INSPIRATION OF ASTRONOMICAL PHENOMENA
-----------------------------------
John Pazmino
NYSkies Astronomy Inc
nyskies@nyskies.org
www.nyskies.org
2013 July 13
Introduction
----------
I got a phone call from Dr Neil Tyson, Hayden Planetarium, in
December 2012. I took it as merely the next in a routine dialog I have
with the astronomy world. This call was a bit different.
He asked if I knew about 'insap'. I misheard him, so he spelled
out. No, I didn't know what an insap is.
He explained that INSAP, in caps, stands for 'Inspiration of
astronomical phenomena', a conference that brings together astronomers
and culturalists in a dialog to showcase how society, and culture and
arts are inspired by astronomy activity. INSAP meets every three or so
years in various places around the world. This 2013 round is its 8th
and is sometimes called INSAP-8 or INSAP-VIII.
It In 2013 it, at his invite, comes to New York. Tyson is chair of
the local committee to work with the conference's international
committee in run the conference. He needed cosponsors besides just the
American Museum of Natural History, the host facility.
Neil asked if NYSkies Astronomy Inc can be a cosponsor! It could
give representation of home, or independent, astronomy to the
conference being that New York is a world center for such astronomy!
Cosponsor
-------
NYSkies participates in many astronomy conventions, some in other
towns. We are a partner with Earth Day and World Science Festival in
New York and a supporter of North East Astronomy Forum in Suffern NY.
We do not actually operate these events but do play substantial role
in furthering them.
Neil noted that for this INSAP meeting NYSkies would help with
advice and guidance about the City, work on early planning of the
program, review and comment on proposed presentations. And it would
have for itself a major segment of the procedings to take the INSAP
delegates thru Grand Central Terminal to inspect its astronomy-related
features.
This request to be a cosponsor was an honor! NYSkies accepted and
took part in a telephone conference with the other members of the
local committee in March 2013. There were then about six local
astronomers and culturalists, besides Dr Tyson in the convo. We
acquainted ourselfs and discussed ways to run the programs. Many
features were still unsettled, like the number of included meals and
amount of time to view posters and artwork.
Since then we corresponded almost entirely by email, with a couple
point-to-point telephone calls. Papers and documents were exchanged
by files in the emails. As it turned out, just about the only
'published' item for the conference was a neatly printed program guide
issued at the conference. Everything else was in the INSAP website.
American Museum of Natural History
--------------------------------
All procedings were in the American Museum of Natural History,
except the Grand Central Terminal tours and viewing of Manhattanhenge.
The latter was part of a public Hayden Planetarium show about
Manhattanhenge with viewing outside the Museum on 79th St. For this
event the street was closed from motor traffic. Delegates, with the
outside public, safely stationed in the centreline to see the setting
Sun between housing towers hemming in the street.
The presentations were given in Kaufmann Theater, one of the main
auditoria of the Museum on the street floor. It's actually on floor
below grade by the sunken level of the Museum building but it's the
lowest regular floor. A floor under it is the 'lower' floor connecting
to the subway station and cafeteria.
INSAP was a closed-invite meeting, much like a trade or industry
conference. There was no spectator attendance. NYSkies agitated for
letting its astronomers sit, even with a fee, but the overseas INSAP
committee passed up on this suggestion. The invited attendance was
held to 100 from all parts of the world.
Kaufmann Theater seats about 250, making the room feel empty when
every one of the 100 delegates was present. Just about half of the
seats was vacant! Altho this gave a weak appearance of participation
it did allow for relaxed sitting. I could put my shoulder bag on an
adjacent empty seat.and the hang a leg over its arm rest.
Like for other conferences I attend, the size of audience at any
moment varied. Delegates picked out certain presentations to hear and
skipped others. They did the Museum or City, visited local colleagues
in town, spent time with local friends and family.
In hindsight it may be better if the adjacent Linder Theater,
holding about 125, was used. That's just how things worked out a while
before the conference opened.
Delegates
-------
Every one was a scholarly person, whether from a traditional
institution or by independent work. In general the hard astronomy was
mostly handled by affiliated delegates due to the need for assistance
and funding and crew. The softer astronomy tended to by works of the
independent scholars.
Age ranged from collegiate, like students and apprentices, to
seniors, like longtime doctorates and professors. The former showcased
mostly their school or independent projects while the latter spoke of
more elaborate works, drawing on the resources of their affiliation.
