Welcome to the webpage of the Hawkes' Bay Astronomical Society.
 

The Hawke's Bay Astronomical Society is an active club with a strong membership base. Our monthly meetings are held at the Hawke's Bay Holt Planetarium in the grounds of Napier Boys' High School, off Chambers Street, Napier (map). These take place at 7:00 PM on the second Wednesday of every month, with the exception of January. Average monthly attendances are now around 50 people per meeting. The meetings are of a relaxed nature, with members driving the topics and direction. Discussions are lively and cover everything from the oldest origins of the universe, to the latest data from unmanned probes in the far reaches of the solar system. Download a membership form here.

A range of equipment is owned by the club, including a six inch refractor, 80mm Vixen refractor with solar filter, eight inch table top Schmidt Cassegrain and a lovely hand made 16 inch reflector. These instruments are complimented by personal equipment owned by the members themselves.

We are currently working to establish a dark-sky observatory in the hills west of Napier (see Pukerangi Observatory below). Once operational, Pukerangi will host three telescopes and, eventually, an astrograph for photographic purposes.

Other club activities have included running a night school astronomy course twice a year at the Napier Boys' High School. With the current government policy, this has ended at the close of 2009. Have your say.
 

Upcoming Events: (last Update: 26/08/2010)

Special Lecture by Peter McLeish

7:00 PM Saturday September 4th at the Planetarium - gold coin donation.

My name is Peter McLeish and I am a multimedia artist, filmmaker and painter from Montreal. I am an international artist, who has been involved in a collaboration (based on Red Sprites) with American scientist Walter A. Lyons, 2005 President of the American Meteorological Society and President-2007-08 of the National Council of Industrial Meteorologists as well as President of FMA Research Inc. (Colorado, USA). I have also been cooperating with Dr. Colin Price from University of Tel Aviv-Israel/NASA Space Shuttle Columbia's MEIDEX mission.

Since 2001, I have been collaborating with American scientist Dr. Walter A. Lyons, on multi-media projects based on an upper atmospheric optical phenomenon (associated with thunderstorms) named Red Sprites. This collaboration eventually led to Walter A. Lyons receiving a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant for the creation of the DVD titled The Hundred Year Hunt for Red Sprites and interactive website. My work on sprites has appeared in many international forums in museums/centers such as the Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum in Chicago, the Carnegie Science Center-Pittsburgh, The National Museum of Australia in Canberra, The Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) in Melbourne, the Spazio Oberdan in Milan- Italy , Sala Emilio Saraco / Neuquén Museum of Fine Arts in Neuquén -Argentina, the Otago Museum -Dunedin, New Zealand and the Ferens Art Gallery in Hull-United Kingdom.

In addition to my work on Red Sprites, I am in the process of creating & developing a series of works that explore the psychological aspects of (global warming) atmospheric & climate change in the Polar regions as well as a upcoming 2010 film about the creation of the Universe.

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Next monthly meeting

The society will next meet on Wednesday 8th September, 7:00 PM at the Planetarium.

The fund-raising raffles are going well and we are starting to get some $$$ in the bank towards equipment for our observatory. Bring a gold coin for your raffle entry to be drawn on the night. There will be an interesting (and often, tasty) selection of prizes for the winners to choose from.

We are currently running a major prize raffle to raise $$$ for our observatory. The prizes are:

1st - iPod Dock & Stereo System - donated by WASPNZ
2nd - An Original Oil Painting by Jacqui Mackrill - donated by Jacqui Mackrill
3rd - Family Portrait Sitting - donated by Graham Palmer Photography Ltd
4th - Escan Internet Security Package - donated by HB Astro Soc
5th - A pair of Chibi Graphic Charactures - donated by Lockerby Design
6th & 7th - A Family Pass to the Holt Planetarium - donated by Holt Planetarium
8th, 9th & 10th - A Bag of Pinecones - donated by Valhalla Farm

 Tickets are $5 and can be obtained from most members of the HB Astro Society, or via the Planetarium.

Raffle will be drawn on September 10th 2010

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Movie Night

As part of the growing activities for the club, we are now going to run a monthly movie night. This will be at 7:00 PM at the planetarium on the Friday evening following the monthly meeting. The movie will be from a selection of classic Sci-fi epics - anything from the original "Flash Gordon" to the latest "Stat Trek" and beyond. The final selection will be made at the monthly meeting prior to the movie night.

Free entry (recommended $5 donation). All money raised will go to the observatory fund.

BYO drinks and nibbles.

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Lecture Series

Back by popular demand - our winter lectures were so popular that we were forced to turn people away. However if you did miss out, the series will be rerun in September. The lectures will take place at the planetarium at 7:00 - 9:00 PM. The subjects will be:

Week 1 - September 14 - Stellar Evolution; the private lives of stars. Presented by Graham Palmer.
Week 2 - September 21 - Exploring The Solar System. Presented by Gary Sparks.
Week 3 - September 28 - Galaxies & Beyond. Presented by Gary Sparks.

Bookings are essential. Entry is $10 per person per night. All profits go to the Pukerangi Observatory fund.
E-mail for bookings.
Click here for a printable poster.

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Pukerangi Observatory - Further progress.

On site construction is well under way. Fences have been built, all of the structural steelwork is in position & telescope piers are poured in concrete. All the flooring and wall framing has been very skilfully fitted. The roofing is now in place and we will soon be attaching the wall cladding. The site looks fantastic!

My personal thanks go to all those who have contributed to this project - we couldn't do it without you. Financially, we have received another good injection of funds recently, but still need more $$$ to complete the project... We are not across the finish line yet.

All donations to the society of $5 or more are tax deductible and would be very gratefully received. Click here for a printable fund-raising poster.

Below: The roof is on and wooden wall framing is ready for cladding.

Below: Fences & gates in place, roof frame running on it's tracks and a warm room installed.

Below: A work gang takes a break in the building frame.

Below: The building framework arrives on site ready to be set on piles.

Below: Gary Sparks gets busy with the steelwork for Pukerangi Observatory.

Below: The architect's impression of Pukerangi Observatory.

 

Click any thumb-nail below to enlarge
 

In The Red.

Guest Speakers #2

Guest Speakers.

Equipment.

Top Facilities.

Pukerangi Observatory.


Club Contacts:

 Phone: The Planetarium on: 06-8344345 (leave a message)
Postal address: H.B. Astronomy Society C/- Mike Roser,
61 Morris Spence Avenue, Napier.
e-mail: gary@holtplanetarium.org.nz

The H.B. Astronomy Society thanks the H.B. Holt Planetarium Trust for the continued use of its wonderful facilities.