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Stargazing Live


nebogipfel

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Why did they not get Sir Patrick that would have been much better seeing him and Prof Cox together. Still I am grateful for a programme that encourages others to get out there and take up the hobby.

Would have been good and may have happened 10 years ago. I think Patrick is probably at an age where he needs to take it easier - isn't he nearly 90 now?

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I would describe the whole thing as OK. Ross confirmed my worst fears and was a complete pillock waffling on about Gallifrey. It would have been so much better if the beeb had got a group of real novice astronomers together and given them some instruction.

The Prof' looked a bit uncomfortable live but is always informative and likeable. Dara was fine as his sidekick.

One pre-record in particular was a bit pointless, the sequence in the amusement arcade. I understand the process he was trying to explain but I suspect it will not have worked for most "lay" viewers?

The Liz Bonnin stuff in Hawaii was largely pointless and could have been heavily edited. I know we were in Hawaii but did we really need to go surfing to get a one sentence history of Astronomy in the islands?

Ditto the subtitled bit ....filler, nothing more.

Best bits for me were the comments about astrology and the setting, Jodrell Bank, it's just so iconic.

It needed more "Stargazing Live" in my opinion.

Perhaps the best is yet to come?

Sky at Night tonight ........yippee :eek:

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I'm glad most people seem to have enjoyed it, I was very disappointed. Watched it with my wife who, half way through said she couldn't understand what they were on about. The issues involved in getting a satellite in orbit around mercury was a good example. The explanation was rushed and Dara made it all but incomprehensible to anyone without a notion of physics. Jackie just wanted Dara to shut up, she could make sense of what Brian was saying and found Dara immensely irritating.

The trips to Hawaii seemed a bit superfluous and the star wars thing made us wonder whether we were watching "stargazing live".

I liked the basic info about imaging (except it wasn't mentioned that you need to focus a DSLR) and the fact that we got to see a live view of Jupiter with it's moons. The bit with Wossy was ok.

Why wasn't there more about last nights meteor showere, where and when to look. A bit about how it is that meteor showers can be predicted and how they are formed.

It will probably get covered in the end but I think the following could have been covered in the first programme.

How to observe the sky - naked eye. What's up tonight - jupiter, major constellations, pleiades, metior shower, partial eclips in the morning.

Binocular basics and some easy targets - Pleiades, M42, M35

Telescope basics - this was done reasonably with the JR section

A bit more on dark adaptation, red lights and something on the horrors of light pollution.

Basic imaging - this was well done I thought

How to get more help - info on coming events and astro socs

Just because the target audience aren't into astronomy doesn't mean they can't cope with a serious and sensible explanation of physics, albeit at a simple level. This morning Jackie asked me what the orbiting mercury thing had been about. I explained that if you just sent a rocket to the sun, by the time it got there it would be going so fast being pulled so hard by the suns gravity that it would shoot past and crash into the sun. It needs to use ever decreasing orbits to get itself safely into position round mercury. That doesn't really need Dara talking about merry go rounds and sling shots. KISS

I like the idea of Dara being there but leave the explanations to Brian.

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The forecast said cloudy in Manchester that evening, and it was, so I decided to watch the programme. In the first five minutes they where stood outside Jodrell Bank saying how clear the sky was! I lept up and went out and it was clear! Not wanting to waste it I abandoned the programme and set the kit up outside. Inevitably, just ready to go and the clouds re-appeared. Not wanting to waste the setup, set the camera to take some darks and went back to watch the end of the programme!

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It was a bit hit and miss for me - not quite smooth, with Brian and Dara trying a little too hard.

I agree with the comments about Hawaii. This could have been prerecorded, after all, what's the point of 'stargazing live' where the sun is still up (unless you do solar :)). Surely it would have been better to be live further east to see Saturn & Venus?

I was hugely disappointed that they had a decent refractor which gave "OOOh Wow" views, but showed the public a pixellated view through a small refractor mounted above (I get better visual image through my 4.5" flec :eek:) Nice for them to see through the main scope, but if that's what people think that the views are like through a biggish frac then they might not bother getting a beginners scope at all.

Should be good tonight with the solar footage (hopefully) and constellations - a little more inclusive to the general public.

EDIT: Just read my post and thought I should make clear that I enjoyed the program and am looking forward to the next instalment

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Dara seemed to have a need to prove he understood what was being talked about and because of that his comments would have proved difficult to understand to the less technically minded.

I think Dara and Brian's onscreen relationship has a future. They seemed a little disjointed at times and it was obvious they were new to each other but I could see there is a bit of a spark there. Dara needs to take more of a role providing Brian with links between sections and maybe giving him a bit of direction by asking questions where things get a bit technical rather than trying to prove his worth as a physics graduate.

