The long wait is over, now starts the other long wait… the weather.
Arrggghhh!

We added a few pictures in the photo section under "Barb &
Kevin's 'toy'. Please note we have photographic proof (pic #1) that
it was already cloudy before we received the box. Also note worthy
is the view of the Meade package through our cats (Ben) eyes. Check
out the last two pictures. Be sure to read the titles.

Kevin & Barb

Good work, Dale!? Thanks for being the point man on this project.? I think we can live with those rules, and I don't think $3 once a month is going to break me.

George '3'

?Dale Carey wrote:

Commonwealth of Virginia
Department of Conservation and Recreation
Division of Parks
Special Use Permit
2003

A permit was issued to Back Bay Amateur Astronomers, effective
3/15/03 for the following 2003 dates;
April 5????? ????? ????? Aug 2
May? 3????? ????? ????? Aug 30
May 31????? ????? ????? Sept 27
June 28????? ????? ????? Dec? 27

Requested dates of Oct. 25 and Nov 22 are not available due to other
events. We may get alternative dates if we like.? This permit allows
for access during time periods when the park is normally closed to
the public, therefore the following conditions must be STRICLY
adhered to:


1.? ????? A copy of the permit must be in the possession of a
responsible party representing the group at all times in which the
group, or individuals, are in the park after dark.? Individuals
accessing the park under this permit must be respectful of park
enforcement staff and willing to identify themselves upon request.

2.????? This permit allows for special use, not exclusive use.? On
occasion there are evening events at the Conference Shelter in which
lights may be in use. After-hours access and parking is RESTRICTED to
the Mansion Parking Lot.? Club members are NOT permitted to access
other areas of the park after dark, other than the restrooms.

3. ????? All vehicles accessing the park after hours under this permit
must be identified as such with a 8 ?" x 11" paper or placard in the
windshield that states "BBAA" in large letters.

4.????? As park roads are public, all laws of the Commonwealth apply
in regards to operation of motor vehicles.? Headlights must remain on
at all times while on parks roads.?

5. ????? All normal park user fees apply, $3.00 per visit.? The honor
system is in effect after hours for parking fees and participants
should follow instructions at contact station and hang tag receipt
from rear view mirror.? Failure to pay fees may result in
cancellation of permit.

6. ????? The park reserves the right to cancel this permit if any time
the activity is found to be in conflict with the park's overall
mission OR security efforts.???

?
OK, now lets take this slow.? It may look like a lot but it's not.?
We have to remember, we are the only club that Chippokes has ever let
stay after dark.? They (security) have never had nighttime visitors,
so they were all concerned about everything.? So this permit sets all
the "rules" down for us.? In order as above:
I will bring 4 copies of this permit with a set of rules for all the
officers to the ECSP or you may pick up your copy from me after this
Friday the 14th.? No. 2 is pretty much self-explanatory, in other
words, stay in the parking lot.? No. 3, I printed BBAA in large
letters on the computer and will keep it in my truck for future uses
or you can write BBAA on a piece of paper with a marker.? Put it on
your dash when entering the park.? No.4
The house by the parking lot is rented by security, so coming in,
make sure your lights are on until you pass their house then use
parking lights.? When you leave, as soon as you point away from the
observers turn on headlights, at least before you get to end of
parking lot.? No.5, it can't all be perfect.? I am told because of
the latest round of budget cuts, higher cost in upkeep and so on, the
powers to be could no longer issue no fee permits.? I pleaded, but
decision was not local.? I personally have paid $15 to $25 for a
campsite in parks so I could observe in a safe environment.? The
$3.00 fee gives you access to the park for all night and use of the
restrooms.? We also get security, (even if you don't want it).? I
would have loved to have gotten this site with no fees but I can
understand their dilemma.? I sincerely hope this does not deter
anyone from attending nightwatch.? The choice is really yours, is it
worth $3.00?? IT IS TO ME.
See you there
Dale?????????????????




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George Reynolds, Deputy Commander, Tidewater South Section Royal Rangers

Visit my Web page:? ?

"Solar System Ambassador" for South Hampton Roads, Virginia

?Member, Back Bay Amateur Astronomers (BBAA)?

---

Do you Yahoo!?
- establish your business online

Commonwealth of Virginia
Department of Conservation and Recreation
Division of Parks
Special Use Permit
2003

A permit was issued to Back Bay Amateur Astronomers, effective
3/15/03 for the following 2003 dates;
April 5 Aug 2
May 3 Aug 30
May 31 Sept 27
June 28 Dec 27

Requested dates of Oct. 25 and Nov 22 are not available due to other
events. We may get alternative dates if we like. This permit allows
for access during time periods when the park is normally closed to
the public, therefore the following conditions must be STRICLY
adhered to:


1. A copy of the permit must be in the possession of a
responsible party representing the group at all times in which the
group, or individuals, are in the park after dark. Individuals
accessing the park under this permit must be respectful of park
enforcement staff and willing to identify themselves upon request.

