Observing Challenges

I would fully endorse anyone having a go at the Novice Observers Challenge.
I did mine between 2004 – 2005 and it did take the best part of a year to complete.
So if you are keen to make proper observations with the correct information then it is
a way to go across the board. OK now you look at the moon observing pages, you are required to draw in the phases over a lunation. So if you have never really paid attention to waxing, waning, crescents, gibbous, you will be focused doing this.
Just before I took up that challenge I had taken up drawing the moon in pencil so drawing the moon, yes I had a go at that for this effort. Since then I have done quite a few lunar sketches, it is something I enjoy so much. It is the ultimate way to learn what’s what on the lunar surface.

Tracking planets over a period of months was another interesting observation, OK now you can look at you computer program and see the track but it is much more satisfying to go outside from time to time a watch the progress for your self.
I am following Saturn through Leo at the moment and making a series of drawings, it’s still interesting to watch how quickly a planet clears a huge area of space.

I did the meteor observing, recording magnitudes, trails, colour, direction et cetra and have done several observing sessions for meteor showers since then. One of the most enjoyable aspects, and I was so lucky to see and observe it, was Comet Machholz C2004 Q2. I followed this by making a chart of its movements from 22nd December 2004 till 2nd March 2005. A lot of fun learning goes with following a comet through constellations over a long period. Comets have come my way since then and I have enjoyed watching and following them. The thing with the IFAS challenges is to enjoy them, you have to stick with them and do what you can when you can. It took me a while to do the sunspots
part by projection and since then I have made some more progress with our daily star.

I will soon be showing some people how to observe by drawing and I will be introducing them to the IFAS Novice Observers Challenge, should be interesting.

Now god help me I took up John Flannerys Binocular Challenge, hmm let me see. I am embarrassed to say October 2004 and have around 50 objects. That makes my point if you take up any of the programs you have to stick with it to finish. I got sidetracked doing lots of other stuff. I have several other challenges hanging around in various states of undoneness but they are all useful and interesting.

Deirdre Kelleghan
Public Relations Officer IFAS
www.deirdrekelleghan.com/
Oscail do Shuile D'iontas na Cruinne
Open Your Eyes to the Wonder of the Universe

I am one of the guilty. I downloaded the binocular challange PDF thingy, but never got round to doing it. I remember looking through it and thinking: seen that, and that etc etc. But one day I promise myself I will. I want a certificate so badly, caus I aint got none

I want a certificate so badly, caus I aint got none

We can give you one for failing to do anything with the Challenge! But then again, that's not much of a challenge in itself...

I've completed a number of the Astronomical League's observing challenges, Messier, Binocular Messier, Binocular Deep-Sky, Lunar, Double Star and Urban Club, I'm working through the Lunar II club and the Herschell Club. It's nice to recieve the certificate as a reminder of the work that I put in, the pins look nice too .

In case you're interested I completed the Messier Club using only 25X100 binos.

I think I'll take up the challenges as a side to my lunar and double star observing. You can never have enough certificates.

Is there plans to expland the list?

I reckon this is all a bit above me at the moment..not knowing about RA & DEC, Arc minutes, magnitudes,degrees above the horizon etc etc.

And my sketches would look like a 3 yr old did them.

Infact a 3 yr old would do better ones then i would.

And the weather (the way it is) would make it a life long thing instead of a few months.

Is there plans to expland the list?

Yea, there were plans to expand it within a few months of the original release, but it never happened. IMHO people lost a bit of the enthusiasm for writing more when there wasn't a lot of feedback to the originals.

Off the top of my head there were further ones planned on:
* Lunar Observing (Shane? Where is Shane btw?)
* The Planets
* The Rosse drawings (me)
* Gas clouds to black holes (me again, I have that started somewhere...)
* Variable and Double stars