Astroclub Toutatis Fall/Winter observation season OPEN!

Artistic picture of 200mm (8") Reflector Telescope and Galactic object.
Credit: KTY Toutatis/S. Lamoureux

Astro-Club Toutatis here in Kustavi, Finland met on August 25, 2013  for the closure of the summer season exhibition and the opening of the Fall/winter observation season 2013-2014.

The club's duties where to clear out the exhibition part and convert the space into an office/Club room. We had the opportunity to bring in the tables, sofas, computers and other stuff needed for our remote controlling of the scope within the office.
We had an amazing clear sky this last week that permitted us to snap pictures of the night sky. We tried the remote control of the mount from our computer, but we had problems with the drivers of the USB extender. The cables are already in the ground, the mount and pier is perfect, the telescope and all works, but the computer part is not so trusty.

Galactic Forge. Blacksmith shop in our
club's backyard with the Milky Way.
Credit: KTY Toutatis/S. Lamoureux

Never the less with the mount controller (HEQ5 controller) we manage to slew and track object/stars/Moon and take shots at the same time. We took 50mm lens pictures, fish eye pictures, piggyback on the scope for tracking (longer exposure) pictures, and prime focus shooting (with and without Barlow) on the telescope.

We took a couple of pictures, but mostly we took series of pictures to be able to do short GIF animations. With Canon 550D and the software Magic Lanthern on the SD card we were able to take time lapse pictures by using the intervalometer mode of the software ML.

Have a look at our Astro Club Timelapses and animations here.




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Links through space Photo-GALLERY

Let's meet Astronomer, Writer, Podcaster and Pioneer in New Media Astronomy: Pamela Gay!

In relation with EWASS or European Week of Astronomy and Space Science that was held in Turku, Finland last July, I met with an Astronomy icon of mine Pamela Gay.

She announced her arrival for the conference on her google + profile and I immediately contacted her if she would be willing to meet with a "fan". She responded with an email a few days later and told me we could meet for a while. I could not believe it, the woman I followed for many years with Astronomy Cast is coming to meet me!!!! It was really great! I had this feeling that if you want to do something, just do it and you will be rewarded. So I did...

Pamela Gay has been a pioneer in new media, social medias and on the Internet at large related to Astronomy. I remember in 1999 when Universe Today came out, I was one of the first to follow this great website and a few years later in 2006 Astronomy Cast hit us with great audio/podcast to listen to all related to Astronomy. Pamela and Frasier were in the forefront of this scene on the Internet.

Pamela Gay continues to be an active member of the Astronomy/ Space community on the Internet. She has many projects including Astronomy Cast with Frasier Cain, her own nest Star Stryder blog, co founder of Slacker Astronomy and her most recent project the fabulous Cosmoquest.org citizen-science community.

Pam has received a B.S. in Astrophysics from Michigan State University in 1996 and a Ph.D. in Astronomy from the University of Texas in 2002. Today, she teaches at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
Of course as a professional astronomer, Pamela Gay is invited in many conferences and seminars to speak and give lectures about astronomy.

These Pioneers of outreach on Astronomy and Space related topics are the foundation of the Astronomy/Space community out there. These are men and women who have dedicated their time to generate more awareness on astronomy in new media. But also in person by attending to different get-togethers around the world.
I salute you Pamela and I wish you and all the pioneers out there a bright future in your projects. I will be following!

Here are links to Pamela Gay's projects. Please have a look at these projects, you could find something you like :D

Astronomy Cast
Star Stryder blog
Slacker Astronomy
The Swinburne University of Technology
Cosmoquest
Wikipedia: Pamela L. Gay 
Pamela Gay on Facebook
Pamela Gay on Twitter


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Motion in the night sky. First dark skies since last spring.

Animation of the Constellation Cygnus in the night sky
Credit: KTY Toutatis/ S. Lamoureux

August brings darker skies here in Finland. This last week is been exciting with dark skies and opportunities to look at the Stars.

On August 7 2013, we took a series of picture to do this short animation of the constellation Cygnus (The Swan) over our club's "headquarter" in Kustavi, Finland.

