Rotary Club of Coonabarabran Inc - RYSTARS
Rotary Youth Studying Astronomy and Related Sciences
Residential Camp for Year 9, 10 and 11 students
Tues 30 Sept - Sun 5 Oct 2014
APPLICATION FORM [Form to be uploaded]
Dear President/Secretary/Youth Director,
The Rotary Club of Coonabarabran will be holding a camp in October for young people who are interested
in astronomy. The camp is known as RYSTARS (Rotary Youth Studying Astronomy and Related Sciences).
The camp will be held from 4pm on Tuesday 30 September to 1.30pm on Sunday 5 October, which is the
second week of the Spring school holidays. These dates have been chosen in order to be part of the
Starfest event, which will celebrate 50 years of Astronomy at Siding Spring and 40 years of the operation of the Anglo Australian Telescope, the largest astronomical telescope in Australia.
The camp will be held in two parts, and students may choose to participate
only in the first part, or in both.
Package 1: From 4pm on Tuesday 30 September to 10am on Friday 3 October.
Activities, seminars and workshops run by professional and amateur astronomers
resident in Coonabarabran. These will include activities such as:
- Learning about, and how to assemble different telescopes,
- Visiting a variety of telescopes in the area, including a guided tour of the 3.9m AAO telescope, and a visit to the 40 inchtelescope just installed at ‘Milroy’,
- Night time observing (weather permitting),
- Experiences with remotely operated telescopes which are situated in different partsof the world.
Accommodation will be at the Warrumbungles Mountain Motel, with supervision by Coonabarabran Rotarians. Cost - $275.00. This covers all meals, travel to venues and entrance fees.
Package 2: From 10am on Friday 3 October to 1.30pm on Sunday 5 October.
Attending the planned activities which are part of the Starfest Program, which will include the following:
- ‘Science in the Pub’ (held at the Bowling Club). This will take the format of the well-known television program ‘QI’ starring Stephen Fry, with ABC Science presenter Robin Williams in thechair, and panelists Dr Fred Watson, Charley Lineweaver, Amanda Bauer, & Josh Bland-Hawthorn,
- Open Day at the Australian Astronomical Telescope. Participants will be involved in helping visitors at the site. For more information, contact Jo Wilkin, Co-ordinator Ph: 02 6842 8277 Email: jo.wilkin@gmail.com,
- Bok Lecture - Address by Australian Astronaut Andy Thomas,
- Additional sight-seeing activities as time permits.
Accommodation will be in the form of home hosting by Rotarians. Additional Cost - $80.00. This covers all meals, travel to venues and entrance fees.
Numbers will be restricted to 20 students, and will be allocated on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. In
order to spread involvement across the district and beyond as fairly as possible, it may be necessary to
limit applications to two per school.
Arrangements for travel to and from Coonabarabran are the responsibility of the student.
Participants may wish to approach their local Rotary Club about this venture and their interest in attending - some clubs may consider subsidising attendance costs. A more detailed program of activities will be sent to those who nominate to attend.
NOMINATIONS, using the enclosed Nomination form WILL CLOSE FRIDAY 12 SEPTEMBER 2014
Student evaluations.
‘It was awesome!’ ‘Loved it ... best camp I’ve been on.’ ‘A fantastic experience which really opened my eyes to the wonders of astronomy.’ ‘ Excellent & very worthwhile. I’m very happy that I came.’