Future Talk Suggestions

[old_eyes]

I have a whole bunch of ideas, but I suspect that many of them are a bit narrow. Perhaps they could be combined with other people's ideas?

• Next generation professional telescopes. What is on the stocks and why are the designs what they are? I find it interesting that we are pushing giant deep focus scopes and smaller wide-field synoptic survey scopes. As with F1, what starts life as the bleeding edge becomes a consumer product over time.
• A deep dive into the different kind of telescope optics. I wish I knew more about the strengths and weaknesses of different designs.
• Binocular observing - how to get the best out of it. When I am imaging I often like to do binocular tours at the same time. Selection of binoculars, how to hold them steady (does no one make a sky-mirrir anymore?), good targets etc.
• Meteor observing and imaging. Intriguing, but a subject I know little about. Plus something about origin, classification and history (a bit of science adds to the practicalities to make a more interesting talk).
• A PixInsight surgery. A lot of us use the tool and I expect many of us puzzle about how to tackle particular processing steps. Even with Warren Keller's book it is not easy. So if we pre-submit topics/questions an expert could run through (with demonstration?) the most popular issues. I found the examples that Nik gave in his talk gave me a better understanding of his process, even though I don't use photoshop or affinity (yet!).
• Combining data from multiple sources to create an image. Multiple cameras/telescopes, remote observatory data, public data from research telescopes. The kind of thing that Robert Gendler does.
• Radio-astronomy. What can an amateur actually do?
• How to make the best of it (observing and imaging) when you have light pollution? Filters, processing, does EAA help etc?
• What goes wrong? Top 10 problems that people encounter and what to do about it.
• Balancing! why does it matter and how do you do it? We hang more and more stuff off the mount - focusers, filterwheels, dewheater controllers etc. How do you get the little buggers to balance? (bit niche that one😉)

[groberts]

Probably the most common question I see on the forum is what is the 'best' equipment for those who want to start (a) astronomy / observing and (b) astrophotography  + how to set it up.  It took me literally ages to sort this out, mainly because there are too many answers and thus on my part confusion but a clearer do's and dont's for those starting out would be invaluable to encouraging newcomers.      

[Jack Martin]

Listen in.

Perhaps a tour of my Spectroscopic obo set up on Zoom might appeal.

A tell me show me, on how to acquire spectra.

Clear skies,

Jack

Essex UK

Edited June 5, 2020 by Jack Martin

[daz]

Hi all

These are all great suggestions and many, many thanks for them all!!

We have a couple of ideas on how we can approach these - bear with us as we work through the practicalities of them!

 

And don't stop suggesting!!

[Jack Martin]

Daz,

I recently did my obo tour for a club using my mobile phone, worked ok.

Regards,

Jack

Essex UK

 

[Alien 13]

An informal get to know, introduction session for members might be nice..

Alan

[BinocularSky]

Looking over some very good talks we've had at the various clubs I belong to and would gladly see again:

Any of Mary MacIntyre's talks on practical imaging

Anything from Bob Mizon on Dark Skies issues

The Formation of Stars and their Planetary Systems by Dr Claire Davies (U of Exeter Protoplanetary Disc and Planet Formation Imaging Group,)

Probing the Dark Universe by Dr David Bacon (U of Portsmouth Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation) - I've attended this talk 3 times; different each time as new observation,etc. modify our understanding

Apollo - the Inside Story by Dr David Whitehouse

Quasars: Engines of the Ancient Universe by Dr Nick Higginbottom (U of Southampton Astronomy Group)

[Skipper Billy]

I would be interested in knowing about EAA.

It's something I know nothing about but I hear it talked about.

Something along the lines of this is what it is / idiots guide to EAA to equipment req (low end and high end) and this is what it can do (wow photos/video)

 

[JeremyS]

38 minutes ago, Skipper Billy said:

I would be interested in knowing about EAA.

It's something I know nothing about but I hear it talked about.

Something along the lines of this is what it is / idiots guide to EAA to equipment req (low end and high end) and this is what it can do (wow photos/video)

 

+1 on EEA

[Freff]

Solar Imaging/Viewing for beginners, and equipment demystified.

[SteveWolves]

How about something from Jay Tate https://spaceguardcentre.com/

[SupernovaF1]

Regarding Astrophotography, any of those three.

