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Santa Cruz Astronomy Club
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Amateur astronomers are among the highest form of intelligent life in the
universe. What's more they are friendly and sociable and like to form clubs...
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The Santa Cruz Astronomy Club (SCAC) is located in Santa Cruz, California.
SCAC has regular monthly meetings (with special presenters) and hosts public
star parties - many of which are documented by Jeff on Astro.Geekjoy. Local
area residents and anyone planning a visit to the Santa Cruz area may want to
check out SCAC's website in advance.
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The Astronomical League
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"The World's Largest Federation of Amateur Astronomers."
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The Astronomical League offers observation programs and
recognition for participation. Programs include
lunar, planetary, solar, double star, and deepsky pursuits
based on the Messier, Caldwell and Herschel studies lists.
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Fremont Peak Observatory Association (FPOA)
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As close to a Hubble "Eyepiece View" as the general public is ever likely to get...
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At some point in their astro careers, most amateurs want to find a way to
share the beauties of the Night Sky with the general public. But aside
from a few near and deep-sky studies, most amateur equipment just doesn't
have the reach to engage the eye of the causal observer. And thus the FPOA
and it's 30 inch "Challenger" mission...
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The Astronomy Connection
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Internet Group for avid amateurs in the San Francisco Bay Area...
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In TAC's own words:
"TAC's goal is to bring together active observational
amateur astronomers, bay area wide, into a larger non- club where ideas can
more easily be exchanged and new friendships made, by using the electronic
technologies now pervasive in our locale."
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| Astronomomical Online Magazines |
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esa
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"The European Homepage for NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope"
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very attractive website chock full of HST related news and IMAGES. Hopefully NASA will get the funding needed to fix whatever troubles Hubble and this website (and others like it) will continue growing - and growing...
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Universe Today
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Something new every weekday...
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I usually try to avoid on-line websites that include advertisments but Universe Today does a pretty good job of keeping these things understated. Besides, ~T (the Astronomer) writes a weekly column for this one ("What's Up") and occasionally I get something out for publication there to*.
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| For Profit Organizations that Sponsor Astro.Geekjoy |
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Sky Image Lab of Saratoga, CA
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TAC member James Turley of Sky Image Lab and I observed
and schemed together at Monte Bello...
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Ever want to get a nice high density color image of a particular deepsky study?
Well, you could simply go online, find, download and print one on your Deskjet...
Or you could have James do the leg work, print it on his plotter,
have it framed, and ship it wherever you like!
Besides James is a cool dude and wants to help Astro.Geekjoy achieve its vainglorious
goal of establishing an online, remotely controlled, internet-multicasting
observatory somewhere in the southern hemisphere. Did I also tell you, that as a
supporter of Astro.Geekjoy, you save 10% on Sky Image Lab's normal price?
To do so, just use coupon code "GEEK" at checkout time.
($43.18 american so far!)
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| For Profit Organizations that Don't Sponsor Astro.Geekjoy |
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Orion Binocular and Telescope of Watsonville CA
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Distribution source of 150mm MCT Argo and the ST80mm Pup...
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If you're like jeff, you're a Deep Sky amateur with "shallow pockets".
If you also happen to live an hour up the road from Watsonville, whenever you
have a spare astro-buck, you ease on down to Orion B&T and pick up that new
filter... But you don't really have to drive the car - take the Internet Highway
to Orion Binocular and Telescopes online storefront.
NOTE: Although ST80's remain available, you can no longer purchase the 150mm
MCT Intes MK67 from Orion B&T. (Intes still manufactures the scope and it remains
available elsewhere.) However, Orion does offer the less expensive 127mm MCT
StarMax model (manufactured in China). Another option is the high quality
152mm TEC-6
manufactured in the USA.
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TEC Telescope Engineering Company of Golden Colorado
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Somebody finally built jeff's "DreamScope" ...
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Yes starry eyed ladies and gentlemen, someone has finally created the one scope
that could cause jeff to become "unfaithful" to Argo and the Pup. Last year jeff
posted a commentary on the
Astronomy Ratings Website asking some noble organization to manufacture a
quality F7 140mm refractor. And TEC did it! Thanks TEC, adding you here to
astro.geekjoys link page is the least we could do. The most? Save up enough
spare change to acquire one of these babies!