2. This permit allows for special use, not exclusive use. On
occasion there are evening events at the Conference Shelter in which
lights may be in use. After-hours access and parking is RESTRICTED to
the Mansion Parking Lot. Club members are NOT permitted to access
other areas of the park after dark, other than the restrooms.

3. All vehicles accessing the park after hours under this permit
must be identified as such with a 8 ?" x 11" paper or placard in the
windshield that states "BBAA" in large letters.

4. As park roads are public, all laws of the Commonwealth apply
in regards to operation of motor vehicles. Headlights must remain on
at all times while on parks roads.

5. All normal park user fees apply, $3.00 per visit. The honor
system is in effect after hours for parking fees and participants
should follow instructions at contact station and hang tag receipt
from rear view mirror. Failure to pay fees may result in
cancellation of permit.

6. The park reserves the right to cancel this permit if any time
the activity is found to be in conflict with the park's overall
mission OR security efforts.


OK, now lets take this slow. It may look like a lot but it's not.
We have to remember, we are the only club that Chippokes has ever let
stay after dark. They (security) have never had nighttime visitors,
so they were all concerned about everything. So this permit sets all
the "rules" down for us. In order as above:
I will bring 4 copies of this permit with a set of rules for all the
officers to the ECSP or you may pick up your copy from me after this
Friday the 14th. No. 2 is pretty much self-explanatory, in other
words, stay in the parking lot. No. 3, I printed BBAA in large
letters on the computer and will keep it in my truck for future uses
or you can write BBAA on a piece of paper with a marker. Put it on
your dash when entering the park. No.4
The house by the parking lot is rented by security, so coming in,
make sure your lights are on until you pass their house then use
parking lights. When you leave, as soon as you point away from the
observers turn on headlights, at least before you get to end of
parking lot. No.5, it can't all be perfect. I am told because of
the latest round of budget cuts, higher cost in upkeep and so on, the
powers to be could no longer issue no fee permits. I pleaded, but
decision was not local. I personally have paid $15 to $25 for a
campsite in parks so I could observe in a safe environment. The
$3.00 fee gives you access to the park for all night and use of the
restrooms. We also get security, (even if you don't want it). I
would have loved to have gotten this site with no fees but I can
understand their dilemma. I sincerely hope this does not deter
anyone from attending nightwatch. The choice is really yours, is it
worth $3.00? IT IS TO ME.
See you there
Dale

I plan to be there tonight, rain or shine. If there is an indoor
place to set up I have a few handout materials and we can put a
couple telescopes on display. If the rain stops and the sky clears,
we can set up outside (fingers crossed, legs crossed, eyes
crossed . . . !!!)

I don't have my large folding table or my upright display board this
time. But I'll be there.

George '3'

Well, if you're like me and hate the moon (except for romancing, of
course) there are a few nice challenges for observers with 8" or
larger telescopes during the next few moonlit evenings.

Owl Nebula
M 97 Ursa Major
11h 14m 46s +55 01' 07"
M 97 is an easy target under a dark sky, but can present a real
challenge to the medium size telescope user on moonlit nights. A
nebula filter dramatically increases your chances of seeing this
marvelous planetary nebula. Let us know if you sight it. If you find
it try looking for it again under the dark Coinjock skies at ECSP
March 28 & 29. Maybe you'll see the Owl's two dark eyes.

The Hourglass Nebula
NGC 2346 Monoceros
07h 09m -00 48' 24"
I've only observed this twice in my entire life, and each time has
been under city skies. It has a very bright 11.7 magnitude central
star. You'll need at least an 8" and a nebula filter to see the 52"
shell of nebulosity surrounding the star, but the effort will be most
rewarding.

The Crystal Ball
NGC 1514 Taurus
04h 09m 17s +30 46' 33'
This is a wonderful pn, even from light-polluted skies. Has a very
bright central star. It is quite eerie, especially when viewed at
medium power (100x) with a nebula filter.

Kent Blackwell

--- In backbayastro@..., "twforte2002" <twforte@a...>
wrote:

Just a reminder:

Cedar Road Elementary School "Instructional Fair". 5:30 to 8:00

p.m.

Tuesday, March 11, at the school in Chesapeake. Weather permitting,

we

will set up telescopes to show the first quarter moon and the

bright

planets. If clouds force us inside, we will have an indoor display.

Ted Forte

I'll be there, too. I may be a little late because of work. Have
scope, will travel!
Rick Bish

开云体育

For those who thought they might have gotten rid of me chatting on
backbayastro, they are mistaken. I've been quiet lately because I was
on a scientific expedition cruise to Mardi Gras, and am glad to
report I was able to see many heavenly bodies on said expedition.

