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Re: (IAAC) PEACH STATE STAR GAZE VI
You sound familiar. Did I perhaps meet you several years ago at the
observatory at Fernbank in Atlanta? I was there after the public left and
several of us talked at length. I was visiting from Va Beach, VA.
Kent Blackwell
kent@exis.net
----------
> From: Art Russell <artrussell@mindspring.com>
> To: Atm@Shore. Net <atm@shore.net>; _IAAC
<netastrocatalog-announce@latrade.com>; _Big DOB Dob List
<bigdob-l@ucsd.edu>
> Subject: (IAAC) PEACH STATE STAR GAZE VI
> Date: Friday, January 29, 1999 9:22 AM
>
> PEACH STATE STAR GAZE VI
>
> The Atlanta Astronomy Club is proud to announce the 6th annual Peach
State
> Star Gaze (PSSG), one of the premier observing events for the Southeast.
>
> This year's PSSG will be Thursday through Sunday, April 15-18, 1999, at
> Indian Springs State Park's Camp McIntosh near Jackson, Georgia, south of
> Atlanta.
>
> Contact Ken Poshedly as soon as possible to request registration
> information, either by email (mailto:ken.poshedly@mindspring.com) or
> telephonically (770-979-9842 (after 7 p.m. Eastern Time).
>
> Cheers!
>
> Art Russell
>
> Atlanta, Georgia
>
> mailto:artrussell@mindspring.com
> http://Education.gsu.edu/spehar/
>
> Member National Deep Sky Observers Society (NDSOS), Webb Society, and
> Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers (ALPO)
>
> "Sight is a faculty; seeing, an art" - George Perkins Marsh
>
>
>
>
> Other information:
>
> Begun in 1994 with only 50 persons as a fundraiser for a dark sky
observing
> site for the AAC, the 1998 PSSG drew over 200 beginner and amateur
> astronomers from across the southeastern United States, making it one of
> the largest such weekend gatherings. Here you'll have three April days
and
> nights to view through large and small telescopes, share observing and
> astrophotography techniques, attend workshops, participate in talks by
other
> amateurs, and much more. Bring your unneeded astronomical gadgets to sell
or
> swap. This is a rain-or-shine event.
>
> Events:
> · Saturday afternoon presentations, this year featuring Star Ware author
and
> astronomical humorist Phil Harrington, AAC president and constellation
> mythology expert Phil Sacco, and a third speaker yet to be named.
> · Workshops, demonstrations and the latest list of "Peach Fuzzies" for
the
> observing competition.
> · Top-notch facilities, including two observing fields and indoor lodging
> and meeting buildings.
> · Door-prizes from America's top astronomy equipment companies. One lucky
> person will win a Meade 4500 reflecting telescope.
>
> Saturday Presentations
> The Peach State Star Gaze prides itself on the quality of its Saturday
> presentations. This year, it continues that tradition with:
>
> Phil Harrington - Phil has titled his talk Nights of Future Passed: A
Look
> Back at the Amateur Astronomer of the 20th Century. As the end of the
20th
> century nears, now is a good time to reflect on events of the past,
putting
> them into historical perspective, and perhaps using them to look forward
> into the future. The amateur astronomer of 100 years ago was far
different
> from you and I today, as was his gear and pursuits. In this talk, we
turn
> back time to see how far we've come, how amateur astronomy has evolved in
> the past ten decades, then looking forward to see where we might go in
the
> next century.
>
> Phil Sacco - While working on his merit badges for Eagle rank in the Boy
> Scouts, Phil quickly took up the Astronomy Merit Badge. How the
> constellations came to be named and the stories surrounding them
fascinated
> him to the limits of his young imagination. Then in college, as he and
his
> friends studied the mythology of the ancients, Phil could relate to the
> stories heard years before as he began to explore the mythology of the
> visible cosmos.
>
> While astronomy hasn't changed since Phil's youth, the understanding of
what
> true astronomy is has changed. As Phil says, "With that in mind, I hope
you
> will all enjoy the presentation of some of the mythology surrounding the
> constellations visible the weekend of the PSSG. Remember....the tales you
> hear have been told around fires as long as language has existed."
