CHESS-CHESMAYNE © Copyright 1997 Raymond Reid - Revised and Updated |--------------------------------| | CHESS DICTIONARY - A | |--------------------------------| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ You will need a chess board and a set of `Triangular Chess Pieces' in order to follow the example moves given in the text below. See `How to print your own chess board and pieces' for details. It will only take you about 10 minutes to print a professional board and a set of chess pieces. Press HELP-KEY for help instructions. NOTE:- press `S' to SEARCH-FOR-WORD from the list given below. Just enter two backslashes (ie, //) followed by the `word' you wish to locate and press `Return.' Program will automatically GOTO the word you select. Its as simple as that! Example //ABANDON Press `SHIFT', press `D' to dump any screen page to your printer (simple!). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Alphabetical Index by Listing:- Category:- --------------------------------------------------- >>> A........................................ 1:1 >>> ABACK-ABAFT.............................. 7:19 >>> ABANDON..................................19:1 >>> A BAS....................................16:1 >>> ABATIS-ABATTIS...........................15:1 >>> ABBA-ABBOT-ABBE-ABBESS...................13:1 23:1 >>> ABC...................................... >>> ABDICATE-ABDICATION......................19:2 >>> ABEAM.................................... >>> ABECEDARIAN-ABECEDARY.................... >>> ABELARD-HELOISE - Lord-Lady.............. >>> ABELE.................................... 2:1 >>> ABERGLAUBE...............................16:2 >>> ABERRANT-ABERRATION......................16:3 >>> ABEYANCE................................. >>> ABIGAIL..................................15:2 >>> ABILITY.................................. >>> AB INITIO-AB OVO.........................17:1 >>> AB INTRA.................................17:2 >>> ABIOGENESIS..............................16:4 >>> ABLE..................................... >>> ABLEGATE.................................13:2 >>> ABORT.................................... >>> ABOUT-TURN...............................16:5 >>> ABOVE-BOARD.............................. >>> ABRACADABRA.............................. >>> ABRAHAMS GERALD..........................22:1 >>> ABREACTION...............................16:6 >>> ABREAST..................................15:3 >>> ABSCIND.................................. >>> ABSCISSA................................. >>> ABSTRACT OF TITLE........................ >>> ABU 'L-FATH AHMAD AS-SINJARI.............22:2 >>> ABY...................................... >>> ACADEME.................................. >>> ACADEMIC................................. >>> A CAPRICCIO.............................. >>> ACCEDE-ACCESSION.........................19:3 >>> ACCESS TIME.............................. >>> ACCENT...................................15:4 >>> ACCIDENCE................................ >>> ACCOLADE.................................14:1 >>> ACCOUTRE................................. >>> ACCUMULATION OF ADVANTAGES............... >>> ACE...................................... >>> ACELDAMA................................. >>> ACENTRIC................................. 1:2 >>> ACHATES.................................. >>> ACHELOUS-ACHERON.........................20:1 >>> A CHEVAL.................................14:2 >>> ACHIEVEMENT TEST......................... >>> ACHILLES.................................20:2 >>> ACME..................................... >>> ACOLYTE..................................15:5 >>> A COUVERT................................15:6 >>> ACQUIRED CHARACTERISTICS................. >>> ACQUIREMENT.............................. >>> ACRODROME................................15:7 >>> ACRONYM.................................. >>> ACROPOLIS................................ >>> ACROTER..................................19:4 >>> ACTABLE.................................. >>> ACTAEON..................................14:3 20:3 >>> ACTION................................... >>> ACTION CHESS............................. >>> ACTION STATIONS.......................... >>> ACT OF FAITH............................. >>> ACTUARY.................................. >>> ACUMEN................................... >>> ADAGE.................................... >>> ADAGIO................................... >>> ADAMS MICHAEL............................22:3 >>> AD ASTRA PER ASPERA......................17:3 >>> ADEPT.................................... >>> A DEUX................................... >>> ADIANTO UTUT.............................22:4 >>> AD INFINITUM.............................17:4 >>> ADIT..................................... >>> ADJOIN................................... >>> ADJOURN.................................. >>> ADJOURNMENT.............................. >>> ADJUDICATION............................. >>> ADJUST................................... >>> AD LIBITUM-AD LIB........................17:5 (Symbol: ~~~) >>> AD LITTERAM..............................17:6 >>> AD MAJOREM DEI GLORIAM - A.M.D.G.........17:7 >>> AD MINICLE...............................15:8 >>> ADMINISTRATIX............................ >>> ADONIS...................................14:4 20:4 >>> AD QUEM..................................17:8 >>> ADROIT................................... >>> ADSCRIPT................................. >>> A DROIT..................................17:9 >>> AD UTRUMQUE PARATUS......................17:10 >>> ADVANCE GUARD............................15:9 >>> ADVANCE POINT............................ >>> ADVANCED MINOR PIECE.....................15:10 (Symbol: ad-mp) >>> ADVANTAGE................................ >>> ADVERSARIA............................... >>> AD VERBUM................................17:11 >>> ADVERSARY................................ >>> ADVICE................................... >>> ADVISER.................................. >>> ADYTUM................................... >>> AEDICULE................................. >>> AEDILE...................................14:5 >>> AEGIR.................................... >>> AEGIS....................................16:7 20:5 >>> AENEAS (Trojan)..........................15:11 20:6 >>> AEOLIAN-AEOLIAN MODE-AEOLIC.............. 2:2 20:7 >>> AEON.....................................16:8 >>> AESIR and VANIR.......................... >>> AESTHETE.................................16:9 >>> AETIOLOGY................................ >>> AFFAIRE D'HONNEUR........................ >>> AFFLATUS.................................16:10 >>> AFFRAY................................... >>> AFICIONADO............................... >>> AFTER-EFFECT............................. >>> AGAMEMNON................................20:8 >>> AGER CHESS PIECES........................ >>> AGHA..................................... >>> A GAUCHE................................. >>> AGGIORNAMENTO............................ >>> AGGRESS.................................. >>> AGNOMEN.................................. >>> AGONE-AGONIST............................20:9 >>> AGONY.................................... >>> AGORA.................................... >>> AGREED DRAW..............................(Symbol: ++AD) >>> AIDE-DE-CAMP.............................14:6 >>> AIDE MEMOIRE............................. >>> AIKIDO................................... >>> AIPE..................................... >>> AITCH.................................... >>> AJAX.....................................15:12 20:10 >>> AJEEB.................................... >>> AJI...................................... >>> AKIMBO...................................15:13 >>> AKITU.................................... >>> ALA-ALAE-ALARY...........................15:14 >>> A LA BONNE HEURE.........................17:12 >>> ALADDIN (Ala'Addin at-Tabrizi)...........22:5 >>> AL-`ADLI AR-RUMI.........................22:6 >>> ALAMEDA.................................. >>> A LA MODE................................ >>> A LA MORT................................ >>> ALARUM................................... >>> ALATE-ALATED.............................13:3 14:7 18:2 >>> ALB-ALBESCENT/ALBION..................... >>> ALBERT CHAIN.............................15:15 >>> ALBIN COUNTER GAMBIT..................... >>> ALCAIDE-ALCAZAR.......................... >>> ALCESTIS.................................20:12 >>> ALCHEMY.................................. >>> ALCINOUS.................................20:13 >>> ALCOVE...................................19:5 >>> ALCYONARIAN..............................15:16 >>> ALCYONE..................................15:17 (mp7 - GU7) >>> ALDEBARAN................................ >>> ALEATORY.................................16:11 >>> ALGEBRAIC NOTATION.......................21:2 >>> ALECTO...................................20:11 >>> ALEKHINE.................................22:7 >>> ALEKHINE'S DEFENCE....................... >>> ALEMBIC.................................. >>> ALERT.................................... >>> ALEXANDER CONEL HUGH O'DONEL.............22:8 >>> ALEXANDRIAN.............................. >>> AL-FIL................................... >>> ALFONSO THE WISE.........................22:9 >>> ALFORJA..................................14:8 15:19 >>> ALFRESCO................................. >>> ALGEBRA..................................21:1 >>> ALGEBRAIC NOTATION-STANDARD-CO-ORDINATE.. >>> ALGORISM................................. >>> AL-ADLI..................................22:10 >>> ALFONSO THE WISE......................... >>> ALGORITHM................................ >>> ALICE CHESS.............................. >>> ALIPED...................................14:9 >>> ALIQUANT.................................15:20 >>> ALIQUOT..................................15:22 >>> ALLEGIANCE............................... >>> ALLEGORY.................................16:12 >>> ALLEN GEORGE............................. >>> ALLGAIER JOHANN BAPTIST..................22:11 >>> ALLIES................................... >>> ALL-PLAY-ALL-AMERICAN TOURNAMENT......... >>> ALL-STAR................................. >>> ALMA MATER...............................17:13 >>> ALMANZOR................................. >>> ALPHA....................................21:3 (Symbol, :A) >>> ALPHA-BET................................21:4 >>> ALPHA-EVAL-BETA-EVAL..................... >>> ALPHEUS (XB, blue blocked cell).......... >>> ALQUERQUE................................ >>> ALSO-RAN................................. >>> ALTER IDEM...............................15:23 >>> ALTIS.................................... >>> ALTRUISM-ALTRUIST-ALTRUISTIC.............16:13 >>> ALUMBRADO................................ >>> ALVEOLATE-ALVEOLUS....................... 3:1 >>> AMALGAM..................................15:24 >>> AMARANTH.................................15:25 21:5 >>> AMARYLLIS................................20:14 >>> AMATEUR.................................. >>> AMATI.................................... >>> AMAUROSIS SCACHISTICA.................... >>> AMAZON................................... >>> AMBASSADOR...............................13:4 >>> AMBIDEXTERITY............................ >>> AMBIENCE................................. >>> AMBIT.................................... >>> AMBIVALENCE.............................. >>> AMBO.....................................13:43 >>> AMBOIS................................... >>> AMBROSIA-AMBROSIAL.......................16:14 20:15 >>> AMBRY.................................... >>> AMBS-ACE.................................15:26 >>> AMBUSH................................... >>> AMELIORATE-AMELIORATION..................16:15 >>> AMEN/AMON-AMEN-RA........................19:6 >>> AMENDE HONORABLE......................... >>> AMICUS CURIAE............................17:14 >>> AMORETTO.................................15:27 >>> AMOUR-PROPRE............................. >>> AMOVE.................................... >>> AMPERSAND................................21:6 >>> AMPHION - RO1 and RO2....................18:1 20:16 >>> AMPHITHEATRE............................. >>> AMPHITRITE............................... >>> AMPHITRYON............................... >>> AMPOULE La Sainte........................ >>> AMRITA...................................16:16 21:7 >>> AMUCK-AMOK............................... >>> AMULET................................... >>> AMUSE.................................... >>> ANABASIS.................................15:28 >>> ANABIOSIS................................ >>> ANABRANCH................................ >>> ANADEM...................................15:29 >>> ANADROMOUS...............................15:30 >>> ANAGAMIN................................. >>> ANAGLYPH................................. >>> ANAGRAM.................................. >>> ANALYSIS-ANALSYSE-ANALYST................ >>> ANAND VISWANATHAN........................ >>> ANANTHOUS................................15:31 >>> ANASTASIA'S ++CM......................... >>> ANCHOR RING-TORUS........................ >>> ANCIENNCE NOBLESSE....................... >>> ANCIEN REGIME............................ >>> ANCIENT..................................14:10 >>> ANDERSSEN ADOLF..........................22:12 >>> ANDROCLES................................15:32 20:17 >>> ANDROMEDA................................ >>> ANECDOTE................................. >>> ANFRACTUOSITY............................ >>> ANGEL....................................13:5 >>> ANGELS-ON-HORSEBACK......................14:11 >>> ANGEVIN..................................14:12 >>> ANGST.................................... >>> ANIL..................................... >>> ANIMADVERSION-ANIMADVERT................. >>> ANIMATISM................................16:17 >>> ANKH.....................................21:8 >>> ANISOMETRIC.............................. >>> ANLACE...................................15:33 19:7 >>> ANNOTATE-ANNOTATION...................... >>> ANNOTATOR'S COMMENTS..................... >>> ANNOUNCED MATE...........................19:8 (Symbol ++CMA) >>> ANNUIT COEPTIS...........................17:15 >>> ANOMALOUS................................ >>> ANTAEUS-ANTAEAN CAPTURE..................14:13 20:18 >>> ANTECEDE.................................15:34 >>> ANTECHAMBER.............................. 1:3 >>> ANTEPENTULIMATE..........................15:35 >>> ANTERIOR.................................15:36 >>> ANTHEMION................................15:37 >>> ANTHESIS.................................15:38 >>> ANTI..................................... >>> ANTI-PAWNS (Berolina's).................. >>> ANTI-POSITIONAL MOVE..................... >>> ANTIPODES................................ >>> ANTONOMASIA.............................. >>> AOM......................................24:05 >>> A PIED...................................15:39 >>> APHORISMS................................ >>> APHRODITE................................20:19 >>> APLOMB................................... >>> APOLLO...................................20:20 >>> APOSTIL.................................. >>> APOSTLE.................................. >>> APPELATION............................... >>> APPELLOR................................. >>> APPLE OF DISCORD.........................20:21 >>> APPOSE...................................15:40 >>> APRES MOI LE DELUGE......................17:1 >>> APROSEXIA................................ >>> AQUARIUS................................. >>> AQUILA - SAGITTA......................... >>> ARABIC................................... >>> ARABIAN CHESS............................ >>> ARABIAN CHECKMATE........................ >>> ARABIC NUMERALS..........................21:9 >>> ARACHNE..................................20:22 >>> ARBALEST.................................13:6 >>> ARBITER-ARBITRATRIX...................... >>> ARBOREAL................................. >>> ARCADES AMBO............................. >>> ARCANUM..................................16:18 >>> ARCHAIC.................................. >>> ARCHBISHOP...............................13:7 >>> ARCHDUKE................................. >>> ARCHIPELAGO.............................. >>> ARCHITECTONICS........................... >>> ARCHITRAVE............................... 1:4 >>> ARCHIVAL................................. >>> ARCHON...................................14:14 >>> ARCHTYPE.................................15:41 >>> ARCTIC................................... >>> ARCTURUS.................................13:8 15:42 >>> ARDEN....................................19:9 >>> ARENA.................................... >>> AREOCENTRIC.............................. >>> AREOLE................................... 3:2 >>> AREOPAGUS................................ >>> ARES.....................................20:23 >>> ARETE.................................... 1:5 >>> ARETHUSA.................................20:24 >>> ARGENT................................... 2:3 >>> ARGIL.................................... >>> ARGOT.................................... >>> ARGUS (eyed).............................20:25 >>> ARGYLE................................... 4:1 >>> ARIADNE..................................20:26 >>> ARIEL....................................14:15 >>> ARIES.................................... >>> ARISTOCRACY.............................. >>> ARISTOTELIAN............................. >>> ARJUNA...................................20:27 >>> ARMADE...................................18:3 >>> ARMAGEDDON...............................16:19 >>> ARMIGER..................................14:16 >>> ARMS..................................... >>> A.R.R....................................17:17 19:10 >>> ARRANT...................................14:17 >>> ARRAY.................................... >>> AR-RAZI..................................22:13 >>> ARRIERE-BAN..............................19:11 >>> ARRIERE-PENSEE........................... >>> AS-SULI..................................22:14 >>> ART...................................... >>> ARTEMIS..................................20:28 >>> ARTHUR...................................19:12 20:29 >>> ARTILLERY................................18:4 >>> ASCENDANT................................ >>> ASCERTAIN................................ >>> ASCETIC.................................. >>> ASGARD...................................20:30 >>> ASHLAR................................... >>> ASHTAPADA................................ >>> ASPERLING................................22:15 >>> ASKEW....................................15:43 >>> ASPERLING................................ >>> ASPIRANT.................................15:44 >>> ASSEMBLAGE............................... >>> ASSENTOR.................................15:45 >>> ASSIDUITY................................ >>> ASSIZE................................... >>> ASSOCIATION OF IDEAS..................... >>> AS-SULI.................................. >>> ASTARTE..................................20:31 >>> ASTERISK.................................21:10 >>> ASTOLAT.................................. 1:6 >>> ASTRAEA..................................14:18 20:32 >>> ASTROLOGY................................ >>> ASTRONOMY................................ >>> ASTUTE................................... >>> ASTYANAX.................................15:46 20:33 >>> ATALANTA.................................20:34 >>> ATARAXIA................................. >>> ATE......................................16:20 20:35 >>> ATELIER.................................. >>> ATHENA...................................20:39 >>> ATHWART..................................15:47 >>> ATLAS....................................20:36 >>> ATREUS...................................20:37 >>> ATROPOS..................................20:38 >>> ATTACK-MINORITY ATTACK................... >>> ATTAKINSKY and DEFENDAROV................ >>> ATTIC.................................... >>> ATTORNEY GENERAL......................... >>> ATWOOD GEORGE............................22:16 >>> AU COURANT............................... >>> AUDLEY................................... >>> AU FAIT..................................17:18 >>> AUFIN....................................13:9 >>> AUFKLARUNG...............................17:19 >>> AUGEAN STABLES........................... >>> AULIC.................................... >>> AULIS.................................... >>> AURIGA................................... >>> AUREOLE.................................. >>> AUSTRALIAN CHESS FEDERATION.............. >>> AUTARCHY................................. >>> AUTO CHESS (address)..................... >>> AUTO-DA-FE (Symbol, *)................... >>> AUTODIDACT............................... >>> AUTOMATON................................ >>> AVALON...................................20:40 >>> AVANT-GARDE..............................15:48 >>> AVERBAKH YURI LVOVICH....................22:17 >>> AVIGNON..................................13:10 >>> AVOCATION................................ >>> AXIOM....................................16:21 >>> AXON..................................... >>> AZONIC................................... >>> AZYGOUS..................................15:49 --------------------------------------------------- 417 words //A 1:1 01 Block-A (A01, A02, A03 and A04 at the centre of the board). 02 :A = the Alpha side in a game of Chesmayne. 03 From A to Z (from beginning to end). 04 File `A' on a Chesmayne board. A-1, A-one. First class, excellent. 05 A and M. In relation to chess:- Ancient and Modern. 06 The moves of :A are given:- 01A, 02A, 03A etc. :B moves are given by 01B, 02B, 03B etc. If four people are playing a game of Chesmayne then player :C moves are given by 01C, 02C, 03C etc and :D moves by 01D, 02D, O3D etc. To become familiar with the Chesmayne MPs/mps, clear the board of all the MPs/mps except a single MP/mp and practice moving this MP/mp until you understand its moving ability. Then add a second, and another, until the action of every one is as familiar to you as the alphabet. By taking all the MPs/mps in succession you will quickly obtain sufficient knowledge of their movements to play a decent game. Set-up the board and play through the moves shown below (:L01):- :A :A :B :B XY axis Chesmayne XY axis Chesmayne Notation Notation ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 01A PA4-D02/D04 PA4-C03/A01 01B PA5-D07/D05 PA5-C14/A04 02A PA3-C02/C04 PA3-C02/B12 02B PA4-E07/E05 PA4-C13/A03 03A PA4-D04*E05-PA4 PA4-A01*A03-PA4 03B PA5-D05/D04 PA5-A04/A01 04A KT2-G01/F03 KT2-D07/B04 04B KT2-B08/C06 KT2-D21/B10 05A KT1-B01/D02 KT1-D02/C03 05B ----------- ----------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Position of the MPs/mps after move 05A |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$08 | B-RO2 | | B-BS2 | B-QU1 | B-KI | B-BS1 | B-KT1 | B-RO1 | :B |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$07 | B-PA8 | B-PA7 | B-PA6 | | | B-PA3 | B-PA2 | B-PA1 | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$06 | | | B-KT2 | | | | | | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$05 | | | | | A-PA4 | | | | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$04 | | | A-PA3 | B-PA5 | | | | | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$03 | | | | | | A-KT2 | | | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$02 | A-PA1 | A-PA2 | | A-KT1 | A-PA5 | A-PA6 | A-PA7 | A-PA8 | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$01 | A-RO1 | | A-BS1 | A-QU1 | A-KI | A-BS2 | | A-RO2 | :A |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| F$A F$B F$C F$D F$E F$F F$G F$H 07 Tarot: the Fool. Number (zero/No-Thing). Spirit of Aethyr. Ruach (cosmic breath, invisible, ever present, life giving). The Fool carries a wallet bearing the sign of the eagle (Scorpion:- dual sign of the eagle and scorpion). He bears the sign of Shin (Spirit itself). See BS/VC/Fool. Colour:- yellow, the colour attributed to the powers of the Air. 08 Aleph (the ox which turns the first furrow). 