Three Astronomy Facebook Groups worth Visiting

Facebook is perhaps the most popular social media tool right now. It is a platform that supports many kinds of media and frameworks that enrich the social interaction in the digital scene. One of the popular features of Facebook is the Group.

Listed below are three of the best non-partisan astronomy groups:

*Note: Groups only (not pages) that are run by Filipinos

1. Philippine Astronomy Forum

Group Description: "The ultimate source of information on astronomical discussions on astronomical equipment, observations, events, astrophotography, space programs, astrophysics, astro product reviews, etc. Anyone can join regardless of sex, race, astro affiliation, experience and skill level as long as topic on astronomy and its like are discussed and shared."

This originally started as a yahoo group led by members of the Astronomical League of the Philippines which eventually moved on to the popular FB group format. This is a popular FB group for sharing and discussing photos both by local and foreign astrophotographers. It also serves as an avenue for discussing and selling of equipment. At the time of writing there are 1757 members.

2. Filipino Astronomy Community

Group Description: "This page is intended for Filipino astronomy and space science enthusiasts and professionals. I hope this will bring us closer together by providing a medium for astronomy development for the country. This may be a subset of a larger existing Filipino Astro group but we want to start from a small circle so that members here can easily belong and participate. We will appreciate if you initiate discussions and share your own experiences to motivate others. We will also update you with relevant opportunities locally and abroad."

This group is more academic and technical in nature with posts usually revolving around research and academic practices in astronomy and space science. Popular post topics include the Philippine Microsatellite program, data processing, as well as conferences and workshops. There are occasional astrophotography posts, most of which are quite recent.

3. Philippine Astronomy Exchange

Group Description: Post, review, discuss, buy/sell your astronomy equipment here

This is a buy and sell group for astronomy equipment. It is also frequented by those looking for recommendations for their first telescopes. It also contains some astrophotography content.

