With a decade of success now behind it, the Peach State Star Gaze proudly celebrates its 10th anniversary this coming October with both a look towards the future and recognition of the past. Both include a tradition of top-notch, world-class speakers, workshops, comradery and an effort to sometimes be a little different. Thus, we are proud to announce that the 10th annual Peach State Star Gaze will be held Wednesday afternoon through Sunday morning, October 22 -26, 2003.
Building on our past, we are proud to again hold the event at our new site, WhiteWater Express campground in the north Georgia mountains on the Georgia-Tennessee line. The site features much darker skies than our previous location (which itself started out much darker early on). And the huge observing field at WhiteWater Express can accommodate many more observers, plus those who choose to camp at the scope for convenience. For those who choose not to rough it as much, a generous number of sleeping cabins for indoor lodging are scattered throughout the site.
This year, you'll have five autumn days and four nights to view through large and small telescopes, share observing and astrophotography techniques, attend workshops, participate in talks by other amateurs, and much more. Plus, bring your unneeded astronomical gadgets to sell or swap. Please note that because the cost of putting on this event are paid in advance, this is a rain-or-shine event with NO walk-ins and no refunds.
Dr. Brian Marsden Looking towards the future, we continue our solid foundation of knowledgable and popular speakers important to those of us in amateur astronomy. Thus, we are proud to present Dr. Brian G. Marsden of the International Astronomical Union as a PSSG 2003 speaker. As director of the IAU's Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams from 1968 to 2000, Dr. Marsden was responsible for the timely dissemination of information about transient astronomical objects and events. (It was Dr. Marsden who was contacted by our own Jerry Armstrong and Tim Puckett regarding their discovery of the supernova in M51 in April 1994; they were subsequently given first credit for the discovery.)
Dr. Marsden is an astronomer at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and specializes in celestial mechanics and astrometry, with particular application to the study of comets, asteroids and natural satellites.
He has successfully predicted the return of several lost comets and asteroids, notably the 1992 return of Comet Swift-Tuttle, which has the longest period of any comet ever successfully predicted. In 2002, he recognized another group of now more than a dozen near-sun comets that is termed the Marsden Group. He is the author of the standard "Catalogue of Cometary Orbits", 14 editions of which have been published since 1972. Since 1978, he has also directed the IAU's Minor Planet Center, which issues various printed and electronic publications, including monthly batches of "Minor Planet Circulars" with positional observations, orbital elements and related information about comets and asteroids.
Chris Butler is an internationally published illustrator whose works have appeared in the Times of London, on CNN, and in thousands of publications around the world. Best known for his science art, Chris also produces fine maritime work. A graduate of the California State University at Fullerton's television and film school, Chris has served as a production designer in feature film and a writer, host, and narrator for numerous entertainment and educational programs. As a staff artist at Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, Chris continues to focus on science education. He is presently a full time artist, and resides in southern California.
Among his various jobs, Chris has been the director of a children's science museum, a tour guide on the Queen Mary, a technical illustrator for a computer manufacturer, a technical representative for the Meade Instruments telescope company, and a financial analyst on the space shuttle program at Rockwell International.
A few publications which have carried Chris Butler's work:
Richard Schmude is associate professor at Gordon College's Department of Science and Physics (Barnesville, Georgia) and an expert on the planet Mars, which will be at its closest apparition with Earth in the past 57,000 years. Dr. Schmude is also an observing coordinator of several sections of the Assn. of Lunar & Planetary Observers (ALPO), which maintains an active network of amateur and professional Solar System observers.
He has studied Mars since 1986 and has published several papers about his Mars research in the Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada; in fact, he spoke of his Mars research several years ago at the General Assembly of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. Richard has focused on three specific areas of research related to Mars. One involves measuring the brightness and color of Mars; information which can yield information about the soil and brightness of specific features on Mars. A second area has been to monitor the size of the polar caps, especially during the spring season; the trends in polar cap sizes over the last 35 years are consistent with a global warming on Mars. And finally, to construct maps of the surface of Mars; photographs have also been taken to support this project.
