Astronomy

ScopeX 2007 – The people

Posted 2007 April 23 @ 11:47 - filed under Astronomy.

Page one of this account gives a day-by-day overview of the weekend trip up to ScopeX. What follows is a photo gallery of the faces & characters I ran into. The list of folks missing in action is long and incomplete, but includes Tim Cooper, Jacques van Delft, Chris Middleton, Gerrit Penning, Roy van der Westhuizen, and so on...

The Cape Town contingent and their ScopeX escorts: Willie Koorts, Case Rijsdijk, Lerika Cross (ASSA Jhb), Auke Slotegraaf and Oleg Toumilovich (ASSA Jhb).

Robert Groess (ASSA Jhb, Canopus editor) in conversation with Richard Berry on Saturday evening.

(left) Johan Smit (ASSA Pta) and (right) Keith Lou (telenut).

Chris de Coning (ASSA Historical Section) and Hannes Pieterse (ASSA Bloemfontein).

Willie Koorts, Brian Fraser and Case Rijsdijk enjoying some Glenfiddich.

Oleg, his trusty Cybershot, and an improv-tripod.

Mauritz Geyser (first to see comet McNaught in Southern Africa) and Auke Slotegraaf (first psychohistorian to see comet McNaught).

Prize-giving smiles: (left) prolific and talented astrophotographer George Liakos, and (right) Joburg Centre stalwart Francois Nortjie.

(left) Eclipse-chaser Anton Pollhammer (whom I met at the solar eclipse in Messina) and (right) one-time classmate Martin Nieuwoudt.

Luke Arnott (left) and his telescope aperture stop (right) which, when left exposed to the Sun, got nicely singed.

Sheldon Herbst, deepsky observer from the Joburg Centre. I'm expecting to be hearing a lot more from him in the future.

Oleg and Lerika.

Chris de Coning pretending to hold up a shirt I'm interested in, but clearly distracted by other things.

Oleg and Alicia.

Lerika, Chris and Case discussing American president George Bush's many accomplishments.

Beautiful image by Willie Koorts showing yours truly trying to photograph him. In the background the crescent Moon and Venus can be made out.

Keywords: Astronomy news, ASSA, ScopeX, 2007, Johannesburg Centre