{"id":26975,"date":"2021-12-16T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-12-16T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/?post_type=purple_issue&p=26975"},"modified":"2022-01-11T15:55:09","modified_gmt":"2022-01-11T15:55:09","slug":"the-stars-of-sky-at-night-magazine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/2021\/12\/16\/the-stars-of-sky-at-night-magazine\/","title":{"rendered":"The stars of Sky at Night Magazine"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

There are many readers who have been with us all the way, having been subscribers since issue one. Here we meet a few and hear about their enduring interest in the night sky<\/p>\n\n

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Around 120 readers have received BBC Sky at Night Magazine through their letterbox every month since its launch in June 2005<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n

Our readers are a special bunch and we\u2019re always keen to hear from them with ideas to make BBC <\/em>Sky <\/em>at <\/em>Night <\/em>Magazine <\/em>something for them. But for this celebratory 200th issue we got in touch with some of them \u2013 subscribers who have been with us from issue one. We found that an amazing 120 people have received every one of our 200 issues through the post. Here are five of these very special subscribers, who have kindly agreed to tell us a little about their associations with the night sky, astronomy, and with BBC <\/em>Sky <\/em>at <\/em>Night <\/em>Magazine. <\/em>To all you stars of the magazine, thank you, and we salute you!<\/p>\n\n

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Name <\/strong>Alan Hodgson<\/em><\/p>\n\n

Occupation <\/strong>Writer on printing and imaging<\/em><\/p>\n\n

Location <\/strong>Cheshire<\/em><\/p>\n\n

Age <\/strong>64<\/em><\/p>\n\n

Favourite section <\/strong>\u2018First Light\u2019 equipment reviews<\/em><\/p>\n\n

Do you still keep any past issues? <\/strong>I have them all at home and I am in the process of compiling an index of particularly interesting articles.<\/em><\/p>\n\n

Alan\u2019s background in photographic science informs his work and his astronomy, he says, and articles in BBC Sky at Night Magazine <\/em>have too. \u201cI worked in the photo industry on scientific applications and did various \u2018astro-facing\u2019 projects. Since issue one I\u2019ve done some work for Cape Instruments, who made telescopes, and have been president of two different international imaging societies, so your articles have been referenced in other work.<\/p>\n\n

\u201cOur interests have evolved in similar directions. You\u2019ve covered both current events and the evolution of imaging hardware and software,\u201d Alan explains. \u201cIn early editions I was an advertiser, but as I moved on I developed a wider interest. The series commemorating the anniversary of the Apollo space programme was excellent. Although not a binocular astronomer myself, I find that section useful for my photography. And I have to say that I\u2019ve enjoyed it when you\u2019ve printed my images!\u201d<\/p>\n\n

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Alan\u2019s project to rebuild Warren De La Rue\u2019s Moon camera under test in the garden to check the focal length and condition of the 14-inch mirror<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n

As a photographer, Alan says he uses DSLRs with standard camera lenses and gives talks on these, as well as imaging with assorted DSLRs and lenses. \u201cMy imaging is mainly done from Cheshire, but I also take them when I travel \u2013 most recently to Iceland, New Zealand and Galloway.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

\u201cI used to build technical cameras for a living and the bug has never left me, so I have various ongoing construction projects,\u201d he reveals. \u201cMy current interest is in following on from Galileo and showing what he saw. I\u2019m doing a series on Venus but I want to move over to lunar imaging. I have a long-term project (pictured) to rebuild Warren De La Rue\u2019s Moon camera from 1854.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

Growing up under urban skies, Alan says he learnt a few constellations from these. \u201cAs a child, my parents bought me a very shaky small refractor and it went from there, with a few Patrick Moore books.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

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Name <\/strong>Jayne Waters <\/em><\/p>\n\n

Occupation <\/strong>IT business consultant<\/em><\/p>\n\n

Location <\/strong>South Wales<\/em><\/p>\n\n

Age <\/strong>53<\/em><\/p>\n\n

Favourite section <\/strong>\u2018Bulletin\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n\n

