Spring 2017 Astronomy Workshops Series at Seagrave Observatory
April 2017
Anyone interested in learning the fascinating hobby of amateur astronomy is invited to come to Seagrave Memorial Observatory, 47 Peep Toad Road, Scituate, RI. Skyscrapers, Inc., the Amateur Astronomical Society of Rhode Island, is offering workshops on topics in astronomy to introduce anyone interested in the fascinating world of amateur astronomy. Also, sky permitting, each program will be followed by observing with the historic 8-inch refracting telescope. All programs are free and open to the public.
April 22th, 6:00 P.M.: The Messier Catalog
The Messier catalog, a beginner's introduction to the sky, is a list of over 100 objects visible through small telescopes; some can even be seen with the naked eye. Steve Siok will discuss three types of these objects: open clusters, globular clusters, and galaxies, all of which are important to the understanding of and appreciating the structure of our own Milky Way galaxy, and how to plan observing sessions to seek out each of these types of objects, in order to plan your deep-sky observing throughout the seasons.
Steve Siok is the current president of Skyscrapers, Inc., and has been an amateur astronomer for many years.
May 6, 6:00 P.M.: Spring Constellations
For many, the beauty of the nighttime sky, and learning the constellations, looks almost hopeless; however, with a free computer program, Stellarium, and some of the seasonal star myths, you can easily learn the stars present at this time of year.
Francine Jackson has been associated with planetariums throughout the years, and loves introducing the sky.
May 13, 6:00 P.M.: The Moon
Although the Moon is always with us, and the seasons occur every year, understanding the reasons for the seasons and the changing phases of our Moon is not always obvious. This session will be both a lively presentation and discussion of these two natural phenomena.
Kathy Siok is 2nd Vice President of Skyscrapers, Inc., and has been an amateur astronomer for many years.
May 20, 6:00 P.M.: The Sun & Solar Eclipses
Today will be all about our nearest star, the Sun. You will learn what we know about Sun, be advised how to observe it very safely, and prepare for one of the most beautiful of our natural events, the total solar eclipse of August 21, 2017.
Ian Dell'Antonio is an Astrophysics Professor at Brown University.
June 17, 9:00 – 11:00 P.M.: Astrophotography
Rescheduled due to cloudy weather.
Members of Skyscrapers, Inc., have been taking beautiful astronomical images for many years. In observing them you might have believed it is too hard or too difficult to do yourself. This evening will introduce you to taking images with a CCD camera, but you can bring with you any photographic equipment you might own. Note: Space is limited, and this workshop is weather dependent. If cloudy it will be rescheduled. If interested, please contact Bob Horton at shootingsta98@gmail.com
Bob Horton and Jim Hendrickson have been photographing the sky for decades, and are always willing to impart their knowledge to others.
