The Peterborough Astronomical Association (PAA) will resume its regular monthly meeting, which takes place on the first Friday of the month, on October 5th, at 7:00 p.m. The meeting location is the Rotary Education Centre/Guest Services Building, Riverview Park Zoo, Peterborough.
The PAA will once again resume “Novice Astronomy Classes”. The classes will introduce you to equipment, software and many other astronomy related subjects. You will get hands on with equipment and learn to use it and other tools of astronomy. You will also learn to locate constellations, stars, planets and other objects in the sky. We will also throw in a self-paced course on Viewing the Moon. Those interested, should be at the above mentioned meeting location by 6:00 p.m. The classes will run about 45 minutes each session, before our regular meetings.
Our presentation for October will start shortly after 7:00 p.m. and features club member and PAA Webmaster, Boyd Wood and how he made a Homemade Radio Telescope. After attending a PAA presentation last year by Dr. Julie Banfield, of the Australian National University, on her research using radio telescopes, Boyd wondered if it was possible to build his own radio telescope. After searching the internet he found the “Itty Bitty Radio Telescope” and the project was started. It went from listening to noises being generated, to connecting to a computer and from there it continues. Who knows how far it will go. Attend the October 5th PAA meeting and follow the trials and tribulations of building your own radio telescope. Maybe you’ll find that you want to try something like this for yourself.
Following the main presentation(s) we will look at the “Sky This Month”. Be informed about the locations of the planets of the solar system. There will also be the usual opportunities to come and check out the PAA and all it has to offer, at no cost. This is an all ages meeting and the venue is barrier free. Also, you don’t need a telescope to belong, but a curious mind helps.