Workshops
>
> Each year, the PSSG offers hands-on demonstrations and workshops that the
> beginner and amateur will find practical and useful. Plans are to repeat
> topics like mirror-washing, mirror collimation, sketching at the
eyepiece,
> star-hopping (taught by National Deep Sky Observers Society member Art
> Russell), and mirror grinding taught by ATMer Tracy Wilson.
>
> And this year, we're adding an evening workshop titled "Making A Good
Mars
> Drawing" by Richard W. Schmude, Jr., of the Association of Lunar and
> Planetary Observers (ALPO). Participants will be given an official ALPO
Mars
> observing form and will learn how to complete the form along with how to
> make a Mars drawing while observing Mars through a telescope. Some
> techniques that will be covered in the workshop are how to find Mars,
> required equipment and observing techniques. Dr. Schmude is also a member
of
> the AAC and has published several articles on Mars dating back to the
1986
> opposition.
>
> Door Prizes
> The PSSG also enjoys the support of many of the hobby's manufacturers and
> marketers. Rex's Astro Stuff, for example, is now a tradition at the
PSSG.
> In addition, many companies donate items for the door prize raffle held
> Saturday afternoon.
>
> A special raffle will also be held Saturday afternoon and feature a Meade
> 4.5-inch aperture Model 4500 Newtonian reflector telescope. Tickets for
this
> raffle will be available at the event from AAC president Phil Sacco
>
> Tee-shirts, Etc.
> Good events are worth remembering. That's why we offer a different Peach
> State Star Gaze tee-shirt each year. Order early for one or more of this
> year's offering (designed by the Atlanta Astronomy Club's own Jonathan
> Corey). Each year's full-color design is totally different from the year
> before! All shirts are 50/50 cotton/polyester for virtually no shrinkage
> and are available in sizes from XX Large and smaller. While extra shirts
are
> usually available in various sizes at the event, order yours by March 31
to
> guarantee it.
>
> In addition, several women in the AAC have formed a group within the
club,
> the "Ladies of the Night . . . Sky" and have produced decorative and
> fragrant soap baskets for sale at the event.
>
> Camp Facilities
> Camp McIntosh is a group camp adjacent to and operated by Indian Springs
> State Park near Jackson, Georgia, about midway between Atlanta and Macon.
> The camp has its own gated entrance. The site includes the following:
>
> · Four heated, dormitory-style bunkhouses with bunkbeds, running water,
> indoor flush-toilets, hot-water showers and lockers for personal items.
Two
> dorms are designated men-only, one dorm is for women-only, and the final
> one is for couples (discretion, common decency and respect for others
also
> lodging there are the rules). Besides the bunkbed areas, each dorm also
> includes one semi-private room equipped with two single-size,
spring-loaded
> cots.
> · Three smaller heated buildings, each with two bedrooms (two
single-size,
> spring-loaded cots per room) and a single, lockable bathroom with indoor
> flush-toilet, and hot-water shower).
>
> · A general meeting building for indoor workshops. Electrical power to
> either observing field is available via standard 110 VAC outlets from
this
> building.
>
> · The dining hall with a fully-equipped kitchen that includes
> cooking/wash-up facilities for those preparing their own meals. The
dining
> hall is also the location of the Saturday talks.
>
> · Two observing fields. The larger field features a wide, low horizon
(-44
> degree horizon when viewing towards the south from the north end). The
> smaller field is closer to electrical power for those who MUST have it.
>
> Meals
> Pancake Breakfast
> Begun last year, the PSSG Saturday morning pancake breakfast proved to be
an
> unqualified success and will be held again this year in the dining hall.
No
> matter how late you stayed up the night before, there's nothing like a
plate
> of hotcakes, scrambled eggs, sausage and coffee to get you started the
next
> morning.
>
> Cooking Onsite
> You can use the dining hall kitchen to prepare your own meals as long as
the
> facility is not in use otherwise. Or cook at your camper. NO open or
> campfires, and NO waste dumping. The dining hall kitchen will be
off-limits
> Saturday morning in preparation for the pancake breakfast.
>
> Area Restaurants
> A list of area restaurants will be provided when you arrive at the event.
>
> Finally
> To get your name on the registration brochure mailing list, e-mail Ken
> Poshedly at: ken.poshedly@mindspring.com
>
> Voice phone 770-979-9842 (after 7 p.m. Eastern Time)
>
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