Most seemed to come from Europe and the United States, but I
didn't study the participant roster that closely. I may be fooled by
the high level of English every one spoke?
Any attendance bias toward a one or an other country could also be
due to travel constraints and local burocracy. For me it was just
getting off at the Museum's subway station in place of that at my
workplace! I also went home after the sessions, not staying in town at
a hotel.
Fully one-third of the delegates were female and they were there
in their own name and calling. They varied in quality from university
professors to solo wagers of various art and culture pursuits. They
blended into the dialog, with not the least suggestion of genderism,
being fully the equal of their male colleagues.
Dress varied from academic and business attire to glatt casual
urban garb. The torrid weather in the City gradually relaxed the dress
over the days. Even at the Wednesday night dinner, loose summer wear
was the norm.
Every one was quite social during the breaks and lunch. Many
formed cliques from prior association but they welcome others to join
in the dialog.
For some delegates this meeting was a return to the City from a
long-ago schooling or residence. They were amazed at how marvelously
clean and beautiful the City became! Many were here during the low
point in New York history, with untidy memories.
These were specially shown in the INSAP walks thru Grand Central
Terminal. Delegates recalled passing thru the Terminal in its darker
dirty years. They were utterly blown away by its brand-new look and
feel. A few dropped tears of joy.
Language and metrics
------------------
Everyone spoke good English, even those whose work was done in
their native tongue, as seen in their slideshows or audio clips.The
deepest accents were still intelligible. The worst I heard was a
faltering now and then to grab the proper English word, but that's it.
All else was in the clear.
Most of the off-site dialog was in English, perhaps to better
converse with colleagues across language frontiers. Once in while,
when a small group of a common language assembled during breaks, it
switched to the native language.
On the whole the English was quite of high level, with fluency of
complex sentences and grammar. Once in a while there was a shift in
the accent of a technical word but actually less than what I hear
among home astronomers in the United States.
Every one knew metrics, it being the standard system on planet
Earth. I had no trouble chatting with the delegates with metrics, A
curious point is that I hardly ever heard the use of 'hectare', a unit
of area equal to 1,000 suare meters. Areas were cited in square
meters or square kilometers. For the Grand Central Terminal walks I
stated areas in both hectares and square meters.
I introduced the metric acre of 4,000 square meters, 4 hectares,
as a convenient crosswalk from oldstyle to metrics. This makes one
square kilometer equal to 250 acres. Most delegates didn't know about
this conversion.
The only routine use of oldstyle came from a few of the American
delegates. They sounded quaint to give measures in 'foot' and 'mile'
and 'pound'. Their temperatures were in degree-F, often not specified
as such. These numbers put smiles on delegate faces. '50 degrees' if
taken as Celsius is damn hot!
Amateurs?
-------
When I, as part of the local committee tasks, evaluated the
abstracts, I saw that a substantial fraction of applicants tagged
themselfs as 'independent scholar' or 'independent researcher'. They
did their work outside of a formal academic setting. In spite of this
status, virtually all of their applications were entirely worthy of
invite for INSAP.
But if they are not part of a traditional academic facility,
aren't they really 'amateur scholars' or 'amateur researchers'? In no
way were any delegates at INSAP 'amateurs'! All were thoroly competent
in their fields and presented their work at a professional level. It
would be hideously insulting to label a delegate as an 'amateur'.
But for the whole of the 20th century, independent and home
astronomers were called 'amateur astronomers'. In the remote past
'amateur' did mean 'lover' in French. It implied that the astronomers
carried their profession from a love of the stars rather than for a
living or substantial compensation.
Over the decades since the late 20th century, society evolved away
from amateur as a polite attribute to one of derision. News media
routinely label inept, stupid, clumsy people as 'amateurs' like amateur
mobster, amateur politician, amateur manager. An amateur nowayears is
deprecated and ridiculed.
In spite of the obvious shift of sense, authors of current
works for home astronomy still tar their readers with 'amateur
astronomer' and 'amateur astronomy'.
NYSkies does avoids 'amateur' for our supporters, activities,
advocance. Most astronomers in New York stopped using the term at the
apparition of Halley's comet in 1985. This was part of the migration
of our profession toward the oncoming millennium crossing.
What must the editors, authors, advocates, leaders, publishers for
the home astronomy market do, now that it's already 13% into the 21th
century? You got some catch-up to do. Junk, cold turkey, 'amateur' as
an attribute of home astronomy.
Advise your crew, contributors, columnists to cease use of the
word, period. As an author, speaker, producer of home astronomy
material, cease use of the term in your work.
You must deliberately make the adjustment as crucially as you did
for any other social or ethical consideration. You can not wait for
instructions from above or beyond. You really don't want, probably
sooner than later, to face a lawsuit for defamation of character
because you described a person as an 'amateur astronomer'.
Program
-----
INSAP ran from Sunday night on 2013 July 7 thru Friday morning on
July 12th. It was a longer conference, more than the usual two to
three days of most other events I go to. Each day opened with a
breakfast, several presentations, break, more presentation, lunch,
then a second round of presentation and break. The evenings were free
time, which in our summer months offers late hours of daylight.
The talks were grouped by broad topic, set out in the skeleton
table below. Because astroculture is still a new discipline, we on the
local committee found it tricky to pigeon-hole the talks by topic. In
some instances, due to late arrivals or delayed preparation, the
schedule was shuffled across topics.
Altho I did the dinner on Wednesday night, I had to pass up the
other late evening events due to chores at home. I did short runs to
my office near Herald Square during lunch and after the day to check
on any critical work.
Here is a skeleton schedule of activities:
+----------------------------------------------------------+
| Sunday 7 July 2013 - 19:30-22:00 |
+--------------------------------------------+-------------+
| registration, welcome, show 'Grand tour of | Hayden |
| the universe' | Planetarium |
+============================================+=============+
| Monday 8 July 2013 - 08:30-17:40 | | |
+--------------------------------------------+-------------+
| breakfast (Canoe room), 'Circulation of | Kaufmann |
| stars', 'Astronomical events', break | Theater |
| (Totem Pole room), 'Our relationship with | |
| the sky' | |
+--------------------------------------------+-------------+
| lunch, posters and artwork | Powerhouse |
+--------------------------------------------+-------------+
| 'Science visualization' break (Totem Pole | Kaufmann |
| room), 'Architecture' | Theater |
+============================================+=============+
| Tuesday 9 July 2013 - 08:30-22:00 | |
+--------------------------------------------+-------------+
| breakfast (Canoe room), 'Ancient civiliza- | Kaufmann |
| tion', break (Totem Pole room), 'History | Theater |
| of astronomy' | |
+--------------------------------------------+-------------+
| lunch, posters and artwork | Powerhouse |
+--------------------------------------------+-------------+
| 'Pre-Colombian America', break (Totem Pole | Kaufmann |
| room), 'Heavenly bodies' | Theater |
+--------------------------------------------+-------------+
| supper | own account |
+--------------------------------------------+-------------+
| 'Full-dome films and projections' | Hayden |
| | Planetarium |
+============================================+=============+
| Wednesday 10 July 2013 - 08:30-22:00 |
+--------------------------------------------+-------------+
| breakfast (Canoe room), 'Teaching & learn- | Kaufmann |
| ing', break (Totem Pole room), 'Contempo- | Theater |
| rary art' | |_
+--------------------------------------------+-------------+
| lunch | own account |
+--------------------------------------------+-------------+
| 'Myths, deities, & superheroes', break | Kaufmann |
| (Totem Pole room), 'FIlm, animation, & | Theater |
| music' | |
+--------------------------------------------+-------------+
| supper | own account |
+--------------------------------------------+-------------+
| 'Inspiration today: music, astronomy, & | Hayden |
| popular culture' | Planetarium |
+============================================+=============+
| Thursday 11 July 2013 - 08:30-21:00 |
+--------------------------------------------+-------------+
| breakfast (Canoe room), 'Murals' | Kaufmann |
| | Theater |
+--------------------------------------------+-------------+
| 'Station at the center of the universe' | Grand |
| astronomy tour of Grand Central Terminal, | Central |
| lunch & supper on own account, free time | Terminal |
+--------------------------------------------+-------------+
| 'Manhattanhenge' regular public show and | Hayden |
| viewing on own account | Planetarium |
+============================================+=============+
| Friday 12 July 2013 - 08:30-11:30 |
+--------------------------------------------+-------------+
| breakfast (Canoe room), 'Historic art- | Kaufmann |
| work', concluding remarks | Theater |
+--------------------------------------------+-------------+
Presentations
-----------
All presentations had digital images and many included video or
audio snips. The shows were loaded into the Museum's projection system
in the previous day or early on the morning of the talk. For some
talks a Museum agent operated the computer on the podium to avoid
fiddle time. This worked out well with minimal delays in the talk.
