YES, there will be an observing session tonight: Thursday, Oct. 22!
The next possible observing night will be Monday, October 26.
A bus will be depart at 7:30 PM sharp from parking lot B outside University College Residence bound for the observatory. You will need to be on time to catch the bus. Seats on the bus are on a first-come first-served basis. Seating capacity is around forty. The buses will return to parking lot B about 10:30 PM.
Please make sure that you are prepared for the observing session, read over:
You must complete and hand in observing exercise 1 at this time.
You may try any of the other exercises while you are out there but they can be completed on your own time and handed in by November 27.
Required Supplies for observing sessions
- Warm Clothes – Dress for the observing sessions with clothing much warmer than you think that you will need. Wear boots since the observing area is just open grassy fields. The need for warm clothing cannot be over emphasized. Remember that you can remove clothing if you are too warm but there is nothing that you can do if you get too cold and do not have warm enough clothing.
- Log Book – You are required to keep notes and record your observing assignment responses in an observation logbook. The logbook will consist of notes kept in a duotang or other bound book — loose leaf sheets are not acceptable and assignments turned in on loose leaf sheets will not be marked.
- Flashlight – with freshly charged batteries and covered with a RED filter to reduce the brightness. Bring along extra batteries since two hours of continuous use in cold weather can weaken the batteries in your flashlight. Flashlights that are not filtered and/or which are judged by the assistants to be too bright will not be allowed at the observatory.
- Star Charts and/or planisphere – Star charts are provided in laboratory sessions.
- Pencils and erasers – Soft lead pencils, such as 2B, are recommended.
Please remember that there are no washroom facilities out at the observatory.
Have fun observing!