NWGAS Minutes -- 13th September, 1997

  Societies present

Minutes of the last NWGAS meeting at the Pex Hill Observatory, 7th June, c/o Liverpool AS: Minutes were accepted. There were no matters arising that are not discussed below.

  NWGAS Notice Board at Jodrell Bank

Although most of the societies present had, or could make folded-A4 handouts to promote their activities, Cliff Meredith (Salford AS ) thought that smaller societies could be disadvantaged if unable to design, or make available, leaflets for the notice board. Ron Kelley (Liverpool AS) emphasised that as the aim of the NWGAS was to encourage organised amateur astronomy throughout the region to do this might well involve the larger societies in assisting promotion of smaller ones by publicising their activities. He proposed that this could be done by printing leaflets on their behalf if the necessary information was made available. There was unanimous agreement to this proposal. However, because it was not always possible for NWGAS member societies to send representatives to the quarterly meetings, it was also proposed that Kevin Kilburn send a letter and SAE to those societies that had not attended recently to remind them that: (a) Their £10 membership fee was now due ( payable to Ron Kelley, Hon Treasurer, C/o Liverpool AS), if they wanted to renew their membership. (b) Now was the time to send information regarding their societies if they wanted to be individually represented on the Jodrell notice board.

So please send your society information and logos on floppy disk or as letter headings to scan and reprint for the board. NWGAS will do the rest. All current NWGAS members will be listed in a special NWGAS handout but obviously this will only contain basic information. It is up to individual societies to provide details if they want more publicity. This facility will be available only if membership is renewed. The current membership will be reviewed at the next meeting in January.

  Campaign for Dark Skies

• Gerard had received a reply from Mr Michael Meacher, Minister for the Environment, via Matthew Taylor MP re Government policies regarding light pollution. Mr Meacher, "recently asked my officials to take a fresh look at the issues and propose a way forward". He hopes that a view can be taken later in the year. It is up to local astronomical societies to press the issue for reducing light pollution in whatever way they see fit: Cost to the ratepayer is always a good argument. The UK national energy bill is estimated at over £300,000 per night (£100million+ pa) in wasted, up-scattered, street lighting alone.

• "Lighting in the Countryside: Towards Good Practice", has been published by the Department of the Environment. This is available from The Stationary Office as ISBN 0-11-753391-2 at £25. Ask your local library to get a copy. It is published in conjunction with the Countryside Commission and although it does not cover urban issues, it is a worthy reference. Note that it is a guideline, not legislation and may be ignored by local planners - if they are allowed to get away with it.

• As previously recorded, the Highways Agency will not be lighting the new four-lane M6 motorway between J16-J19 but junctions will be lit by flat glass full-cutoff lighting. However the meeting recognised that as out-of-town shopping areas and urban development increased along this corridor between the Potteries and Knutsford, it would aggravate suburban lighting requirements and pose a longer-term threat to the CfDS issue. This is a national problem: The extensive, still half-completed Trafford Centre shopping complex on the SW Manchester M63, Jnc 3 and 4, will ultimately demand more lighting as traffic is attracted to the area. This is already recognised as one of the most congested motorway sections in Europe. Cliff Meredith (Salford AS) said that 24hr opening of supermarkets at the Trafford Centre (Asda) and off the M62, Jnc 17, Prestwich (Tesco), were recent examples of this environmentally unwelcome trend.

• Cherry Moss (Macc AS ) said she would find out from Sir Francis Graham-Smith how much it costs to floodlight the Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank and why Jodrell is cavalier regarding light pollution from their carpark and telescope floodlighting whilst actively seeking, via national newspapers and radio, to draw attention to local spillage of electromagnetic radiation into their own working radio-spectrum bands. Gerard said that the telescope is a recognised landmark for air traffic into and out of Manchester airport but there is no apparent reason for the floodlighting other than to attract attention to the establishment from passing road and rail traffic.

• Ron Kelley (Liverpool AS) said that following a partial replacement of globular "lollipop style" lamps on the large carpark of Barclays Bank's, Radbrook Hall, computer centre at Knutsford, Cheshire, there had been recent notification that all of the lamps were to be replaced with capped, downward-shining lights. It was proposed that Radbrook Hall be awarded a CfDS certificate for this action.

• Via Kath Redford (Salford AS), Robert Fletcher, CfDS Manchester rep., sent in apologies for absence but reported that he was still pursuing the lighting policies for Stockport in spite if recent illness and work commitments.

