Jump to content

Banner.jpg.b89429c566825f6ab32bcafbada449c9.jpg

Greetings from the Desert!

Ad Astra

By Ad Astra
in Welcome

Recommended Posts

Ad Astra

Ad Astra

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Dan, sounds like you might have some useful resources for me then as I am a Scout Leader. How do you distribute your material?

Hello Ozwebuk!

I usually send out curriculum material by email - send me a PM if you want with your regular email, and I'll send you a BUNCH of stuff! (That offer goes for others on SGL as well!)

Most of my lab stuff consists of single-page handouts which can be reproduced easily and quickly. Each activity has a brief intro (1 paragraph or so) followed by detailed instructions of where to look, and what to do. Each activity usually emphasized a particular point or idea about astronomy.

For example, one of my recent labs is called 'Tracking the rising Moon'. Kids draw a sketch of constellations on the Western horizon along the ecliptic, then for the first 5 nights of the waxing lunar cycle, they plot the Moon's position each night. They get to see that the Moon orbits from the West to the EAST (not E to W, as we see everything in the sky move!). :)

Simple exercises, usually intended to be done in 30 min or so, about the limit of a youngster's attention span in the cold and dark! Kids usually love these things and the wonder and discover they exhibit (even the cynical 14-going-on-40 types!) ;)

Dan

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • Replies 40
  • Created
  • Last Reply
Ad Astra

Ad Astra

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Welcome to SGL!

I'm a bit envious of your weather! :) Got nothing but cloud here for the last few weeks. ;)

Hi Pvaz!

Before you get envious of the weather - temps of 40-45 C here in the summer - sometimes a bit hotter. We get at least 30-40 days over 40 C every summer. ;)

As for rain, we usually don't get any between February and mid-November, that can be a burden if you like green things (my wife complains about the endless brown and rocky landscape sometimes!).

The mountains are lovely - I have a great view from my classroom at both the college and the high school! But that also means earthquakes here. We just had a 3.7 shaker with the morning coffee about 9AM today. You start to see waves in the teacup and you think it's your teen upstairs clomping around, but then the whole house starts to shake..... :) I've actually been in 3 bad ones (over 6.0) in 30 years here - and I've decided that I like tornadoes better... you can run away from them!!!

You can see our local astronomy stadium here (ok, we share with the local school (American) football and soccer teams!). Very nice area, really, but too crowded for my taste sometimes! I have 240 students a day between college and high school, and about 120 of those are in my astronomy program. This means that lab nights involve 50-80 observers at a time... quite a challenge to keep everyone on task and working in the dark - especially the teens!

Dan

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Ad Astra

Ad Astra

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Hi John!

Here's a picture of the RB-10 binos. They are AWESOME! Nothing like putting 250mm of photon collecting magic on each eye!

Dan

Hello Dan, a warm welcome to the SGL forum, those must be Wow! bins you have :)

John.

post-24566-133877531856_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Ad Astra

Ad Astra

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Strewth!! - How on earth do they work??

Hi MorningMajor!

If you see the bar at waist level, that is the handlebars. :) The frame is balanced on the central pier alt/az mount, and you put your head between the OTA's. Steering is just a matter of moving the handlebars - everything is very natural!

However... You sometimes get some strange looks when set them up and unsuspecting strangers walk by....

Woman: "What on Earth is that?"

Me: "They're binoculars. I'm looking at the moon now."

Woman: "No you're not!"

Me: "Really - they're binoculars! Some of the largest in the world!"

Woman: "How do they work?"

Me: "Ok, Stand right here, grab the handlebars like that... good. Now lean over and put your head between those black tubes and look into those glass bits right there--"

Woman: "*&@%$!!! ;) That's the cheapest line I've ever heard!"

Me: "It's a binocular!" ;) "It really is the Moon!... I mean the real one!!!..... In the sky!!!....."

And I've lost another convert to astronomy. ;)

On the other hand, the ones who do look... they're hooked forever!!!!

:) Dan

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.