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| Databases and References |
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SkyView
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The Internet's Virtual Telescope
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In NASA's own words: "SkyView is a Virtual Observatory on the Net generating images of any part of the sky at wavelengths in all regimes from Radio to Gamma-Ray." When I first visited this site I thought someone had accomplished Astro.Geekjoy's vision: "A series of amateur telescopes set up in different parts of the world covering northern and southern skies - with at least one scope always on-line showing some user selectable study." Ah, but this IS a nice start...
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The Saguaro Astronomy Club's Database
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In their own words: "... online version of the SAC database allows
amateur astronomers to compile detailed and customized observing lists."
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I often use SAC's Double Star database to search for candidate doubles
by constellation and separation. One caveat though, often binary data
is a wee bit out of date (separation and position angle). This, however
is not an issue for their deepsky studies! - And there are thousands
of them to choose from!
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Bay Area Astronomers' Weather Page
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If you observe in the San Francisco Bay area, this is the place to
check the weather front - especially during the Fall and Winter.
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I seem to have spent more time at this site last Winter than observing...
Nice links to forecasts and of course, GOES images of the west coast.
Learned a lot about weather patterns here on the Pacific Coast by watching
the way storms and high pressure systems interact. Fascinating stuff!
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| Observing Reports |
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Ptolemy's Supper Club
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Probably the finest collection of observing reports I've found on the web.
Would have made the Old Natural Philosopher proud...
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Ptolemy's Supper Club is one of those rare gems you come across now and
again on the Internet. Numerous well-written observing reports that go
beyond straightforward discussions of where I went and what I saw. Settle
down at Ptolemy's Table and enjoy a fine meal well-prepared and sumptuously
presented...
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Observing with a 150mm Reflector
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Visit the website Observing with a 150mm Reflector to review small telescope amateur astronomer reports from around the world.
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Alistair Thompson wanted to know how much of the night sky a six inch scope could reveal. So he put together 150mm reflector to find out. Drop by and be continually amazed by what can be seen even through a modest telescope.
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| Scope Reviews |
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Astronomy Ratings Website
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The Astronomy Ratings Site allows you to review and post comments about
many things astronomical - favorite studies, scopes, websites, accessories, etc.
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Yes, "rating" things is quite judgmental and very politically incorrect
- but we all do it anyway. Just keep in mind that "passing judgment" on things
says as much about us as it does about the object of our criticism. But do
visit the Astronomy Ratings Website anyway - wherever you find chaff - there's
bound to be some "wheat" as well...
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The Telescope Review Web Site
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My favorite telescope review website. Ting writes a good story and has
"a fine eye for" the scopes. A bit biased toward APO's perhaps...
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You probably already know about this one. "This Home Page Has Been Visited
Over One Million Times." Ed Ting's site is long on content and perhaps a bit
short on aesthetic and organization. Many scopes reviewed - but not the place
to drop by on a daily basis. After you've read 'em all, stop bye once a month
and something new just might be posted.
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Cloudy Nights Telescope Reviews
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Another scopists haven...
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Not everyone on this website tells as good a story as Ed Ting, though uneven,
individual reports tend to be more comprehensive. Stop by here weekly and
see what's been added...
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| Eyepiece Impressions |
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Deep Sky Sketching and Observing Website
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Tired of looking at
jeff's ham-fisted drawings of a few cosmic denizens?
Check out Jere Kahanpää's works of art!
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Allowing for the fact that Jere has to use a light source to sketch by, his
impressions of things deepsky pretty much capture what Argo reveals on a very good
night of seeing. Be sure to use the special "Invert Image" button to get the
"eyepiece view" of each cosmic denizen - incredible!
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Lunar Drawings of Richard H. Handy
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Are you a "Lunatic"? If so, you want to get "up close and personal"
with the Selene of Richard H. Handy...
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My, my. Everything jeff does somebody else can do better.
And Richard's got a bigger telescope too! So after "ho-humming"
over jeff's sketches, do your eyes a favor. Drop by Richard's
site and click on some of them thumbnails!
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| Astrophotography |
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Galaxy Photography and Digital Imaging Website
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Jason Ware is a very generous and talented fellow...
