Images from the 2007 Grand Canyon Star Party

[Astroman]

Not mine, but here are some links:

Geoff Babcock:

http://www.azphoto.info/GCSP%202007/

Dean Ketelson -8 Iridium flare:

http://alice.as.arizona.edu/~ketelsen/-8IridiumFlare.gif

“Phantom”, MW:

http://alice.as.arizona.edu/~ketelsen/Phantom.jpg

Joe Bergeron:

http://homepage.mac.com/joebergeron/PhotoAlbum11.html

And some from a concurrent party, held the last weekend of GCSP.

Tom Polakis, 5 mile meadow party

http://www.pbase.com/polakis/fivemile2007

[jonifive]

Enjoyed seeing astronomers being able to observe anything other than clouds!

Incredible Grand Canyon shots...thanks Astroman

[geppetto]

Thanks for the links AM

Great images of lots of folk enjoying themselves

in a fabulous setting 8)

Couldn't get much better than that

[lunator]

Am

Warm, Sunny & Clear..........................

We can only dream

It looks like everyone was have a good time.

Cheers

Ian

[Trevor]

Astroman

The Grand Canyon has to be seen to be believed you are a very lucky fellow.

Ohh and please tell the demolition guys on the strip not to implode old hotels at 02-30 in the morning please.

We were lucky enough to stay at Mount Charleston Lodge

Over Christmas.

[barkis]

Thanks for the wonderful picture show AM. You guys are so fortunate with star party venues like these.

There is one picture in particular the Phantom, looks like it was an extended exposure shot showing a red torch, but the backdrop to that image is sensational. The Milky Way starfield is stunning. The other Star Party group shown, had some pretty large instruments on display. Very good show, thank very much for sharing it all with us AM. I enjoyed it a lot.

Ron.

[beamish]

everyone seems to have had a great time. I loved geof's hairy bug, the "astro" shorts( want some!) and it's clearly true what they say about you Americans, everything but bigger, some huge light buckets wot 32"!!! wot next HST ?

great pics very jealous!

Look fwd to seeing your pics .

Karlo

[Astroman]

Some of my pics from the GCSP '07.

http://www.stargazing.net/astroman/gcsp07/gcsp07.html

[Naz]

Good selection off scopes there AM, great to be able to compare them. Looks as though you all had a great time.

naz

[barkis]

Some of my pics from the GCSP '07.

http://www.stargazing.net/astroman/gcsp07/gcsp07.html

Hi. AM, I was interested in seeing Mike Spooner's Folded Refractor. The original Schiefspiegler design was tilted mirrors, which I thought that was when I first saw it.

Great pictures you have too.

Ron.

[beamish]

i TOO AM RATHER INTRIGUED BY THE "FOLDED" REFRACTOR. HOW DO THEY WORK? I'VE NOT COME ACROSS ANY DRAWINGS/DESIGNS FOR THEM, LOOK VERY INTERESTING

KARLO

[barkis]

i TOO AM RATHER INTRIGUED BY THE "FOLDED" REFRACTOR. HOW DO THEY WORK? I'VE NOT COME ACROSS ANY DRAWINGS/DESIGNS FOR THEM, LOOK VERY INTERESTING

KARLO

Some information here Karlo. I made a boob. The picture is of a folded refractor. What I have linked you to is folded reflectors

Ron.

http://www.seds.org/~spider/scopes/schief.html

[Astroman]

Thanks for all the kind comments. I know I tend to beat this star party to death, but as it's geared toward the general public, it's hard not to. The setting is so spectacular, the people are all so friendly, due to the public aspect, it's hard not to get swept away.

Trevor-Las Vegas is some 170 miles from Grand Canyon, so we don't hear the explosions, but we do see the light dome. If I had control over what gets blown up and when, Vegas would be pretty much empty, and probably still smouldering.

Ron-The background sky in the Phantom picture is pretty typical of the view at night. Once the buses stop running at 11 pm and you get fully dark adapted, the sky takes on a mythical feel. There are so many Messier objects visible in that image, and with the unaided eye, it sometimes makes it hard to decide what to show latecomers! It's a tough job, but someone has to do it.

Karlo-I liked seeing Roy's Astroshorts in the picture, too. Somehow, I missed them in real life, fortunately I think. You heard of course that astronomers are getting tired of all the Uranus jokes, so they'll be changing the name to

Wait for it

Urectum.

Re the folded refractor, Mike took a 9" F/12 lens doublet and folded the optics to allow the eyepiece to stay in the same relative position. He used flat mirrors to fold it and placed the mirrors slightly off-axis to eliminate any obstructions. This is the scope I've seen Jupiter and Venus and others in at "ludicrous power". He did it to reduce the size of the scope to something manageable, (a 9' long tube isn't too portable), and to make it wheelchair accessable. (His mother was confined to one when he conceived the design.) It's always a huge hit at GCSP. It has some coloration, but when you see Venus at 1024X, or Alberio or Gamma Leonis wide enough to drive a truck through, you don't notice that much. Dennis is hanging around it in one picture because he recently purchased a 12" F/17 doublet he wants to configure the same way. Could be amazing.

The biggest scope at GCSP was Dennis Young's 28", as mentioned before. The other big scopes were located about 150 miles away on the Saturday night at the end of GCSP. Yes, they're huge, but I believe some Irishman had a fairly large scope himself, once. (Something Rosse, iirc?) I didn't get to look through them, having stayed at GCSP, but I have on many occasions, (in fact it's becoming a tradition), commandeered Dennis' scope and made him look at something slightly less bright than M13. I like to challenge him because he's so good natured about the whole thing, and sometimes he finds some new showpieces and actually thanks me for pushing his limits!