The images were a thoro mix of drawings, on-site photographs,
scans, maps, computer graphics, pictures from books or displays. All
speakers seemed to have a well-ordered sequence, altho for time
constraints some had to flip thru the pictures quickly.
Transition between slides ranged from simple flipping to cute
animations. All were quite well done with no distraction from the
train of thought for the talk.
Audio was clear and comfortable. The mike was attached to the
podium so when a speaker stepped away, like to point out a feature on
the projection screen, the voice feathered.
For the Q&A a wireless mike was passed thru the audience by a
Museum agent. It gave clear firm audio output. Depending on the time
flow some speakers fielded many questions while others had to take in
only one or two.
I can't give even a cursory summary of the talks but there's no
need for that. The abstracts are in the INSAP website,
www.amnh.org/insap.
Altho a few speaker deviated a bit from the published abstract, as a
whole the abstracts are a healthy summary of the entire procedings.
Posters
-----
INSAP allowed a variety of presentations besides the standard
slideshow. It provided for performances and elaborate videos in the
Hayden Planetarium, all of which I missed for the late hour.
It also provided for posters, a generic term for a presentation by
a display, typicly a, well, poster mounted on a wall, stand, table.
For this conference the posters were set up in the Powerhouse to be
viewed and discussed with their authors. Here were also set up models
and artifact displays.
Viewing was entirely during the lunch break on Monday and Tuesday.
It may seem at first that with every one in one place the posters and
other displays would earn healthy attention. They didn't. Every one
was engaged with eating and bantering at the lunch tables. Only a
handful of delegates stopped by the posters.
Usually they did so after finishing their meal, with only a few
minutes left before being called back to Kaufmann Theater. Most of us
saw the posters as a side step on the way back to Kaufmann. Even I was
rushed to peek at them!
The posters got all too little exposure, a frustration based on
the attractive description in the abstracts and program guide. This
situation is awfully common in other conventions I go to. Altho the
posters are an integral part of the meeting, they are dismally noticed
by attendees. The items are placed in a off-path room, under lousy
lighting, in competition with other activities, for too brief a
portion of the meeting.
There were two recent occasions where the posters had proper
attention. One was the American Astronomical Society meeting in Boston
in 2011. Posters there were on stands in the central lobby of the
meeting hall. Delegates passed by them frequently as they went from
one session to an other. Sessions were held in several rooms attached
to the lobby. Here, too, were assorted conference services, which
drawed delegates to the vicinity of the posters. And the posters were
exhibited for the whole duration of the conference.
The other was the Tri State Astronomy Conference in 2010 in New
York. In that meeting the posters were on display for several hours in
a room with light snacks and chairs. Delegates walked among the stands
to inspect the posters and speak with their authors while nibbling
from small plates of food.
These are exceptions. The usual case is that delegates miss the
posters and, after the posters are closed from viewing, ask if they
missed something important of the meeting.
Meals
---
Astronomers are eager eaters! Each day opened with a continental
breakfast of rolls, muffins, sweets, coffee, tea, juice in the Canoe
Room on the 77th Street entry of the Museum. Because the meeting
started at 08:30, long before the Museum opens for the public, the
77th St entry is isolated from the rest of the building with a
corridor to Kaufmann-Linder Theater.
As is normal for many conferences, no food or drink was allowed in
the auditorium. Agents reminded you if you try to carry any out of the
Canoe Room or, for the breaks, the Totem Pole Room.
Coffee breaks were in the hallway connecting Kaufmann-Linder to
the Totem Pole Room. By the first break the Museum is fully open. The
hallway was isolated by theater ropes to deter the public from
entering it. Food and drink were less no rolls and muffins and more
for sweets. The break was about 20 minutes, enough to make a pit stop,
eat leisurely, and engage with the delegates.
Lunch was taken in the Powerhouse, the former electric and steam
plant of the Museum. It now houses a restaurant for events convened on
the adjacent Ross Terrace. The lunch was ample with hot and cold
courses, many desserts, and drink. You could go back for seconds.