We wanted to shoot the Perseid Meteor Shower and see if there were satelites going in our field of view. We manage to capture satellite trails, but not really meteor trails.

Fall will bring us more dark skies and the club is looking forward for comet ISON in late Fall. It's good to be back outside and have a proper night sky and be able to shoot some stars.

WIKI: Constellation The Swan (Cygnus)
WIKI: Perseid Meteor Shower
WIKI: Comet ISON C/2012 S1

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Carnival of Space #312 Here on Links Through Space

Welcome to Links Through Space, astronomy for everyone.

This is the blog of our Astronomy Club here in Kustavi, Finland

We write/post news about space related topics and we showcase our Astrophotos and Timelapses.

Our blog is a way for you to follow Space/Astronomy news and find new links through the Internet about Space and astronomy.

So here we have it, Ladies and Gentlemen!

Links Through Space is honored to declare the 312th Carnival of Space live from Kustavi Finland.

 OPEN!

Here is another edition of The carnival of space. This Summer here  in Finland has been HOT! The bright nights of Summer has not given us Stars, observations is to a halt but we always have the Carnival of Space to cheer us up!

An artist's concept for a full scale Slingatron
space launcher about 200-300 meters in diameter.
The spiral track is mounted on support pylons
which contain drive motors and counterweight flywheels.
Payload assemblies are prepared for launch nearby.

@ Next Big Future.com with Brian Wang
Spacex has successfully completed mission duration tests firings of its upgraded Merlin 1D rockets in a octogonal configuration. This will increase the launch capacity to LEO of a Spacex Falcon 9.1.1 to 14.5 tons. Read the post HERE

An unmanned Russian cargo ship has docked at the International Space Station to deliver nearly 3 tons of supplie. Brian Wang post the story on Next Big Future.

Hyperv Technologies has a $250,000 kickstarter to make a 5 meter Slingatron. It will be a modular next stage in the development of a radical new launch technology. It would launch high-g payloads at very low cost. Cool! See the post HERE.

"The Day the Earth Smiled" -
The image of Earth taken from Cassini,
over 900 million miles away, on July 19, 2013.
The arrow indicates the location of the earth.
Credit: Cassini mission NASA

@ The Meridiani Journal blog with Paul Scott Anderson
Last Friday, a remarkable thing happened, which received a lot of publicity, especially for space fans: the Earth had its photo taken – from Saturn! The Cassini spacecraft took the images, which were used for The Day the Earth Smiled event, showing the Earth as a very tiny blue speck in the distance, with Saturn and its rings looming in the foreground. Zooming in closer, the Moon can also be seen. How cool is that? But that’s not all… although it didn’t seem to get as much attention, the Earth and Moon also had their picture taken from Mercury, by the MESSENGER  spacecraft, on the same day! Have a look at the pictures sent by Cassini and Messenger-->

@ Everyday Spacer with Pam Hoffman
Are you diabetic?  Or have high blood pressure?
You might be eligible for a Space Flight Research Program! For more information, read HERE

@ Cheap Astronomy blog with Steve Nerlich
New kids on the block. The Chinese and Indian  space programs are challenging and ambitious, but never the less in the game for the future players of Space exploration. Steve Nerlich has a great podcast on the subject. Have a listen!

@ Chandra blog
Chandra X-ray Observatory's 14th Anniversary: Looking Back And Looking Ahead. Great post , great future! See HERE

Exoplanet Stars As Large As Or Smaller Than Our Sun
(Yellow in center of image)
Credit: Jim Plaxco

@ Artsnova with Jim Plaxco
The Small Stars of Exoplanets takes a look at one artist's research into the painting of exoplanets. Pretty crafty, have a look!

