Do we have an astronomy club here in Cebu?

[observer]

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what you saw was the geminid meteor shower... they happened every mid-december... you
should have focused your gaze on constellation gemini as the meteors tends to emanate from
that area (hence the name geminids)... kita sad ko last night around midnight and ubay2x sad ako nakita but they were mostly short and faint meteors unlike the leonids in 2001!

starry starry night is also a good software.

sayang. I should've hung around till 1 am. Yes, Gemini was one of my focus. Actually, I had Auriga, Gemini, Canis Minor, Orion and Canis Major within my field of view (i.e. naked eyes)...hehe. I had myself stretched out on a hard wooden folding chair (the kind you see in beach resorts), wore long sleeves and jogging pants (to cover myself from mosquitoes), and played Moonlight Sonata from my MP3 player...and the night became magical. I know it sounds corny...usahay mayo man nga pa-effect sad ta from time to time.

Anyway, I hope not to miss it next December.

[observer]

They're more affordable than one might think, especially if you have a knack in doing do-it-yourself projects. A group I once belonged in was able to make a 4.5" Dobsonian reflector made out of mostly junk parts plus around 3,000 PHP for new parts. The primary and secondary mirrors were donated by an ALP member who took it out of a broken Newtonian. This "junk" telescope was good enough to resolve Saturn's rings using 12mm and 4mm eyepieces (donated too, some of which were also handmade), plus Titan. Jupiter's EQ bands are also quite visible, and of course, great for observing lunar craters and other features.

-RODION

Wow. I wish I knew how to do that. I mean, there is some precision involved in the degree of curvature of the primary mirror and its distance to the secondary mirror, right? I've read that aligning the mirrors itself require certain tools like a collimation cap or laser. This goes to show when a true tinkerer sets himself up on a problem, he usually finds a way. That group you belonged to should set up a telescope-making company, and I hope they can sell them at a reasonable price.

[observer]

OT

I once saw in my own naked eyes, kanang ila gitawag ug iring buwakaw
a blue shiny flame that flew horizontally. I was in a boat, watching the island lights, and suddenly, it came across. the light. the buwakaw.

daghan mi nakakita adto kay ubay2X man mi nanigarilyo sa barindilyas sa barko.

anybody can explain it to me? unsa man to?

I'm an absolute beginner....but could it be a comet that sometimes appear blue? I don't know. Just a guess.

[rodsky]

I'm an absolute beginner....but could it be a comet that sometimes appear blue? I don't know. Just a guess.

My guesses:

1. Iridium flare

2. Bluish meteor

-RODION

[rodsky]

Wow. I wish I knew how to do that. I mean, there is some precision involved in the degree of curvature of the primary mirror and its distance to the secondary mirror, right? I've read that aligning the mirrors itself require certain tools like a collimation cap or laser. This goes to show when a true tinkerer sets himself up on a problem, he usually finds a way. That group you belonged to should set up a telescope-making company, and I hope they can sell them at a reasonable price.

The precision involved doesn't require any special instruments, mostly you just need a good eye and a steady hand. I collimated it using purely eye-sightings down the tube. Unfortunately, the members of that group that were directly involved in making the telescope (including myself) have gone separate ways. I can make a Dobsonian/Newtonian telescope anytime, if someone gave me the resources for it.

-RODION

[bluerose]

Astronomical Society (Astro Soc) is still an active group in USCTC.

an umbrella society of Carolinian PhySoc (Physics Society) but not limited to Applied Physics students... You can inquire at the physics dept of USC

We normally have yearly events open for all sa USCTC grounds, like stargazing, etc with Mr Christopher Go and his hubble telescopes..

Karon, i think the society still have events like these.. one time last year sa Ayala terraces gali to..
I graduated 2 years ago so i dont have the details na sa society karon.. Will post updates if naa ko balita..

[rodsky]

, like stargazing, etc with Mr Christopher Go and his hubble telescopes..

Correction. Chris usually brings his 8" Celestron C8 on a Losmandy EQ mount, when there are any astronomy-related activities in Cebu.

Here are photos I took of that telescope at USC-Talamban Campus, around Feb 2009...


...and here is Chris setting it up at Ayala Terraces during Galilean Nights 2009.


Furthermore, Chris usually only brings ONE telescope. The other telescopes are owned by other Cebu amateur astronomers, such as the C14 owned by Cebu-Based Japanese Amateur Astronomer Tomio, shown here:



Meanwhile, the Hubble Space Telescope is NOT a brand of telescope--it is a very large newtonian reflector that's orbiting the earth in space.


Just FYI.

-RODION

[observer]

Who can forget Chris Go's exploits in astronomy, Red Junior? I checked out the price tag for the Celestron C8 in Amazon, and guess what? It costs US$1,529.00! The C14 would set you back a hefty US$ 5,299.95 for the optical tube alone. Anyone serious in astro-photography must have relatively large disposable savings. You can tell these people are serious astro-photographers from the equatorial mounts. For the novice, this would take time to set up and align (which involves finding the star Polaris). This is because, in astro-photography, your telescope must follow the rotation of the earth along its polar axis when setting the camera for extended exposure. But nowadays, scopes come with computerized go-to features, which takes away all the hassles of finding stars...but again for $$$. They don't call astro-photography a "rich man's hobby" for nothing.

[rodsky]

For the novice, this would take time to set up and align (which involves finding the star Polaris).

I can polar-align an EQ mount using only a compass and my two eyes It's all a matter of knowing, and like everything else, if you have time for learning, you will learn how to do it.

But nowadays, scopes come with computerized go-to features, which takes away all the hassles of finding stars...but again for $$$. They don't call astro-photography a "rich man's hobby" for nothing.

The main reason why Go and Tomio requires expensive gear is for simply ONE important reason--high-quality astrophotography. Ergo, if you are a casual observer and if you simply want to let kids see the heavens, you do not need expensive equipment. Give me PHP 5,000.00 and I can make you a telescope that can see the rings of Saturn or the moons of Jupiter That is enough to make a child's mind open up in wonder at the true scale and nature of the cosmos.

-RODION

[blessedpoor]

asa sila gatapok