Ink | Pen | Paper

I attended the International Year of Astronomy / National Astronomy Week Closing Events and Stargazing Activity, sponsored by the USC Physics Department, and graced by amateur astronomers Christopher Go and Tomio Akutsu. I was there with some iStorya members. The event took place on Saturday, February 28 and lasted until dawn, March 1, 2009 (but I left at around midnight).

Photos...

The venue... USC Talamban Football Field...


Christopher Go's Celestron C8 on a Losmandy GM8 EQ Mount with Losmandy Digital Drive system.


Chris Go preparing his Celestron C8 while Tomio Akutsu looks on.


Chris repositioning the mount for Venus.


Me locating Venus and moon with Starry Night Pro.


Divemaster setting up the AM130 mount...


...while I hold the tube.


Divemaster attaches the tube to the mount.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2..._nikon/016.jpg

Divemaster aligning the reflex reticle while I check for Venus position.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2..._nikon/017.jpg

Me setting up Divemaster's other scope...a C-Star Stratus 60mm refractor
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...a/ALIM1492.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2..._nikon/023.jpg

Soon, the field had a good number of scopes around...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2..._nikon/028.jpg

Tomio Akutsu trying out Divemaster's Celestron AM130.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...u/IMG_0172.jpg

Me assisting Tomio as he changes eyepieces.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...a/ALIM1506.jpg

Chris had dinner and asked me to take charge of the C8. In this shot, I'm manually relocating M42 (the Orion Nebula), because there was an issue with the RA axis of the mount which prevented the drive to function properly.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...u/IMG_0177.jpg

Re-adjusting the Losmandy drive, because students kept tripping over the power cable, cutting the power to the electronic drive that moves the scope/mount system.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...u/IMG_0180.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...u/IMG_0182.jpg

Me instructing students on how to view the Orion Nebula properly.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2..._nikon/034.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2..._nikon/035.jpg

After a lull period, I enjoying playing around with the Losmandy drive...I never get to operate a $1,500.00 scope/drive system on a regular basis! It was also my first time to use a Telrad reticle. Chris had to demo it to me in about 10 seconds!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2..._nikon/042.jpg

iStoryan Amateur astronomers posing beside the C8!!!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...u/IMG_0185.jpg

Me trying to find Saturn with Stellarium.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...a/ALIM1505.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2..._nikon/044.jpg

MJDianne's Newtonian Reflector.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2..._nikon/057.jpg

Tomio checks for some Messiers while try to keep M42 in the eyepiece.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...a/ALIM1523.jpg

Chris re-orients the C8 towards Saturn.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...u/IMG_0195.jpg

Tomio entertaining kids and adults alike with his astrophotography albums on his lappy.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...u/IMG_0204.jpg

Chris delivering a lecture on introductory astronomy.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...a/ALIM1534.jpg

iStoryans pose with Japanese amateur astronomer Tomio Akutsu and Cebu's very own, Christopher Go.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2..._nikon/054.jpg

iStoryan amateur astronomers rock! See you guys next time!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...u/IMG_0203.jpg

-RODION