Greetings fellow astrophiles, There are mixed reports as to the amount of cloud cover tonight, but all agree that the chance of precipitation is low. Coupled with the fact that the Perseids will not wait for our conditions to improve, we’ll be opening the observatory in hopes of having clear-enough skies for catching the peak of the meteor shower late tonight. The winds are predicted to be higher than ideal for telescope observing, so we might not have lots of equipment set up (but will try regardless). If you plan on attending, consider something to place on the ground between […]
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Greetings fellow astrophiles! 1. Perseid Opening – As of 11:00 a.m., conditions look right for opening Darling Hill for the Perseid Meteor Shower. Please keep track of this website around 5:00 p.m. today for the final decision and possible decision about opening tomorrow night instead. 2. The latest edition of the SAS newsletter is available for download below: DOWNLOAD HERE This edition features a lengthy article by the SAS’s Rick Kellogg on an Electronic Polar Alignment Scope, available for download at 2012_August_R_Kellogg_Electronic_Polar_Alignment_Scope.pdf. Rick’s summary is below: A traditional polar scope can be used to align an equatorial mount in a […]
Greetings fellow astrophiles, There is hope for clearing skies by tomorrow evening, but tonight is overcast throughout the night. Check back tomorrow evening for further updates!
Greetings fellow astrophiles, This weekend marks the peak of the Perseid Meteor Shower, produced as the Earth passes through minute particles left by Comet Swift–Tuttle. The highest counts are predicted for the night of August 11th, although those in clear conditions may already be observing an increase in shooting stars from the North-East between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. While Darling Hill Observatory is one of the darkest places in CNY for observing the Meteor Shower, any clear, dark conditions will do, so we encourage you to find yourself outside wherever you are at some point this weekend! Unfortunately, the […]