Observing Challenges Prizes

The Observing Challenges Working Group are pleased to announce that a number of groups and companies have agreed to sponsor prizes for the first person to complete the challenges.

The Novice Challenge Prize.
Pole Star Publications have sponsored a year-long subscription to Astronomy Now magazine, which will be presented to the first person to complete the Novice Challenge. If you need a bit of encouragement or advice contact Seanie who will be more than happy to help you out I’m sure.

The Binocular Challenge Prize.
Sky Publishing has kindly donated a copy of Steve O’Meara’s Deep-Sky Companions: The Messier Objects as well as their Messier Objects Card. This will be presented to the first person to complete the Binocular Challenge. We hope that arranging the prizes this way will encourage people to complete as many of the challenges as they can and to appreciate the range of observing and observations that can be made.

The Messier Objects Observing Challenge Prize.
We are awaiting final confirmation of a prize from a UK based telescope distributor through one of the Irish dealers, so I don’t want to go into a lot of detail yet, but that prize will be awarded to the first person to complete the Messier Objects Observing Challenge. Remember that the Messier and Binocular challenges can be awarded at Gold, Silver and Bronze levels. The prize will go to the first person to complete the challenge at either of these levels. So get your 2H’s out and start scribbling.

On behalf of the group I want to extend our deepest gratitude to Pole Star Publications and Sky Publishing for supporting this initiative. Thanks must also go to the IFAS committee for their encouragement and support which was very much in evidence at the last IFAS meeting. It has taken a lot of time and effort to get this programme up and running (and it’s not finished yet! Look out for more challenges at Connacht and COSMOS) and it was very rewarding to see that effort being acknowledged by the IFAS committee, as well as commentators on this board.

Shane - I just checked out the observing challenges page (on this site) and downloaded the challenge handbook. Well, you guys have done a seriously good job - I don't think I've seen anything as good as this. There are some of the challenges there that I'll have a bash at myself!

Just for the clarification of others, what would a 'novice' be defined as?

Cheers and well done again!

Dave

Just for the clarification of others, what would a 'novice' be defined as

Dave

Dave,

thanks for the kind words - we hope that it can help you on learning and understanding more aspects of the hobby.

As author of the Novice Handbook, to be a novice simply would mean someone who would like to go out every clear night, but only manages to do so now and again - and not on account of the weather!

You may or may not have astronomical equipment (TAK1200's don't count! ). You may not even know where to point a scope if you did have one! And you certainly would not be classified any where near as an expert!

You use your eyes mostly for the Novice. Learn about lunar occultations, the motions of the planets from month to month, and keep record of potential meteor peaks as well as perhaps capturing a picture of an aurora (hear that Shane?? ) or a sun pillar. If you have binos or a small scope, learn how to properly project the sun to view surface features like sun spots.

There are many areas covered, and it is supposed to encourage you to do the things you always wanted to know how, all on a basic any-one-can-do-it level.

We hope whichever Challenge people pick up is of benefit to them, and even fun at times - you never know what you might see if you really look!



Seanie.

as well as perhaps capturing a picture of an aurora (hear that Shane?? ) or a sun pillar.

grumble ... mumble ... grumble ... :oops:

A lot of people here I'm sure will "stamp-collect" the complete set and complete all of the challenges. I'm far from an expert and yet still something beyond a novice, but I am looking forward to completing the handbook over the course of next year, especially the atmospheric phenomena section Seanie!

What is a Novice? Personally I think it's someone who knows more than they realise but still feels nervous and perhaps unsure under the stars. Seanie designed this book as one that could be used by a complete rank amateur while still having enough depth of detail to make jaded astronomers reconsider some of their observing practices. Something I think he's donw well.

The race is on lads - who will be the first to match Mr Morris's hisgh-standards and claim that subscription to Astronomy Now?

:lol: