Stargazing Live 2013

[Capricorn]

My concern is that it reaches out to complete beginners, there doesn't seem to be a follow up to when they have some experience or to those that do have the experience.

Also in the first one they showed Jupiter through a scope, the scope was (I think) a 6" APM costing something in the £4,000-6,000 area. Hardly a beginner level scope. Then beginners had expectations of the same.

I recall again in the first series they showed a good image and said that you could attach a camera to your scope and get similar images. Well you could if you had 5 years imaging experience and astrophotography equipment costing £10,000-12,000.

Considering half were not sure which end of the scope to look through and many still thought that a 30mm eyepiece gave more magnification then a 10mm eyepiece (the number is bigger) it just wasn't realistic.

The second seemed a bit better, but I lost interest quick when watching. Not sure why.

It will be interesting to see the format and content presented this time round.

[Si W]

I hope this year that the jodrell bank dish is not lite up like a Christmas tree, not setting a good example, especially when they where harping on about light pollution in that same program .

[tibbs1972]

As the BBC love to travel abroad for half of the show, I think they should ask for volunteers, so that some of us can put our licence fee to good use in Hawaii. I must remember to pack the scope and not just the beach towel if that ever happens.

Dara is a comedy legend; his stand-up is hilarious on Dave, I hope he stays with the show.

[LukeSkywatcher]

I'm not sure yet (have to check my diary), but i think i might be washing my hair when the show is on.

[pete_l]

My concern is that it reaches out to complete beginners, there doesn't seem to be a follow up to when they have some experience or to those that do have the experience.

My biggest complaint about the show is that it does a very poor job of getting beginners started.

It's very aspirational, with a "look children, here's all the pretty things you can see ... everybody: ooooooh c'mon now: aaaaaaah" attitude. But it doesn't take the next step of saying "and to see them, you'll need to get one these, and this is how you can tell a good one from a turkey, and this is how you set it up and use it."

If the shows were supposed to be advertisements, they'd be right on the mark. They create demand, without making any claims or promises and they don't tell you anything about the downsides, difficulties or suitability.

After 2 years of programmes, I'd hope it was about time they took the next step and had at least one episode devoted to setting up, using and troubleshooting a telescope and accessories - but I can't see them ever getting down to anything so practical. Not when there's a whole world to jet-set around and bring us sound-bites from.

As an aside, where will they go this year? I reckon it's down to either The Canaries or the Atacama desert. Since Chile's far more expensive to get to, that's gotta be the bookie's favourite

[stev74]

I'm sorry but I find some of the negative comments on this thread quite depressing, ok Stargazing Live isn't perfect but to have a show on prime time TV to promote astronomy/science to the masses surely can't be a bad thing!

[paul schofield]

Hope they do more stargazing than joking about this time around. Hope they get clear skies wherever they may be. Don't get me wrong I am not a misery but a few more minutes of viewers pictures etc would be nice, oh and telescope talk too. Still love Stargazing Live.....Brilliant.

[stev74]

That was really strange I went to edit out one word in my last post above and instead most of the stuff I'd written has disappeared and numbers and symbols appeared in places as well.

Is there anyway to recover the original content before the edit?

I went on to expand on all the events organised by astro societies and observing groups all over the country that coincided with the TV show and the positive effect that it has on the general public, Including an event I organised myself at my daughter primary school.......

All the content is probably lost now I suppose, it was a good post but you'll just have to take my word for it.

[Vince1963]

Thanks for that.. I will be tuning in

[SteveNickolls]

It would be very helpful to the cause if they used part of next year's programmes as a vehicle to promote the turning off of street lights to get darker skies-we could do with a celebrity or two batting on our side.

Cheers,

Steve

[tibbs1972]

I can't knock the show.

I'm one of the masses that watched the first show and then went out and purchased my first scope.

I've been hooked ever since.

Thanks BBC, you are responsible for 2 years of sleepless nights and causing me to nod off in meetings at work.

Everybody has to start somewhere.