@ Earth Science Picture of the Day
A thin Section of Allende Meteorite one of the oldest objects in the Solar system. You want old, here you have it! Earth Science Picture of the Day HERE

One of the first photos of the new supernova
Click to learn more about the search group.
Credit: Fabio Martinelli

@ Universe Today with Bob King
New Supernova discoveredin the near by Galaxy M74.
The new object, designated PSN J01364816+1545310, was discovered blazing near 12.4 magnitude by the Lick Observatory Supernova Search at Lick Observatory near San Jose, California. Read article HERE


Here in Kustavi, Finland the Astronomy Club Toutatis is hosting his summer Space Exhibition 2013. Many people has visited us and experience the exhibition. In 2 months of exhibition I had to change 4 halogen spots, 1 picture frame for the infograms, staple and fix black fabric to the walls, repair the exhibition black hole (ripped out of its socket) and change the weather station batteries. Pretty good for a +60 days exhibition of more then 100 people a day.

This week Carnival of Space #312 picture is a wide field picture of our skies in Kustavi, Finland. This picture was taking last year in the early morning with the passage of the International Space Station :D
Credit: Astronomy Club Toutatis/S. Lamoureux

So here you have it! All the thrills and excitements of the Astronomy/Space community.

The Carnival of Space #312

If you run a space/astronomy related blog, and would like to get more awareness, participate in the Carnival of Space. Every week, a different webmaster or blogger hosts the carnival, showcasing articles written on the topic of space. It’s a great way to get to know the community, and to help your writing reach a wider audience. If you’d like to be a host for the carnival, please send email to carnivalofspace@gmail.com

About Astronomy Club Toutatis

Astronomy in Europe: Mid-Term Review of Science Vision Report and Infrastructure Roadmap 2013

Astronet Mid-Term conference, Turku, Finland

The ASTRONET consortium of European funding agencies was formed in 2005 to assemble a comprehensive, science-based strategic plan for the development of all of European astronomy for the next 15-20 years. Its long-term Science Vision for European Astronomy (2007) was followed in 2008 by the Infrastructure Roadmap for the investments needed to realize this Vision.

After five years, the time is ripe to review recent scientific, technical and economic developments and update the plans for the next decade in this light. This “mid-term review” is now under way, and ASTRONET invites the criticisms, ideas and suggestions of the community on its draft report, soon to be made available for comment.

The conference started slowly on this Saturday morning in Turku, Finland. I heard someone from the organizers say that he feared he would have to speak to an empty room. But at the end a large group of persons where attending the conference.

European Week of Astronomy and Space Science 2013. What is it all about?

What is European Week of Astronomy and Space Science 2013 all about?

EWASS or European Week of Astronomy and Space Science is an annual meeting of the European Astronomical Society.
It is a symposium/ discussion forum of different topics related to astronomy or/and space science.
People from all around Europe and the world are invited to attend a week of discussions and ideas on several topics engaging in Astronomy and Space sciences.
This year the meeting is held in Turku, Finland. In our own backyard! The symposium is held in Logomo congress center in Turku, Finland form 8-13 July 2013.

This years meeting is organized by the University of Turku and the European Astronomical Society.
Dr. Esko Valtaoja is leading the symposium co-chaired with Mr. Jose Miguel Espinosa of the Institute of Astrophysics of Canarias.

Amongst  the topics to be discussed, the one that caught my eye where

• The co-evolution of black holes and galaxies 
•  Deaths of massive stars as supernovae and gamma-ray bursts 
•  Science with present and future interferometric instruments
• and the Astronomy education and public outreach.

Very interesting topics and subjects are presented to the vast invited scientists and space media members. More than 300 participants from 51 countries are attending to this symposium. Much to discuss...

Also on the last day of the meeting, an Plenary discussion on the ASTRONET Mid-Term Review is being held closely with EWASS 2013.

What is ASTRONET?
 

The ASTRONET consortium of European funding agencies was formed in 2005 to assemble a comprehensive, science-based strategic plan for the development of all of European astronomy for the next 15-20 years. Its long-term Science Vision for European Astronomy (2007) was followed in 2008 by the Infrastructure Roadmap for the investments needed to realize this Vision.

