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Not
a single star or planet was in sight at 'Mars Watch' on August 2.
But the event was a grand success. Will
star-gazing emerge
as
Singapore's next national pastime? Probably.
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Lion City to Leo, in a flash!
A cosmic revolution seems to have sprouted
at Singapore's Chinese Gardens on 02 August 2003. As the cloudy Saturday
evening unfolded, a cool, gentle, steady breeze kissed, caressed and made love to the
expansive, gorgeous, green slopes, setting the tone.
Any resultant love-child could be a
new hobby -- astronomy. It may well transform the Singaporean lifestyle.
Hasn't some wise soul said
a thousand-mile journey begins with the first step? And a revolution, with an idea in a restless mind given to thinking
big.
A BEAUTIFUL MIND
Au Man Choo, senior citizen,
architect by profession, sky-man by choice, has such a forward-looking mind.
He also has the will and
passion to make one of his dreams come true. His mission is to foster scientific temper among the denizens of Singapore. He
thinks the hobby of star-gazing -- arguably therapeutic -- can help realise his dream. (Click here for the rest of the story.)
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Join SINGASTRO, Singapore's astronomy community.
Is this also A GOOD PLACE to sell telescopes, binoculars, astronomy equipment?
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He seems to have got off
to a great start. The timing seems right too, but only just (more of that later).
Savaged by SARS, recession
and security concerns, Singapore is keen to reinvent, reorient and remake itself. Collectively, recent green signals for bungee jumping, bar-top dancing, outdoor/open-air cinema theatres, gays in civil
service appear to symbolize a nation's tectonic shift towards a liberal outlook.
Next could be astronomy.
(Mind you, Guest of Honour Dr. Tan Cheng Bock of Ayer Rajah CC, the local Member of Parliament, was a witness to the Chinese
Gardens spectacle. More of that later.)
Sure, a few astronomy
clubs and student groups have been active for some years now. There
is even a university course in astronomical studies. Observation camps are not uncommon. But astronomy as a
national pastime? A beginning has been probably made at the Chinese Gardens.
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WHAT'S GOING ON?
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