BASADMIN

Astronomy 365 Days

by

Authors: Jerry T. Bonnell and Robert J. Nemiroff

Photographs of outer space, produced by earthbound and space telescopes and planet-roving satellites, have long captivated a vast audience. In this follow-up to “Abrams’ The Universe: 365 Days”, the two astrophysicists who founded Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) bring readers the most ingruiging pictures of space to date. They include photographs from the Spirit and Opportunity rovers on Mars and the Cassini spacecraft orbiting the ringed gas giant Saturn, along with the latest deep-space revelations from the Hubble Space Telescope – and gorgeous views by professionals and amateurs alike of the wonders in the skies just above Earth. Accompanying each spectacular image is a short explanatory text. With an easy-to-navigate glossary and Universe by the Numbers chart, this latest book in “Abrams’ 365 Days” series will be savoured by everyone who saw the first book, as well as anyone else who’s ever felt the astonishing allure of the heavens.

Plus photographs from the Spirit and Opportunity rovers on Mars and the Cassini spacecraft orbiting the ringed gas giant Saturn, this book also contains the deep-space revelations from the Hubble Space Telescope. Accompanying each spectacular image is a short explanatory text.

Maleny Observatory – Location & Facilities

by

BAS conducts regular telescope evenings for its Sunshine Coast members on the lawns of the Maleny Golf Club clubhouse.

The club’s street address is:  15 Porters Lane, North Maleny QLD, 4552

Most people initially head for Landsborough and then head up the Landsborough Maleny Road to Maleny itself.  Once in Maleny, drive straight through the first roundabout and then take the first right, Teak Street, to head towards North Maleny and the golf club.

For a Google Maps location map, click here.

For a What3Words location map, click here. Or insert the following three words into the app: responsible.bananas.croaking

The main telescope setup area is just above the clubhouse.  The clubhouse is open for use by members during our telescope events.

There is some limited storage capacity adjacent to the clubhouse for astronomy equipment storage.  There is a toilet to the north of the main carpark.

BAS conducts telescope evenings for members, mainly on the Saturday closest to the New Moon phase.  Public nights are also conducted on selected Saturdays prior to member events.  Dates for all events are available on the BAS website calendars:

https://bas.asn.au/calendars/bas-members-event-calendar/

https://bas.asn.au/calendars/bas-members-event-calendar/

Public telescope nights commence, around sunset, with a short PowerPoint presentation on aspects of astronomy and the main objects visible on the night.  BAS members welcome the public looking through their telescopes as planets, stars, star clusters, nebulae or asteroids.  Some members will also demonstrate aspects of astrophotography.

BAS Member nights are reserved purely for the benefit of members.  Beginner members are encouraged to attend both public and members events.  There is no need to own or bring a telescope.  Attending these evenings and talking with other BAS members will help beginners climb the astronomy learning curve.

Ken Wishaw co-ordinates the Maleny events and makes the Go/No Go weather condition decision.  He maintains an email list of BAS members interested in attending Maleny events.  Members are encouraged to contact Ken and add their email address.  Status update emails are issued in the days prior to calendar-listed events.

Please note, BAS does not have permission for members to camp overnight on the Maleny Golf Club site or in any of its facilities. The nearest camping option is the Maleny Show Ground, about 2km from the golf club.

The Maleny facilities are excellent.  BAS members are encouraged to utilise these facilities and the events we conduct there.

BAS Observer – May 2021

by

May 2021 – BAS Observer

In a packed edition, find stories on topics terrestrial and astronomical:

  • New dark-sky observing site at Calvert, just west of Rosewood
    Protecting our Sunshine Coast night skies
    A double star and star cluster worth observing
    Observing a quasar 2.4 billion light years away
    Great first night at Calvert observing site
    Finding the darkest skies in Australia, and protecting them
    Binocular astronomy, a great first step in observing

Click here fore the full newsletter

Korolev

by

Author:  James Harford

An excellent book covering the life and technical achievements of Hero of The Soviet State, Sergei Pavlovich Korolev.  For years his name was unknown to the West, and referred to in the soviet press as simply “Chief Designer”.

As a young engineering experimenting in rocketry, Korolev was denounced by his colleagues and banished to the Siberian gulags.  His health suffered terribly and impacted him severely in later life.

However, following the Soviet capture of German V2 rocket technology post WWII, Korolev was recalled to Moscow and the rest was history.  First man-made satellite in space. First manned vehicle to orbit the Earth.  And very nearly the first manned landing on the Moon.

An amazing life and a biography well worth reading.

Astronomy

by

Author: Theodore Mehlin

A textbook for an introductory university course on astronomy.  Written in the later 1950’s, this edition published in 1961.

Contents covers:

  • Telescope of the era
  • Star evolution
  • Stellar distances
  • The Sun
  • Binary Stars
  • Variable stars
  • Galaxies
  • The Milky Way
  • The planers
  • The Earth
  • Earth satellites
  • Comets and meteors
  • Origin if the Solar System.

The contents is dated but still interesting and useful.

Countdown – A History of Space Flight

by

Author: T.A. Heppenheimer

This book comprehensively covers the history of space flight up to the 1990s (it was first published in 1997). It extends from Oberth’s and Goddard’s early thoughts on space flight, through World War II and the military development of rocketry, then on through the Cold War and beyond.  Chapters cover the 1960’s space race and subsequent missions and exploration.