After five years, the time is ripe to review recent scientific, technical and economic developments and update the plans for the next decade in this light. This “mid-term review” is now under way, and ASTRONET invites the criticisms, ideas and suggestions of the community on its draft report, soon to be made available for comment. To this end, a full-day discussion meeting is organized in conjunction with the EWASS 2013 conference, benefiting from the presence of a large number of European astronomers for this event.
Programme: http://www.astro.utu.fi/EWASS2013/astronet_programme.php

I will be attending the ASTRONET discussions on July 13 and will enjoy all of it!
Here are the links for EWASS 2013 and EWASS 2014 held in Geneva, Switzerland.


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Carnival of Space #309 is moving in conjunction this week!

Source: Tumblr.

 

 Carnival of Space #309 is up at the Tranquility Base blog. This week in space...

- Israel's First Satellite Launch.

- Exoplanets around Red Dwarf Stars could be more abundant that we thought.

- Photos of Supernovas; Mega Explosions.

And much more. 

Have a read HERE!

Brie Allen @ Tranquility Base is hosting the COS#309.

Big rounds of applauds for her, Thanks Brie! 

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Tiny moon PHOBOS the Key to Space colonisation and Interplanetary Transport System

 

Scheme of Interplanetary transport system.
in this example we have Earth/Moon system and Mars/Phobos/Deimos system
Credit: KTY Toutatis/ S. Lamoureux

Space colonization using space elevators from the moon Phobos

http://www.nss.org/settlement/mars/2003-SpaceColonizationUsingSpaceElevatorsFromPhobos.pdf

More and more I read on this small moon of Mars, PHOBOS, more I really think this could be the key to our space faring title!

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Carnival of Space #307 here on Links Through Space

Sun paths in Turku, Finland in January (lowest arch) – April (highest arc),
photographed with two curved-back pinhole cameras around the 20th of every month.
This project, we will photograph only the left hand (sunrise) part of the March (vernal Equinox) curve.
Credit: Sakari Ekko.

Welcome to Links Through Space, astronomy for everyone.

This is the blog of our Astronomy Club here in Kustavi, Finland

We write/post news about space related topics and we showcase our Astrophotos and Timelapses.

Our blog is a way for you to follow Space/Astronomy news and find new links through the Internet about Space and astronomy.

So here we have it, Ladies and Gentlemen!

Links Through Space is honored to declare the 307th Carnival of Space live from Kustavi Finland.

 OPEN!

North polar area showing location of
the Schrödinger basin antipode,
magnetized area and grooved terrain in Froelich and Lovelace.

Here is another edition of The carnival of space. The Summer solstice brought us Summer here in the northern hemisphere and it is looking great here in Finland.

On this edition we have a few articles by Brian Wang @ Next Big Future
- A summary of a presentation by Adam Crowl on different kinds of starship designs that have been proposed over the decades
- John Cramer presentation on wormhole travel from the starship conference
- Planetary Resources reaches first goal of raising $1 million to fund a public Arkyd space telescope.

Thierry Legault had less than half a second to capture these incredible shots of the Shenzhou-10 module docked to Tiangong-1 Chinese station transiting across the Sun. And it he did it not only once, but twice, on two consecutive days. Read more @ Universe Today HERE.

TheSpacewriter explores Mars. Follow the great adventure a Pixel at a Time of the Mars Curiosity Rover.
Also Carolyn Collins Petersen a.k.a. the Spacewriter has written a book on Astronomy. Her book Astronomy 101 is available online (Amazon) and in "bricks-and-mortar" establishments all over. Please have a look at her post and read all about it.

The Urban Astronomer Allen Versfeld has for us this week a nice article on the Cassini mission. The pale blue dot revisited, have a look at the article at his blog.

Paul Scott Andersson @ The Meridiani journal has a great post on The Search for life in Europa’s ocean – with a tiny submarine. 

With all the fantastic (and sometimes unrealistic) science fiction block-buster movies coming out, Andrew Fraknoi recommends two places on the Web to find authors, novels, and stories that feature real astronomy as part of the plot or setting. Great real astronomy fun!

A new planet may be being built, not by aliens (well who knows really?), But in a cloud of gas and dust around TW Hydrae about 176 light-years away. Read the story here @ Weird Warp.