[SteveNickolls]

Right, I have sent a request to the BBC to consider raising and debating the issues surrounding the turning off/dimming street lighting by local authorities in the next series of the Stargazing Live prorammes. I know it's a long shot but unless we can get some coverage I can see many worthwhile local lighting schemes being forced one by one into making U-turns as fears to personal safety and property are voiced by the general public. If any other forum members wanted to make similar suggestions to the BBC we stand a greater chance of getting a positive result out of it all. I think darker skies are worth fighting for and geting the public to face their fears and educating them through debate seems a way forward.

Hope springs eternal anyway.

Cheers,

Steve

[Hex]

I love it to be honest. We had an event down at the Waters Edge on the banks of the Humber and had almost 1500 films show up along with BBC Look North. Some people travelled 50 miles to look through a scope, I must of had a couple of hundred look through my old TAL. Personally I thought it was all rather special, a few magic nights.

[Hex]

That should be folks not films, damned predictive text

[LukeSkywatcher]

My initial pst was rather negative. Of course i will tune into Star Gazing Live 2013.

As has been said already "watching people live on tv is rather boring".

The aim of the show is to bring new blood into the hobby and it does that AMAZINGLY well.

Telescope sales in the following weeks speak for themselves.

Brian is really good as a tv presenter. Dara is also great. He knows what he is talking about but he plays stupid (and funny) in such a way that the layman (newbie) can connect.

I think they are a great combo.

Its Liz Bonin (another Irish person) on her travels to Hawaii etc that i really could do without. True she is eye candy for the masses, but she is only qualified as a bio-chemist and has no background in any field of astronomy.

[KE400]

Thanks for the heads up.

I'm another who was inspired to get out there after the first show aired and was lucky enough to have one of my Jupiter images shown on last years show.

I'm really pleased that it's coming back next year, keep it light hearted but also informative and it will again hopefully inspire more people to have a go.

[Starstrike]

Hi All,

I was privileged to be on Stargazers live 2012 on the second evening as a member of Macclesfield Astronomical Society which was originally started and based at Jodrell Bank. I found the event inspiring, Dara and Brian were welcoming, friendly, funny and 'down to earth', the organisation was first class as a visitor to a BBC event and we were well taken care of. The wine was nice too, Dara ended up drinking out of the bottle because Brian had given me his glass!

There were a large number of amateur astronomers from Liverpool and Macclesfield Societies invited with a variety of scopes from the simple to the complex. There were children present as well enjoying the stargazing. The skies were clear this time. I commented in a previous thread that they could have spent more time amongst the amateurs asking about how they were using their scopes(observing or imaging).

I saw another televised event recently by the BBC I think, that was of a Liverpool Star Party that included much better use of the amateur astronomers so maybe they have made a change and 2013 will be even better.

I think this has been a first class public eye opener to what the nation has been missing because of our polluted skies.

I have just returned from the kelling Heath Star Party and the sky was amazingly clear with a horizon to horizon Milky Way of unbelievable beauty. I was told that the town of Norwich not so far away switches off it's street lights at 12 midnight! The emphasis on light pollution and it's effects by the Stargazing Live team was welcome and this experience at Kelling brought it home since I live in the suburbs with it's orange glowing sky. The BBC are to be congratulated on producing an oustanding programme for the public about space, astronomy and astronomers and I hope they continue to produce it annually. I know if they do experience will ensure it improves to satisfy all critics.

Paul

[Hex]

I was delighted that they held it at Joderal Bank, I spent many, many weekends there when I was a kid, we used to buy slides to complement our our home made planetarium. I'm from the Macclesfield area myself. originally.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

[kirkster501]

Anything that raises the profile of a subject I have loved for 40 years I am all in favour of. My 2 penneth.

[cosmological]

I saw another televised event recently by the BBC I think, that was of a Liverpool Star Party that included much better use of the amateur astronomers so maybe they have made a change and 2013 will be even better.

Paul

That was The Sky at Night and nothing to do with Stargazing Live, in fact we weren't even allowed to mention Stargazing Live.

[Connect2space]

My friend told me about Stargazing live and told me I should give it a go so I thought hell why not i'm interested in the universe and rockets why not watch it, and wow it was the most inspiring tv program I have watched if i'm honest its the only reason I bought myself a telescope and got into astronomy.

So happy they are making a new series, hope there will be more about actual stargazing, although I thought it was a good idea to add an interview with the last man on the moon.