Some Updates

This post entry is all about updating past events that I had done recently. 

I have finally found time to utilize the solar filter that Dave lent to me. For the first time, I held a mini-outreach session for the public to view the Sun beside my apartment block. Well, one of my neighbours bumped into me while I was setting up the scope and I showed her what the Sun looks like. She was excited by what she saw for the very first time! Glad that there were some major sunspots visible as solar activity was rather high that period. Otherwise, the white light filter could offer nothing else to see besides an image of a yellowish-white ball. I left after about half-an-hour because the weather began to become unbearably hot.     

Also, I have been doing private events with the usual suspects at 1 Degree 15, Sentosa. It's an upscale place where the rich hangout. They have houses there that cost an average of $15 million and luxurious private yachts parked nearby. We were invited to do both the Earth Hour and Singapore Yacht Show events. So, I shall split this entry into 2 parts. Photo credits to Gary, James, and whoever I have left out due to poor memory.

Earth Hour 2015

We met up at Gary's place where we had stored our equipment the previous day for ease of movement. We hired a spacious Maxi Cab to fit all five of us; Dave, Ava, Gary, Haz, myself, and all of our equipment. 

It was rather cloudy when we reached our destination in the late afternoon. We were hoping that the sky would eventually clear up a bit in the evening, which it did. We showed the curious crowd the Moon and Jupiter. I have got to say that doing public outreach sessions there was a somewhat different experience for me as compared to doing it in the heartlands. I am not saying that the latter is not good or unsatisfying. It's just a different vibe that people give out. I had to deal with people from 1 Degree 15 who were curious folks and fired many questions at me, whereas in the heartlands, I get a majority of people who were purely awestruck by what they are seeing. Both were pleasant experiences to me nonetheless. I always say that as backyard astronomers, our earnings for the day is never money, it is receiving the "Ohhh" and the "Wows!" from the public - that is the payment we'd love to receive.  

It was a successful event. Unbeknownst to us in the beginning, we even got to meet an ex-Mediacorp actress, Evelyn Tan! She was walking to each of our station and we happily answered her cosmic queries and showed her what the Moon and Jupiter looked like through different telescopes. Personally, I think she is a very smart woman. She gave me the impression that she already have the answers in her head before asking me questions. I guess she was just testing our knowledge or something. A combination of beauty and brains, I should say. Realization that she was an actress only hit me when we introduced ourselves to each other. I went to tell the others who she was and they were like, "Really?!" Ha ha ha. 

That's Evelyn Tan right there!!!

Singapore Yacht Show 2015

I waited for Dave and Ava to come pick me up in a regular cab before we headed over to Sentosa and there we were again at 1 Degree 15 to conduct another event. We got there first, followed by Alfred, James, Siddarth, and finally Gary. We helped Alfred and James to unload the heavy equipment from their cars. 

This time, it was the Singapore Yacht Show 2015. We were supposed to do both day and night sessions for the guests and club members - day for solar observation and night for the Moon and Jupiter. But guess what? It was pouring shortly after we got there in the early afternoon. So, we were left to feast our eyes on the many eye-catching yachts parked in the bay to attract potential buyers. I recall being told that one super luxury yacht called "The Anastasia" was for sale at $110 million! There were also static displays of cool luxury cars and sports cars as well.

The rain started to subside in the late afternoon but the sky was still fully blanketed by dark clouds. That removed the possibility of conducting any solar observation that day. We had lunch at our designated corner and that was when my nasi briyani from 7-11 got even tastier - several gorgeous models clad in designer swimwear started fluttering pass our dining tables like butterflies in a sweet summer garden. It was only then I knew that I could not swallow my food while my eyes were busily trained onto those fair maidens. Ahemm... back to astronomy. 

We were able to see the Eastern side of the sky clearing up and that was certainly good news. We began to setup at the usual spot allocated to us for night-time observations. Lucky enough for me, the zenith, which lies directly overhead, was cleared of most thick clouds. But the entire sky was still very hazy, so much so, that the Moon glowed a yellow hue. The rest of them were either pointing their scopes at Jupiter or like me, at the Moon.

I helped several ladies to take pictures of the Moon with their mobile phones and through my 80mm refractor.

To sum it up, it was the appalling weather that disrupted the day-time event. The night-time session was decent, at least. Well, that's astronomy in the tropics. Better luck next time!