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BIG
BEAR, Calif. -- NASA JPL researcher Trina Ray, co-chair
of the Titan Orbiter Science Team, will be the keynote speaker
at the 45th annual Riverside Telescope Makers Conference (RTMC)
Astronomy Expo. The Expo will take place from Thursday, May 23
through Monday, May 27 at YMCA Camp Oakes in Big Bear, Calif.
As a leader
of the team planning observations of Titan during each Cassini
flyby of that intriguing moon, Ray will share highlights of Cassini's
discoveries across the Saturn system.
The RTMC
Astronomy Expo is the premiere star party event in Southern California.
Attendees at the EXPO participate in nightly telescope viewings.
In addition to the family activities and amenities available at
the camp, there are food and equipment vendors; and astronomy-related
talks for beginners and intermediates held all day Saturday and
Sunday.
Originally
called the Telescope Makers Conference, the Riverside Telescope
Makers Conference (RTMC) was founded in 1969 by Clifford W. Holmes
as a way for amateur telescope makers to share their craft. In
1975, the RTMC moved to its current home at Camp Oakes, a YMCA
camp near Big Bear City. Located 50 miles northeast of Riverside
in the San Bernardino mountains, the site offers space for camping,
several dormitories and 18 three-sided shelters, a meeting/dining
hall, and the Charles Walker Observatory. The camp is located
at an elevation of 7,600 feet. Click on the following link to
view a labeled
aerial photograph of Camp Oakes.
Since
its inception, the RTMC has expanded to encompass all aspects
of amateur astronomy from beginning to advanced topics and from
telescope making to "armchair" astronomy. Recently,
the RTMC has included events for the whole family with horseback
riding, hikes, activities for spouses and activities for the young
kids. In 2000, the official name of the conference was changed
to the "RTMC Astronomy Expo."
During
the RTMC the camp has more people than a typical recreational
campground of its size, but the primary reason for attending is
precisely because it offers a chance to rub shoulders with a large
number of people who know telescopes and like to talk about them.
What we offer is a chance to see and look through a large variety
of telescopes (with relatively dark skies and high altitude),
attend talks by professional and amateur astronomers on different
aspects of telescope construction and use, see some astronomical
equipment and software in use, and buy astronomical equipment
and software (often at reduced prices). The vendors contribute
door prizes for Saturday and Sunday evenings. We don't know exactly
what prizes we'll have in advance, but in the past there have
been telescopes of 8 to 12 inches in aperture.
Vendors
ranging from major telescope manufacturers to people selling T-shirts
have booths at the telescope field and along the paths leading
to it.
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Scheduled
Speakers:
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Saturday
(not the actual scheduled order, which is TBD)
- "The
Cleaning and Characterization of the Chamberlin 20-inch
Clark Objective" - Jack Eastman
- "The
Overhaul of the Saegmuller Equatorial of the Chamberlin
Observatory" - Jack Eastman
- "Palomar
Observatory History" - Steven Flanders
- "Science
at Palomar Observatory" - Kin Searcy
- "Alt-Alt
Telescopes with Video Feedback Control System" -
Howard Royster
- "Using
low-cost / low-tech materials to improve astronomy education
and outreach" - Daniel Barth
- "The
Hubble Deep Fields" - Timothy Thompson
- "Women
Hold up Half the Sky: a Brief History of Women in Astronomy"
- Joann Eisberg
- "Telescopes,
Eyepieces, and Astrographs" - Richard Berry
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Sunday
- "45
Years of Spectacular and Interesting Comets" - Charles
Morris
- "Observing
Comet Ison" - Steve Edberg and Charles Morris
- "Through
Rose Colored Glasses: What We See Depends on How We Look"
- Alex McConahay
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Warren
Keller AstroImaging Workshop, Sunday May 26th
Some of
the finest astroimagers in the world have shared their expertise
at the Astronomy Expo throughout the years. This year, teacher
extraordinaire Warren Keller will be leading the program.
Warren,
(of billionsandbillions.com)
is not only an accomplished imager in his own right (see his M13
photo), but has shared his expertise in many forms, including
his comprehensive "Five S’s" series of articles
in Astrophoto Insight Magazine, his extensive "Image Processing
4 Astrophotography" tutorials, and his new series on PixInsight.
He will have lots to offer both the beginner and the advanced
imager.
The imaging
workshop is a premium event at RTMC Astronomy Expo, runs from
10:00 am to 4:00 pm Sunday, and requires an additional registration
fee. Participation is limited, and workshops have sold out every
year, so be sure to register for this workshop early.
Camp Oakes
is five miles southeast of Big Bear City, California on State
Route 38 at Lake Williams Road between mileposts 44 and 45. This
location is about 50 miles northeast of Riverside in the San Bernardino
Mountains. Camp Oakes is conveniently located within driving distance
of all of Southern California and within a day's drive of most
of the Western United States.
Day passes
and overnight accommodations, including camping, are available.
Throughout the 45 years of the Expo, RTMC has offered free admission
to scouting groups.
The Riverside
Telescope Makers Conference is a non-profit organization founded
by Clifford W. Holmes and the Riverside Astronomical Society in
1969. After having Astronomy Expo events at Riverside Community
College and in Idyllwild, the Expo found a permanent home at its
present location of YMCA Camp Oakes.
For more
information, please visit www.rtmcastronomyexpo.org
or contact Harold Johnson at RTMCHarold@gmail.com.