As usual, I left GC with wonderful memories and sleep deprivation that I didn't notice until well into Wednesday, due to adrenaline overdose. I do hope someday someone from this forum will be able to visit, either GCSP or my humble observatory to absorb some ancient photons under some splendid Arizona skies.

[The Warthog]

Fine pictures, Astroman. Looks like a great party. Maybe after I retire...

[daz]

I do hope someday someone from this forum will be able to visit, either GCSP or my humble observatory to absorb some ancient photons under some splendid Arizona skies.

Well, as you know, I was hoping to make it over this year, but that's not going to happen now , but we are talking about next year for this very event, and hopefully do both!! Don't quite know the best way to do it, perhaps a fly-drive arrangement might be best AM - thoughts?

And then there's what to take, of course......

[Astroman]

Oh! Sorry to hear you can't make it this year, Daz. I was beginning to wonder, but didn't want to press.

Next year, GCSP will be held from June 21 through June 28. It's a tough one, due to the phase of the Moon, (waning gibbous), but it was either early in June or late. Both had problems. Early may have meant less people, since some families would still have children in school. Late had the problem of the Moon being up early in the week and the threat of monsoon season hitting us. The regulars voted for late.

Depending on the length of your stay, we could work something out. A "normal" visit would be fly over and rent a car for the week or so. Since I'm far from normal, and we have 2 vehicles, I'd be willing to let you use one for petrol only. I'd just have to talk Rosie into it. :shock: Bringing stuff depends on you. Clothing is good and so are toiletries, (yes, please), but I think we'd have scopes covered. I have a variety I could loan, and there's no doubt the folks at GCSP will let you view at least and maybe operate if you get my endorsement, (FWIW). Photography would be up to you, or, you may talk someone into assiting digitally.

All of this can be discussed when plans solidify, as they would for anyone else visiting. If you think of a star party outing you may take in the UK where everything went perfectly, clear skies, no dew, rock solid seeing, all-nighter, then multiply that by 5 out of 8 consecutive days, you get the picture. I find it exhausting, but extremely rewarding. This year, we didn't get to bed any earlier than 1 am, and that was when the clouds totally filled in at midnight. I was the last scope on the field twice at 4 am and once at 4:30 am.

Glad to have you!

[barkis]

With the skies being as good as they are at that venue Daz, all you'd need is a DSLR and a selection of lenses. Surely some kind soul would let your camera hitch a ride for a few exposures of our galactic arms. You saw AM's picture at the beginning of the thread. Absolutely jaw dropping skies. You could even take an ED80, not much weight involved there.

OK, I'll mind my own business.

[daz]

Wow AM! That's more than kind!! As you say, we can work out details nearer the time. The date was the important bit - nothing like advanced planning!!

I'd be happy just looking up and maybe through a few and taking some wide-fields with the Canon, but yes, taking the ED80 had crossed my mind as well.

Lots to think about - Thanks again AM!

[James]

If you think of a star party outing you may take in the UK where everything went perfectly, clear skies, no dew, rock solid seeing, all-nighter, then multiply that by 5 out of 8 consecutive days, you get the picture.

:shock:

As of today I'm going to open a bank account which I will refer to as my "Move to Arizona ASAP Fund" :usa2::usa2:

Hmmm. What have I got? Ahh... my daughters pigggy bank, well, thats a start...

[Astroman]

Well, every night, I do an alignment job sufficient to do wide-field piggyback images of 9 minutes with my old film Canon FTb. I'm sure you could do something similar. And as long as you're there, something like M101 through Dennis Young's 28" is not to be missed!

How long were you planning to stay?

[Astroman]

James, it's not like that every night in AZ, but we've had great luck with GCSP. We purposely plan it to land in the most ideal conditions for a public party-weather, moon, and attendance-wise. Currently, our monsoons are about to begin, so I probably won't be doing any night-time stuff until October. Storms roll in in the evening, but days are clear, hot and humid. Not trying to discourage your savings "plan", just a reality check.

[Cloudwatcher]

Currently, our monsoons are about to begin, so I probably won't be doing any night-time stuff until October......a reality check.

You have monsoons in Arizona! Now that is what I call a reality check :pale:.....and this goes on till October???

CW

[Astroman]

It's not like the Indian monsoons, CW. A "monsoon" is just a name for a weather pattern, not the type of storms it brings. In July-August, our weather shifts from out of the west to a flow from the south/southeast. This brings a lot of moisture up from Mexico. With the Sun heating things up all day, and the humidity rising, as the Sun sets it gives rise to very large, yet widely scattered thunderstorms that thrive for a few hours, then collapse. This collapse, (assuming we don't get hit by the original storm), sends very high winds across miles and miles of open desert, creating large dust storms and microbursts.

The storms themselves can get severe, dropping inches of rain in a very short time, and generating huge numbers of lightning strikes in dry desert terrain. It gets ugly, and Kitt Peak and most of the observatories around AZ close up and do maintainance this time of year-Stone Haven included. It's frustrating because the days are clear and the evening storms roll through, just in time.

[Cloudwatcher]

Oh,is that all it is then. Much like home really, minus the dust and of course the sunshine during the day.

Cheers

CW

[daz]

Well, every night, I do an alignment job sufficient to do wide-field piggyback images of 9 minutes with my old film Canon FTb. I'm sure you could do something similar. And as long as you're there, something like M101 through Dennis Young's 28" is not to be missed!

How long were you planning to stay?

Under discussion at the moment as it falls within the school year still. If we can get the kids out then hopefully 10 days or so. If not, it will be me on a much shorter leash!!