ATM The New S&T

[Sean Scott <sscott@prxm.com>]

OK, I'll bite. Maybe what S&T and the ATM community needs is something   
along the lines of a 'this is not as hard as it looks' approach to ATM to   
introduce the hobby to the newer S&T readership. Most people regard ATM   
with some mystique, and it's added to when they swing by the local   
library and pick up a copy of Texerau (or Ingalls, or whatever) and   
glance through it.

So, since I'd rather unscrew my neighbors porch light than curse the   
light pollution, here's my positive approach to solving the problem. Let   
me know what you all think:
My current project is supervising my seven year old son and eight year   
old daughter in making their own 6" mirrors, while I regrind an old 6" I   
have lying around. I haven't ground a mirror in 12 years, so if I can get   
two kids with the attention spans of, well, kids, to make a decent   
mirror, then your typical S&T reader ought to be able to do the same. I   
plan on documenting the process from start to finish, and emphasizing   
three things: a) it's easy enough for a child to do, b) it's cheaper than   
buying, and c) it's a rewarding effort that creates a greater   
appreciation for astronomy and telescopes in general. Hopefully something   
like this would spark some new folks to give it a try.

There's been no 'beginner' article in S&T or Astronomy in a long while,   
and, let's face it, those mags are where the exposure to the astronomy   
community lies. I was at RTMC on Saturday and stopped by the mirror   
grinding demonstration (I literally had to pry my son away from the   
grinding stand after nearly an hour of 180 grit!) and watched several   
people take their turn at grinding. The consensus reaction seemed to be   
'That's it?' (BTW, Randy Johnson and crew did a great job!) We really   
need to convey that message to a wider audience...

My two cents,

Sean Scott
sscott@prxm.com