Hi all, Astroman here.

[Astroman]

Hello everyone. Big Dipper dropped me an email and suggested I stop in, sign up and do what I do...whatever that is. 8)

I happen to have my own observatory in SW Arizona called Stone Haven. I do variable star research, along with a lot of public outreach as well as some stuff for NASA and the GCN. Andy seems to think I have something to contribute here, so I'll give it a shot.

I've been interested in astronomy since I was a kid, spending summers in Ontario and wondering at the brilliance of the skies there in the '60's. I finally got the chance to really start studying the night sky in the early '90's when I moved out to the sticks south of Phoenix. Rampant curiosity drove me and here I am today.

I enjoy the physics as well as the aesthetics of stargazing. Some accuse me of being a bit droll when I speak of black holes and whether they spin or not, but I try to dress it up enough to teach something without putting people to sleep. Sometimes I even succeed.

I hope to find you as friendly as Andy says.

[AndyMac]

YAY Astroman! Welcome aboard - the brain power here has just gone up 400%!!! :twisted:

Astroman is a 'refugee' from the currently defunct Orbital 9 forum. As he says, he owns his own observatory, used to educate the public. I know from my dealings with him over the past 4 years that his observing skills & knowledge are pretty extensive (to say the least).

Look forward to being educated likewise Mr Astroman & BTW I was kidding when I said they were friendly round here - they're really a pack of wolves!

Only kidding guys! :shock:

So get stuck in, Astroman!

[AndyMac]

BTW you'll note I got one of the admins to hook up your infamous avatar (thanks Orion).

[Astroman]

Yes, I saw that BD. Quite amazing the speed of the internet, is it not?

Oh, and you flatter me. But I like it. :twisted:

[OXO]

Welcome to our small but growing Forum Astroman, you sound like you have had a wonderfull experiance of astronomy over the past years and i hope to be able to learn from your knowledge.

I love all things astro and esp interested in black hole's and Time cant say as i know that much but i am good at understanding and learning formula's in physics (on accation).

Your own observatory sounds amazing something of which i can only dream of but saying that my backyard is all i need to enjoy the skies(So if you wanna swap go ahead:) ).

Enjoy the forum astroman and hopefully you will learn a thing or two aswell. As Andy says were a friendly bunch but after 12.00 we start to howl..

James

[GazOC]

YAY Astroman! Welcome aboard - the brain power here has just gone up 400%!!! :twisted:

The only other way for that to happen would be if I left!

[Rob]

Welcome Astroman... I look forward to you input here!.

Rob

[GazOC]

Oh, where are my manners? Welcome Astroman, what scope(s) do you have in your observatory?

[AndyMac]

I know that Astroman has an 8" Celestron SCT (from memory). I believe he was also building another scope, the specs of which escape me - but don't quote me on that!

[OXO]

I know that Astroman has an 8" Celestron SCT (from memory). I believe he was also building another scope, the specs of which escape me - but don't quote me on that!

:twisted:

Astroman what work have you done with Nasa is it teaching or something else?

James

[Astroman]

Hi.

I have the C8 BD mentioned. Great scope. I also have a 6" F 9.5 I built, a 6" F/4.5 solar scope on a Dob mount I also built, a 3" refractor from Meade with a home made tripod I use mostly for H-Alpha studies of the Sun and a 16" F/5 on a split ring mount is still in the design phase, but nearing construction phase-hopefully within the year. Other equipment includes ST 237 CCD camera, Canon FTb astro camera, Canon A1 camera for short stuf, (more on this in another forum and later), various and sundry other solar observing doo-dads, home made spectrograph, binocs and some other stuff I'm forgetting at the moment.

Stuff I did for/with NASA is under the GRB stuff. They invited me to attend a seminar for amateur astronomers, including travel grant, if I passed the word around about the Gamma Ray Burst Collaborative Network, (GCN). It's a consolidation of pros and amateurs who are collectively notified of GRB's in an effort to locate and image them as soon after they occur as possible. So caklled "early time" observations of these huge explosions are rare and difficult for thr pros, but second nature for amateurs.

The first seminar was in 2000 in Hunstville, Alabama at the Marshall Space Flight Center, where they built much of the shuttles, Chandra X-ray observatory and the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory. We got the tour from Jerry Fishman, the director of the BATSE instrument aboard CGRO. Fascinating. The second conference was held on the big island of Hawai'i in 2002. I got to take my wife for that one, and toured Keck and Gemini observatories and observe at 14,000 ft altitude on Mauna Kea. Wonderful fun! But I'm rambling again.

I have done mostly outreach stuff about the GCN at local astronomy clubs, boy scout troop meetings, the Grand Canyon and the Arizona Science Center. You could call it "teaching" I guess, but more "addressing" would be better. Or lecturing? Anyway, it's mostly fun.

[russ]

Hi Astroman,

Welcome to the forum. And very good to have you aboard.

As already said, you've had an amazing time in astronomy and your knowledge sounds extensive, look forward to your teachings.

I can only imagine what your skies are like too. Most nights i can count the stars on my hands the skies are so bad. I imagine the stars cast shadows where you are

Look forward to all your input.

Russ

[Ant]

Welcome Astroman,

I also look forward to your posts, BD speaks very highly of your and I think that you will be a great asset to The Lounge.

I can appreciate the skies that you have, I went to the TSP back in '89 and the skies there were awsome. Mag +7 easy... some say +7.5.

Your view of the heavens must be truly amazing.

Regards

Ant