Re: NYC Events January 9/10
From: JOHN PAZMINO (john.pazmino_at_relaynet.org)
Date: 01/10/05
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Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2005 01:08:59 -0400
Continued from previous message.
observatory sessions ended up being too sporadic with short leadtime.
I put in one subway excursion on January 1st on a vintage train
thru Brooklyn. The interesting feature is that the 14th St-Canarsie
line it cruises is shifting to automated trains in mid 2005. Once the
change is complete, no more manual trains, like the excursion train,
can run on this line. They are 'invisible' to the computers!
Darksky leaders may converge on the meeting of Illuminating
Engineering Society of North America on 10 January! This group is
mixed up in the argument over International Dark Sky Association's
proposed lighting law. Hey, it's free, too!
Sky News
------
The Jupiter occultation on December 7th was totally clouded,
rained, snowed out! We contented ourselfs with computer simulations
and reports from beyond the bad weather region.
Making up for this loss was comet Machholz. Seen already in
November by our readers in south latitudes and dark skies, cityfolk
got their first views in early December. All thru the month we tracked
it thru Eridanus into Taurus. No one so far caught it by eye from New
York. With Machholz's steady climb in brilliance and altitude and with
the transparent winter nights, maybe we'll score some bare-eye views
in January.
A light pollution row broke out in late November. International
Dark Sky Association (IDA) issued a proposed law for removing light
pollution, now under comment and review. Many darksky leaders claim
the bill is severely flawed. They went public with their opposition
with a new website, www.fixthemlo.com. Astroclub websites and
newsletters have articles about this episode.
One is in the January 2005 Eyepiece, of Amateur Astronomers
Association, written by the editor Dan Harrison. Apart from the news
value, this piece, for perhaps the first time under the current AAA
leadership, directly supports dissent and challenge against a board of
directors, that of IDA. It's right there in the article title:
'Critics blast proposed IDA model lighting ordinance'.
No aurorae so far. We don't expect any, yet once in a while the
Sun jives up to spray electrons and protons on Earth in our latitudes.
Please, when ever stargazing, scan the sky for northern lights. I have
a draft article about aurora viewing in the files section of NYSkies
at '\files\PazDraft\aurora.txt'. Give it a lookover.
City News
-------
The City continues its march into the 21st century as Earth's one
place to live, work, play. Amazing low records for crime, fire,
disease were turned in by monitors of such statistics. For example,
the City suffered, as at mid December 2004, the fewest deaths, 81,
from fires since, yikes!, 1919! Since fire prevention is in the hands
of property managers and occupants, this is an incredible achievement
in a conurbation housing quite 10 million souls.
An epic episode opened on December 7th. The board of directors of
a coop house tore down the nest of Pale Male and Lola. They are the
fabled red-tail hawks who made their home on the Fifth Av house and
raised a population of allnew urbanized hawks.
Public outcry erupted with marches and rallies outside the house,
Many home astronomers, including leaders of Amateur Astronomers
Association, took active part in the protests against the coop's board
of directors.
At the Observing Group meeting on 18 December 2004, chair Bruce
Kamiat urged his group to join him in two acts of opposition. First
was to go with him after the meeting to a protest rally at the coop
house. The rally was over when we arrived, about 17h. We met some
lingering demonstrators to catch up on news.
The other act involved one activist arrested for supposedly
harassing and endangering a coop member Paula Zahn during a previous
march at the house. The suspect, Lincoln Karim, helps at AAA star
viewings in Central Park. He brings a large fully computerized scope
with imaging and video gear. This apparatus he hauls around on a
motorized wagon!
From the publicity of his arrest, he was suspended from his job.
He faces legal expenses if the charges stick. Kamiat at the OG meeting
urged his attendees to send to Karim's lawyer letters of support,
emphasizing his work for AAA. Bruce has the attorney's contact for any
one who needs it.
In the days since the OG meeting, there arose casual banter for
AAA to honor Lincoln for his AAA assistance. They include free life
membership, Amateur Astronomers medal, AAA participation in his trial,
Board seat, a one thousandish dollar grant for legal expenses or
equipment. All these are just talk as at end December but they could
be discussed at a forthcoming AAA Board meeting.
The coop relented and rebuilt the nest. Pale Male and Lola moved
back in on December 23rd.
THAT Section (formerly Astropolitics)
-----------------------------------
With the brouhaha within Amateur Astronomers Association shifted
to the AAA_Politics Yahoo forum, NYSkies no longer promotes that
business here. Of course, any news about the club posted into NYSkies
can be 'political'. If that's your take, get over to AAA_Politics and
Continued in next message.
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