Amateur Space Association

Basa the last meeting...August 2011

2011-08-16T11:35:00.000-07:00

Well what a great four months of space fun we have had. We have learnt many things. That the moon always faces the same way to the earth. That star patterns differ depending on what culture they come form, as it would make sense that Chinese called their stars different things to the Polynesians. We have studied and marveled at the moons surface with a simple telescope.

I spoke to Patrick Moore about meeting him and I talked to him about the cricket. Unfortunately he was too poorly so we sent him a card instead. We learnt about the discovery of Uranus, about Moon landings and we each researched the universe in our own unique ways. We made some pictures, we listened to Theremin orchestras and we rediscovered our love of Dr Who.

It was wonderful for me to start this amateur space society, and it has been an inspirational experience sharing ideas with: Steve, Mags, Graeme, Zoe, Mark and Jo. For me it felt a bit like being in our own little dead poets society.

During the last meeting, (hosted by Maggie and Graeme, at their wonderful allotment) we ate lots of nice food. Pomegranates, Star Biscuits, Potato Salad, Crisps, Cake and a flower salad. Maggie hosted a guess the space noise quiz. We made up a space song and we participated in making and sharing things to put in a time capsule. Zoe and Mark put in a letter, with questions for the future (see video), I put in a tie from my costume and we put in a little diary that we each wrote in. Graeme buried it and we had a little dance to space music provided by Jo.

So for now BASA will be on hold for a while whilst I go to Oman to teach for a year. But I really hope it continues in some way. But of course our little adventure will stay in our hearts and minds and that’s the main thing. Beam me up Scotty.

The last meeting...

2011-08-16T11:32:00.000-07:00

Putting things in the time capsule

2011-08-16T11:23:00.000-07:00

Burrying our time capsule...

2011-08-16T08:56:00.000-07:00

Zoes alien plate...

2011-08-16T08:49:00.000-07:00

Marks questions to the future...

2011-08-16T08:23:00.000-07:00

Marks Lecture on Uranus

2011-07-18T15:06:00.001-07:00

Patrick Moore, News

2011-07-18T09:07:00.000-07:00

We love Patrick Moore...

As a follow up to my lecture, here's a rather lovely old Sky at Night telling the story of Uranus and William Herschel. He even goes to the piano and plays one of Herschel's compositions!

Also, on a more silly note, Sir Patrick's take on space related snacks, Mark

JULY BASA MEETING: Mark does a Lecture about the planet Uranus, July 2011

2011-07-18T02:41:00.000-07:00

We had Space Sushi followed by Planet Blueberry Pudding.

We drunk the drink of basanaught choice...STELLA...Also Mark and Zoe made some G + T's
Jo made a space chart by Joining up her moles on her arms and Mark had a T-shirt on that said 'I need my space'...NASA.

Mags shows off her almost complete outfit, with amazing planet buttons.
She also made some planet artworks.

Zoe shows us her amazing satalite head gear then we watched videos of spacelike theremin instrument played by Clara Rockmore

We finished the evening off by watching a whole episode of Dr Who featuring TOM BAKER.

Space instruments: LINKS

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/station/crew-3/html/iss003e5802.html

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/history/shuttle-mir/multimedia/thagard-photos/thagard-p-008-low.htm

Maggie wrote this...

It was again another evening of enlightenment - thanks again Mark for your lecture, and making me aware of such an inspiring amateur astronomer, and everyone for the delights of watching a whole episode of Doctor Who for the first time and I am now also convinced that Tom Baker makes a great doctor.

Thanks Jo for introducing to us the weird and wonderful instrument called the Theremin - I wholeheartedly agree that Clara Rockmore is a babe. Graeme - who would have this sort of knowledge in his head, said it was one of the first electronic instruments (there's a couple of really interesting other ones too). He also pointed out that it has been used extensively, that in fact Portishead is one of the most well known bands who have used it a lot. I have continued to be further fascinated

Leons' dream did come true, it has been used part of an orchestra - central focus in fact.

Polite Japanese kids and Russian Dolls you can't get more weird

Silly cat on theremin LINK

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ONJfp95yoE&feature=related

James' Gallaxy

2011-06-16T05:04:00.000-07:00

Maggie's Amazing Space Food

2011-06-16T04:48:00.001-07:00

Dessert - Saturn Surprise Cratership Mmm

Main meal - The Lava of Grumblebum or Jupiters' Wrath plus Mooncake

16th June 2011, 2nd Meeting

2011-06-16T04:42:00.000-07:00

We watched a film, Ate space food provided by the stella inspired Maggie Tran, Showed off our costume ideas, Jo talked us through her Urban Myth inspired Space Chart, James Johnson-Perkins talked us through his Vinyl Universe Picture.

Work for next week.

Continue Costumes, Make a new space inspired artwork.

Mark Will host the next Meeting where he will do a lecture on the Planet Uranus.

There will be Pot luck Space food and Space Coctails.

Next Meeting, 15th july.

