Star Gazing Event at SJKT Malakoff, Tasek Gelugor

Venue: School Field of SJK(T) Malakoff, Tasek Gelugor, Seberang Perai Utara.
Date: October 25 and 26, 2012
Target Group: About 50 students of Std 4,5,6.
Presenters: Veerayen and Vijay
Viewed : Waxing Gibbous Moon (very limited view due to clouds), Jupiter, Pleiades, Venus, Orion Constellation and Sun and its sunspots.

  This is our fourth tamil school and thanks to school management especially Renuka Nair, the principal, and Kogila, she who invited us to the school to arrange the Star gazing night .

25th was our working day, so we could only reach the school at about 9.30pm. We quickly started our theory session. This time we arranged a quick activity with students. 10 students called upon and was given a piece of white paper to each and requested them to align themself from Sun . They consist of 8 planets, Asteroid  Belt and Comet . They are indeed intelligent students and had no delay in positioning themselves. Then we covered little theory on telescope fundamentals and at last explained on how to do a simple refractor telescope . I am sure they will take this as a project .

Then the Moon (Waxing Gibbous) viewing part came in. At that time the weather was not promising and sky was full of clouds . But the good point it was moving clouds . While students prepared for their next activity on their 2 days 1 night camping event , myself and Vijay setup the scope and waited if by any chance clouds cleared out .

Our friend, Gerald and his wife with their little cute daughter were joined us and waited for the Moon viewing . At the same time we found Jupiter rised in the eastern sky . But even that was very quick show by the biggest Planet before obsecured by clouds .

We decided to stay overnight in the school . We had very good interaction with teachers and indeed they were very friendly . And worth to mention here about the two very active and eager former students, Poonggulali and Niessha . While both of them helping the teachers on the camp activities, they also helped us. Big thanks to them too . Vijay and I were looking for clear sky all the time and successfully showed the Jupiter around 3.40am. We had to interrupt some of the students' and the teachers' sleep to show the Jupiter . To some we showed the Pleiades too .

Later all the students woke up at about 6.10am and it was very good sky at that time . We showed Jupiter and Venus to the rest of students and teachers . And the students indeed able to identify the Great Orion Constellation in the sky .

It was teachers friendliness made us to extend our day till the Solar viewing session . With that we completed our session on Star gazing event . Yes we ended the session after watching our own Star !

It was sleepless and tiring night and day for Vijay and me . But we left the school with full of satisfaction and great memories .

Thank you SJKT Malakoff !!!!

Some of event pictures :

Waiting with eagerness

Gerald with his family . in the search of Jupiter ...

Camp fire and the Scope

Vijay with his all time favourite tool - Bino !!! ;)

Moon viewing

Jupiter viewing

Solar viewing

 Sun and Sunspot

My own sketch

Very dedicated in learning ...



Group Picture . Colourful !!!!





 Report by
 Veerayen M.
 October 27th, 2012 .

Star gazing event at SJKT Jenderata Div 3, Teluk Intan, Perak

Venue: School Field of SJK(T) Jenderata Div 3, Teluk Intan, Perak
Date: October 6 and 7, 2012
Target Group: About 32 students of Std 4,5,6.
Presenters: Veerayen and Vijay
Viewed : Sun and its sunspot

This is our third event for the Tamil school . We indeed glad to receive the call from Sugumaran, who helped the arrangement with the school . Not forgetting the school management especially Suseela who allowed us to do the Star gazing event in the school .
  Vijay and myself drive about 250km from Kulim on October 6th, Saturday, at about 10.30am. We reached the school ahead our schedule to start at 4pm with Solar viewing . We started as per schedule and in fact the weather was very promising during the Solar viewing . AND this is our first attempt on showing the Sun to the students . We wants the students to carefully observe the Sun and the sunspots, so we requested them to come in group and asked to draw in a piece of paper on what they observe . They are very good observers indeed . Apart students, teachers also viewed the Sun thru the 8" scope . And we ended the first session at about 5.30pm .
  After the nice tea time with Sugumaran, he was with us all the time, and Suseela, Sugumaran's second elder sister who also teacher in the school, we started our theory session at 6pm in the class room .
We covered topics on introduction to Solar System and introduction to telescope . We received a question from teacher to explain about Halo . The Sun halo that apparently viewed few days before our event seems really catched the teacher's attention .
  While students prepared for the next event on their two days one night of camp fire activity, myself and Vijay stayed in Sugumaran's uncle's house till our next observation where we planned to start at 4am, the next morning .
  Unfortunately, the weather turned to be really bad from 2am till the next morning . We were deeply disappointed to know the fact that we couldn't show the Waning Crescent Moon, Jupiter, Venus and star clusters . Though we could able to show the Sun , in overall I couldn't hide my regret . But the fact is that our observation totally depends to the weather and it is totally out from anyone's control though.
  Whatever it is, we are still happy to bring the knowledge to the children though it could be very little .

Some of the event pictures:

 

 Introduction speech by Vijay

Solar viewing starts ...

Sun and the sunspot - sketch by one of the group

Solar System - drawed by one of the group

Tea break

with Vijay, Sugumaran, Sugumaran's wife, Kumutha, and Sugumaran's sister, Suseela (most right)

Introduction to Telescope by Vijay

Very eager listening pupils

Group photo

Misc (Leaning Clock Tower of Teluk Intan)

Report by

Veerayen M.