Briefly,

(1) a quick report-back on the viewing evening held last weekend,
(2) a reminder about this Thursday's meeting and
(3) details of a telescope for sale.

(1) As Friday was overcast we held our telescope viewing evening on Saturday, and I think due to this postponement (and also the tragic rugby result) we only had 15 people in attendance.

Yet, boy did we see some exciting stuff!

Attached is an image of the well-known Ring Nebula, a multi-coloured ring of gas 4000 light years away........which we actually saw through the telescope on Saturday evening! :-)

And thanks to the skills of Durban's Galileo, Raymond Field, we also had a good look at the double star which marks the head of the constellation Cygnus The Swan. These two stars (both 380 light years away) are very colourful - one a rich blue-green and the other a golden orange.

(2) Mission to the Moon: 30th Anniversary
Just over 30 years ago, on 20th July 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first person to walk on the moon - a feat subsequently accomplished by 11 others. To commemorate this event, on Thursday evening the University Astronomy Society will be showing a newly-released video on the Apollo mission & the first Moon landing.

This will be followed by a lunar viewing session using the Physics Department telescope on the rooftop, where we will look at the actual site of that first landing.

Place: S4 Science Lecture Theatre Complex*
Date: Thursday 16th September 1999
Time: 7 pm
Followed by coffee and biscuits - Free - All welcome

*Directions to lecture room S4, Science Block, University of Natal: travel to the top of Francois Road, turn right into the University private road. Directly after boom gate turn left and the Science Block is on the right.

(3) Small telescope for sale.
Miss Jillian Butland is wanting to sell her small telescope (which includes 3 eyepieces) for R900. You can contact her on: 082 377 3484

Regards

Mario Di Maggio
Astronomy Interest Group
Durban Natural Science Museum