So, there I was standing on Bourbon Street on Fat Tuesday
thiking, "Gee, I must not be in Kansas anymore". After Mardi Gras I
did sail south on the ship Nordic Empress down to about 20-degrees
north latitude but can't remember if I saw anything in the sky or
not.

It was fun, but it's good to be home. There IS no place like home!

Kent Blackwell

He does it all with smoke and mirrors....



From: "Woody, Denice K" <denice.k.woody@...>
Reply-To: backbayastro@...
To: "'backbayastro@...'" <backbayastro@...>
Subject: RE: [backbayastro] April talk
Date: Mon, 10 Mar 2003 08:22:26 -0800

Or the sizzle as your scope begins to burn?.....bring back memories,
Ted?.... :-}

Denice

Hello George,

Thanks for the kind words. Last night we worked with a moon map identifying features. Look forweard to some of the Chippokes
sessions.

Cliff

From: "pathfinder027" <pathfinder027@...>
Reply-To: backbayastro@...
To: backbayastro@...
Subject: [backbayastro] Welcome, new members and friends!
Date: Mon, 10 Mar 2003 01:43:46 -0000

I'd like to wish a hearty WELCOME to our newest members and their
friends: Taylor Christy, Cliff Hedgepeth, Tamara Dykes, Dan Rodgers,
Penny Dudley, Joseph Merritt, Twila Driver, Dean Vines, and Lester
Chevallier.

To Grandpa Cliff I'd like to say, "Good for you!" for working with
your granddaughter Taylor to share the beauty and wonder of the night
sky. I have three very young grandchildren, ages 3 yr, 1 yr, and 5
months, but I look forward to the day I can take each of them out
stargazing, and show them the awesome expanse of God's Creation.

To those who have just joined, I encourage you to get as active as
possible as soon as you can. If you don't have a telescope yet,
don't buy one! Come to some of our Skywatches and other observing
events, as well as some of our outreach events. Look through the
telescopes of our members, ask questions, and decide what the best
scope for YOU will be, at the best value.

Come to the monthly meetings and catch the "fever". Take that
opportunity to talk to members over coffee and cookies and learn
about
stargazing and what to look for in a telescope. (Pun intended.)

If you MUST have something to look through, buy a moderately priced
pair of binoculars and get a star chart so you can start learning
your way around the sky. It's like learning a new town by looking at
the road map. Learn the constellations and where they are in the sky
tonight. Visit the BBAA Web site
() and my Solar System Ambassador
Web site (see address below) and get more links and references to
scads of sites where you can learn all about the solar system and
space.

Finally, log on to the backbayastro group
() on the Web, to get the
latest scoop on what's happening in the club. We're glad you joined!

George Reynolds
BBAA member and NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
www.geocities.com/pathfinder027/spacex.html

_________________________________________________________________
Add photos to your messages with MSN 8. Get 2 months FREE*.

Or the sizzle as your scope begins to burn?.....bring back memories,
Ted?.... :-}

Denice

In a message dated 3/10/2003 9:44:01 AM Eastern Standard Time, "Rob Schonk" <robschonk@...> writes:

???Nothing's worse than hearing the "tink" when you drop a hex

wrench on your corrector!!!!

No? What about the "clunk" of your secondary impacting the primary?

Me, too.

George

?Dale Carey wrote:

I'm there

Dale

?

?

?

----- Original Message -----

From: twforte2002

To: backbayastro@...

Sent: Monday, March 10, 2003 7:30 AM

Subject: [backbayastro] Cedar Road Elementary Instructional Fair

Just a reminder:

Cedar Road Elementary School "Instructional Fair". 5:30 to 8:00 p.m.
Tuesday, March 11, at the school in Chesapeake. Weather permitting, we
will set up telescopes to show the first quarter moon and the bright
planets. If clouds force us inside, we will have an indoor display.

Ted Forte



To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
backbayastro-unsubscribe@...



Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the .

To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
backbayastro-unsubscribe@...



Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the .

George Reynolds, Deputy Commander, Tidewater South Section Royal Rangers

Visit my Web page:? ?

"Solar System Ambassador" for South Hampton Roads, Virginia

?Member, Back Bay Amateur Astronomers (BBAA)?

---

Do you Yahoo!?
- Powerful. Affordable.

Joe,

Probably one of the best websites that explains collimation is Therry Legault's site:



You can do a google search and find many more.

It's a bit intimidating at first, but it's relatively easy.

One thing you definitely want is a set of Bob's Nobs, or the equivalent from scopestuff:



These are nylon thumbscrews that replace the factory screws. My Meade requires a hex wrench to adjust them; the Celestrons may require a screwdriver. Nothing's worse than hearing the "tink" when you drop a hex wrench on your corrector!!!!

Rob






From: "joseph_piotrowski" <joepiotrowski@...>
Reply-To: backbayastro@...
To: backbayastro@...
Subject: [backbayastro] April talk
Date: Mon, 10 Mar 2003 01:22:59 -0000

Ted,
The title of the April talk I'm giving will be "Everything you always
wanted to know about Copernicus(but were afraid to ask)" if you want
to update the web page.
I have been on call continuously for several weeks and have not been
able to get the scope out for fear I would be called in and have to
put it all away fast.The few times I have had it out the stars don't
seem as crisp as I would expect. It's either 1 poor seeing 2 poor
colimation 3 something about the scope. I suspect a severe
collimation problem. Need to find a nightwatch where I can see what
you guys think.Any suggestions for SCT collimation would be welcome.
Joe Piotrowski


To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
backbayastro-unsubscribe@...



Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to


_________________________________________________________________
Tired of spam? Get advanced junk mail protection with MSN 8.

开云体育

Just a reminder:

Cedar Road Elementary School "Instructional Fair". 5:30 to 8:00 p.m.
Tuesday, March 11, at the school in Chesapeake. Weather permitting, we
will set up telescopes to show the first quarter moon and the bright
planets. If clouds force us inside, we will have an indoor display.

Ted Forte

Thanks Joe. I'll update it.

With the SCT ... it could be a combination of both poor seeing and collimation. While SCT's hold collimation well they are also very sensitive to good alignment.

Wait until you have a good night, stars (Sirius is a good indicator) should not be twinkling. Pick a moderatly bright (2nd, 3rd magnitude) star at a comfortable angle. Make sure the star is centered in the FOV and defocus slightly. The secondary shadow should be centered in the smeared star image. If you see that the image is boiling when defocused, its not the best night to try this. If you determine that you are out of collimation, I suggest you wait until you have someone to help you. Its difficult to accomplish alone using a star.

At this point, I'm hoping Bruce Bodner will chime in and explain how he had great success with an artificial star and daytime alignment (so much easier).

Ted




In a message dated 3/9/2003 8:22:59 PM Eastern Standard Time, "joseph_piotrowski" <joepiotrowski@...> writes:

Ted,
The title of the April talk I'm giving will be "Everything you always
wanted to know about Copernicus(but were afraid to ask)" if you want
to update the web page.

It's either 1 poor seeing 2 poor

colimation 3 something about the scope. I suspect a severe
collimation problem. Need to find a nightwatch where I can see what
you guys think.Any suggestions for SCT collimation would be welcome.
Joe Piotrowski

I'd like to wish a hearty WELCOME to our newest members and their
friends: Taylor Christy, Cliff Hedgepeth, Tamara Dykes, Dan Rodgers,
Penny Dudley, Joseph Merritt, Twila Driver, Dean Vines, and Lester
Chevallier.

To Grandpa Cliff I'd like to say, "Good for you!" for working with
your granddaughter Taylor to share the beauty and wonder of the night
sky. I have three very young grandchildren, ages 3 yr, 1 yr, and 5
months, but I look forward to the day I can take each of them out
stargazing, and show them the awesome expanse of God's Creation.

To those who have just joined, I encourage you to get as active as
possible as soon as you can. If you don't have a telescope yet,
don't buy one! Come to some of our Skywatches and other observing
events, as well as some of our outreach events. Look through the
telescopes of our members, ask questions, and decide what the best
scope for YOU will be, at the best value.

Come to the monthly meetings and catch the "fever". Take that
opportunity to talk to members over coffee and cookies and learn
about
stargazing and what to look for in a telescope. (Pun intended.)

If you MUST have something to look through, buy a moderately priced
pair of binoculars and get a star chart so you can start learning
your way around the sky. It's like learning a new town by looking at
the road map. Learn the constellations and where they are in the sky
tonight. Visit the BBAA Web site
() and my Solar System Ambassador
Web site (see address below) and get more links and references to
scads of sites where you can learn all about the solar system and
space.

Finally, log on to the backbayastro group
() on the Web, to get the
latest scoop on what's happening in the club. We're glad you joined!

George Reynolds
BBAA member and NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
www.geocities.com/pathfinder027/spacex.html

The Caldwell is a PDF and the Messier is a stand alone Database.And
they are free. :)

Mat

Ted,
The title of the April talk I'm giving will be "Everything you always
wanted to know about Copernicus(but were afraid to ask)" if you want
to update the web page.
I have been on call continuously for several weeks and have not been
able to get the scope out for fear I would be called in and have to
put it all away fast.The few times I have had it out the stars don't
seem as crisp as I would expect. It's either 1 poor seeing 2 poor
colimation 3 something about the scope. I suspect a severe
collimation problem. Need to find a nightwatch where I can see what
you guys think.Any suggestions for SCT collimation would be welcome.
Joe Piotrowski