Costumes, Steve Clark, Maggie Tran, Mark Pembury, James Johnson-Perkins, Jo Dimbleby

2011-06-16T04:33:00.000-07:00

Jo's Starchart

2011-06-16T04:26:00.000-07:00

16th June 2011, 2nd Meeting

2011-06-16T04:18:00.000-07:00

We watch

For All Mankind is a 1989 documentary film documenting the Apollo missions of NASA. It was directed by Al Reinert.

Music for the film was originally composed in 1983 by Brian Eno and released as an album entitled Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks. By the time of the film's release in 1989, some of the album tracks had been replaced by other pieces by Eno and other artists, which can be found on the album Music for Films III.

The film provides 80 minutes of real NASA footage, taken on the Apollo missions of the 1960s and 1970s. The focus of the documentary is on the human views of the space flights, and the original mission footage is provided along with the voices of the astronauts, from interviews and from the actual mission recordings. Among those providing narration are Jim Lovell, Michael Collins, Charles Conrad, Jack Swigert, and Ken Mattingly

Link to film

17th May, First BASA Meeting

2011-06-16T03:59:00.000-07:00

We watch footage of first moon landing

Link to footage

17th May, First BASA Meeting, We watch Journey to the Moon

2011-06-16T03:55:00.000-07:00

Journey to the Moon

Georges Méliès (1902)

Link to film

17th May, First BASA Meeting, Images on a slide show to talk about.

2011-06-16T02:51:00.000-07:00

17th May, First BASA Meeting. Minutes, ideas and such...

2011-06-16T02:29:00.000-07:00

Mark Pembury, Maggie Tran, James Johnson-Perkins, Graeme Walker

Minutes, ideas and such...

James Johnson-Perkins shows a series of space images to talk about.

Image 1

The R is important in the image

god's letterbox at a jaunty angle
R - head of horse nebular
White line = ocket

Image 2
Gallileo's maypole
Maypole made of broomsticks, catherine wheel/ rockets?
Maypole observatory to be constructed by the end of 2011
a view of universe by being spun round

Image 3
Soda stream
Eggs poacher
Pizza maker
China - Europe early rockets
Look like the inside of guns
Relation between food and space must be explored in depth
Pressure cannisters to make rockets
What kind of nauts are we? BASAnauts, Bright(o)nauts

Image 4
Rockets or houses for pixies
Rocket making desk
Rockets propelled by soda. Bicarb mixed vinegar

Image 5
Jules Verne aluminium projectile shot - nice shape - maybe we can make a house that shape
Stella beer needed for meeting
How much it would cost to send a hamburger to space

Image 6
Are baskets connected to space
making our own galaxies

Image 7
Strange astronomical creatures
Make own map of the universe and our own constellations
Homework - round template with our own versions of these

JJP apologises for clouds

Image 8
Poster in cyber sweet shop
Galaxy, space invaders crisps & spaghetti, starbursts, flying saucers

Image 9
1st American space rocket - nothing to say

Image 10
Rocket proportion to gravity
be nice to do something with orbits
You can do something with the gum (James - Graeme)
Lets find the geographical centre of Brighton

The dead centre of Brighton is in cemetery - bury orbits?
Situationist orbit/ attach to string and spin around

Image 11
Actual space ship drawings - star wars - disco ball shaped one
Ovaries
Giant phalluses
Rocket & space can have sexual undertones
Not upside - not so phallic

Image 12
Spaceships more like robots (everyone not so interested)

Image 13 - History of rockets & space

Image 14
The picture in the left with birds and man like my Belgium experience
Fireworks man - armour of used fireworks (Marks' mission)

Image 15 Rocket car
Men experiencing 0 gravity
Mark wants to research Golightly rocket car

Image 16
Amateur rocket enthusiast
Monkey in a paenut - Graeme costume?

Image 17 - Earth from apollo 8

Image 18 - before they went to the moon they did a figure of 8 first. JJP thinks they did it twice - he thinks the ruskies did the same. The rocket hits the moon after 35 hrs

The moon is half the size of the earths' core. Note danger point
Bad attitude got astronauts killed (too pessimistic - peril etc)

Image 19 - First spacecraft & satellite - Sputnik 1

Image 20 - first dog in space. Graeme really likes her

Image 21 Space people in their capsule (JJP mistook it initially for a coffin)

Image 22 - dog that had to be put down - poison dispensed in dogfood (needs verifying)

Image 23 giant telescope
Break - Graeme has starbar, Mark milkyway, JJP Planetd. M - Starmix

Image 24 uri gellan/ uri gellar first man in space, verify if they were ever seen in the same time

We watch Journey to the Moon by Melies - inspiration for costumes
Wizard hats, huge beards, change into gentlemen clothes to go to moon
Confusing what to wear to the moon. Research purchasing of spacesuit, women are in striped tops, hotpants & dustbin lid hats

Alternative soundtrack to film.

Making our own backdrops to practice going to space - a cheap tent to paint on

Research what that amazing film of moon landing all the bits behind the scenes that few people have seen, no narration - It's called For all Mankind, Al Reinart

Should keep meeting to 9.30am

15th June - Weds - next BASA meeting
One piece of additional costume.