Here in Kustavi, Finland the Astronomy Club Toutatis is hosting his summer Space Exhibition 2013. Many people has visited us and experience the exhibition and the observation sessions we had. On top of looking at the Sun and at the Moon with the telescope, we made many experiments as proving that the Moon is moving. We look at Sunspots and figured out if the Sun revolve around it self. Small experiments that connect us to astronomy and it's wonders. This week Carnival of Space picture is a solargraph of the motion of the Sun taken with a pin hole camera (Visit EAAE Sunrise Project HERE). We have installed our own pin hole camera in our backyard and looking forward to unveil the result in 6 months time. :D

So here you have it! All the thrills and excitements of the Astronomy/Space community.

The Carnival of Space #307

If you run a space/astronomy related blog, and would like to get more awareness, participate in the Carnival of Space. Every week, a different webmaster or blogger hosts the carnival, showcasing articles written on the topic of space. It’s a great way to get to know the community, and to help your writing reach a wider audience. If you’d like to be a host for the carnival, please send email to carnivalofspace@gmail.com


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Gravitational lensing helps discover planets

This plot shows the projected motion of the red dwarf star Proxima Centauri (green line) over the next decade, as plotted from NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope observations.
Because of parallax caused by Earth’s motion around the Sun, the path appears scalloped. Because Proxima Centauri is the closest star to our Sun (at a distance of 4.2 light-years), its angular motion across the sky is relatively fast compared to far more distant background stars. This means that in 2014 and 2016 Proxima Centauri will pass in front of two background stars that are along its path. This affords astronomers a rare opportunity to study the warping of space by Proxima's gravity, as will be evident in the apparent displacement of the two stars in sky photographs. This effect is called gravitational lensing. The amount of warping will be used to calculate a precise mass for Proxima Centauri, and look for the gravitational footprint and any planets orbiting the star. The background image shows a wider view of the region of sky in the southern constellation of Centaurus (The Centaur) that Proxima is traversing.

Link:

• NASA Press release

Credit:
NASA, ESA, K. Sahu and J. Anderson (STScI), H. Bond (STScI and Pennsylvania State University), M. Dominik (University of St. Andrews), and Digitized Sky Survey (STScI/AURA/UKSTU/AAO)


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Summer Space Exhibition Opens in Kustavi, Finland

At Astronomy Club Toutatis here in Kustavi, Finland we have prepared a summer Space Exhibition right in our own backyard.

The Space Exhibition 2013 Kustavi Finland is from June 1st to October 1st 2013. The Exhibition is part of the club's Fundraising Campaign 2013 and the club's efforts to get the word out on astronomy.

The Space Exhibition 2013 Kustavi, Finland has 11 wall with Infograms, going from Galaxy Infogram to comet and asteroid Infogram. All the Infograms have photos, fun facts about the topic in question (Galaxy, Sun, Moon, etc...). and a Quiz people can take.

A World map of artificial light and a segment on light pollution can be found at the Exhibition. Also we can see a model of the Solar system, the Moon carpet to step on and a Black hole.

Outside you have our Telescope Pier Deck (see picture here) and a Face-in-hole board that people can have there picture taken. (The picture used in this post).
You have an astronaut for the "adults" and the dog Laika for the "children".

Telescope observation all summer of the Sun (with special Sun filters) and Night time observations weather permitting.

The Space Exhibition is open for everybody and is free of charge. Our Astronomy Club Toutatis Summer Space Exhibition 2013 Kustavi, Finland is paired with the  fundraising Campaign 2013. People can leave donations and support our club's activities. We have a framed-picture (21x30) as a gift for everyone who supports our club. Wish you can attend, if not follow the Exhibition on the internet right here on Links Through Space starting June 1st.

Have a great Summer and most of all clear skies!

About Astronomy Club Toutatis

Next Astronomy club Toutatis member meeting @ Kustavi 03 MAY 2013

MAY 2013 Member meeting

MAY 2013 meeting for Members

Next Astronomy club Toutatis meeting time and place is Friday 03.05.2013 @ Kustavin Savipaja, Kustavi (See Map here). We will be building Observatory wood deck. Summer exhibition set up.