• Richard Sargent (Chester AS), whose novel way of demonstrating the effects of light pollution by using the facilities of the planetarium at Jodrell Bank was discussed at the last meeting, said that the background lighting in the Jodrell planetarium was currently incapable of being reduced and controlled to a level necessary to simulate urban light pollution. Ron Kelley and Dave Gittins said that the Liverpool planetarium offered far greater scope and flexibility and suggested that Richard arrange a demo there.

• Kevin Kilburn (Manchester AS) showed a 52mm light pollution filter for photographic use supplied by Siltint Ltd. This was designed to transmit Oxygen III and H( wavelengths. Initial experiments at Manchester AS suggested that continuous spectrum objects such as planets and stars were barely recorded even after a 15 minute exposure on 1600 ISO colour film. No streetlight back-scattering was recorded at all. Evaluation would continue to access the LPR filter photographically using black and white film more sensitive to the specific pass-band wavelengths. The present meeting was told that Siltint needed feedback regarding the use to which such filters could be put so that they could be optimised for astronomical work. A smaller-sized filter to screw into standard 25mm eyepiece barrels for the visual examination of emission nebulae was suggested, particularly if this could be purchased for £50-70. Photographic filters at a similar price would sell but would likely be in less demand.

  Federation of Astronomical Societies

  NWGAS on the WWW

                             June       July      August
Altrincham & District        19         21        20
Blackpool & District         18         13        13
Bolton                       20         23        18
Chester                      24         23        18
Furness                      22         25        16
Liverpool                    12         12        11
Macclesfield                 54         42        82
Manchester                    6          6         7
Preston & District          N/A          5        13 (new on the web in June)
Salford                      10          7         6
Southport                    14         13        17

Gerard Gilligan reminded the meeting that there was to be a rare occultation of Saturn by the gibbous moon on Wednesday, 12th November at about 1.30am (a few minutes earlier for observers in the west and north of the region). The moon will be about 21deg. above the SW horizon. Send your observations to Mike Oates. Note Mike's new address and phone number in the appended delegates list.

  Any Other Business

1. Dave Gittins (Liverpool AS) has been appointed Minutes Secretary to the Association of Astronomy Educators. This was set up to promote astronomy in schools and further education.

2. Dave Gittins, waiting for AOB because of the implications of his next comment, floated the idea of the NWGAS holding an astronomy convention in the Northwest. Precedence had already been set by both Liverpool and Manchester AS's holding one-day conventions in their respective cities so why not the NWGAS ? It would be an opportunity to which all NWGAS societies could contribute and share benefit. There was immediate reaction to Dave's idea, largely very positive but with some reservations. It will be discussed more fully at the next meeting.

3. The list of NWGAS speakers willing to give talks to societies has been updated and a new copy is appended to these Minutes. Please let me have details of other members in your society willing to give talks elsewhere in the region.....Sec.

4. It was originally agreed that each NWGAS society would have two delegated contact names. The current list of representatives, to whom copies of these Minutes are sent, is appended. I assume that it is correct but please let me have details of any necessary changes to the list as it is obvious that delegates at the quarterly NWGAS meetings are not always the people whose name and address are shown......Sec.

5. STOP PRESS: Mike Carson-Rowland is no longer the BAA Regional Rep Co-ordinator. At present I don't know who is taking over from him.....Sec.

6. For Sale: Observatory (minus telescope). Professionally made 8ft diameter, glass reinforced plastic (GRP, fibreglass) dome on 4ft GRP walls. Generous, 2'3" wide, up and over shutter. Easy rotational movement of dome and shutter. Bolted, modular construction throughout. Observatory as seen, in good condition. Wooden panel floor resting on 4"x2" timbers on hardcore foundation. Wired for electrical power. Large star-chart table, steel telescope pedestal and heavy 'astronomer's chair' on castors are included in the offer. Realistic price expected but negotiable. Buyer disassembles and transports. Location: Disley, on A6, approximately 7miles SE of Stockport, Cheshire. Contact Mrs Helen Collier on 01663 764 914 or Jack Moore (C/o Macclesfield A/S) on 0161 427 4110.

  Next NWGAS meeting

11.00pm, Saturday, 17th January, 1998 at the Godlee Observatory, UMIST. C/o Manchester Astronomical Society.

Kevin J Kilburn

Secretary NWGAS / Regional representative of the NWGAS to the BAA

66 Henshall Road

Bollington

Cheshire SK10 5DN

Tel: 01625 572453, after 7.00pm Mon-Fri, please.

14th December,1997.