News Blog

News on what’s been happeing in BAS.

Scenic Rim Star Party 2019

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Scenic Rim Star Party 2019

The Scenic Rim Astronomy Association held their 2019 Star Party are their Laravale facility, just south of Beaudesert, in early June. As usual the event organisation was fantastic. SRAA pulled out all the stops to make this a major regional event and the largest public astronomy event in Queensland. They attracted a host of excellent speakers ranging from academic researchers to highly accomplished amateur astronomers and niche-topic specialists. Talks were running almost continuously through the afternoon and into the evening. There were plenty of food and drink options on offer from food trucks and local astro-equipment vendors also setup pop-up shops.

A big “thank you” to all the BAS members who attended and brought their telescopes along for the public observing evening. The skies looked hopeful until the sun started to set, but the clouds drifted in and dashed everyone’s hopes. The local rocketeers tried to punch a few holes in the clouds for us, but to no avail. Let’s hope 2020 from SRAA, and all of us, some better skies.

Congratulations again to SRAA for another wonderful public astronomy event.

SRAA President, Greg Campbell, explaining the range of astronomical equipment available for the public observing session.

Tripod Astrophotography

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Tripod Astrophotography

At our June 2019 monthly meeting, Mark Culley, professional photographer and highly accomplished astrophotographer www.astro-photography.com.au , captured everyone’s attention with his stunning wide-field astro-photos and tutorial talk. Mark’s talk focused on tripod dslr astrophotography using tracked and untracked approaches. His tracked photos utilised the amazing Skywatcher Star Adventurer mount and his untracked photos just relied on a sturdy tripod and Rule of 500 https://bit.ly/2AYLB2b . Mark has scouted the Scenic Rim region, south-west of Brisbane, to locate many locations that can bring landscape and night sky together to stunning effect. You might almost say his photos are “out of this world”. Mark ended his talk with an offer to organise an evening, perhaps near Moogerah Dam, for BAS members to learn from the master. Thank you, Mark. All we need now is for the clouds to clear.

Mark Culley explaining one of his stunning astro-photos.

 

John Dobson & Sidewalk Astronomers

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John Dobson & Sidewalk Astronomers

At our June 2019 monthly meeting, BAS member, John Pitts, delivered an excellent talk on one of the greatest influencers of amateur astronomy, Mr John Dobson. For those of you owning Dobsonian telescopes, John Dobson was the inventor of this simple to use telescope design. We learned how John Dobson was a monk in a Californian seminary while conducting a somewhat clandestine program of mirror grinding, telescope making and public astronomy outreach. Eventually the seminary, and John, decided their heavenly interests were a little too divergent and so John returned to the secular world and concentrated all his efforts on encouraging public interest in large aperture simple telescopes and casual observing. From his efforts the Sidewalk Astronomers initiative was born and spread across North America and far beyond. John Dobson also travelled widely to spread his message and even visited Queensland Astrofest in 1995.

BAS members have been continuing in the footsteps of John Dobson for many years. Our school nights and public observing evenings at Mt Coot-tha and Maleny perpetuate the philosophy of Sidewalk Astronomers. BAS members are encouraged to get their Dobsonian telescopes, and all other designs, out of the cupboard and actively support our version of Sidewalk Astronomy.

John Pitts sharing some of the life and achievements of John Dobson.

Laser Pointer Safety and BAS Policy

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Laser Pointer Safety and BAS Policy

Brisbane Astronomical Society has a duty of care for public safety at its astronomical events. One potential area of risk to BAS Members, and the public, is the use of laser pointers either attached to a telescope or operated by hand. This Laser Pointer Safety Training Lecture material, and 23-point Laser Safety Policy, is designed to alert BAS members to potential dangers and risks associated with laser pointer use, and to guide BAS members in laser operational procedures that should help minimize the potential for adverse incident or personal injury. BAS members seeking to use a laser pointer at a BAS astronomical event are required to be certified that they have undertaken basic training in the safe operation of a laser pointer and understand some of the common risks associated with laser pointer use. The BAS Laser Pointer Safety Training materials, and 23-point Laser Safety Policy, and Certification application form, are available for PDF document download: Click Here

The Certification application form, alone, is available as a PDF document download: Click Here

Gilmour Space Technologies speaks to BAS

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Gilmour Space Technologies speaks to BAS

A very big thank you to Peter Kinne, head of sales for Gilmnour Space Technologies, for speaking at our October 2019 monthly meeting. It’s not often you get the chance to handle a chunk of rocket fuel – thank you Peter for bringing it along for show & tell. Now we all have a much better understanding of hybrid rocket technology and why this is likely to be Australia’s next pathway to space. BAS looks forward with huge anticipation to the next GST rocket launch.

2019 BAS Astro-Quiz

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2019 BAS Astro-Quiz

At our July monthly meeting we held the annual BAS Astro Quiz for 2019. While surreptitious use of Google and Wikpedia were not endorsed at the meeting you are now free to give the quiz a try at home with every astro-resource available to you. No answers provided here, you will just have to do your own research. A PDF version of the quiz slides is available for download: Click Here