Seating here was at tables with up to eight chairs, enough for
small associated delegates to gather. During the lunch the floor also
exhibited posters and artwork from many of the delegates. We viewed
them and spoke with their authors as we could during the lunch period.
The main dinner was on Wednesday the 10th in the Hall of the
Universe under the Hayden Sphere of the Planetarium. This was a seated
meal of salad, roast chicken, potatos, vegetables. On the table were
breads, butter, water. Coffee and tea came at the end with pastry
desserts, After the meal there was a set of musical performances by
some delegates, which I had to skip for the late hour.
The one big defect of the meals was that there were no packaged or
wrapped items. I usually take a few extra items for munching on later.
All food items were open with no way to wrap them.
Neil Tyson
--------
Neil offered the City to INSAP as the 'City of stars' for several
reasons. One is that he is working on the sequel to Cosmos, the
television astronomy series of the 1980s starring Carl Sagan. Work
was going to ebb in summer 2013, leaving Neil free to run INSAP.
An other is that in July is the second window for the Stonehenge
sunset on Manhattan, an event already recognized worldwide as
'Manhattanhenge'. Since this is a civic and social event sparked by an
astronomy phenomenon, it fits in well with the theme of INSAP. By 2012
Manhattanhenge became a major show for thousands of cityfolk, who
watch from many places thruout the Manhattan street grid.
A third, badly recognized even by the home astronomy world is that
new York City is a world center for home astronomy. Ordinary folk,
inspired by astronomy phaenomena, carry the profession into their
civic and social life.
Along the way toward the conference the Cosmos work shifted to
keep Tyson in Europe! He had to miss INSAP! The meeting management
passed to Brian Abbott of the Museum. Tyson did speak to us on the
final day, July 12th, via televideo. He gave greetings and some
incredible news about the new Cosmos series. For the time being this
news is privileged. Neil will reveal it later this summer.
Manhattanhenge
------------
Manhattanhenge is the globally unique setting of the Sun near the
summer solstice exacta mente along a street on Manhattan island. The
Sun settles squarely on the center line of the street, toward Hudson
River, and nestles between the skyscrapers flanking the street. The
effect reminds of the sun alignment at Stonehenge in England, whence
the coined name for this spectacle.
It occurs, by the azimuth of the streets, twice each year, on May
29-31 and July 9-11. There is a chatter of the dates due to leapyear
and there is some leeway from the finite angular diameter of the Sun
and the precision of alignment allowed.
What makes Manhattanhenge so special on Earth is that it is a
genuine astronomy activity enjoyed in a place commonly -- and
ridiculously falsely -- claimed to be so hostile to astronomy that
none is carried on there. This idiotic claim is still parroted by low-
level advocates of home astronomy.
The whole spectacle of seeing the solar disc glide left to right,
slanting downward between the towers, is not duplicated anywhere else
on so grand a scale any where on the planet. You can see a sunset
along any long straight line of sight and there are countless pictures
of these. Some are quite pretty but none captures the link between
modern society and ancient astronomers, who followed the Sun's motion
with monuments, as does Manhattanhenge.
Since first highlighted by Tyson himself in an extra issue of
'Natural history' magazine in 2002, Manhattanhenge swelled into a mass
public event. Litterally thousands of New Yorkers, plus visitors from
the surrounds, pack the viewing sites up and down the island in a
festive joyous gathering. It's as if they were really replicating our
ancestral skywatchers to make sure the Sun is doing his proper thing.
Only now the watchers relay the good news by cell phone and WiFi!
I have a thoro discussion of Manhattanhenge at:
www.nyskies.org/articles/pazmino/stone-ny.htm
The weather during INSAP was overall hazy and cloudy. It rained
gently from time to time. On July 11, night of the public Stonehenge
planetarium show and viewing, the Sun shined thru strongly enough to
give the INSAP delegates a wonderful experience.
Tyson in his televideo greeting on July 12 announced that the word
'Mahattanhenge' is now an official word in the new edition of the
Oxford English Dictionary! This is an stunning example of how deeply
the astronomy nf New York City puts its stamp on world culture!!
Grand Central Terminal
--------------------
I pass over the fantastic history of this edifice, which is
covered quite thoroly on the Internet and printed media. The building
sits on 42nd Street, straddling Park Av. The avenue is carried around
it on a flying roadway that ramps up on 40th St and ramps back to
grade at 46th St.