09 The first and the last (Alpha and Omega). 10 The current international flag to warn of the presence of scuba divers is the white-blue alpha flag. 11 Alpha Privative:- Alpha, the Greek letter for A, is negative or privative in Greek and with words taken from the Greek. The initial `A' signifies negation ie, `amoral' means non-moral (NOT amorous). //ABACK-ABAFT 7/19 Towards the back of the board - on or to the back. //ABANDON 19:1 01 Give up, yield, surrender, resign, waive, abdicate, desert. 02 Abandon, relinquish, renounce mean to give up all concern in a game, because of discouragement, weariness, distaste etc. 03 Relenquish implies being or feeling compelled to give up a contest which one would prefer to continue. 04 Renounce implies making and perhaps formally stating a voluntary decision to give up a game. //A BAS 16:1 French:- down with (the person or thing named). //ABATIS-ABATTIS 15:1 01 An obstacle of mps directed towards the enemy. 02 Military:- an obstacle of felled trees with bent or sharpened branches directed towards the enemy, and now often interlaced with barbed wire. //ABBA-ABBOT-ABBE-ABBESS 13:1 23:1 01 BS:- title of the Bishop. 02 The word for stone in Hebrew is spelt `abn.' 03 Ab refers to the Father, itself a name for the Divine Wisdom. 04 Abbeys were centres of learning in the Middle Ages. 05 From the Aramaic, Father or O Father. Child's name for father (daddy), and a term of simple affection. 06 The combination `Abba Father' is used by devotional writers as a title of invocation to the first person of the Trinity. 07 A title given in Syriac and Coptic churches to BSs, and by BSs to the patriarch (religious superior). 08 Bible, Mark:- "And He said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee." 09 Abracadabra:- Cabbalistic charm made from the initials of the Hebrew words for Ab (Father), Ben (Son), and Ruach ACadsch (Holy Spirit). //ABC A handbook arranged alphabetically. The main or basic facts or principles of Chesmayne arranged alphabetically. //ABDICATE-ABDICATION 19:2 01 To renounce a throne or some claim - relenquish a right, power or thrust. 02 To give up or renounce (office, duties, authority, etc) especially in a voluntary, public, or formal manner. 03 To resign. The act of abdicating - renuniciation, especially a Sovereign power. Abnegate:- to deny oneself. Sometimes confused with words that sound the same as abrogate (repeal), derogate (detract), abdicate (renounce) and arrogate (claim), derogate (detract). 04 In 305 AD the two emperors Diocletian and Maximian abdicated and were succeeded by Constantius Chlorus and Galerius. //ABEAM At right angles. The ranks of cells are abeam to the files. //ABECEDARIAN-ABECEDARY A beginner - primary - rudimentary - a pupil. //ABELARD-HELOISE - LORD-LADY 01 Lord (LO): Pierre Abelard: 1079-1142 A.D. His love affair with Heloise is one of the famous romances of history. Lady (LA): Heloise: 1100-64 A.D. - pupil, mistress and wife of Abelard, later an abbess. While a lecturer at Notre-Dame, he fell in love with Heloise, the 17-year old niece of a cannon. Heloise's furious relatives took revenge on Abelard by breaking into his bedroom one night and castrated him. He fled in shame to St Denis and became a monk, and Heloise took the veil. 02 Jayadeva (India): poet of the Gita-Govinda, the finest love-poem of India, describing Radha and Krishna's romance. 03 Liadin (Irish): poet whom Cuirithir fell in love with. The cycle of poems telling of their pain and love is as touching and bitter as that correspondence between the tragic lovers Abelard and Heloise. //ABELE 2:1 The light cells on a Chesmayne board. //ABERGLAUBE 16:2 Belief beyond what is justified by experience and knowledge. //ABERRANT-ABERRATION 16:3 01 Straying from the right or usual course. 02 Deviating from the ordinary course. 03 Lapse from a sound mental state. //ABEYANCE Temporary inactivity or suspension (during a game). //ABIGAIL 15:2 01 The mp in front of the LA. 02 A lady's maid (from Abigail, the `waiting gentlewoman', in Beaumont and Fletcher's `The Scornful Lady'). //ABILITY 01 Power or capacity to do or act in any relation. Competence in chess or on the field of action, from the possession of capacity, skill, means, or other qualification. Talents, mental gifts or endowments. Capability, proficiency, expertness, dexterity. 