Sky high: Les O’Neill makes an observation.
JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
The growth of interest in the heavens has been, well, astronomical.
While doomsday predictions, Hollywood blockbusters, interest in UFOs and natural disasters have fuelled the fascination in astronomy, an underlying search for knowledge also plays its part.
But Frank Baker, the president of Astronomical Society of Geelong Incorporated, said much misinformation and conjecture about astronomy was passed off as fact.
“The media is always interested in spectacular events coming up. Sometimes an event like Haley’s Comet can create an influx of members,” Frank said.
“The Hubble space telescope has given us phenomenal images and people get excited by those as well.”
The 50 year-old association of amateur astronomers has its own observatory at Geelong Showgrounds clubrooms, using an eight-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope on a computer-controlled mount.
Frank described the telescope as general purpose but said members’ variety of gear included refractors and Newtonian telescopes on Dobsonian, German Equatorial and Alt-Az mounts.
“These are all different types of telescopes and mounts allowing us to take various views of the night sky.”
Frank said club members were enthusiastic about answering questions and helping astronomy converts set up their equipment.
Frank believed the “incredibly difficult” field of astronomical photography was growing in popularity.
“Members are getting great results,” he said.
“Periodically we’ll venture out as a group to our dark-sky site at Moranghurk homestead near Lethbridge. It gives us an opportunity to get away from the bright city lights and set up our gear.
“This is a fantastic social outing that’s enjoyed by members and their families because the homestead is set on 459 hectares of land overlooking the Moorabool River.”
Frank said the Geelong club had social meetings from 7.30pm every Friday at the showgrounds clubrooms.
He said anyone wanting to contact the club could phone 0407 345 070, email geelongastronomy@yahoo.com.au or visit its website at home.vicnet.net.au/~asog.