National Astronomy Week 2018

25th National Astronomy Week

Feb 18 - 24

Astronomy Modernization

A Great Leap for a Collaborative Astronomy Community in the Philippines

Updated: Feb 17 12:05

Pre-NAW Activities
11 Star Trails (Judging Period) Organizers: UP AstroSoc	12 Opening Program Venue: CED Amphi, MSU-IIT Organizers: CED-IIT Star Trails (Judging Period) Organizers: UP AstroSoc	13 Astro Chats Venue: RTU Organizers: RTU AstroSoc Film Showing Venue: CED Amphi, MSU-IIT Organizers: CED-IIT Stargazing Venue: USC-TC Soccer Field Organizers: USC Physics & AstroSoc & IAU Astronomy Society Star Trails (Judging Period) Organizers: UP AstroSoc	14 Astronomy Quiz Bowl Astronomy Painting Contest Venue: RTU Organizers: RTU AstroSoc Astro Quiz & Games Venue: CED Amphi, MSU-IIT Organizers: CED-IIT Star Trails (Judging Period) Organizer: UP AstroSoc	15 Astronomy Research Forum Venue: RTU Organizers: RTU AstroSoc Film Showing Venue: CED Amphi, MSU-IIT Organizers: CED-IIT Star Trails (Judging Period) Organizer: UP AstroSoc	16 Star Trails (Judging Period) Organizer: UP AstroSoc	17 Awarding Ceremony Venue:RTU Organizer: RTU AstroSoc Our Cosmic Connection Venue: Abbot Lopez Hall, San Beda University Organizers: BSYA & PAS #SciScribe Venue: Conference Hall, San Beda University Organizers: BSYA, Science 117, & PAS Exhibition of Rocket Models Venue: San Beda University Organizers: BSYA & PAS Lecture Series Venue: CED Amphi, MSU-IIT Organizers: CED-IIT
Official NAW Activities
18 Official Opening Ceremony Venue: PAGASA, Science Garden Organizers: PAGASA NAW Opening Telescope Viewing Activity Venue: PAGASA Observatory, UP Diliman Organizers: PAGASA and all orgs Free Public Viewing Venue: SMBY, MOA Organizer: ALP Free Planetarium Show Venue: PAGASA Planetarium, Science Garden Organizers: PAGASA Free Telescope Viewing Venue: PAGASA Observatory, UP Diliman Organizers: PAGASA Exhibit & Laser Maze Attraction Venue: NIP, UP Diliman Organizers: UP AstroSoc Exhibition of Rocket Models Venue: San Beda University Organizers: BSYA & PAS Free Planetarium Show Venue: National Museum Planetarium Organizers: National Museum Planetarium	19 Stargazing Venue: Riverbanks, Marikina Organizers: Philippine Science Centrum Free Planetarium Show Venue: PAGASA Planetarium, Science Garden Organizers: PAGASA Free Telescope Viewing Venue: PAGASA Observatory, UP Diliman Organizers: PAGASA Exhibit & Laser Maze Attraction Venue: NIP, UP Diliman Organizers: UP AstroSoc Exhibition of Rocket Models Venue: San Beda University Organizers: BSYA & PAS	20 Lecture & Seminar Series Venue: College of Science, UPB Campus Organizers: UPB AstroSoc Free Planetarium Show Venue: PAGASA Planetarium, Science Garden Organizers: PAGASA Free Telescope Viewing Venue: PAGASA Observatory, UP Diliman Organizers: PAGASA Exhibit & Laser Maze Attraction Venue: NIP, UP Diliman Organizers: UP AstroSoc Exhibition of Rocket Models Venue: San Beda University Organizers: BSYA & PAS Free Solar Obs Venue: National Museum Planetarium Organizers: National Museum Planetarium	21 Stargazing Venue: Riverbanks, Marikina Organizers: Philippine Science Centrum Lecture & Seminar Series Venue: College of Science, UPB Campus Organizers: UPB AstroSoc Free Planetarium Show Venue: PAGASA Planetarium, Science Garden Organizers: PAGASA Free Telescope Viewing Venue: PAGASA Observatory, UP Diliman Organizers: PAGASA Exhibit & Laser Maze Attraction Venue: NIP, UP Diliman Organizers: UP AstroSoc Exhibition of Rocket Models Venue: San Beda University Organizers: BSYA & PAS Free Solar Obs Venue: National Museum Planetarium Organizers: National Museum Planetarium	22 Seminar/Workshop on Astronomy for Public Science Teachers Venue: USTP, CDO Organizer: DOST PAGASA Free Mobile Planetarium Show Venue: USTP, CDO Organizer: DOST PAGASA Lecture & Seminar Series Venue: College of Science, UPB Campus Organizers: UPB AstroSoc Free Planetarium Show Venue: PAGASA Planetarium, Science Garden Organizers: PAGASA Free Telescope Viewing Venue: PAGASA Observatory, UP Diliman Organizers: PAGASA Exhibit & Laser Maze Attraction Venue: NIP, UP Diliman Organizers: UP AstroSoc Exhibition of Rocket Models Venue: San Beda University Organizers: BSYA & PAS Free Solar Obs Venue: National Museum Planetarium Organizers: National Museum Planetarium	23 Star Party Contest for High School Level Venue: USTP, CDO Organizer: DOST PAGASA 3rd BPSU Astronomy Festival Venue: BPSU Main Campus Organizer: BPSU AstroSoc May Alien Ba? Venue: 4th Floor, First Pacific Hall, Ateneo de Manila University Organizers: Rizal Library Free Telescope Viewing Venue: Pinaglabanan Shrine, San Juan Organizers: MSA Culminating Activity Venue: Philippine Science Centrum Organizers: Philippine Science Centrum Free Mobile Planetarium Show Venue: USTP, CDO Organizer: DOST PAGASA Lecture & Seminar Series Venue: College of Science, UPB Campus Organizers: UPB AstroSoc Free Planetarium Show Venue: PAGASA Planetarium, Science Garden Organizers: PAGASA Free Telescope Viewing Venue: PAGASA Observatory, UP Diliman Organizers: PAGASA Exhibit & Laser Maze Attraction Venue: NIP, UP Diliman Organizers: UP AstroSoc Exhibition of Rocket Models Venue: San Beda University Organizers: BSYA & PAS Free Solar Obs Venue: National Museum Planetarium Organizers: National Museum Planetarium	24 NAW Official Closing FTV Venue: Rizal Park, Luneta Organizers: National Museum Planetarium and all partner orgs BigBang!, Take Off, Parallax, Star Trails (Awarding Cermony) Venue: NIP, UP Diliman Organizer: UP AstroSoc Public Moon and Sun Viewing Venue: Peace Plaza, MSU – Marawi City Main Campus Organizers: MSU-MAC Competitions Venue: Abbot Lopez Hall Organizers: BSYA & PAS Free Planetarium Show Venue: PAGASA Planetarium, Science Garden Organizers: PAGASA Free Telescope Viewing Venue: PAGASA Observatory, UP Diliman Organizers: PAGASA Exhibit & Laser Maze Attraction Venue: NIP, UP Diliman Organizers: UP AstroSoc Exhibition of Rocket Models Venue: San Beda University Organizers: BSYA & PAS Free Planetarium Show Venue: National Museum Planetarium Organizers: National Museum Planetarium
Post-NAW Activities
25 Solar Viewing and Stargazing Session Venue: SMBY, MOA Organizers: ALP	26	27	28 Astronomy Night Venue: UST Organizers: UST APSoc, MSA, PUSO