Interested members wanting to help in building and Summer exhibition, Please call Stefan.   

...Want to participate in events or become a member of the Astronomy Club Toutatis?
Please contact us via e-mail (intrusdental@gmail.com)





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Astronomy Trip to the Canary Islands IN PHOTOS!

Follow our Astronomy Club Toutatis through our visit to the Canarian astronomy in Tenerife, Canary Islands.
Have a look at the pictures I manage to shot into this fabulous Astronomy trip through the Canary Islands.

You can have a look at the photos HERE


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Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands (IAC)

Radio Telescope (not in use)
San Cristóbal de La Laguna
Credit: Astronomy Club Toutatis

Follow our Astronomy Club Toutatis through our visit to the Canarian astronomy in Tenerife, Canary Islands.

Today we introduce the reason for all the astronomical activities in the Canary Islands: The Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias (IAC) or Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands.

There are very few places in the world that can boast all of the conditions needed for modern astronomy. The mountain summits of Tenerife and La Palma in the Canary Islands enjoy these exceptional conditions and this has converted them into a “magnet” for some of today’s most advanced telescopes. Spain set up the IAC to make the most of the scientific and technological opportunities offered by this outstanding access to the sky over the islands, which constitutes in its self a valuable natural resource.

The Spanish authorities have also protected the astronomical qualities of the sky by imposing restrictions by means of the “sky law” that regulates, among other things, the use of outdoor lighting. As a result the IAC observatories are considered to be an astronomy reserve.

UNESCO, as part of its Starlight initiative is currently working to recognize and catalog exceptional sights, like the Teide and Roques de los Muchachos Observatories, as “world class astronomy reserve”. 

Daniel López, Astrophotographer extraordinaire. In search of Comet Pan-Starrs

Alfred Rosenberg, Daniel López, David and Stefan Lamoureux
@ Teide Observatory chasing Comet Pan-Starrs.
Credit: Daniel López IAC
(Click on picture to enlarge)

Follow our Astronomy Club Toutatis through our visit to the Canarian astronomy in Tenerife, Canary Islands.

As I visited the Teide Observatory with Dr. Alfred Rosenberg González we met with Astrophotographer extraordinaire Daniel López. I had seen his work on the Internet and somewhat visited his website, but as I met with him, he struck me to be a down to Earth guy with modest ways of photographing. One thing was for sure, he knew exactly where to go to catch the elusive Comet Pan-Starrs (C/2011 L4) and get at the same time a great shot of the Teide Observatory, Mount Teide and the island of La Palma. El cielo de Canarias.com is an impressive website with all of Daniel's work in it.

His work has been all over the place and in all sort of astronomy magazines and astronomy papers. He works now full time as a photographer, but he is an engineer by trade. He work closely with the Institute of Astrophysics of Canary Islands to provide them with pictures of the night sky and/or Astro-photos related to the Canary Islands. Please have a look at his website. And yes we finally catch the Comet Pan-Starrs and it was barely a naked eye object. See picture above and click on it to enlarge.

Comet Pan-Starrs in the Sunset sky over the Teide, Tenerife.
Credit: S. Lamoureux/ KTY Toutatis
(Click to enlarge picture)

READ NEXT POST HERE on our trip through Canarian Astronomy on the island of Tenerife, Canary Islands. 

Have a look at this awesome Timelapse of the Comet Pan-Starrs made by Daniel López with in foreground the incredible Teide Observatory, Mount Teide and the island of La Palma.

Please visit Daniel López website El cielo de Canarias.com HERE

WIKI: Comet Pan-Starrs (C/2011 L4)



Read more about Astronomy Club Toutatis. Kustavi, Finland.

Teide Observatory with Dr. Alfred Rosenberg González, Tenerife, Canary Islands

Teide Observatory, Tenerife, Canary Islands
Credit: Astronomy Club Toutatis
(Click  the picture to enlarge)

Follow our Astronomy Club Toutatis through our visit to the Canarian astronomy in Tenerife, Canary Islands.