That woman in Hawaii seems to think everything is "great" or " fantastic". I think she was trying to make us feel she was watching the programme with us in between her sections. That didn't work at all for me.

Jonathon Ross seemed like he could have been better briefed on what was wanted from him or maybe he was and he couldn't keep himself in check.

I think it has a future if things settle down and Brian and Dara figure each other out a bit more.

I think it's great that they've managed to get something like this on primetime terrestrial TV (on an original analogue station too!). At the very least it'll give the public a better understanding of what we're about.

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At times, it did feel as if Dara was the main presenter and Brian was the one along for the ride. I like Dara as a person and his work but a professional in the field of astronomy....he is not.
Heheh... Well in the "good old days", it might've been fun to wind up the odd(?) astronomical academic, by noting that BC is (as I was... once) a Particle Physicist. <G> But I'd still like to see an "Astronomical BC" - Frankly though, Monocles and Guitars are (for me decidedly!) optional? :)

Even re. Amateur Astronomy, I suspect I'll never be "in with the in crowd" - on SGL too? [teasing] But the PARTS of these programs, I most enjoy, are presented by "real" astronomers. Some might even be members here? Can I tempt you guys/gals more to the forefront? :eek:

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I enjoyed most of the programe. Noticed a few images from certain people ;-). There were a few filling time bits that as previously mentioned, that weren't needed and probably could of been put to better use by mentioning other things to view in the night sky by 'our man with the scope' outside.

Was that Weston Super-Mare's Pier?? [amusement arcade bit]

And finally Jonathan Ross....... WHY!?!?!?

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I watched it and will watch it tonight and tomorrow. Although I can't say I was enthralled, I found it OK especially as publicity for amateur astronomy.

Jonathan Ross tends to irritae me and I must admit I think we are reaching saturation point on TV with Darra Obrien but I wont knock any programme that publicises amateur and professional astronomy in a positive light.

So well done BBC keep it up.

Philj

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Well I thought they did a good job trying to keep things fresh & un-geeky for the masses.. it to try and make non Astronomers think, "yeah ok... I'll give it a try" can only be a good thing for the hobby!.

It was not meant to be The Sky at Night, and I fully expected the outcome

Well I rushed onto the live chat at 9.01pm and passed my & the forums (named) best wishes for a good show. Also made a coment that I hoped they would continue with more shows accross the seasons to come.

Rob

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I hoped for more stargazing showing more objects in the night sky not

Hawaii and for me dara took over as the main presenter but i liked the

show with so few astro programes on tv better not complain

Also i think The Sky At Night should be on twice a month 1 at the

beginning & at the end of the month once a month is NOT ENOUGH

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Heheh... Well in the "good old days", it might've been fun to wind up the odd(?) astronomical academic, by noting that BC is (as I was... once) a Particle Physicist.

Don't worry - some of us are already pretty 'wound' by this!

NigelM

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Has anyone noticed the number of new members we've had joining SGL since the program last night? I wonder if that's just mere coincidence - I doubt it.

I thought the program was cool for it's aims and it's audience, and if it brings new members in droves like this, then it's doing something right far as I'm concerned. :eek:

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Can't hurt :)

One thing with SGL, though, is is very very well indexed on Google.

Whenever I Google something Astro... SGL is always on the front page :eek:

They should plug it on the show...but they won't.

The amount of SGL member's images on there and the BBC News site is awesome. Two of Saturn5's alone! ;)

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I hoped for more stargazing showing more objects in the night sky not

Hawaii and for me dara took over as the main presenter but i liked the

show with so few astro programes on tv better not complain

Also i think The Sky At Night should be on twice a month 1 at the

beginning & at the end of the month once a month is NOT ENOUGH

If you have one at the beginning and one at the end.. doesn't it just mean you get two progs close together once every 4-5 weeks :eek:

Just wish they would put Sky at Night on IPlayer in a more timely manner...

Billy...

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I thought it was OK, no better than that.

I wanted more practical astronomy and less pre-recorded "wonders of the universe" segments. Why couldn't the BBC with all its camera tech get a deent live image from that refractor? I can get a better live image of Jupiter on my digicam LCD. That pixelated image from the top mounted scope wouldn't inspire anyone. Folks will Mallincams and other astro video kit can get decent live deep sky images so why couldn't the BBC? Why no nice video image of the Orion nebula, something that's visible and easy to find for anyone even with binos?

I think they should've gone for a night with the crescent moon visible so they could have had a live feed with someone talking through some lunar features. Then said, if you've got a clear night go out and look at the moon in your bino's.

Just a couple of ideas.

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