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Post by jamesling1000 on Dec 27, 2013 22:21:20 GMT -5
Hi All...... Is more than half a year since I did not post any of the update on my CLASSIC 8" ISTAR F8.8 here, in ISTARSCOPECLUB forum... There are numerous reasons which mainly due to work load and I did not even attend a single oversea stargazing trip in 2013, as well as not participating my friend's organized local sidewalk for the last 3 months.... But come to 2014, the monthly side walk at one of our local library will be conducted on weekends Saturday, and the next one will be coming 4th January 2014.... Although the weather in our South East Asia is now facing the heavy monsoon rains, and will end in February.... If weather permits, I will bring my classic 8" ISTAR for the 1st side walk on 4th January 2014.... This coming January is Jupiter opposition (5th January), as such it will be great to show Jupiter again through this 8" ISTAR, and hopefully I can come back and post pictures and write up , by next weekend..... Below 1st photo shows the area, which is heavily light polluted whereby I used to do my setup, but for planets like Jupiter is not a problem at all....... The other two photos, are from August side walk at one of our local ARMY CLUB... Regards James Ling    |
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Post by Mike on Dec 28, 2013 10:45:20 GMT -5
Good to hear from you James. We missed you  |
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Post by astromanuk on Dec 28, 2013 12:20:42 GMT -5
Hi James,
Good to see you are back introducing the wonders of the night sky to the general public. If a look at Jupiter through an 8" Istar is your first look through a telescope you are going to be hooked for life!
Let us know how you get on.
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Post by bn1777 on Dec 28, 2013 16:48:08 GMT -5
Welcome back James , I to have missed your public night observing reports .
Happy 2014 mate .
Brian.
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Post by jamesling1000 on Dec 28, 2013 19:12:11 GMT -5
 Hi ALL... Thanks for the encouragement.... Although is very time consuming to setup this 8" ISTAR, for a sidewalk event, which only lasted 3 hours.... as it took an hour for preparation, traveling another hour to the location, an hour to unload and setup, then an hour to pack up after the event, another hour of traveling back, and then an hour to unload back.....But if you see the public queuing up just to see something they have never seen before, the comments and excitements really give you the drive to continue to do this over and over again.... The most interesting part, at this side walk location, for more than 2 years, a lot of the public are already familiar with our monthly side walk activities, although is on a Monday evening (previously, as scheduled by the local library), and when I am not bringing the ISTAR, but the APM ED APO, C14 or 10" Mewlon, they always ask me when can they see the 8" ISTAR again..... And as now most hand phone can take beautiful photos, through the eye-piece, many are willing to wait until towards the end of the session, to use their hand phone to snap a few photos of the moon....even Saturn and Jupiter, which only a high magnification and my G11 G2 tracking mount can just do this beautifully... Now everything is ready for coming 4th January 2014 side walk, and hopefully the weather do not disappoint our astro group 1st sidewalk event of the year.... Regards James Ling |
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Post by bn1777 on Jan 2, 2014 16:59:37 GMT -5
Good luck James , hope the weather co-operates .
Brian.
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Post by jamesling1000 on Feb 8, 2014 1:26:35 GMT -5
 Hi All... Is already one month, and today is my 2nd month attempt to bring this 8" Istar achro for our once a month astronomy talk and side walk at the library area.... Last month , 4th January , is really a disappointed planned event... Whereby heavy downpours continued until almost 9pm....and I also could not packed up my scope for the event... But I did attend the astronomy talk by my friend, Gary, and we have a nice get together session, after his astro talk... We did have a small session of night observation at Jupiter , through 3 scopes that are brought by other members... Tonight will be our February astro talk and side walk, although the monsoon season is over, but haze starts again..... hopefully tonight is just the haze, and the Istar can still penetrate through the moon and Jupiter..... Now is preparing my 8" ISTAR.... and another 4 more hours I will set off to the event area, and hopefully this time will be a successful night ..... Regards James Ling |
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Post by jamesling1000 on Feb 8, 2014 13:29:46 GMT -5
 Hi ALL..... Just returned from the astro talk and side walk event....and now is already 2.20am..... And here are some photos I have taken, when my friend , assist me to mend my 8" ISTAR.... 1. This time we set up at a different location, about 300M away from our usual location outside the library... And is another open area outside COURTS dept store.... Regards James Ling |
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Post by jamesling1000 on Feb 8, 2014 13:35:21 GMT -5
2. Tonight although there are plenty of clouds and haze, yet we still managed to have a nice session at both the 9 days old moon and Jupiter....  |
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Post by jamesling1000 on Feb 8, 2014 13:44:23 GMT -5
3. This is another photo shot showing people queuing behind the 8" ISTAR telescope... Initially the scope is pointing at the 9 days old moon...And the queue is quite long, coz many people want to see this big 8" ISTAR scope.... We decided to switch to Jupiter as it is quite high, and we also worry later the clouds may disrupt the session... REgards James Ling  |
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Post by jamesling1000 on Feb 9, 2014 5:01:19 GMT -5
Hi ALL... This is a single photo shot taken by my friend, Gary, with his HTC ONE S hp, through the ep of my 8" ISTAR , last night... If you will to visually seen Jupiter, through the scope last night, you will be amazed by how nice is pitch dark background, with 4 moons and 1 star accompanying Jupiter.. Jupiter is not just seen with the 2 board bands at the equatorial regions.... but numerous fine band lines appearing all the way to both poles....The single photo shot using the hp already able to show the fine bands, and I should have tried with my Canon 550D instead...... Regards James Ling  |
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Post by jamesling1000 on Feb 9, 2014 20:19:12 GMT -5
Hi ALL....
I have posted a similar report , with more photos that my astronomy friends sent to me yesterday...
And is under outreach session...
As this outreach side walk session for February month come to an end, I am looking forward for the coming March session....
And perhaps there is a chance to report Mars sighting with this 8" ISTAR, although is one month away from opposition....
Thanks and regards
James Ling
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Post by jamesling1000 on Feb 28, 2014 21:53:20 GMT -5
Hi All.... As today is again my group's monthly astro talk and side walk event to be held at the local library.... And now is just less than 10 hours away....., and being looking forward tonight's planned event.... And hopefully tonight we can view Jupiter and Mars through the 8" Istar.....although haze has struck our regional area due to numerous burning....from this dry and hot season.... Will update , after this event...... Regards James Ling  |
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Post by jamesling1000 on Mar 1, 2014 12:49:28 GMT -5
Hi ALL... As I just returned from the astronomy talk and side walk event, I wanted to say this time is really a very successful one.... Just want to share with all of you on one photo tweet by my friend, while waiting for tomorrow the rest of the photos to be downloaded and shared among ourselves.... The photo shows partial queue behind the 8" ISTAR, as it is extended further down.... And the queue is non stop from 8.30pm till 10.30pm....., which I estimate more than 200 person viewed through this 8" ISTAR and is just on Jupiter with GRS visible tonight at our region.... I will share with you tomorrow when I received the photos taken by my astronomy friends.........  REgards James Ling |
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Post by Viktor Z. on Mar 1, 2014 19:10:32 GMT -5
James,
This is wonderful and uplifting experience to share the Wonders of the Cosmos - the Universe - with others. Last week I also had a great experience when 42 people or so lined up behind my Istar refractor and my friend's excellent Celestron HD refractor. We were pleased to explain about the Jupiter, its stripes and its moons and many of those people saw it for the first time in their life, and some of them were already older people. And they expressed to us 'thank yous' and they were so happy. So I really undestand your enthusiams in sharing and outreach! It must uplift your soul as did mine too:)
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