
itself and it had a chair for the service. That chair had some tiff
with other club officers and walked off the job. It can't find a new
chair in time to get the books to its members.
In addition, some members wanting the OH got so irritated that
they cancelled their requests! So even if a new chair takes over, the
quantity is gone.
This is hardly a happy way to approach the yearend holidays. It's
the time when a club WANTS to give a bonus in their members.
Both situations are all too familiar to us at NYSkies. Clubs got
effed up once in a while. Hence, without evr intention, the NYSkies
OH
offer finds itself as a 'life net' to salvage the interests of home
astronomers who would other wise quit the profession.
These are the only two extended dialog I had with other clubs.
Most simply put in their requests for some small number of OHs and be
done with it. I can only guess why, like shortage of the club's own
supply or other more benign cause.
It really doesn't matter. If you, whether an individual or a club
officer need the OH, NYSkies can get it to you. That's that.
The request form is at 'www.nyskies.org/oh08.htm'.

On Nov 2, 2:46 pm, wrote:
I heard from two astronomy clubs about the Observer's handbook.
Oh, yes, the two clubs requested a few copies each, which were duly
filled. It's the discussion that got to me. The clubs here are left
unnamed for the hideous probable embarrassment,
One club noted that it had an Observer's Handbook program in past
years. Over the years its membership declined, now to where the club
no longer can qualify for a quantity discount. It was ready to tell
the members to go and find the book elsewhere and pay list price.
This IS a disgusting development! It's tough enough to hold a
club
together without having to shoo away its remaining members, however
unwillingly.
The other club noted that it has the members to get the OH by
itself and it had a chair for the service. That chair had some tiff
with other club officers and walked off the job. It can't find a new
chair in time to get the books to its members.
In addition, some members wanting the OH got so irritated that
they cancelled their requests! So even if a new chair takes over, the
quantity is gone.
This is hardly a happy way to approach the yearend holidays. It's
the time when a club WANTS to give a bonus in their members.
Both situations are all too familiar to us at NYSkies. Clubs got
effed up once in a while. Hence, without evr intention, the NYSkies
OH
offer finds itself as a 'life net' to salvage the interests of home
astronomers who would other wise quit the profession.
These are the only two extended dialog I had with other clubs.
Most simply put in their requests for some small number of OHs and be
done with it. I can only guess why, like shortage of the club's own
supply or other more benign cause.
It really doesn't matter. If you, whether an individual or a club
officer need the OH, NYSkies can get it to you. That's that.
The request form is at 'www.nyskies.org/oh08.htm'.

Are you talking about the RASC handbook?

Rich wrote:
Are you talking about the RASC handbook?

My guess is that he is, as he is referring to an "Observer's Handbook"
not published by an American federation of astronomy clubs that his
club belongs to - in *that* case, it would be a benefit of membership,
and the problem would not arise.

I'm surprised, actually, that in this one tiny area the Americans have
taken pity on our efforts and haven't gone out and done better with
ten times the manpower. (Actually, more than ten: with places like
Arizona in your country, it clearly has a climate more suited to
amateur astronomy than Canada.) I can only assume that our Observer's
Handbook was good enough that there was no need to duplicate the
effort.

Although in Britain, there's Patrick Moore's annual effort - given
that Britain is a far northern country with a damp climate, that there
is one man there of whom one can almost say that he *is* amateur
astronomy in Britain is perhaps not surprising - it is natural to feel
under such circumstances that amateur astronomy needs a little push.

John Savard

an essential catalog not even touched by any American counterpart
imho.



Quadibloc wrote:

Rich wrote:
Are you talking about the RASC handbook?

My guess is that he is, as he is referring to an "Observer's Handbook"
not published by an American federation of astronomy clubs that his
club belongs to - in *that* case, it would be a benefit of membership,
and the problem would not arise.

I'm surprised, actually, that in this one tiny area the Americans have
taken pity on our efforts and haven't gone out and done better with
ten times the manpower. (Actually, more than ten: with places like
Arizona in your country, it clearly has a climate more suited to
amateur astronomy than Canada.) I can only assume that our Observer's
Handbook was good enough that there was no need to duplicate the
effort.

Although in Britain, there's Patrick Moore's annual effort - given
that Britain is a far northern country with a damp climate, that there
is one man there of whom one can almost say that he *is* amateur
astronomy in Britain is perhaps not surprising - it is natural to feel
under such circumstances that amateur astronomy needs a little push.

John Savard

Quadibloc wrote:
Rich wrote:
Are you talking about the RASC handbook?

My guess is that he is, as he is referring to an "Observer's Handbook"
not published by an American federation of astronomy clubs that his
club belongs to - in *that* case, it would be a benefit of membership,
and the problem would not arise.

I'm surprised, actually, that in this one tiny area the Americans have
taken pity on our efforts and haven't gone out and done better with
ten times the manpower. (Actually, more than ten: with places like
Arizona in your country, it clearly has a climate more suited to
amateur astronomy than Canada.) I can only assume that our Observer's
Handbook was good enough that there was no need to duplicate the
effort.

Although in Britain, there's Patrick Moore's annual effort - given
that Britain is a far northern country with a damp climate, that there
is one man there of whom one can almost say that he *is* amateur
astronomy in Britain is perhaps not surprising - it is natural to feel
under such circumstances that amateur astronomy needs a little push.

John Savard





The AL (Astronomical League) is taking pre orders,
the RASC OH ships in December. The price is $21.00

I already ordered mine



Don't know what all the fuss is about, as long as one
gets it. It's worth the $31.00 list price even !

