Tag Archives: church

Star Distances

Posted on April 2, 2016 by ST Editors

by John Church At last November’s business meeting it was mentioned that on public nights at the observatory, team members are often asked how far away a particular star is. To help us answer these questions, I’ve generated a list … Continue reading →

Posted in April 2016, Sidereal Times | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Testing the Hastings-Byrne Refractor

Posted on May 3, 2015 by ST Editors

by John Church Since some members had reported seeing a decline in the optical performance of the 6-1/4 inch Hastings-Byrne refractor, I conducted a thorough test of it on the night of April 18. Dave and Jen Skitt and Gene … Continue reading →

Posted in May 2015, Sidereal Times | Tagged , | Leave a comment

In Memoriam: Tony Miskowski

Posted on March 1, 2015 by ST Editors

by John Church Tony Miskowski, an active AAAP member from the 70’s and 80’s, passed away on February 22nd. Tony was one of the chief builders of our observatory in Washington Crossing State Park in the late 70’s. He had a … Continue reading →

Posted in March 2015, Sidereal Times | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Update on the Hastings-Byrne Refractor

Posted on December 30, 2014 by ST Editors

by John Church At the December AAAP meeting, Gene Ramsey, Dave and Jen Skitt, and the writer reported their progress on a plan to upgrade the refractor mount to make it more usable for both club members and the general … Continue reading →

Posted in January 2015, Sidereal Times | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

History of the Hastings-Byrne 6-1/4 Inch Refractor

Posted on November 2, 2014 by ST Editors

by John Church As many current AAAP members may not be fully acquainted with the story of our fine 6-1/4 inch refractor, this history is presented so that the club may make an informed decision about its future use. Also … Continue reading →

Posted in November 2014, Sidereal Times | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

News Flash!!

Posted on May 3, 2014 by ST Editors

by John A. Church Here is a news flash, hot off the wires! On Saturday April 26, Rex Parker, Jeff Bernardis, Dave Skitt and the writer successfully replaced the existing Paramount mount on the Hasting-Byrne refractor at Washington Crossing with … Continue reading →

Posted in May 2014, Sidereal Times | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Daystar

Posted on September 3, 2013 by ST Editors

by John A. Church Whenever I have trouble getting to sleep, which sometimes happens to people as they get older, I just think about the sun. I first learned interesting things about the sun from The Beginner’s Star-Book. a delightful … Continue reading →

Posted in September 2013, Sidereal Times | Tagged , | Leave a comment

The Observatory Has Been Painted

Posted on October 3, 2012 by ST Editors

by John Church After a complete power washing and also spot bleaching where needed, our Simpson Observatory at Washington Crossing State Park is sporting a brand new double coat of white latex semi-gloss on the exterior of the cinder blocks … Continue reading →

Posted in October 2012, Sidereal Times | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Geometrical Optics and the Hastings-Byrne Refractor: Part III

Posted on June 4, 2012 by ST Editors

by John Church In the March and April issues I reviewed the relatively simple equations that allow a lens designer to specify the total curvatures of both elements of a two-element (crown and flint) achromatic refractor objective, and how our … Continue reading →

Posted in June 2012, Sidereal Times | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Geometrical Optics and the Hastings-Byrne Refractor: Part II

Posted on April 1, 2012 by ST Editors

John Church Last month I reviewed the “lens-maker’s formula” that allows one to calculate the focal length (the inverse of the “power”) of a thin lens, provided that one knows the refractive index of the glass and the radii of … Continue reading →

Posted in April 2012 | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment