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Despite some initial cloudy skies - the
July Star Party and BBQ turned out to be a very successful
affair - both from the delicious foods to be had and also
the observing conditions. Some members commented that it seemed
to be just about the largest turn-out they could remember.
A few members of the Riverside Astronomical Society (RAS)
arrived to enjoy the BBQ and the nights viewing. The RAS are
building their own new dark-sky site and were interested in
seeing first-hand what we have already achieved. It was great
to be able to share our site with our friends from RAS and
I know we will be welcome to visit their site sometime in
the future.
Safety and Security at Anza.
None of you will be very surprise to hear
that our Anza site and the surrounding area is just about
the driest it has ever been. This situation means that we
need to do everything that we can to minimize the risks of
fire. There is a total ban on smoking at the site, although
you may smoke within your own vehicle.
The Non-Smoking rule aside there are other
activities that could also contribute to a fire-hazard. For
instance I was quite shocked to find some teenagers on our
site throwing "poppers" onto the ground. I spent
some time lecturing these teenagers on the consequences of
their actions and I am certain they understood what I was
saying. This also raised the question of parental responsibility
for supervising teenagers. Please ensure that any visiting
children are fully aware of the rules and understand the dangers
of "playing with fire".
This issue certainly raised my own level
of awareness to the need for fire / safety planning. Luckily
on this very Star Party we happened to have a brand new member,
a retired fire safety professional, who offered to develop
a full safety program for us.
In this day and age - with the current tragic
news headlines what they are - I should hardly have to remind
any parent who might bring their younger children onto our
site to always ensure they are 100% supervised and are not
allowed to wander around by themselves. There is the potential
for harm from falling in the dark and also from small critters
(such as snakes, scorpions etc). I must also ensure that everyone
is aware our site is pretty open and in most cases it is impractical
to check on everyone who drives onto it. If you observe any
activity that you are concerned about please report this immediately
to either a board member or the Star Member in charge of the
observatory.
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June 29th was the first star party held
in conjunction with the Nature Conservancy at the new "Silverado"
site. The new facility is much easier to get to than our old
site and just about as dark. This looks to be a long-term
place that we can rely upon for continued access due to the
generosity of the Nature Conservancy. Please check the web
site for specific details on how to find the new site and
for any late changes to scheduled events. The Web site is
undoubtedly the best place to go to find such timely information
as in many cases the information in the Sirius Astronomer
may have to be submitted several months in advance of the
event.
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You will no doubt be aware that our precious
editor, Chris McGill, has decided to pursue her long-term
ambition of training to become a lawyer. That means this Issue
is likely to be the very last one Chris puts together herself.
A group of members and board members have met with Chris and
a number of interested future newsletter editors to go over
the production of the Sirius Astronomer.
It is my pleasure to announce that OCA Members
Darren Thibodeau and Elaine Vander Linden have agreed to work
jointly on the SA. Elaine has a great background in publishing
and strict copy editing and will be the Assistant Editor.
Darren is an accomplished astronomer and astroimager who is
also very well qualified in desktop layout/design and will
be the Editor of the Sirius Astronomer. I am sure that you
will all wish our new SA Editorial team great success in the
future - and you will all join me in a statement of profound
and deep appreciation to our departing editor Chris McGill
for all that she has done for the club. Hip! Hip! Hooray!
Thanks Chris!
Liam Kennedy
"every day we are connecting ever more photons of light
from distant galaxies to the eyes, hearts, minds and imaginations
of our members and others in our community."
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