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Light Pollution and Dark Sky Initiatives
"Technology hath vanquished the night!" - Edward Abbey
Light pollution is stealing the night from all of us, and, despite the growing concern over our carbon footprint, we are still over-lighting our communities with inefficient and glaring light fixtures. This is an international problem. Once a source of wonder (and one-half of the entire planet’s natural environment), the star-filled nights of just a few years ago are vanishing in a yellow haze. Human-produced light pollution mars our view of the stars, and poor lighting threatens astronomy, disrupts ecosystems, affects human circadian rhythms, creates unsafe glare and light trespass, and wastes energy to the tune of $2.2 billion per year in the U.S. alone. Light Pollution's Medical Effects!
The International Dark-Sky Association is a non-profit that is a recognized authority on light pollution. Founded in 1988, IDA is the first organization to call attention to the hazards of light pollution, and in 22 years of operation its accomplishments have been tremendous.
For more resources on good lighting fixture types and sources
and lots of other light pollution information, visit the IDA website.
Astronomical League
The Astronomical League (AL) is a national organization of amateur astronomers promoting astronomical education, outreach, observation, and science, while working with amateur astronomy clubs and societies like the Astronomy Club of Asheville. Members of our club are automatically members of the AL.
Check out the AL website which is loaded with resources and information related to astronomy observation, outreach and imaging.
AL website: http://www.astroleague.org/
Astronomical Society of the Pacific
The Astronomical Society of the Pacific increases the understanding and appreciation of astronomy by engaging scientists, educators, enthusiasts and the public to advance science and science literacy. Both professional and amateur astronomers are members of the ASP.
The ASP's mission-based astronomy and space science education and public outreach activities work to promote science literacy through the enjoyment of astronomy. ASP is a recognized leader in the field of astronomy education.
Check out the many resources for astronomy education for all age and experience levels at the website link below:
Astronomy Resource List
The link below will provide you with an extensive list of resources for the amateur astronomer that includes websites, books, magazines, vendors, sky atlases and planetarium software: Resource List
2012 Doomsday Hoax
Will the Earth be doomed in December 2012? Some folks would have you think so. Find out the truth about the 2012 Doomsday hoax at the following websites:
An Astronomer Looks at Astrology
The Astronomical Society of the Pacific takes a good look at the many problems with the pseudo-science of astrology. Page 5 of this document best exposes the absurdities of astrology.
A Resource Guide to Astronomical Pseudo-Science
The Astronomical Society of the Pacific examines with a skeptical eye some of the claims at the fringes of science that seem connected to astronomy. These pseudo-science claims range from astrology to UFOs.
Skymaps.com
"Skymaps.com" has some great, free monthly sky charts that you may print-out.
Check out their website to download the latest monthly chart at:
Seasonal Star Charts and Moon Chart
For some great free, printable, bimonthly star charts for the entire year, for both the northern and southern hemispheres, as well as a basic Moon chart, use the link below:
How to Start Right in Astronomy
The link below takes you to a great article by Sky & Telescope with good advice for those new to the field of amateur astronomy:
Stargazing Basics
For a series of great short, informative, and printable articles from Sky & Telescope on many aspects of observational astronomy, use the link below:
Secrets of Stargazing
Here's the perfect, compact, paperback, how-to book for those new to stargazing and telescopes. It's loaded with practical advice with easy-to-understand explanations on equipment and about how, when, and what to observe. And it has great illustrations.
Understanding and Choosing Binoculars
What is the right pair of binoculars for you, and what does that "10x50" on the side of the binocular housing mean anyway? Choosing the right pair of binoculars can be confusing because you have to consider several factors including how steady you can hold them. The link below will help you better understand the factors to consider before making that binocular purchase.
How to Choose a Telescope
The two links below will provide you with 2 well-written articles from the folks at Sky & Telescope that are loaded with information about the different types of telescopes, telescope mounts and decisions to be made in purchasing a telescope.
Telescope Image Orientation -
Why Is Everything Upside-Down?
Learn why the image in your telescope appears incorrectly oriented and what, if anything you can do about it. Click here.
Telescope Eyepiece Formulas
Determining what eyepiece to use for a particular celestial object requires a basic knowledge of how to calculate the eyepiece's power and field of view as used in your specific telescope. This one page document explains those "formulas" quite well.
Telescope Mounts and Polar Alignment
A telescope mount is as important as the optical tube itself. So which type of mount should you get? And how do you polar align and operate one of those German equatorial mounts?
The links below are helpful in answering these questions:
Types of Telescope Mounts: http://www.memphisastro.org/Mounts.html
Polar Aligning an Equatorial Mount:
How to Use a German Equatorial Mount: http://www.astronomyboy.com/eq/
Collimation of your Telescope Mirrors
Properly aligned optics are important for a crisp view of celestial objects. The link below provides a good discussion and illustration of the process for a Newtonian Reflector:
Although there are numerous collimation tools, including laser collimators, the use of an inexpensive "collimation cap" may be all you need to perform a reasonably precise mirror alignment. These caps are available at the link below:
Using Digital Setting Circles with your Telescope
Digital setting circles (DSCs) make locating celestial objects in the night sky much easier, especially faint objects or when observing in light polluted areas. The presentation below tells you just how DSCs work and more.
Telescope Basics: Magnification, Resolution, and Light Gain
Jeremy Lerner, a member of the Astronomy Club of Asheville, describes how to determine the basic information that you need to get the most out of your telescope via this "Prezi" presentation at the web page link below. This presentation is best viewed in "full screen" mode. Select "full screen" by moving your cursor over the word "More" at the bottom right side of the web page.
An Introduction to the Gear of Astro-photography
The link below provides a great guide for folks both new to and experienced with astro- photography. This file is a large "pdf" file that you may open here and then save to your computer, but it takes a few moments to load.
CCD Astronomy - Imaging the Deep Sky
Astronomy Club of Asheville member Ken Westall gave this presentation at our December 2011 club meeting. It covers the basics of CCD astronomy imaging: the equipment, the proper set up, and the methods and techniques.
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