Solar Session @ Holly Hall Academy

[marktownley]

Last thursday we ran one of our 'STEM' days here at work, we had over 40 pupils from our local feeder primary schools come up and take part in a range of actvities - fossils, dinosaur footprints, dry ice, cloud chambers to observe cosmic rays, and, ofcourse, some solar astronomy. We'd convinced our local paper to come in and take some pics and run an article; I suggested all the pupils stood infront of the scope with solar goggles on but photophotographer wanted this shot, hey ho!


e&s by Mark Townley, on Flickr

It's not the best scan, I will see if my scanner at home does a better job! This shot was 'staged' for the press - we actually did the solar observing in the afternoon. This was taken in the morning when as you can probably tell it was foggy! and the mount isn't plugged in, you can probably spot a few more if you look hard enough! Pictured is yours truly, the DS40 and Tal100RS with Lunt wedge...

We have plenty more solar sessions planned in the months ahead, and there are plenty of local papers, so, hopefully have somemore pics in them

Mark

[solarchat]

Fantastic Mark!

Ive added it to the international page..

[swisswalter]

Hi Mark

great event, congratulations. Are you rally running your EQ6 almost without a counter weight

[marktownley]

Thanks Stephen! Thanks Walter!

Are you rally running your EQ6 almost without a counter weight

If i just have the DS40 on, then yes, it is fine. The counterweight shaft that is on now is a replacement for the stock one; this is a repacement from Geoptik, it has a larger shaft diameter and is longer and therefore (quite a bit) more mass. With the DS40 alone is fine, if I put a larger scope on, or more scopes, then I do have to counterweight it else tracking goes AWOL.

[swisswalter]

Hi Mark

thank you. O.K. now I understand

[Montana]

Excellent!!! Wow it's tall, I doubt I would be able to get a view without a step ladder It sounds like you all had a marvellous day, I look forward to the next news article.

Regards
Alexandra

[Bill E.]

Excellent Mark

[marktownley]

Thanks Alexandra & Bill!

Only looks so tall as is pointing at the north celestial pole, where the sun never is; another of the photographic errors... When it's pointing to a 'normal' bit of sky the eyepeice is in a much easier to reach position. The photographer had me swing the scope round so it pointed this way as it made the setup look more impressive...

[earl]

Thats wonderful Mark. Any press no matter how staged is good for solar astronomy. And the photographer was right ... it does look more impressive. Great job!

[vidman]

This is great Mark. Teaching children is what it is about. Teachers do not get enough recognition. Great work.

[Pedro]

Great job Mark. You look really cool

best

[marktownley]

Thanks everyone! I do appreciate your kind words! Next day is already planned for early may, seems ages away, but I know will come round fast! This time we're doing it with different schools

[Derek Klepp]

Onya Mark. Sometimes I think I should have put Tertiary Studies to teaching but I figure someones got to feed the masses.Keep up the great work.On an aside male teachers especially in primary schools are an endangered species here in Australia.

[marktownley]

Woo hoo! Article also got run again in our local free paper - means over 40,000 households round here get to see my mugshot!

Here is the E-Edition http://edition.pagesuite-professional.c ... a3b2&skip= If you go to page 3 you'll find me there...

Has been some positive results from this - had a lady contact our school saying she had some astronomy bits and pieces if we wanted them - when went to collect turned out to be a big box of astro books, an 8" mirror in cell, secondary and spider and a load of eyepeices - soooo, plan is now as you may expect to build an 8" dob... Anyhooo, our regional STEM centre also invited us to exhibit scopes at 'The Big Bang Fair' in Birmingham in the summer http://www.thebigbangfair.co.uk/home.cfm - we need to finalise the details but the plan would be to setup somewhere around the main entrance to the event - Ramsden style - the organisers are planning for 1250 visitors a day for the 2 day event... I'm going to be busy getting all this ready! :silly:

[Derek Klepp]

And a top mug shot. Sounds great Mark you've got the ball rolling.

[Bill E.]

[marktownley]

Cheers bill!

[Montana]

Excellent news Mark!

I didn't expect you would be a page 3 kind of guy

Alexandra

[marktownley]

Excellent news Mark!

I didn't expect you would be a page 3 kind of guy

Alexandra

Lol, thanks! amusing thing is the article at the top of the page that was in the express and star and featured as the centrefold - needless to say i've taken some grief from my mates about being a page 3 and a centrefold all in the same week

[solarchat]

oh boy

[iwatkins]

That is really excellent Mark, nice one

Cheers

Ian