Events

Belmead update – good news / bad news:  The bad news is that the Belmead property is now officially on the market and this situation jeopardizes long-term continuation of our observing at Belmead and our outreach facility there, not to mention preservation of the property in general.  The good news is that a new non-profit organization, aptly named “Belmead on the James, Inc.,”  committed to preservation of the property, has been created and is planning to submit a bid for purchase of the property. However, they need our help along with help from all those interested in preserving this valuable, historic and dark sky site in Powhatan County.  A November 1 press release about the organization is here.
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Belmead once existed as a place of human enslavement and was transformed in the 1890’s into a place of empowerment and education.  With the right amount of support, Belmead will continue to exist as a model of land stewardship, agriculture, equestrian activity, a living history museum and as a place of environmental education and preservation.  It will also serve as a place that offers astronomers a respite from urban lights where we can observe, image and share views of night sky wonders through our outreach education efforts.  The Belmead on the James organization is planning to submit a proposal to purchase, preserve and manage the property in a way that is compatible with this vision for the future of Belmead.
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To make this happen and to ensure that their proposal is credible and competitive, Belmead on the James needs to raise $400,000 by December 1.  They have asked 4,000 of their supporters to donate $100 each to reach this goal.  If you can help Belmead on the James preserve this important property along with its history, its environment and its dark skies, please do so. Preservation of this important site will benefit a number of varied interests, including local amateur astronomy and science education.  You can donate or learn more about Belmead on the James at http://www.belmeadonthejames.com/donate.

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Non-profit kicks-off campaign to raise $400,000 to purchase historic Belmead on the James.
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POWHATAN, VIRGINIA November 1, 2016 – The newly formed nonprofit Belmead on the James, Inc. today launched a major campaign to raise $400,000 towards the purchase of the Belmead property in Powhatan, Virginia from the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament (SBS). The 2,265-acre property is the site where St. Emma Military Academy and St. Francis de Sales High School, established by Louise Drexel Morrell and Saint Katharine Drexel respectively, operated from 1895 to 1972 and educated over 15,000 African American youth. On May 3, 2016, the SBS announced their intention to sell Belmead, and on October 26, 2016 the property was officially placed on the market.

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The RAS skywatch scheduled for October 21 at the Science Museum of Virginia was canceled due to clouds.  However, the less-than-favorable observing weather provided an opportunity for RAS astronomers on site to take in the Science Museum’s “Glow” event where we experienced lots of great displays including a Bernoulli blast of ping pong balls, resonant pendulums, lots of fluorescence and even fire dancers from the very proficient Circular Expressions dance troupe! The Science Museum did an excellent job with the event. Below is a short video.

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Geology is a little different for us, but we are an eclectic lot and have widely varying interests. Recently RAS member Randy Tatum hosted Michael Davias and friends from the Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences to sample the sediments underlying the RAS Ragland Observatory.  As it turns out, our observatory sits in one of a number of a “Carolina Bays,” which are depressions along the Atlantic seaboard that are often not readily visible from the ground, but can be identified through aerial photography and LIDAR. Michael Davias is hoping to use data from the cores collected at our observatory to help understand more about the formation of these interesting features.  The core data will also enhance general understanding of the geology in the Bon Air area where our observatory is located.

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I visited Cape Hatteras last weekend for the purpose of stargazing. I went ten years ago and had one excellent night under dark skies. This year did not go so well.

 

Last time I stayed at Frisco Woods Campground, right on the northern shore of the island. The trees blocked the lights from the town. Very dark skies with good view to the NE and NW. My site was the most northwestern, right on the water, The adjoining land is undeveloped. The car blocked the other camper’s lights.

 

This weekend I first tried the ramp at the very southeast of the island. On Google maps this looked like the best spot, farthest from town and with a clear view to the southeast. The paved road ends with a small parking lot right at the beach. It was the perfect site – in the daytime. It would have been perfect. Except for the lighthouse. The bright beam sweeps over the site like car headlights, ruining any chance of dark adaptation.

 

I packed up and tried the airstrip road a few miles west in Frisco. Also away from town, but too many mosquitoes. The constant breeze at the beach isn’t strong here, and there were pools of standing water. The lights from town were too close.

 

Next stop was the first beach access point west of Frisco. This wasn’t a bad site. It’s a parking lot with bathrooms. Check. A wood ramp leads to the beach. Check. At the top of the ramp is a convenient deck with a good southern view. Check. The dunes east and west block the lights from the town somewhat. Check.
I set up and enjoyed ten minutes of nice views until the clouds rolled in. 🙁

 

On the way back home I saw a nice site just south of Rodanthe at mp 46. A beach access lot surrounded by tall scrub. The bend in the road keeps car headlights pointed away. Might be worth checking out next time.

 

John Raymond

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