Astrophysics in the Canary Islands began at this observatory, which is situated 2400 metres above sea level in Izaña, an area near the National Park of Teide, Tenerife.

Its geographical location together with the clarity and excellent quality of the sky, mean that the Teide Observatory is ideally suited for studying the Sun. For this reason it is home to some of Europe’s finest solar telescopes, foremost among them are Themis and the German Gregor and VTT telescopes, as well as instruments for studying Solar Seismology.

In addition to these instruments for solar observation, the OT has a number of other telescopes, such as the “Carlos Sanchez” telescope, a very productive instrument that introduced many Spanish astronomers to the specialty of infrared astronomy. The latest generation of robotic telescopes is represented by STELLA, which consists of twin telescopes with complementary instrumentation. The European Space Agency’s optical ground station (OGS), which was built for laser communication with orbiting satellites, is also used for identifying and tracking space debris. The IAC - 80 telescope is used for observing objects with long-term variability and as a test-bed for new astrophysical instruments as well as for teaching astronomy to graduate students. There are also other highly specialized telescopes, like the Quijote, which is used to study background radiation from the “Big Bang” at the origin of the Universe.

Teide Observatory with crescent Moon
Credit: Astronomy Club Toutatis
(Click the picture to enlarge)

I had the chance to visit this incredible complex of telescopes and instruments with the help of public spokes person (public relations) Dr. Alfred Rosenberg González. Dr. Rosenberg González dedicated his astronomy career to Globular Clusters and publish quite a few papers on the subject (see Dr. Alfred Rosenberg González personnel pages (IAC). After his studies, he started as a support astronomer at the Teide Observatory before his Post-Doc and continued his career with the Institute of Astrophysics of Canary Islands as a Post-Doc student at the IAC. Later on he went to be the public spokes person (public relations) for the Institute of Astrophysics as well as for the Teide Observatory. As he showed me around the complex at the Observatory, I noticed how smooth he was at his job. He knew everyone in the complex, it was second nature for him to explain "hard" facts about the Observatory and astronomy in general. I raise my hat to his enthusiasm and knowledge of astronomy and the Teide Observatory. I had a wonderful time and I couldn't have a better "guide" for the job. Big Thanks to Dr. Alfred Rosenberg González and good luck with your future projects.

Panorama of Teide Observatory and Mount Teide, Tenerife, Canary Islands
Credit: Astronomy Club Toutatis
(Click on picture to enlarge)

Links Through Space
Teide Observatory website (IAC)
WIKI: Teide Observatory
Photos of Teide Observatory
Dr. Alfred Rosenberg González personnel website (IAC) 

READ NEXT POST HERE on our trip through Canarian Astronomy on the island of Tenerife, Canary Islands.



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What is the Starlight foundation? Interview with Director Luis Martínez Sáez

President of the Starlight Foundation
Mr. Luis Martínez Sáez
Credit: Astronomy Club Toutatis

Follow our Astronomy Club Toutatis through our visit to the Canarian astronomy in Tenerife, Canary Islands.

I visited Mr. Luis Martínez Sáez Director of the Starlight Foundation at his office at the Institute of Astrophysics of Canary Islands (Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias, IAC) in San Cristóbal de La Laguna. As he invited me in his office, we started the interview and I asked him what is this Starlight foundation all about?
Laughing, he asked me what is this Astronomy Club Toutatis all about? I replied with an honest and simple answer that it is our astronomy club in Finland and we are curious about all that is related to space and astronomy. He liked my answer and we continued the interview.

Follow us in our Astronomy Trip to the Canary Islands

Teide Observatory, Tenerife, Canary Islands
Credit: Astronomy CLub Toutatis
(Click to enlarge picture)

Here we go again!
A dream come true, Top of the notch Astronomy wise!

