BBC4 Tonight at 21:00 hrs: Britain's Star Men

[John]

This might be interesting:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07xjh6z

[Chris]

That looks very interesting John, thanks for the heads up

[DaveS]

Thanks for the heads-up.

I'd seen it in RT but it had slipped my mind. Wouldn't like to miss it.

[Gina]

Thanks from me too - a must watch

[andrew63]

Thanks - looks intriguing.

 

 

andrew

[Alien 13]

Set to record - many thanks.

Alan

[Steve Ward]

It's not bad , but I much prefer the Timeshift episode called Star Men about british amateur astronomers , the likes of Reg Spry , Eddie Carpenter and Martin Mobberley.

And tonight's program clashes with the long-awaited return of "The Fall" too ... 

Edited September 29, 2016 by Steve Ward

[Chris]

Thanks Steve, I remember seeing that one once before a few years back, really enjoyed it. Gives me the urge to do something scientific with a telescope rather than just looking at stuff 

[Debo]

Thanks for the heads up, certainly looks interesting.

[Mick J]

2 hours ago, Steve Ward said:

And tonight's program clashes with the long-awaited return of "The Fall" too ... 

recording them both  

[Droogie 2001]

Just starting to watch it 

[Droogie 2001]

Very enjoyable and thought provoking. 

[iPeace]

10 hours ago, John said:

This might be interesting:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07xjh6z

Nice one John.

[Davey-T]

Interesting and inspiring program, as someone of the same age who has trouble climbing the stairs at bedtime I admire their stamina 

Dave

[barkis]

Just finished watching this minute, and thoroughly enjoyed it.
These guys are no youngsters, but their age was no deterrent to some hard climbing towards the end.
Now it's Dr. Maggie  Aderyn-Pocock  Describing / Narrating, "Do We Really Need The Moon".

[Gina]

Yes, watching it - interesting

[SilverAstro]

30 minutes ago, Davey-T said:

stairs at bedtime

I've got the stairs problem sorted - bungalow

Gosh, I remember the Hoyle talks, was it really '51, crumbs. I dont know if I should be depressed after seeing that and the state of Wilson and Palomar.

Hand ruled graph paper in the '60s ? someone was having legs pulled ?? I was plotting graphs then and could buy it in a shop down the road and some of it was fancy log. as well, what did I not see,  what was special about his ? In the brief bit I saw it looked pretty regular linear ??

 

[Gina]

Yes, I used graph paper in the 1960s too and in the fifties.  We had graph paper at school in the fifties!  There stuff on the program on now about the moon that I don't believe too!

[SilverAstro]

35 minutes ago, Gina said:

Yes, I used graph paper in the 1960s too and in the fifties.  We had graph paper at school in the fifties!  There stuff on the program on now about the moon that I don't believe too!

Good, that makes two of us, so not a faulty memory this end

Yes, the old saw about the moon pulling the water upwards ? so there must be two moons , right? to do the pulling on the other side,,   amongst other things. Not a mention of a barycenter(re)

 

[Gina]

I can't see why the earth should wobble and then turn on its side with pole facing the sun if/when the moon moves 10% further away as Dr. Maggie was saying.

[SilverAstro]

That must have been after the giant moon rising over the Eye ? I switched off after that.

I think I was still trying to decide if I was depressed after the Star Men   and worrying about my memory cos I could have swore that the 200" Palomar was (until recent ?) still in use/re-purposed to something that could still be done through the encroaching light pollution. I think a google is called for > > >

 

[Davey-T]

7 minutes ago, SilverAstro said:

That must have been after the giant moon rising over the Eye ? I switched off after that.

I think I was still trying to decide if I was depressed after the Star Men   and worrying about my memory cos I could have swore that the 200" Palomar was (until recent ?) still in use/re-purposed to something that could still be done through the encroaching light pollution. I think a google is called for > > >

 

Don't think it was the Palomar scope they were saying closed because of light pollution but the first one they visited, Mount Wilson possibly ?

Dave

Anyway it's cloudy here so I'm going to climb those stairs now 

Edited September 29, 2016 by Davey-T

[SilverAstro]

"The Palomar Observatory is an active research facility."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palomar_Observatory#Current_research

So that's ok then

[SilverAstro]

2 minutes ago, Davey-T said:

Don't think it was the Palomar scope they were saying closed because of light pollution but the first one they visited, Mount Wilson possibly ?

Dave

Thanks Dave, yes they did say that and yes the first one was Wilson, which got badly polluted some years ago but somehow I got the impression Palomar was also just as dilapidated.

I remember big campaigns being run to save Palomar from the lights and not to go the same way, and thought from the program that perhaps it had been lost.

[Chris]

I really enjoyed the program, apart from my jaw dropping looking at all those amazing telescopes I thought the story of old friends meeting up after so long was really great. A bit sad at the end. 

Yes how fit were they to do that trek to rainbow bridge, I would struggle at 40 with that especially in that kind of heat!