This must be a New York Yankee type of thing...


--

AM

On Nov 11, 4:54?am, AM wrote:
Quadibloc wrote:
Rich wrote:
Are you talking about the RASC handbook?

My guess is that he is, as he is referring to an "Observer's Handbook"
not published by an American federation of astronomy clubs that his
club belongs to - in *that* case, it would be a benefit of membership,
and the problem would not arise.

I'm surprised, actually, that in this one tiny area the Americans have
taken pity on our efforts and haven't gone out and done better with
ten times the manpower. (Actually, more than ten: with places like
Arizona in your country, it clearly has a climate more suited to
amateur astronomy than Canada.) I can only assume that our Observer's
Handbook was good enough that there was no need to duplicate the
effort.

Although in Britain, there's Patrick Moore's annual effort - given
that Britain is a far northern country with a damp climate, that there
is one man there of whom one can almost say that he *is* amateur
astronomy in Britain is perhaps not surprising - it is natural to feel
under such circumstances that amateur astronomy needs a little push.

John Savard

The AL (Astronomical League) is taking pre orders,
the RASC OH ships in December. The price is $21.00

I already ordered mine

Don't know what all the fuss is about, as long as one
gets it. It's worth the $31.00 list price even !

This must be a New York Yankee type of thing...

--

AM- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I don't bother my local club any more, it's hardly worth the hassle to
save five dollars here and five dollars there and go through all the
club BS. I enjoy getting the package in the mail from Canada and
dealing directly with the Astronomy Mag publishers. I still go to club
star parties about once a year and set up a telescope. So far nobody
has stopped me from setting up because my dues are not up to date.
Most of my observing happens in the backyard anyway, and this here is
my real "club." Sorry 'bout that...

rat
~( );

rat ~( ); wrote:

I don't bother my local club any more, it's hardly worth the hassle to
save five dollars here and five dollars there and go through all the
club BS. I enjoy getting the package in the mail from Canada and
dealing directly with the Astronomy Mag publishers. I still go to club
star parties about once a year and set up a telescope. So far nobody
has stopped me from setting up because my dues are not up to date.
Most of my observing happens in the backyard anyway, and this here is
my real "club." Sorry 'bout that...

rat
~( );





I do like our club, with over 800 members, I am
almost always meeting someone new when out observing.

Ya get a few cranks here and there, but they get lost
in the masses which on the whole, are interested, and
motivated. Made a bunch of nice friends this way. And
after almost nine years a member, it's nice to keep
hearing the same familiar voices in the dark year after
year, with the new one's added on. Have to put up
with the noise of GOTO all the time now, but it just
means more new people getting into the hobby.

Also... people in our club seem to sell stuff like crazy
at times, some of the deals were/are fantastic at times.
Lot's of old gear pop's up from time to time, I go
crazy over it for some reason...

The flip side is that now I am into the Herschel 400, I do
preffer to observe alone more often. Going to be earning
some ironman points this winter if it keeps getting cold
here. (supposed to have warm winter lol...)


--

AM

On Nov 12, 6:21?am, AM wrote:

The flip side is that now I am into the Herschel 400, I do
preffer to observe alone more often. Going to be earning
some ironman points this winter if it keeps getting cold
here. (supposed to have warm winter lol...)

--

AM

I know what you mean, winter observing is harsh. Just the same, it has
provided some of the most exquisite, personal, "alone" moments that I
have ever had. I'll never forget the image of the Moon reflected off a
billion untouched snow crystals in my back yard, under Orion in the
dead still of a frozen winter night. Totally worth it.

rat
~( );

rat ~( ); wrote:

I know what you mean, winter observing is harsh. Just the same, it has
provided some of the most exquisite, personal, "alone" moments that I
have ever had. I'll never forget the image of the Moon reflected off a
billion untouched snow crystals in my back yard, under Orion in the
dead still of a frozen winter night. Totally worth it.

rat
~( );






Mine was the Lunar eclipse of 01.20.2000
Younger kid's BDay the next day, and he
was at MoM's house. so, I went out in 20F
weather and shot the whole eclipse on several
rolls of Pro 400. It was freezing, and windy,
and it was painful working the camera, but at
the same time, a very personal and alone feeling
with nature. Almost a detached experience.

Hard to describe, but I didn't really feel the
cold till I came in around 1:30 am. I had been out
since before 10pm. Took a LONG while to warm up !

I've slacked off some in recent years, so I have
to make up for it now



--

AM

On Nov 12, 6:29 pm, AM wrote:
rat ~( ); wrote:
I know what you mean, winter observing is harsh. Just the same, it has
provided some of the most exquisite, personal, "alone" moments that I
have ever had. I'll never forget the image of the Moon reflected off a
billion untouched snow crystals in my back yard, under Orion in the
dead still of a frozen winter night. Totally worth it.

rat
~( );

Mine was the Lunar eclipse of 01.20.2000
Younger kid's BDay the next day, and he
was at MoM's house. so, I went out in 20F
weather and shot the whole eclipse on several
rolls of Pro 400. It was freezing, and windy,
and it was painful working the camera, but at
the same time, a very personal and alone feeling
with nature. Almost a detached experience.

Hard to describe, but I didn't really feel the
cold till I came in around 1:30 am. I had been out
since before 10pm. Took a LONG while to warm up !

I've slacked off some in recent years, so I have
to make up for it now

--

AM

Yes, nothing like laying under the blankets at 2:00 AM waiting for the
hypothermia to wear off.

rat
~( );