This time we visit the Canary islands and the island of TENERIFE!
Before we left from Finland we contacted the Institute of Astrophysics of Canary Islands (Instituto Astrofisica de Canarias) and asked for an interview with the President of Starlight Foundation Luis Martínez Sáez and a guided visit to the Teide Observatory which we visited in company of public spokes person Dr. Alfred Rosenberg González
First we visited the headquarters of the Institute of Astrophysics in San Cristobal de la Laguna in the northern part of the island and sat down with Mr. Luis Martínez Sáez. Then we drove by car an hour to the National Parc of Teide to the Teide Observatory where we visited the many telescopes and installations of the Observatory companied by Dr. Alfred Rosenberg González. As we visited the installations of the Observatory we were introduced to Daniel López, Astrophotographer extraordinaire who tagged along before asking us if we would like to join him in a session of photography of the Comet Pan-Starrs near the grounds of the Observatory. It was simply magical!
The Sun set and the view was just amazing, we installed our cameras and look out for the Comet.

Teide Observatory and Mount Teide, Tenerife, Canary Islands
Credit: Astronomy Club Toutatis
(Click on picture to enlarge)

I have to say, this was a dream come true to visit the Observatory and the many telescopes on sight. The astrophotography session with Daniel López was simply incredible. Mr. Luis Martinez Saez back in San Cristobal de la Laguna gave us a royal welcome. Last but not least this could not have been possible without the best public spokes person Mr. Alfred Rosenberg González who attended to our every needs and gave us the GRAN tour.
Thank you very much Alfred, Luis, Daniel and David for your warm welcome and your great company.

Follow our astronomy trip through out Tenerife in our series of posts dedicated to this adventure. Follow us every day for a different article on Astronomy in the Canary Islands.

• An interview with Mr. Luis Martínez Sáez, President of the Starlight Foundation.
• An introduction to Institute of Astrophysics of Canary Islands IAC (Instituto Astrofisica de Canarias).
• Visit of Teide Observatory with Dr. Alfred Rosenberg González
• Astrophotography session with Daniel López. In search of Comet Pan-Starrs.
• Astronomy trip in Photos and much more...

READ NEXT POST HERE on our trip through Canarian Astronomy on the island of Tenerife, Canary Islands.

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Where & When to look for Comet Panstarrs this March 2013

Look at the West 30 minutes after Sunset in March 2013. For the whole month of March, Comet Panstarrs (C/2011 L4) will be visible for Northern hemisphere observers. On March 12 2013, the crescent Moon and the Comet are close to each other. It could be a great photo opportunity. Gather friends and family and get out to see this great event in the "twilight" sky.

Read a great article on Comet Panstarrs from David Dickinson on Universe Today
Wikipedia: C/2011 L4  a.k.a. Comet PANSTARRS
Photo credit: TheWeatherSpace.com Network

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Astronomy Club Toutatis night out. Visit to the ruins of Kuusisto Castle, South Finland

Ruins of Kuusisto Castle near Kaarina, Finland
Credit: Astronomy club Toutatis Kustavi

Finnish Astronomy Club reporting activities in Southern Finland. With clouds clouding almost all the space community of the Carnival of space these last weeks, Our Astronomy club Toutatis took a chance and went for a fied trip. This time we visited the Ruins of Kuusisto Castle near the city of Kaarina, Finland.

Astronomy Club Toutatis night out!
Visit to the Ruins of Kuusisto Castle near the city of Kaarina, Finland.

Great night to catch the almost full Moon over the ruins of a medieval castle in Southern Finland. I few friends and family members came to see the ruins under a clear night sky with many night sky object to be seen.

The Moon was at it's best as it rose in the background of the ruins landscape. The planet Jupiter was the brightest object in the night sky and was still a challenge to see in our "field" telescope. (70mm Meade refractor). Even at 6 km from the big city lights, this place could be rated as a dark sky site for observations. We had a nice snack while looking around and we looked some more through the telescope at the Moon. After a session of astrophotography we headed back home.

Great astronomy night. Thanks to everyone involved!
See more Pictures of the event on  Facebook Astronomy Club Toutatis homepage.
Catch photos of the event Astronomy night out. Visit to the Ruins of Kuusisto Castle HERE
Wikipedia on Kuusisto Castle

About Astronomy Club Toutatis