The Vega Sky Center - An Amateur Astronomy Web Hub (Founded in August, 1970)

April 20, 2008

Gary Barabino is currently working on the 2005 volume of the Vega Astronomical Journals. His efforts are paying off tremendously in restoring our past. As many of you already know, 2005 was the year that Hurricane Katrina devastates the Louisiana - Mississippi Gulf Coast. With the journals nearly being lost in this travesty, it is a miracle and a blessing that their recovery and restoration are almost current.

Mel Dawson's 10" Fork Mounted Newtonian is on the verge of being motorize! Work is currently underway and performed by Eric Moerman to construct a clock drive for the telescope. Eric's creative efforts will make this unit from a once used 8" declination drive used on one of his past projects. His past work is showcased on our WebHub, and can be accessed by clicking on his name above, or by going to the "Honorary VSC Members" button at the top of this page. Look for more details in the near future. A photo of the worm gear mechanism is shown below. Click on the image to see an enlarged view.

Photo taken by Gary Barabino (Click for larger view)

Photo of craters Ptolemaeus, Alphonsus, and Arzachel just after First Quarter as taken by G. Barabino on 11-12-2006 (Tasco Luminova 4.5" f/8 Reflector - Gateway DC-T50 Digital Camera)

Photo taken by Mel Dawson (Click for larger view)

Photo of the moon's southeastern cusp during First Quarter as taken on 10-29-2006 by M. Dawson (Cosmos 4.5" f/8 Newtonian Reflector - TeleVue 20mm Plossl, and Olympus SP-500uz Digital Camera)

To document those awesome celestial wonders observed through our telescopic instruments, the Vega Sky Center has created a well thought out observation recording form we call the "Observer's Data Sheet". In developing the form, we carefully considered all the tidbits of information the average amateur would record during an observing session. It is comprised of two pages, which can be printed on a single sheet if you use the 2-sided option for your given printer, or print to two separate sheets. The front page contains all of the pertinent data - time, date, telescope information, object information, etc. The second page is used for sketching your object of choice, or for a photograph. We hope that you will find this form helpful in recording those splendid telescopic observations. The Observer's Data Sheet is a PDF document can be downloaded by clicking the image below. All you need is Adobe AcroReader or other PDF application to open it.

Here in the "SAO Gleanings Pages", I hope to provide interesting information on various projects being conducted at the Sirius branch of the VSC, such as the construction overview of my 10" f/5.6 Fork Mounted Newtonian Reflector. I will also share my astronomical experiences within these pages. It is my sincere wish to inspire the young and old to pursue amateur astronomy as a hobby, because I believe that it touches many aspects of our lives, and instills a better understanding of how our universe ticks. Let alone the spectacular once in a lifetime views of many objects folks have never seen. To go to Mel's home page, please click on the button below.

With over 40 years of expertise and knowledge in the realm of Amateur Astronomy, Gary "Bam" Barabino founded the Vega Astronomical Observatory back in August of 1970. Of recent, Gary has a wealth of projects on his plate to complete, such as the restoration of the Vega Astronomical Journals, which were ravaged in the wake of Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005. In addition to the tedious task of restoring the journals, "Bam" will soon begin working on the telescope of his dreams, a 14" f/7 (Coulter Optical) Fork Mounted Newtonian reflector. Gary's input has been very valuable in generating interest in our WebHub throughout the world. So please continue to stay tune for updates to Gary's homepage, "Gleanings from the Vega Astronomical Observatory". To go to Gary's home page, please click on the button below.

Recently, I had the opportunity to touch base with another ATM'er by the name of Eric Moerman who has also constructed a equatorial Fork Mount for his 12.5" Newtonian Reflector. I was very much inspired by his efforts to build such a grand instrument totally out of metal he himself constructed of parts milled in a machine shop. This undertaking definitely calls for recognition for all the astronomical community to see. So with Eric's permission, I have posted a number of photos for all to see and admire. Please click on the button below to enter the Vega's exposé of Eric's phenomenal telescope project.

The VSC observes the recent Total Luna Eclipse of 02/20-21/2008. The above image was taken on 02-20-2008 at 21:44 EST by M. Dawson along with Kenneth Ewin through a Konus "Hybridized" 90mm f/11 Refractor using an Olympus c-4000Z [f/2.8 - Automatic Setting] digital camera in conjunction with a TeleVue 40mm Plossl attached to a homemade Universal Digital Camera Adapter.

By clicking on the "Observations by the VSC" button below, you will be whisked to the page containing noteworthy observations recorded by members of the VSC. Many of these observations will provide detailed synopses which visitors will find interesting and helpful. This section will assuredly grow, as we take part in upcoming significant celestial events.