Do you still keep any past issues? <\/strong>Yes, all of them, mostly in binders; plus the CD-ROMs they used to come with.<\/em><\/p>\n\n

Jayne began reading BBC <\/em>Sky <\/em>at <\/em>Night <\/em>Magazine <\/em>when it first came out, because most of the available magazines back then were American and The <\/em>Sky <\/em>at <\/em>Night <\/em>TV programme was something she\u2019d grown up with. \u201cThe magazine has always had a good selection of articles that range from practical guidance on observing to more theoretical articles,\u201d she says. \u201cThese support the astrophysics and cosmology which sit behind the astronomical objects we observe. It\u2019s that combination of practical \u2018how to\u2019 and insight into the science that I\u2019ve always enjoyed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

As a child, Jayne says she was fascinated by the night sky and never grew out of it, and she has been lucky to have always lived in areas with reasonably dark skies. Her fascination later led to a degree with the Open University, which she focused around astrophysics and cosmology. \u201cIt rekindled my interest in astronomy again,\u201d she remembers.<\/p>\n\n

\u201cHowever, the science and observation are two different things for me. I\u2019m fascinated by the science, and the underlying theories of our Universe and the objects and phenomena that exist within it,\u201d she says, \u201cBut the act of observing the night sky is much more of an emotional experience \u2013 the aesthetic beauty is breathtaking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

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A lunar occultation of Saturn, like this on 1 December 2001, captured Jayne\u2019s imagination <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n

Today Jayne has a Sky-Watcher ED120 refractor, \u201c\u2026and an ancient Meade LX200,\u201d she says. \u201cThese days, most of my observing is unstructured and done [without them].\u201d A few targets were favourites for telescopic observation, she says. \u201cGlobular clusters \u2013 they are amazing objects both from a visual and scientific perspective. And I remember seeing a lunar occultation of Saturn at about 3:30 in the morning many years ago \u2013 it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. It was an amazing example of the dynamic, three-dimensionality of our Solar System.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

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Name <\/strong>John Thatcher<\/em><\/p>\n\n

Occupation <\/strong>Engineer and space industry project manager (retired)<\/em><\/p>\n\n

Location <\/strong>Shrewsbury<\/em><\/p>\n\n

Age <\/strong>71<\/em><\/p>\n\n

Favourite sections <\/strong>Telescope advice and tips, \u2018First Light\u2019 equipment reviews<\/em><\/p>\n\n

Do you still keep any past issues? <\/strong>I have the first 55 issues in binders, and the 100th issue. I keep the last few years\u2019 worth and recycle the oldest on a rolling basis.<\/em><\/p>\n\n

John nearly didn\u2019t make it past the first few months of his subscription: a busy work and family life meant the first few issues were put to one side to read later. \u201cAfter four or five issues formed a little pile, I made a determined effort to catch up, and found the mix of articles and information a good match for me,\u201d he recalls. \u201cSince then I\u2019ve not stopped reading the magazine every month.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

He\u2019d been a regular watcher of The Sky at Night <\/em>and had met Patrick Moore several times, so when the magazine was launched it seemed a good opportunity to find out more. \u201cThe history of orbital spaceflight and planetary exploration has occured during my lifetime and I was gripped by the Space Race in the 1960s,\u201d he says. \u201cMy interest in astronomy followed on from that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

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John with a model of the JWST (James Webb Space Telescope) and (right) with the team at Astrium who worked on JWST\u2019s MIRI instrument<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n

This led to a 30-year career in the space industry, working on a number of scientific spacecraft. \u201cFor the last 10 years of my career I was the European Consortium Project Manager for the Mid- Infrared Instrument (MIRI) on the James Webb Space Telescope and worked with many professional astronomers all around Europe and the USA.<\/p>\n\n

