South Island Stardate

Dennis Goodman write on behalf of the Stardate SI organising committee:

The South Island Stardate for 2010 will be held from Friday to Sunday, 15 to 17 January possibly extending to Monday 18 January if there is sufficient demand. See below and the S.I. Stardate website for more details. South Island Stardates are held at Staveley, Canterbury a dark sky site close to the Inland Scenic route on a weekend near new moon, which in 2010 is on January 15. The event is open to any interested people and is not restricted to members of astronomical organizations. Families, spouses and friends are welcome to attend.

The venue (Presbyterian Church Camp), has been confirmed and booked. The charges are $10 per person per night. There is bunk accommodation for around 72 persons. There are also a few power sites for caravans/campervans - no extra charge for these. There is also plenty of room to erect tents. The total number of people we can have on-site is 96, so we suggest you book sooner not later. Also, no refunds can be made after 5 January 2010.

The venue, far from major light pollutants, is 112km from Christchurch. The complex comprises a hall, a dining area, ablutions, kitchen and 8 dormitories with bunks and mattresses. There is 4 hectares of space for tents if you wish, and also 12 caravan points, 6 old types, 6 new. The kitchen has a commercial range and basic kitchen utensils, plus a deep freeze, fridges and a microwave. There is also a BBQ area and you are welcome to bring a BBQ. Attendees need to bring pillows, sleeping bags, towels, warm clothes, eating utensils and food. And don't forget your observing equipment.

The programme of speakers will be put together over coming weeks. If anyone wishes to give a talk, please contact us as soon as possible so we can include you in the programme.

On the Saturday night there will be a pot-luck dinner. The alphabet split by surname as to what to bring is:

• A-F - Desserts
• G-O - Mains
• P-Z - Vegetables/Salads

People who were at the January 2009 pot-luck dinner will remember what an outstanding success it was, and we know the 2010 one is bound to be just as good. Astronomers seem to also have excellent culinary skills!

The weekend is a self-catering event, so please bring your own food for the weekend, as well as for the Pot-Luck. The kitchen is well equipped, and there is plenty of chiller space. Tea and coffee will be supplied at break times, also biscuits.

The focus on the off-site activities will be the Saturday afternoon walk on the Old Coal Mine Trek, near Mt Somers. Anyone intending to join the walk needs to bring their own water.

Registrations are now open. On-line registrations, and all other informations, are available at the Stardate South Island website. The webpage will be updated as talks etc are submitted. We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible, not just from the South Island, but from elsewhere in NZ as well, and overseas guests are most welcome, too. Further updates will also appear on NZAstronomers from time to time.

Herbert Astronomy Weekend

Phil Barker reminds keen southern astronomy buffs that the upcoming Herbert Astronomy Weekend will be held Friday to Sunday 18 to 21 September 2009 at Camp Iona, Herbert which is some 20km south of Oamaru.
The cost will be $11 for Friday night only, $22 for Friday and Saturday or $25 for the full weekend. Payment can be made when you get there.

The weekend is arranged in a similar way to the South Island Stardate at Staveley, perhaps being a little less formal, giving a great chance to catch up and see what everyone has been up to.

The site offers very good bunk rooms, a spacious meeting room and excellent cooking facilities. Bring warm sleeping bags and warm clothing, cutlery, plates etc, and food. This is a great dark sky site, so don't forget to bring your telescopes as well. The capacity is 70 plus, numbers attending are usually in the range 35-50 odd for the weekend.

If it is cloudy be prepared to watch DVD's on a big screen and sit in front of a lovely open fire. There will be a few speakers: please let Phil or Ross know if you wish to present a talk. A data projector, screen and computer will be available for this.

There are excellent walks around the camp and an obstacle course for the younger at heart. Herbert gorge an absolutely beautiful spot is a short walk away. This is the equal of Hokitika Gorge, but it might be bit cold for a swim perhaps.

Please contact either Phil Barker or Ross Dickie if you plan to attend.

Stardate N.I.

The 2010 Stardate will be held at the usual dark sky site in the Tutituki Valley near Havelock, North Hawkes Bay Thursday January 14 to Monday January 18.

For further details go to the NI Stardate web page

Waharau Dark Sky Weekend

Another Waharau Dark Sky Weekend has been arranged by the Auckland Astronomical Society for the weekend Friday 18 to Sunday 20 September. The venue is the Waharau Outdoor Education Centre, located in the Waharau Regional Park, north of Kaiaua on the Firth of Thames.

Waharau is suufficient distance from Auckland to be not affected by light pollution, the skies are dark and we have had many great observing nights at this excellent facility.

The weekends are an ideal way for new and established members to meet each other, find out more about the different types of telescopes which many members bring to the occasion and learn about new aspects of the night sky and its wonders. There are many experienced members to talk to and many impressive telescopes, most homebuilt, to look through.

For more details go to the Auckland Astronomical Society website and click on the link at the top to Waharau.