Hi Vagelis,
It was a great symposium. I learnt alot and made new friends.
I was pleasantly surprised at the popularity of such a subject. I hadn't really appreciated it until the latter part of the first day.
I was amazed at the significance that amateur astronomers throughout Europe have played a huge role that surpasses the research carried out by the professionals. The dedicated teams of observers with simple inexpensive equipment can do huge work on asteroids.
I was also surprised that this is very much a European team effort. The Americans are really weak in this area. I also have found that Americans are all into pretty pics and telescopes. No science in using all this wonderful equipment at there disposal.
For a long time having been involved with minor planets (TNOs) in particular and to some extent asteroids. Too realise that we amateurs can obtain 200 times more accuracy than the Keck telescope was an eye opener. To be able to obtain reasonable structural shape of asteroids by this methodology.
Some of the delegates asked me what about observers from Ireland. I told them that there were really was one observer that I knew. We really need new observers from Ireland. Help is there for them. Only have to ask.
This is a field for easy participation with just a video camera and lens or even a small telescope 4 to 8 inch.
Any takers out there. You would be involved with a huge bunch of other amateurs highly enthusiastic about this subject.
Eamonn A
www.kingslandobservatory.com
