Pic Du Midi trip - excited Moi??

[Helen]

So this time next week I'll be on my way to Pic Du Midi ? 

I travel to Toulouse on Monday, get picked up on Tuesday morning and taken to the Observatory.  Then two days of workshops and two nights observing ?

The trip is linked to my PhD, but I'm hoping the value is much wider than that!  The workshop is designed to showcase/provide instruction on some new software developed by professionals to analyse amateur data for scientific purposes.  There is now a recognition that time on big telescopes is in very high demand, and so observations are at best occasional.  But linking in with the network of amateurs across the world provides the potential for accessing huge numbers of observations, closely spaced in time, and also to provide follow-up, quick-response observations.   

The main theme is around space-weather incidents: so solar wind, meteors/fireballs, impacts on moon/planets.

I'm looking forward to learning and then coming back and sharing on here - we're hoping to really develop SGL's involvement with these sorts of scientific projects.

 

And I'd be lying if I said I wasn't also looking forward to spending 2 nights observing at Pic Du Midi ... ?  We will have access to a 400mm scope, a C11 and C14 and we can take our own too.  Given those apertures I think the planets are covered! so I think I'll stick to widefield with a camera and a staradventurer, and probably some binos....

Helen

 

 

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Sounds lovely. I was there some years back, just as a tourist, but did some solar observing there

 

 

[Helen]

That looks great Michael!  Hmmm solar observing... maybe a soalr filter in the hand luggage too? ?

Helen

[SnakeyJ]

Most jealous - have a fantastic time, good luck with your studies and look forward to seeing some of the widefield images when you return

 

[Helen]

Thanks Jake ?