Any far (FAR!!!) northern astronomical societies??

[Omaroo]

Hi all :)

I'd like to know if anyone is familiar with or even knows any amateur astronomical clubs or societies up and around the arctic circle - such as in Finland, Iceland, Greenland, Canada or somewhere in Scandinavia.

TIA :)

[gary]

Hi Chris,

We have customers in Finland and in the far north of Canada up in the Yukon.

The Ursa Astronomical Association is one of the bigger clubs in Finland.
See http://www.ursa.fi/english.html

More up to date information on their web site if you access the Finish pages use Google translate -
http://translate.google.com.au/translate?js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&sl=fi&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ursa.fi%2Findex. html

Membership is said to be around 12,000 to 13,000 members.

For example, you can find a list of affiliated Finish associations here -
http://translate.google.com.au/translate?js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&sl=fi&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ursa.fi%2Findex. html

When I correspond with customers in those parts of the world, it never ceases to
amaze me the types of temperatures they will observe in.

Best Regards

Gary Kopff
Managing Director
Wildcard Innovations Pty. Ltd.
20 Kilmory Place, Mount Kuring-Gai
NSW. 2080. Australia
Phone +61-2-9457-9049
Fax +61-2-9457-9593
sales@wildcard-innovations.com.au
http://www.wildcard-innovations.com.au

[Omaroo]

I should have thought of you first, Gary. :D That's fabulous - thank you! :thumbsup:

[GTB_an_Owl]

it is obvious they have "an Owl" over there TOO Gary :P

geoff

[Liz]

Ooh, are you thinking aurora Chris? I will carry your suitcase if so, it is one of my dreams to see the stunning aurora that occurs in the northern hemisphere....... dream,dream, dream. ;)

[Omaroo]

:) That's one aspect of my current thought processes Liz, yes. I'm looking at establishing a far-northern connection with a Finnish club for MAS, and forming a sister club relationship. Their amateur astronomy experience in the higher latitudes is about as different to ours that I think is possible, short of us relocating to Mars.

I'd very much like to emulate what ASAW have successfully done in Albury/Wodonga with their link to the Cape Fear society in North Carolina: http://www.capefearastro.org/asaw.htm

Given that a few of us at MAS are off to Hawaii in the near future, I'd like to take the same group and go to Finland the year after to experience decent aurorae for ourselves. You're most welcome to come along! :)

[Octane]

I'm in for Scandinavia!

H

[Gem]

Not sure about amateurs, but my brother has done astronomy on some island a few hundred miles north of Norway and is now working on a radio telescope in Finland... and I think he even did something in Sweden some time back too...

[Liz]

Oh, that would be possible and fun. :D

[Omaroo]

Early stages, and our club trip to Mauna Kea on Hawaii is in 2013. We all have a fair time to save up. :)

[Omaroo]

An APOD back in May. What I'd give, to be able to capture this...

[Liz]

OMG!! How amazing to witness something like that, and would be easy to capture, without all that computerized gear. Camera on the tripod is what I do best. ;)

[AstralTraveller]

True, but then again they can observe at lunch time. :lol::lol: