Telescope, Binocular and Microscope Day - Saturday 9th September 2006

To mark the start of the observing season we are holding a one-day event at Green Witch to show off some of the latest telescopes, binoculars and microscopes. We shall have extra stock on display and will we offering discounts on the day. Why not come along to see what's on offer?

We're also running a competition to win a set of Space Files DVDs. All you have to do is guess how many unique products we have in our online store. Details are on the web site at www.green-witch.com

Solar Eclipse at Papworth

No, not an unexpected astronomical event but a talk by Trevor Gilpin at Papworth Astronomy Club. Trevor came to Turkey with Green Witch for the eclipse on March 29th and will be talking about the eclipse and his experiences. I'm grateful to Trevor for stepping in at short notice to give the talk in my place as I have to attend a funeral in Yorkshire. Trevor is a lively individual and am sure will be very entertaining. The meeting starts at 7 pm and is held above the library in Papworth Everard.

Campaign for Dark Skies

You may have seen that Essex County Council is planning to switch off much of its street lighting through the early hours of the morning. For those of us wanting dark skies this is a small step in the right direction and a recognition of the amount of wasted energy that can be saved. The BAA's Campaign for Dark Skies is working tirelessly to bring about changes such as this and is holding the 6th European Convention on Dark Skies in Portsmouth on 15th and 16th September. Green Witch will be there with a small trade stand and we look forward to meeting any of you who can attend. Check for details at http://www.britastro.org/dark-skies/

Cape Instruments 12-inch Telescope Launch

Cape Instruments will be launching its new 12-inch telescope at St Asaph in Wales on Thursday 21st September 2006 and at Cambridge on Tuesday 26th September 2006. The telescope offers unprecedented performance for the price and is equally suited for planetary astronomy and deep-sky observing.

For details of the St Asaph launch phone Cape on 01745 535179. At Cambridge the new telescope will be on display at Green Witch throughout the day and Peter Wise the designer will be on hand to answer questions. In the evening the telescope will be on display in the Institute of Astronomy where there will be refreshments and a talk of general interest on astronomy. The evening event is at 7:00 for 7:30 and all are welcome. If you plan to come we would appreciate it if you could let us know for the catering.

New telescope designs that offer a real increase in performance do not come along very often so why not come along to find out what the new design offers and to witness this significant event.

Courses

Our next 'Astronomy for Absolute Beginners' courses will be held on Saturday 7th October 2006. We have revised the format to split the day into a morning session and and afternoon one that can be booked separately or together. We hope this additional flexibility will make it easier for you to fit in to your busy schedule.

The following week on Saturday 14th October Lee will give a one-day course on using the Meade DSI. This remarkable camera is capable of producing excellent results and is quite affordable. However, many people find the learning curve rather steep so the course aims to get you using the DSI quickly and effectively. It's a must for anyone who wants to get the best from the DSI.

Details of both courses are on our web site at http://www.greenwich-observatory.co.uk/acatalog/Courses_Extras.html or follow the 'Courses' link from our home page (it's in the bottom panel on the right hand side).

The Moon

I always think of the Autumn as the Moon's season. It seems to be more prominent and to exert more influence at this time of year with the Harvest Moon and Hunters' Moon being particularly important throughout the ages. This year the New Moon occurs less than 24 hours before the Autumnal Equinox which is leading to predictions of particularly high tides and flooding in East Englia due to the combination of 'spring tide' and the stormy weather associated with the equinox.

Observing the Moon can be very rewarding; it's a whole world on our doorstep and its craters, mountains and canyons can be explored by anyone. Lunar observers tend to concentrate on the terminator as it makes its way across the surface of the Moon but it's also fun to look at the disk's edge to see how much of the far side comes into view.

Although the synchronisation of the Moon's orbit and rotation rate keep the same face pointing towards us, an effect called libration means that it appears to rock gently to show us around 59% of its surface. Several factors give rise to libration, the most significant being the Moon's elliptical orbit and the movement of the observer as the Earth rotates.

The effects of libration do not get noticed by the casual observer but careful observation over a period of time will show it quite clearly. If you would like to see a simulation of libration that really brings it to life then I recommend downloading Virtual Moon Atlas. It contains a lot of good stuff but the feature I like best is the ability to generate a time-lapsed view of the Moon.

You can download the software for free from http://www.astrosurf.com/avl/UK_index.html  When it is installed and running go to the Ephemeris section and click on and hold down the > and >> buttons. On my PC the > button runs a time lapse view that shows daily libration while the >> button runs at a speed that shows up monthly libration better. You may be surprised by the extent of the librations.

And finally...

As usual we shall hold a Halloween Star Party at Green Witch on 31st October to celebrate the birth of the company. I'll remind you nearer the time but please put the date in your diary and come along if possible. We also plan to hold Star Parties every other Tuesday until  Christmas. The dates are 14th and 28th November and 12th December.

Best wishes and Clear Skies

Neil

www.green-witch.com
www.arizonaskyvillage.co.uk