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Hi David, Michelle Harris. You know honestly Dave it has only been since listening to your programmes that I have become really interested in watching the skies at night . I have to get by with googling to get answers to questions they probably learn in primary school.

Hello Dave, Thank you for your Newsletter which I’m now getting. My son, Evan who is back in Victoria has bought the moon map that is available.  He is convinced that the moon’s shadow is 90 degrees out of alignment and that the light is dead flat across and is not as it should be.  Is the moon functioning as it should? I know I wrote to you before asking about the Southern Cross and one of the stars. Thank you for your answer which I passed on to my son.  A special thank you for taking the time to answer the questions and also for your effort in bringing events in the Night Sky to those of us who listen to 891 in the early morning.  I think it would be a help if the presenter of the early morning session could tell us, say a week in advance, when you will be on air.  Thank you once again for you kindness. Frances C.

Hi Dave, My name is Lynton and I rang you regarding the question for a year book on 5aa radio in Adelaide – what was the Lost In Space robots name in the movie The Forbidden Planet. You said the answer was Robby, where in fact Robby was a completely different robot designed by Robert Kinoshita. Robby did appear opposite the B9 robot in lost in space on the episode “War Of The Robots”. I have a model of the B9 robot … that’s what I played “danger, danger Will Robinson” when i rang you on radio. Kind Regards… Lynton Schwark  (I sent Lynton a prize because he caught me out and I was wrong. Ed.)

Gday Dave. Kieran from Adelaide here. Hear you talking to Peter Godfrey on 5aa. I have a question I have been curious to find out for years. Can you see the lunar landing sites with a telescope? Just wondering.Because those conspiracy theorists couldn’t argue it was faked if they can see the sites.

Hi Kieran. Good to hear from you. NO, cannot see with ground based scopes. Most BIG scopes cannot focus on close objects like the moon BUT we have had an obiter fly over the Moon and see the landing sites.. go here: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/news/apollo-sites.html…then this: http://stupendous.rit.edu/richmond/answers/lunar_lander.html

Hi David,David I hope I can call you David because my name is David, also. I know you’re a busy man, so I’ll keep this as short as possible. I’ve written an epic science fiction novel and I want to check my facts. I have a scene where a few characters are blown up and are stuck in space. I want to know what would happen if a character were to remove their helmet? I thought space is ice cold and the vacuum would crystallize the face and the lungs, killing them instantly. Is this the case? Or would they suffocate? Thank you in advance for your answer.

Hi Dave. I would like to be able to go to a web site on my cpu and view the night sky, locate planets and constellations view them on my cpu, then go outside and locate them from my backyard aided by my telescope an also with the unaided eye or with my 10 binoculars. I have been able to locate sites like this in the past, but did not record the web site. I have seen the rings around Saturn an also Jupiter and Mars. I would like the site to give me the best times to view things an keep me informed on meteor showers etc. I guess you can classify me as an amateur, amateur. Ha! I just like to point things like this out to my grandkids who seem way too caught up in games. Heck, one day I would like to get an even better telescope to give one of the grandkids. Thank you for your taking the time to help. Joe

Hi Joe. There are some really good free programs out there. I have listed 3 and you can give each a try. Now let me know if you have an Iphone. If so your problems are solved because they have free programs you would pay hundreds of dollars normally for and are magic for finding what you want. If you have one let me know and I’ll tell you the apps to install. Try Celestia http://www.shatters.net/celestia/ Stellarium users guide http://www.stellarium.org/wiki/index.php/Stellarium_User_Guide Strarry Night is really good.. this is a free version see the middle panel and go for ‘Backyard’ version: http://www.brothersoft.com/downloads/starry-night.html Regards,Dave

Hi Dave, Thanks for keeping the stories coming. The story about “Lost in Space” brought back a lot of good memories from my younger days. I never really picked up on the “campy” leanings then, but now when I watch the episodes I can’t help but compare them to the episodes of Batman.(Met you at an astronomy night held at the Catholic High School a few years ago) Most enlightening. Robert S.

Hi Dave. Just wanted to say love ya show this morning with Peter. I knew answer on robot…but miss out:(….but im sure I would love what u have right here and ya web site….love space always wanted to go.. my favourite planet is Saturn …anyway I’m quite sure I will enjoy your page. Lorraine G.

G’day, Dave, Went to Canberra Friday, and fooled around doing work stuff, but Saturday, I got a chance to have a look at Mt Stromlo. I only saw the ruins, but gee, was that interesting. Interesting, and the view was amazing. I had a good long look at their 74″ dome, and the smaller ones. I explained what it was all about to my (Asian) wife, and then and there she decided that they were space ship stuff. Apparently there is a discovery centre there, and it is well advertised on their “Cabera tracks” tourist brochure. Next time. Tidbinbilla! Cheers, Jon.

Dave, Is there a group here in Adelaide at all? Beginners group, I want to learn more. Monique. (This is a typical question I get from my facebook pages and reflects that fact that people are really keen to seek out help and try to learn a little more about their teelscopes and astronomy in general. Ed.)

Hi Monique. There is an observatory at Stockport 80k from Adelaide. It’s part of the Astronomical Society of South Australia – meetings are held on the 1st Wednesday each month (except January) at the University of Adelaide, North Terrace Campus. The society maintains four sites. Stockport Observatory, the Society’s premier dark sky observatory, and houses 0.5m, 0.46m and 0.38m telescopes. – Other observing sites are located at Tooperang, south of Adelaide, as well as Whyalla (observing site at Middleback Station) and the Northern Yorke Peninsula area (observing site at Wallaroo). Public education is important to the ASSA and it conducts various lectures and observing nights. Public field nights are held monthly at The Heights Observatory, and Public Star Parties are hosted at Stockport Observatory each quarter. Address: GPO Box 199, Adelaide SA 5001. Fees: Full and family $55, country, student or concession $40. Further discount may apply. Contact: Secretary (08) 8270 3631 Web: http://www.assa.org.au/

We welcome your letters: E-mail me with your message. (Subject) ‘Mailbag’ davereneke@gmail.com