It was designed starting in 1899; construction began in 1903; it
opened for service in 1913 but wasn't fully completed until about
1925. The next major construction began in the 1990s and continues
today.
The depot was first run by the New York Central railroad, which
carried other names in its history, skipped here. In the mid 1980s, as
part of a revival of rail transport in the United States, the Metro
North Railroad acquired the facility and railworks under it. Metro
North is a public agency, like so many other railroad rescue outfits
else where in the country. Its name changed slightly, but I let it go.
The building is a true terminal, not a station that trains can
pass thru and continue their trip. All trains end their runs at
blocks, bumpers, near the head gates. If you really, like really, want
to see 'Grand Central Station' you may take a walk thru the nearby
post office or one of the subway stations. Authors unfamiliar with the
building still call it Grand Central Station.
Sky Ceiling
---------
When opened the Terminal's Main Concourse, or central salon, was
decorated with a map of the zodiac on its vaulted ceiling. It's all
mirrored against the direct view in the sky! The plausible explanation
is that the design came from a 18th or so century starmap, which in
those days was routinely drawn in mirrored view. This feature of early
starmaps was in all probability not known to the artist or the
railroad management.
The railroad was alerted to the reversed view by an astronomer,
lost in history, who on the depot's first day of service noticed it.
Since then, thru today, there is still no definitive or official
explanation for the 'defect'.
In addition to the reflected scene, there is artistic alteration,
much like those in many other depictions of the heavens in other
buildings. Yet it has enough authenticity to be a recognizable map of
the autumn and winter zodiac.
The Sky Ceiling is the largest, by far, depiction of the heaven in
human history, 40 x 70 meters. The crown of the vault is 40 meters
above the floor. It is accepted that the Sky Ceiling of Grand Central
Terminal is viewed by more people every year, some 750,000 per
weekday!, than the all-time viewers of all the other public astronomy
works, like those in temples and churches.
During the renovation of the Sky Ceiling in the 1990s Metro North
posted explanations of the work. It noted that the stars are reversed
because they are the way they appear from outside the solar system.
No, I don't make up this crap!!.
Some know-it-all authors poked fun at New York for having a wrong-
way map of the stars. We astronomers got even and rally good. In a
new section of the depot, constructed as part of the rehab, all new
astronomy artwork was installed! These include cosmograms, genuine
effing cosmograms! You can stand INSIDE of the solar system and see
the surrounding sphere of stars right-way round. And then you can
stand OUTSIDE of the solar system and, lo!, the stars are backwards!!
More astronomy
------------
Just about every tour, and there are many series running all the
time, point out the Sky Ceiling. It is, for us astronomers, only ONE
of many astronomy features in this building. Remember, this was
constructed pura mente as a railroad facility with no intent to convey
astronomy culture. Yet it ranks right up there with other astronomy-
themed structure all over the world.
NYSkies is proud to offer a walk thru Grand Central Terminal to
visiting astronomers and to its own astronomers once a year or so. The
last NYSkies internal tour was in March 2013 and the next is
tentatively set for September 2013.
NYSkies has its internal walks in the cooler months because
certain parts of the depot are not acclimatized. In summer, like for
INSAP, the heat can be oppressive in these zones. As a matter of
curiosity the AC system is itself an astronomy feature, which INSAP
was freaked out to learn about. I will not spoil the secret why
astronomy is in the cool air pouring from the wall gratings. You have
to take the tour.
Grand Central Terminal is also a place to do observations of the
Sun!! One criterion for possible naming as a world astronomy heritage
site by UNESCO is that the property have use for watching the heavens.
From a certain spot within the Main Concourse you can experience the
Manhattanhenge sunset, probably the most publicly accessible point to
do so entirely indoors.
It is also feasible to inspect the solar disc from inside the
depot! Certain windows have a grilled border resembling tree leafs.
They are oak leafs, a symbol of the Vanderbilt family who owned the
railroad and built the terminal. Sunlight on certain hours passes thru
the borders and throws genuine pinhole images of the Sun on the floor!
They can be inspected for large sunspots and limb darkening. The long
throw distance from the upper part of the windows makes the solar
image diameter 20 and more centimeters.