Now retired, John observes with various binoculars up to 15×70 size and a Sky-Watcher 200mm reflector on an EQ5 mount, as well as the naked eye. He reveals: \u201cI made a decision not to get into astrophotography, having been advised it was a good way to lose hours of your life and spend a lot money! But I enjoy seeing what others can do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

Being a member of Shropshire AS and an honorary member of Bedford AS allows him to do just that: \u201cTheir observers take some extremely good images,\u201d he says. \u201cWe do lots of public outreach and I\u2019m a big believer in encouraging people to look at what is free-to-see right above their heads.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

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Name <\/strong>Jackie Harris<\/em><\/p>\n\n

Occupation <\/strong>Retired<\/em><\/p>\n\n

Location <\/strong>Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire<\/em><\/p>\n\n

Age <\/strong>78<\/em><\/p>\n\n

Favourite section <\/strong>\u2018The Sky Guide\u2019, especially \u2018The Planets\u2019 section<\/em><\/p>\n\n

Do you still keep any past issues? <\/strong>Originally I did, but I donated them to my Society library when I moved house. Now I only keep the past few months.<\/em><\/p>\n\n

Jackie was always curious and interested in the sky above, studying applied physics after leaving school. In 2003 she followed her interest, she says, and hasn\u2019t looked back. \u201cI got my first telescope then and joined the local Wycombe Astronomical Society, and when I saw that BBC Sky at Night Magazine <\/em>was first published I started reading it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

She became the Secretary of Wycombe Astronomical Society, arranging its outreach events for 15 years, and later became a Friend of the Royal Astronomical Society. \u201cUntil the pandemic I went up to London for a couple of [RAS] lectures a month and attended two more at the Society. These have more recently taken place on Zoom, allowing our interest to be continued.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

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Jackie with the Wycombe Astronomical Society observatory in the background<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n

As for practical observing, Jackie says she is very interested in the planets and the Moon in particular, and also deep-sky objects. \u201cSadly I live in quite a bright area so I didn\u2019t get into astrophotography,\u201d she says. \u201cLuckily we have a large scope at our Society observatory for use by members, and we hope to be opening it again very soon for practical astronomy following the COVID shutdown.<\/p>\n\n

\u201cNow I\u2019m older I do less observing, as I found it difficult to carry my 8-inch Celestron telescope,\u201d she says, \u201cBut I have now passed that onto a friend\u2019s family member and have an 80mm William Optics scope on an iOptron mount, and also a solar scope.<\/p>\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve enjoyed all the magazine articles and found the guidance on what to look for each month extremely helpful for my observing,\u201d she says. \u201cI have kept reading the magazine because I have learnt so much from it over the years.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

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Name <\/strong>Stewart Chambers <\/em><\/p>\n\n

Occupation <\/strong>Science teacher (retired) <\/em><\/p>\n\n

Location <\/strong>Isle of Wight <\/em><\/p>\n\n

Age <\/strong>66<\/em><\/p>\n\n

Favourite sections <\/strong>\u2018Bulletin\u2019, \u2018Cutting <\/em>Edge\u2019 <\/em>and <\/em>\u2018Moonwatch\u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n\n

Do you still keep any past issues? <\/strong>I used to keep them but now I only keep a year\u2019s worth. I pass on the previous year\u2019s issues to local schools through the astronomical society I belong to.<\/em><\/p>\n\n

\u201cLike many people of my generation, it was the Apollo missions that sparked my interest in astronomy,\u201d says Stewart. \u201cThat and watching Patrick Moore on The <\/em>Sky <\/em>at <\/em>Night.\u201d <\/em>Many years later he was left some money that enabled him to purchase a telescope, he says.<\/p>\n\n

\u201cThe first views of the surface of the Moon in detail, the rings of Saturn and the dance of the moons of Jupiter had me hooked.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