Dr. Schmude has spoken at previous PSSG events and meetings of the Atlanta Astronomy Club where he has been warmly received each time.
And how would you like to present your scientific findings or special experiences in amateur astronmomy to this year’s PSSG crowd? In an effort to open the event up even more, we invite those who may be interested to submit an abstract, comprehensive description, or copy of a proposed presentation for consideration by a select panel of judges from the Atlanta Astronomy Club by August 31, 2003 (postmark date). The panel will then review the material and decide which of the submitted presentation will be offered at the PSSG. If only one is chosen, it will be scheduled for late on Friday afternoon of the event; if more than one is chosen, they will be scheduled for Thursday.
Your presentation should take no more than 1 hour, though 45 minutes is recommended in case there are questions from the audience. Your audio/visual aids may include PowerPoint, photographic slides, paper handouts, or nothing at all. PowerPoint programs and/or paper handouts, as well as a copy of any reference notes you would use during the presentation should be submitted so the judges can consider all aspects of the presentation. We will supply projection equipment, though you are responsible for preparing the necessary number of handouts (if any).
This invitation is open only to PSSG registrants. The decision of the AAC judges is final and the winner(s) will be notified as soon as possible. Send all materials to: Peach State Star Gaze 2003, Presentation Judging Committee, c/o Ken Poshedly, 1741 Bruckner Court, Snellville, GA 30078-2784; if the entire presentation can be e-mailed, send it to poshedly@bellsouth.net by August 31, 2003.
With this being the 10th year of the Peach State Star Gaze, it seems most appropriate to provide a remembrance of this special anniversary. Thus, a limited number of full-color cloth patches denoting this event will be presented to the first 200 persons who register for this year’s event (limit 2 per family max.), another 100 available for sale onsite at the PSSG event itself. No reservations please.
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 and star-hopping.
Daytime workshops will be held in an open-air crafts building we have set aside for this purpose. Daytime workshops include things like slketching at the eyepiece and mirror-washing.
Note that the mirror-washing workshop is for those with reflectors who already know how to remove and reinstall the primary and secondary mirrors in their telescope.
The PSSG enjoys the support of many of the hobby's manufacturers and marketers. Several nationally known vendors return each year to the PSSG. In addition, many companies donate items for the doorprize raffle held Saturday afternoon. The winner MUST be present at the drawing in order to win. All PSSG registrants are automatically entered in this raffle.
Our new site includes meals to those who prepay for them. If you do choose to have meals prepared, YOU MUST PRE-PAY FOR THESE MEALS WITH YOUR REGISTRATION PAYMENT. Only those persons who have indicated on their registration form which meals they want and have prepaid for them will be served. Because the food provisions are based on the preregistrations, NO WALK-IN DINERS ALLOWED.
It's easy. First, make sure you have the FREE little program "Adobe Acrobat Reader" installed on your terminal. You must have this in place before you can view or print any pdf file. For more info on pdf files or to download this great utility, simply go to the Adobe web site.
After you have Adobe Reader installed on your terminal, just left-click your mouse here and the form will open in the program Adobe Reader right on your terminal. Simply print out the form, complete it and then mail it in with payment (checks or money orders only -- no cash) to:
Peach State Star Gaze
c/o Ken Poshedly
1741 Bruckner Court
Snellville, Georgia 30078-2784
If you have questions, e-mail them to poshedly@bellsouth.net or phone 770-979-9842 after 7:30 p.m. weeknights, Eastern Time.
BE SURE TO COMPLETE BOTH SIDES OF THE REGISTRATION FORM COMPLETELY AND ALSO SPECIFY IF YOU WISH TO RECEIVE REGISTRATION CONFIRMATION VIA E-MAIL OR REGULAR “SNAIL-MAIL”.
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Comments and questions to poshedly@bellsouth.net
Copyright 2003 by Ken Poshedly, All Rights Reserved.