I can't give here a full inventory of astronomy features, but I do
note that some were in place with the original building and others
were added in the restoration of the 1990s. The latter group of items
filled out the fame of the terminal as a modern example of inspiration
by astronomical phenomena.
During the INSAP tours, many attendees gave fascinating comments
about the items, based on their own presentations earlier in the
meeting! Some wished they knew of the item, so they could have
included a picture in their talk as an other example of their work.
Astronomy walk
------------
INSAP toured the Terminal in afternoon of Thursday the 11th. At
the dinner on Wednesday night in the Planetarium the delegates were
divided into two groups of about 25 each. Many delegates chose to skip
the tour and use its time to explore the City on their own account.
After the morning talks in Kaufmann Theater the delegates boarded two
tour buses for the ride to the Terminal.
The buses left from the Central Park West gate of the Museum, went
south in Central Pk W, then east thru Central Park in 66/68th St. They
then ran south in Fifth Av, east in 42nd St, to a stop across the
street from Grand Central Terminal. The groups gathered at the
entrance to the public lobby of 120 Park Av. It has chairs, tables, air
condition. If it was raining we would have gone indoors.
I was the tour leader! In the morning session I gave a few tips
and points for the walk and a brief history of the Terminal. I had no
slideshow because the visuals were live and in living color at the
Terminal. I provided maps with with the location of the astronomy
items and a flyer for the pinhole solar observing and Manhattanhenge.
To make life easier for me and the delegates the Museum fitted
everyone with radio headsets and I spoke thru a radio microphone. The
device was approved by Metro North a couple weeks earlier. The device
worked very well inside the Terminal with the transmitter box held in
a side pocket on my shoulder bag. In the street the signal was erratic
but we were on street for only a few minutes.
The route in the Terminal was revised from that for the NYSkies
tours and will be used now after for them. It circulated the delegates
to end the walk on the lower level, Dining Level, where they could do
the restrooms, sit at the tables, and take lunch. They turned in the
headsets for the next group to wear.
Both groups enjoyed substantially the same itinerary thru the
Terminal. There were minor differences in my narration as the chance
came along to point out an extra feature in the building.
I had to plan the walk to last no more than 1-1/2 hour, down from
the 2 to 2-1/2 for NYSkies. I left out some astronomy items. Time was
also saved by doing some narration en marche via the wireless unit.
That avoided having to stop, gather around, and speak while standing
still. This was specially valuable on the long stretch to and from
Grand Central North.
Delegates were, uh, blown away by the majesty of the building,
unlike most American edifices. It could be the 'Notre dame de New
York'. The sheer size of the Main Concourse, tho not the largest
interior room in the world, and of the Sky Ceiling was overwhelming.
They was awed by railroad workers on the catwalks several stories
above the floor and the work trains that scoot around all over the
place.
They were amazed at the strength of rail transport in New York, as
good as any in Europe, and wholly unexpected for an American town.
Their mouths dropped when I explained, pointing to the ticket windows,
that about one million New Yorkers reap a reward for using transit
rather than driving a car. A rough estimate of the bounty collected by
these folk is $50 million per month.
We astronomers realize that so much of luminous graffiti comes
from the car culture in America. This allowed once strong transit to
whither away and promotes the waste of light into the sky.
That's why we refer to the reward program as the light pollution
reward program. You get REAL DOLLARS IN YOUR POCKET for using transit
and avoiding a lifestyle that favors luminous graffiti.
I learned from this INSAP tour. One major item is that the concept
of air rights originated not in New York but in Chicago. The Illinois
Central railroad facilities were before the Civil War along the lake
front. Developers wanted to build up the space above the tracks. A
lawyer and Illinois legislature, Abraham Lincoln, worked out the legal
method to allow selling or renting the air space over the railroad.
Lincoln later was our president during the Civil War.
Many delegates lived or worked or schooled in New York many
decades ago. They recall the depot as a dirty filthy smelly place,
full of derelicts and criminals. They wiped away tears upon gazing at
the reborn renewed Terminal, as magnificent as any royal palace of
Europe.
To fill out the narration I had a set of large pictures, the ones
for the NYSkies walks. The delegates asked me to hold them steady so
they can take pictures of them! They were cutaways of the Terminal,
part of the tracks within it, scenes of the Redstone display, sun
discs, mirrored star chart and star globe. Here I learned another good
thing. To help people see the pictures I should hold the pictures
above me, bracing them on my forehead. That was so much better for the
delegates to see!
