On 9/3/07, Patrick Wiggins <paw@wirelessbeehive.com> wrote:
Would you be willing to have it on an already scheduled SPOC night, just starting well before sunset?
At this early stage, start time and date is a good question. I have given it no serious thought yet, anything is possible. Obviously it must be at a time when attendees with cars will want to have their autos on display. Or how's about tying in with the fundraiser star party SLAS is
already committed to at the Denny's in Tooele (for the Tooele high school athletic department) on the 19th of this month? That starts at 5 which will be well before sunset.
That would require permission from Denny's, I"m guessing, in order to bring a bunch of cars onto their property. My first reaction is to stay away from the Denny's project- but who knows.
No, but why not try for "officialdom" first. After all, SLAS does have a very nice H-alpha scope stored at SPOC.
True, especially if nobody else had an H-a setup, it would be good to have. Off topic, but you don't drive it at all during the winter!? I too
am paranoid about driving my 35 year old, one-owner Benz in winter but my mechanic says to not just run it but to drive it once a month (something about seals?). So I just wait for one of those brilliantly clear and dry winter days Utah is famed for and drive it to SLC and back.
My concern is road salt. My regular warmup of course includes a short drive whenever possible, if the roads are dry and clean. Otherwise its to the end of my 100-foot driveway and back a few times, and the seals will have to content themselves with that until the next opportunity. Back on topic, I can't imagine there would be a problem parking cars
around SPOC during the off season. Bruce has said he'd even unwinterize the facility for a special event if needed (I think Dave Bernson is already looking into that for this December's Mars opposition).
But would you want to park on the grass around the SPOC buildings or keep them on the asphalt parking lot?
If I have a telescope set-up then it will be next to my car, wherever that is. Again this is all very preliminary and I haven't a preference yet. I have attended concourses on both pavement and lawns. Any input fom prospective attendees is most welcome. I'm just the guy with the idea, it's going to take a lot of other folks to help pull it together, if it happens this fall at all. Spring is nice, too.