Stewart started reading BBC <\/em>Sky <\/em>at <\/em>Night <\/em>Magazine <\/em>because it was endorsed by Patrick Moore and was linked to the television programme, he recalls. \u201cI also liked the CD-ROM idea, containing bonus material and archive TV programmes.<\/p>\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve kept on reading the magazine to keep up to date with the recent developments in astronomy and to see what the monthly observing highlights are,\u201d Stewart says. \u201cI also like reading the features. It has been interesting to read the articles reviewing the outcomes of previous and continuing missions exploring the Solar System, such as the Apollo missions and those to the outer planets.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

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Based on our \u2018First Light\u2019 review, Stewart now uses a Daystar Solar Scout telescope for observing the Sun<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n
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Pete has \u2018dabbled\u2019 in astrophotography, taking this wonderful Snow Moon image with a DSLR and 300mm telephoto lens<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n

With an Orion Optics SX250 10-inch Newtonian reflector mounted on a Sky-Watcher HEQ5 Pro mount, Stewart says he does observe the night sky but not always on a regular basis. \u201cI tend to observe the Moon and planets but have not yet ventured to view deep-sky objects.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

\u201cBased on a review in BBC Sky at Night Magazine, <\/em>(\u2018First Light\u2019, April 2019) I\u2019ve purchased a solar telescope to observe the Sun,\u201d he says. \u201cMy solar scope is a Daystar Solar Scout SS60-DS, which I mount on a Star Adventurer tracking mount placed on my camera tripod. Astrophotography is an area that I have dabbled in but only with my DSLR.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

Photos: Peter Titmuss\/Alamy Stock Photo, ALAN HODGSON, PETE LAWRENCE,JOHN THATCHER, JACKIE HARRIS, STEWART CHAMBERS<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We meet the readers who have been with us all the way, having been subscribers since issue one<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":26961,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ub_ctt_via":"","purple_page_number":"30","purple_custom_meta_purple_page_number":"30","purple_seq_number":"1","purple_custom_meta_purple_seq_number":"1","purple_source_article":"article_30-1.xml","purple_custom_meta_purple_source_article":"article_30-1.xml","purple_source_issue":"January-2022","purple_custom_meta_purple_source_issue":"January-2022","purple_external_id":"January-2022-30-1","purple_custom_meta_purple_external_id":"January-2022-30-1","purple_issue_code":"|0000086548||","purple_custom_meta_purple_issue_code":"|0000086548||","purple_android_product":"com.im.skyatnight.200","purple_custom_meta_purple_android_product":"com.im.skyatnight.200","purple_ios_product":"com.im.skyatnight.200","purple_custom_meta_purple_ios_product":"com.im.skyatnight.200","purple_web_product":"","purple_custom_meta_purple_web_product":"","purple_publication_id":"075fab74-0a21-4201-866a-899d6c41c40c","purple_migrated":"","kt_blocks_editor_width":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[14],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2021\/12\/e3fe40fc-2934-4170-9f8e-12043909c293.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"11","apple_news_title":""},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2021\/12\/e3fe40fc-2934-4170-9f8e-12043909c293.jpg",1448,2048,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2021\/12\/e3fe40fc-2934-4170-9f8e-12043909c293-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2021\/12\/e3fe40fc-2934-4170-9f8e-12043909c293-212x300.jpg",212,300,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2021\/12\/e3fe40fc-2934-4170-9f8e-12043909c293-768x1086.jpg",768,1086,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2021\/12\/e3fe40fc-2934-4170-9f8e-12043909c293-724x1024.jpg",724,1024,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2021\/12\/e3fe40fc-2934-4170-9f8e-12043909c293-1086x1536.jpg",1086,1536,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2021\/12\/e3fe40fc-2934-4170-9f8e-12043909c293.jpg",1448,2048,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"We meet the readers who have been with us all the way, having been subscribers since issue one","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26975"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26975"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26975\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27661,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26975\/revisions\/27661"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26961"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26975"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26975"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26975"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}