May 12-16, 2010
Camp Oakes
Big Bear City, California

Originally called the Telescope Makers Conference, the Riverside Telescope Makers Conference (RTMC) was founded in 1969 by Clifford W. Holmes as a way for amateur telescope makers to share their craft. In 1975, the RTMC moved to its current home at Camp Oakes, a YMCA camp near Big Bear City. Located 50 miles northeast of Riverside in the San Bernardino mountains, the site offers space for camping, several dormitories and 18 three-sided shelters, a meeting/dining hall, and the Charles Walker Observatory. The camp is located at an elevation of 7,600 feet. Click on the following link to view a labeled aerial photograph of Camp Oakes.

Since its inception, the RTMC has expanded to encompass all aspects of amateur astronomy from beginning to advanced topics and from telescope making to "armchair" astronomy. Recently, the RTMC has included events for the whole family with horseback riding, hikes, activities for spouses and activities for the young kids. In 2000, the official name of the conference was changed to the "RTMC Astronomy Expo."

During the RTMC the camp has more people than a typical recreational campground of its size, but the primary reason for attending is precisely because it offers a chance to rub shoulders with a large number of people who know telescopes and like to talk about them. What we offer is a chance to see and look through a large variety of telescopes (with relatively dark skies and high altitude), attend talks by professional and amateur astronomers on different aspects of telescope construction and use, see some astronomical equipment and software in use, and buy astronomical equipment and software (often at reduced prices). The vendors contribute door prizes for Saturday and Sunday evenings. We don't know exactly what prizes we'll have in advance, but in the past there have been telescopes of 8 to 12 inches in aperture.

Vendors ranging from major telescope manufacturers to people selling T-shirts have booths at the telescope field and along the paths leading to it.

Date
The 42nd annual RTMC Astronomy Expo will take place on Wednesday, May 12 through Sunday, May 16, 2010. The dates correspond to a new Moon weekend, and mark a significant change from the traditional Memorial Day weekend dates.

Theme
This year's theme is Dark Sky Observing.

Location
YMCA Camp Oakes, five miles southeast of Big Bear City on State Route 38 at Lake Williams Road between mileposts 44 and 45. This location is about 50 miles northeast of Riverside in the San Bernardino mountains.
Longitude 116° 45' 15" West
Latitude 34° 13' 50" North
Altitude 7250 feet (2210 meters)
Click here for maps and directions.

Moonrise and Moonset (PDT)
Wednesday, May 12: moonrise 4:34 AM, moonset 6:43 PM
Thursday, May 13: moonrise 5:12 AM, moonset 7:48 PM
Friday, May 14: moonrise 5:57 AM, moonset 8:51 PM
Saturday, May 15: Moonrise 6:50 AM, Moonset 9:52 PM
Sunday, May 16: Moonrise 7:51 AM

Keynote Speaker

Dr. Fritz Benedict is a Senior Research Scientist with the University of Texas' McDonald Observatory. In 1977 he became a member of the Hubble Space Telescope Astrometry science team. Dr. Benedict is a dynamic speaker who will discuss "Recent Adventures with the Hubble Space Telescope." While producing some of the most beautiful and stunning images of our universe (and he will show us many!), the Hubble Space Telescope has also, quietly, done some research you may not have heard much about. We use this most modern of instruments to carry out one of the most ancient activities of astronomers, measuring star positions that lead to foundational results for all of astronomy and astrophysics.

Astroimaging Workshop

                           NGC 6888 by Tony Hallas
Tony Hallas returns to the RTMC Astronomy Expo for Sunday's Premium Astroimaging Workshop. Tony is an internationally recognized imager and workshop leader, and really know how to show others how to get the most of their equipment both under the stars and in processing. As new equipment and software become available, Tony has update his imaging and processing techniques. He has prepared a new workshop program to pass on these techniques to you. Because this is a small group setting, you will be able to ask Tony questions, and follow along as he shows you the newest in imaging.

The imaging workshop is a premium event at the RTMC Astronomy Expo, presented Sunday morning and afternoon. Participation will be limited to the first 50 registrants, so be sure to register early.

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WWW www.rtmcastronomyexpo.org