Traveling on a Holiday – Astronomy Edition

A typical Christmas holiday for my family involves a lot of traveling. Depending on our mode of transportation I would usually just take my camera along and take some unguided long exposures of the night sky whenever possible. However, since this holiday we had a large enough space for transportation I decided to take my EQ4 mount along with my Celestron C90 for a series of free telescope viewings (FTVs).

Our first destination was my hometown and summer capital of the Philippines – Baguio City. Manila had been cloudy due to the t

ropical storm passing through the Visayas, but clear skies dominated most of the nights here. The high altitude and good transparency of Baguio always made it a pleasure to observe during good weather. I setup my telescope in front of the Quezon Hill Community Church. Carollers and passersby got to view the Moon up-close as well as take photos through their phones. A group of kids stopped by after every round of carols they made. Initially I wanted to get in touch with UP Baguio Astronomical Society to join forces for an FTV here but time constraints and consideration for the students being with their families made me decide to setup on my own.

My next FTV destination was at Agoo, La Union. This is where my grandparents' house was located, and where my grandmother built a dedicated astrodeck for my use. From late in the afternoon until the evening I would take out my telescope to the basketball court of the local barangay (native Filipino term for a village; district or ward) to view the waxing gibbous Moon. The court was filled with people playing basketball and kids and adults watching. The kids were first to gather around the telescope, and little by little players would slip from their game to take a peek until eventually everyone came to see.

The following day we traveled to San Juan, La Union to stay overnight in a resort. Several resorts lined the beach as it was a frequented surfing spot. I took my telescope out on the beach for an FTV. Visitors of the resorts who saw the setup came to take a look and have discussions about astronomy. The resort owner, who happens to have an interest in astronomy and how the ancient Polynesians used the stars to navigate the sky also joined me and welcomed the idea of doing an Astronomy Night event for the resort.

 

When we headed back to Agoo, I was surprised to learn that the children waited for me in the past night to look through the telescope. I did a second setup in the basketball court where a larger group of people got the chance to see the Moon and stars.

For the remainder of my nights in Agoo I stayed in the astrodeck – yes, I pitched my tent there – observing throughout the night and taking short naps when some clouds start to roll in.

After New Year we headed back to Baguio. I didn't get to do anymore FTVs after catching a cold – probably from spending a number of chilly nights in the astrodeck, and hot weather during the day. Being from Baguio, we tried to visit spots that we haven't been to or are not crowded by tourists. One of the places we went to is the Maryknoll Ecological Sanctuary. Why am I adding this to this log? Because of the cosmology/history of Earth inspired nature walk. The hiking trail was entitled Cosmic Journey where they trace the formation of the Universe to the evolution of man.

After the long holiday break it's back to Manila where I return to my laptop and cram my astronomy talk.