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In putting together an article for Universe Today, I needed something spectacular -
and found it on Jason's site. See
that article as it was intended to be seen (locally right here at Astro.Geekjoy) to get a sense of what I mean.
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Richard Gray's Astrophotography Website
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Fellow SCAC Amateur Astronomer Richard Gray
is into astrophotography...
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Despite the surging popularity of CCD imaging, the scope mounted 35mm camera
still plays an important role in amateur astronomy. Expansive starfields
and large scale studies (such as The Great Nebulae) lend themselves nicely
to piggyback capture through telephoto lenses. Follow SCAC member Richard
Gray's career as he immerse's himself in emulsions.
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| CCD Imaging |
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Ed Grafton's CCD Astro-imaging Page
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What Jere Kahanpää has done for deepsky sketching, Ed Grafton has
accomplished for CCD imaging...
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Technology and astronomy have always enjoyed a fruitful relationship.
The charge-coupled device (CCD) revolution of the 1990's has made it possible
for amateur astronomers of the third millennia to achieve results comparable
to plate-based astrophotography from some of the finest classical observatories
- especially on the lunar-planetary front. Visit Ed's CCD site and prepare
to be astonished!
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| Newsgroups and Boards |
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MakScopes
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In their own words: "MakScopes provides a gathering place on the Internet for Maksutov telescope owners and admirers."
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Just after teaming up with Argo I read through every post on MakScopes.
But before you get started keep in mind that MakScopes is a bit of a
"booster organization" for scopes of the Maksutov (Cassegrain and Newtonian)
type. And despite everything you read, 99% of the scopists who post
wouldn't think twice about trading their Maks for a truly apochromatic
refractor of equal aperture. (Then they'd sell, buy a Mak, and spend the huge
profit on a superb mount and eyepiece collection.)
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| Web Rings |
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The Backyard Astronomer
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Take the jump to The Backyard Astronomer and follow cyberlinks
to websites of other amateur astronomers throughout the Blue Planet.
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theAstronomer is completely head over heals in love with the Night Sky.
But theAstronomer is more than stargazer, and has put together The
Backyard Astronomer association as a way to link up others
en amour avec Nuit.
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| AstroTalk Members Websites |
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The Backyard in Ohio
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Walk the Night Sky, visit theAstronomers homepage.
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You can, of course, make the leap directly to theAstronomers own backyard
- The Backyard in Ohio. theAstronomer is perhaps the most prolific observer
of the Night Sky this side of the planet. One site to visit daily!
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Astronomia Backyardiensis
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See the skies through Otto's eyes, Astronomia Backyardiensis!
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Professor Otto Piechowski teaches religion and philosophy at a not-so-major university in Kentucky. Otto's faith in the Night Sky - and his MK-67 Maksutov-Cassegrain - is well communicated through his wise and enjoyable prose.
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Aberrator Free Startesting Software Website
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For the optically correct: Cor Berrevoets' Aberrator Free Startesting Software Website.
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Scientist and naturalist, artist and mathematician, Cor Berrevoets' fateful encounter with a mal-aligned Intes-Micro M603 Maksutov-Cassegrain led to a software marvel that is the next best thing to looking through the eyepiece. Check it out.
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CLEAR SKIES: Fort Worth
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ScoTexan's just starting to get his website together. Stop bye
and watch it grow in that warm Texas Sunshine...
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Originally from Edinburgh Scotland, Bill took up the hobby of
astronomy after arriving in the US. (I've been to Edinburgh,
beautiful city, filled with friendly, intelligent, and creative
folks who warm quickly to strangers - whether they like em or not!)
One thing's for sure, Bill will get a lot more "Clear Skies" down Texas way!
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| Unofficial Sponsor's of Astro.Geekjoy |
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Golden Phoenix Publications Website
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Bootstrapping New Publisher featuring jeff's books.
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Jeff was NOT a writer before Astro.Geekjoy -- his love for astronomy turned him into one. Jeff was NOT an author before Blue Planet & Beyond -- a trip to Easter Island made that possible. Now Jeff invites you to participate in his latest venture: Golden Phoenix Publishing where he, and a few close friends, are realizing a dream thirty years in the making...
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