General operations
----------------
This was the Museum's first INSAP. INSAP started in the 1990s and
this round in New York was the 8th. It meets every three or so years
in a different town all over the world. The Museum has a long
experience hosting conferences and has their operations down to a
science. All thru the conference I saw nothing particularly out of
whack. There were no major bunglings. What minor glitches did crop up
were handily taken care of by Museum crew.
With Neil Tyson away in Europe, the meeting was chaired by Brian
Abbott with Neil's executive assistant Elizabeth Stachow. A team of
about twenty other employees and volunteers rounded out the staff.
Until late June there was some loose ends regarding the Grand
Central Terminal tours. We didn't yet hear from Metro North about the
use of the wireless audio unit. Without it the narration would be more
difficult over the general din in the Terminal and the group would
have to stop and stand to hear it. Metro North by end June cleared the
unit and everything else went smoothly then after.
Until the night before the tours we didn't know how many of the
delegates would sign up. The buses were chosen to hold 50 people each,
the entire delegation of INSAP, just in case. Since only about half or
so did the walk, the buses were loosely filled.
We feared rain being that thunderstorms are common in the New York
summer. I even caution about them in my article on Manhattanhenge. It
never rained heavily during INSAP. Only a light brief shower fell now
and then.
On the other hand the oppressive heat and humidity did warp many
delegates. Those from Europe rarely experience such severe summers.
Those from the American mid and far west took it in stride, even to
the point of noting how 'cool' it was compared to back home! A few had
umbrellas, part of the advice Abbott gave in the INSAP website.
It seemed to me that every one was comfortable with the City,
probably due to their travels around the world for their careers or
vacation. Many had MetroCards to get around by subway and bus.
The Museum was comfortably acclimatized, maybe just a bit on the
warm side, yet orders better than the old days without air-condition.
No supplemental fans or blowers were needed, like those I see at some
other meetings.
The access to Kaufmann Theater was in the opening of each day thru
the 77th St gate and the Canoe Room. A short hall from there leads to
the auditorium. The other exits from the Canoe Room were gated off
because the Museum isn't open for public visits until about 10:00. The
hall to Kaufmann has restrooms and sipping fountains.
By the first coffee break all of the Museum is in full swing. This
Kaufmann hall is a flyway from the Canoe Room to the restrooms. School
groups mustered up here before heading deeper into the Museum. This
caused some congestion for the coffee and lunch breaks.
A service desk in this hall was littered with flyers and pamphlets
about Museum activities. When ever I saw the piles neatly arranged
they were quickly messed up within minutes by clumsy visitors.
For the dash to my office during lunch or after the meeting I left
thru the lower level to enter the subway indoors. This avoided the
long walk in the summer soup from 77th St to the subway stairs at
Central Pk W and 79th St. By good luck the B, bravo, train runs recta
mente from my Brooklyn home and from my office to the Museum! It's a
one-seat ride both ways.
Conclusion
--------
INSAP was a grand new feather in the cap of New York as a world
center for astronomy! It deep-sixes the archaic notion that you can't
do astronomy from New York, one that persists, like oldstyle weights
and measures and ediurnate linguistics, in far too much astronomy
litterature. No more! You want to be an astronomer, be one in New
York. Get over it.
It's tempting to suggest that INSAP make its permanent base in New
York. It seems that the international committee will keep it as a
'road show', setting up in various towns across the globe. The next
meeting is in 2016 or 2017. Maybe it'll come to the US in a town in or
near the path of the 2017 solar eclipse?
INSAP renewed the latent project of NYSkies, accompanied by
Amateur Observers Society on Long Island, to better document the
astronomy points of interest in the City. It seems that, From many
INSAP talks, that other towns are rediscovering their astronomy
heritage as buildings are renovated and their hidden astronomy
artifacts are revealed. New York already has an inventory, rather
casually organized, of some fifty features. There must surely be fifty
more or even hundreds more, yet to be fully investigated and brought
to public attention.
We already, thanks to the Long Island club, enjoy every couple
years a 'City of stars' walk. It was based at first on Dr Tyson's 2002
'Natural history' magazine. Many more were added since then. These
walks present to our astronomer the interaction of urban society and
astronomy, demonstrating that New York truly the 'City of stars'.