Dunfermline Astronomical Society

I received a reply from The Astronomer Royal for Scotland to my blog entry to which he seems a little unhappy with and in fairness to John I print his reply as he expressed he wished me to:

Dear Geoff
My attention has been drawn to your 'reply' to me on your pages DASOC's Website. It would have been more constructive to sent your reply to me so I would have read it in a timely fashion, rather than via your personal blog. Most such blogs
are only read, or even known to exist, by rather few folk.

If you knew anything about me, you would be aware that I spend a huge amount of my life promoting astronomy, especially in smaller and  in remote places. I am sorry you are piqued that I declined your invitation for the January shindig and that you feel I don't have the right to express my opinions about TV bonanzas, and about what is the best way for me to contribute personally to the promotion of astronomy. Had you asked me to come and give a talk or a Q&A session, other than as part of such macro events would have reacted quite differently. They are simply not my style. Sorry you don't like it.

For you own protection, I would also point out that (I am told) the forwarding or other publicisiing such as in blogs of emails without the originator's consent is
illegal. Not that it bothers me - though in self defence I would like you to put this on your blog - but there are some out there who would feel otherwise!!

Hope to meet some day
John

PS Please tell everyone to put April 23 in their diaries.
That will be a big  finale day I am organisiing in the Edinburgh SciFest
of FREE lectures FOR THE PUBLIC on Cosmic Threats to Earth
and we have a good speaker line up (including both Astronomers Royal)
followed by a ceilidh where you can dance and drink and view Saturn
with the professionals and lots of amateurs
More details soon

So John to put everything in perspective I was not nor am I upset that you declined to attend our "event" but more by your dismissal of the whole concept of what the Stargazing Live Event was about which was to bring Astronomy to the masses in a way that conventional methods may not.


This tenet must surely be in line with your remit as Astronomer Royal for Scotland. The Kingdom of Fife is an extremely large area of Scotland and we as a society of astronomers in Scotland are doing our level best to put firmly on international stage. We have an extremely hard uphill struggle as we have a Scottish Govenment who say they wish to promote science to the youth of Scotland but who seem very reluctant to support our efforts here in fife. Fife council seem to be of the same inclination. One thing perhaps they should all remember is that ASTRONOMERS ARE VOTERS TOO.

We have to raise the profile of Astronomy both as a science and a hobby. We struggle against indifference from politicians who only seem interested in the high profile events and do little in the way of addressing urban light pollution or the needs of the smaller clubs and societies up and down the country.

I would like to thank you for linking to our site from your own and would inform you I have done like wise. My blog by the way is read worldwide and google search of astronomy scotland will show you how highly we rank in the results.

I am at the present working to get some well known astro celebs to talk at the club and we hope to bring Prof. Ian Morison (of Jodrell Bank fame) to visit us in April. The irony that we had to go to England to get a well known lecturer should not be lost on you.
I will publish details of the Stargazing Events here on the blog and would like to thank you for your enquiry in to how the events passed.

In closing I am sure we are really not poles apart in our wish to do more for Astronomy in Scotland and I too hope that we will meet in the near future. I give a lot of my time to promoting Astronomy through this web site and in my role as publicity officer for the Dalgety Bay Astro Club I give talks to local schools. I do not have a lot of free time as I have my business to run and bring up a young family as well as my many commitments to the Craft but what free time I do have, I do and will always give for my love of Astronomy.

Geoff Ruzgar