On 01/06/2020 at 15:14, Physopto said:

How about dithering techniques and how to get the best out of them. Then there is the challenge of photographing the ISS. Or even best methods of photographing comets.

 Derek

Regarding astronomy, anything related with Quasars is a massive +1 for me.

On 15/06/2020 at 12:05, BinocularSky said:

Looking over some very good talks we've had at the various clubs I belong to and would gladly see again:

Any of Mary MacIntyre's talks on practical imaging

Anything from Bob Mizon on Dark Skies issues

The Formation of Stars and their Planetary Systems by Dr Claire Davies (U of Exeter Protoplanetary Disc and Planet Formation Imaging Group,)

Probing the Dark Universe by Dr David Bacon (U of Portsmouth Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation) - I've attended this talk 3 times; different each time as new observation,etc. modify our understanding

Apollo - the Inside Story by Dr David Whitehouse

Quasars: Engines of the Ancient Universe by Dr Nick Higginbottom (U of Southampton Astronomy Group)

 

[wimvb]

My suggestion for speaker/subject:

Jasem Mutlaq on INDI, Ekos/Kstars, StellarMate. Considering the discussions on SGL, and the growing number of astrophotographers using INDI and Raspberry Pi, I'd guess he will be appreciated by many.

[Guest]

How about this guy? 🤔

"Dr. Scott McIntosh of the National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO, USA regarding Exciting Bumper New Solar Cycle.". He's originally from Glasgow. 

1:29:38 into this podcast, with the Radio Amateur in mind... 

https://www.icqpodcast.com/download-the-show/2020/8/30/icq-podcast-episode-332-exciting-bumper-new-solar-cycle

Edited August 30, 2020 by Guest

[DaveS]

How about getting Fabio or Martino from MSB software to give us a presentation on AstroArt and what it can do. I'm thinking it's being overlooked in the rush to new "Flavour of the month" processing software.

[JeremyS]

1 hour ago, DaveS said:

How about getting Fabio or Martino from MSB software to give us a presentation on AstroArt and what it can do. I'm thinking it's being overlooked in the rush to new "Flavour of the month" processing software.

Good suggestion 

[markse68]

I was going to suggest asking Dirk Froebrich of the HOYS- LCO citizen science project but no need- you can watch a fascinating talk he gave recently to the Hampshire Astronomy Group on youtube just the other week- I found it excellent- fascinating stuff for someone like me who doesn't know much at all on the subject of star/planet formation. It's a recruitment drive really- they need data for the project but very worthwhile I think!

Mark

 

 

[Xilman]

Overall suggestion: Science --- the making, measuring, recording and publishing observations of value to future astronomers.

Topics include:

1. Photometry: variable stars, asteroids, comets, exoplanets, AGN (i.e. quasars, etc);
2. Astrometry: asteroids, comets, double stars;
3. Spectroscopy: solar, variable stars, AGN;
4. Discovery: deep-sky imaging followed by careful examination  to seek for newcomers.

Enough there for at least a year solid though of course, it should be spread over several years.

[iantaylor2uk]

How about: how to use setting circles

[DaveS]

Does anyone still use setting circles?

[tomato]

Yes, for azimuth positioning on a Dobsonian.

[DaveS]

In any case it's a moot point since Stargazine flatlined some months ago.

[Xilman]

5 hours ago, DaveS said:

In any case it's a moot point since Stargazine flatlined some months ago.

It's not dead, it's only resting.

IOW, it requires someone to pick it up and run with it.

[mikeDnight]

On 31/12/2021 at 17:00, DaveS said:

Does anyone still use setting circles?

Yes! But I'm old!!

I don't use them for planets which is what I'm mainly interested in, but I used setting circles on my GM8 regularly to find fuzzies. There's a misconception that smaller setting circles are useless, but if polar alignment is accurate, even those on a GP or EQ5 can be reasonably accurate. The mounts who's circles I've used were all accurately and permanently aligned.

[Collin]

Hi, Happy New Year everyone 🙂

Episode 41 had Ivo Jager's talk/presentation on StarTools. For the event Ivo used data from somewhere - think it may have been supplied by someone at FLO. I'd have to watch again to be sure. The data were very clean and Ivo didn't have to work massively hard to process it. It was very briefly discussed that Ivo could do a follow-up presentation - but this time using somewhat poorer data to give us an idea of how the software would cope, also giving greater insight as to how the toolset could be manipulated. I'd really like to see this.

Regards

Collin