Congrats to Vagelis Tsamis. MPC Code C68

Some good news from our friends in Greece. Vagelis Tsamis a long time friend of IFAS and board member has just recently been issued with what may well be the first amateur observatory code in Greece! Code C68 - Ellinogermaniki Agogi Observatory houses a 40cm SCT scope. Vagelis has been submitting data to the MPC uncoded and only recently secured the necessary multi night observations required to secure a code. Previously Vagelis has been doing a lot of very worthwhile work on stellar occultations and TNO observations. This latest developement will hopefully allow Vagelis to broaden the scope (no pun intended!) of his work to include the broader minor planet domain.

I'd like to extend my personal congrats to Vagelis on this milestone acheivement and wish him every success in his ongoing observation programme. Those of us lucky enough to have visited the Parnonas Star Party in greece a couple of years back will remember well the fantastic hospitality shown to us by Vagelis and Kyriakee and indeed all our hellenic friends.

Well done Vagelis!
Great to see you have joined the club.
Welcome aboard!

Good news that another observatory has been issued an MPC.

I think some qualification might be in order - from what I read Ellinogermaniki Agogi Observatory belongs to a private school for children from kindergarten to upper-secondary level. For a school at below third-level education to have such facilities is really quite impressive.

www.ea.gr/ea/index.asp?lag=en

Maybe it would be more correct to to congratulate the school on the acquisition of the MPC code and making it available for MPC work.

Of course congratulations are in order to Vagelis for the hard work in earning that code - and putting that fine school on the astronomical map.

Mark C.

Thank you all for your kind words, thanks Dave!

Mark, I couldn't agree more with you: best credits should go to Ellinogermaniki Agogi school.
(I don't work there, just collaborating)
It's a pioneering school in many aspects and I can say that great work is being done in science and astronomy, in all levels. Even in the pre-kindergarden classes, they teach/play astronomy.

For the history, the first night of the observation my primary goal was to observe with video/GPS the predicted occultation of a ~12 mag star by asteroid 638-Moira: www.asteroidoccultations.com/2011_06/0610_638_23801_Summary.txt
Unfortunately I observed no occultation and I later sent a negative report to IOTA-ES (which is still useful data).
But almost immediately after this observation, I decided to proceed with CCD imaging for astrometry, since the following night was also expected to be clear, too.
Now, as you probably know, Moira is the goddess of destiny, moira means "fate" in greek!

Astrogreetings,
Vagelis.

Many congratulations Vagelis and to Ellinogermaniki Agogi school. You definitely deserve this recognition for all the astronomical work (including the many late nights) you have completed over the years and indeed I am sure for many more years to come.
I can appreciate the work involved in learning; planning and actually undertaking the necessary observations for submission to the MPC, as a number of amateur astronomers here on the isle of Ireland went through a similar process in which the reward was an officially recognised Observatory providing continuing useful scientific data.
For me it wasn’t just a one man show, without the inspiration and guidance on this forum of other fellow amateur astronomers such as Mr. Dave Grennan, Mr. Dave McDonald, and Mr. Eamonn Ansbro to name just a few and not forgetting the very excellent help from Mr. Michael O’Connell the process for me would have taken a lot longer, that is why I think that you will be an inspiration to other amateur astronomers and in particular to the younger people of Greece in which to pursue this worthwhile and useful pastime that is astronomy and in helping other amateur astronomers secure their own observatory codes in time.

With best wishes and clear skies to our friends in Greece
Mike

Well done Vagelis, I personally thought it would only be a matter of time!

Seanie.