02 Ability, faculty, talent denote mental qualifications or powers. Ability is a general word for mental power, native or acquired, enabling one to do things well: a person of great ability, ability in chess. 03 Faculty denotes a natural ability for a particular kind of action: a faculty for saying what he means. 04 Talent is often used to mean a native ability or aptitude in a special field: a talent for music, art, Chesmayne. //AB INITIO-AB OVO 17:1 Latin:- from the beginning. //AB INTRA 17:2 From within - from inside. //ABIOGENESIS 16:4 01 The theory that living things can be produced form inanimate matter. 02 The Chesmayne MPs/mps that animate the board. //ABLE 01 Able, Capable, Competent all mean possessing adequate power for doing something. Able implies power equal to effort required: able to finish on time - having sufficient power, strength, or qualifications - having unusual intellectual qualifications: an able player. Showing talent or knowledge - easy to handle, fit. Ably: in an agile manner, competently. 02 Capable implies power to meet or fulfil ordinary, usual requirements: a capable workman. 03 Competent suggests power to meet demands in a completely satisfactory manner:- a competent player. 04 Talented, accomplished, gifted, skillful, clever. //ABLEGATE 13:2 Vaunt Courier:- an envoy to a newly appointed dignitary. VC. //ABORT To fail to complete a mission - ++RS etc. //ABOUT-TURN 16:5 Volte-Face:- to turn in the opposite direction - a complete, sudden change in position. //ABOVE-BOARD Open and honest. //ABRACADABRA Cabbalistic word made from the the Hebrew words Ab (Father), Ben (Son) and Ruach ACadsch (Holy Spirit) and hung from the neck with a linen thread. //ABRAHAMS GERALD 22:1 1907-1980. Known for playing the `Noteboom :&V' in traditional chess. //ABREACTION 16:6 01 The release of mental tension due to an unpleasant experience, by reliving the experience in speech and action in the presence of a psychoanalyst. 02 To replay a game of Chesmayne to find out your mistakes. //ABREAST 15:3 Side by side on the same R$ - equally advanced - alongside. //ABSCIND To cut off - sever - capture. //ABSCISSA The position of a cell measured on a R$ of cells - horizontal position. //ABSTRACT OF TITLE 01 A particular level of Chesmayne:- the number of cells, blocked etc, the number of MPs/mps allowed on the board and the rules governing play ie, 01A :L01, 8 PAs. 01B :L02, 8 GUs. 01C Chinese Chess 10 x 9. 01D :L03 PAs/GUs. 01E :L04 etc. 02 Law:- an outline history of the title to a parcel of real property, showing the original grant, subsequent conveyances etc. //ABU 'L-FATH AHMAD AS-SINJARI 22:2 Chess author of the 11/12th centuries. His manuscript contains puzzles, poems and 10 :&O systems. //ABY To pay a penalty. //ACADEME A place of instruction. //ACADEMIC 01 Pertaining to subjects which are concerned with the refinement of the mind rather than the learning skills (opposed to technical). 02 Theoretical - discussions - arguments etc of purely theoretical interest. //A CAPRICCIO To play freely - at the whim of the player. See `Ad Lib'. //ACCEDE-ACCESSION 19:3 01 To accede to the throne ie, to play a RE instead of the KI etc. 02 The act of coming into the possession of a right, dignity, office, etc, accession to the throne. //ACCESS TIME The time taken to retrieve information from the memory of a computer. //ACCENT 15:4 Distinctive character or tone of a mp - a mps moving ability. //ACCIDENCE The rudiments of Chesmayne. //ACCOLADE 14:1 01 A ceremony used in conferring knighthood, consisting at one time of an embrace, and afterwards of giving the candidate a light blow upon the shoulder with the flat of a sword. 02 Any award - honour - promotion. //ACCOUTRE To equip or array with military accoutrements - to set up the board with the appropriate MPs/mps allowed on a particular level of Chesmayne (ISP). //ACCUMULATION OF ADVANTAGES 01 Steinitz:- avoid weakning your mp structure and try to get your opponent to create weaknesses in h/er own mp structure. 02 The slow gain of the advantage by moves which are not individually decisive, but culminatively may do so. See `prophylaxis.' 03 Culminate:- the highest point of development - topmost. //ACE Excellent - first in quality - outstanding - an adept - highly skilled - a GM. //ACELDAMA A place of slaughter (field of blood). //ACENTRIC 1:2 01 Not centered - having no centre. 02 The Chesmayne board is acentric as four cells are at the centre (not one cell) ie:- Acentric 8 x 8 board |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----| | D22 | D21 | D20 | D19 | D18 | D17 | D16 | D15 | R$08 |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----| | D23 | | | | | | | D14 | R$07 |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----| | D24 | | | | | | | D13 | R$06 |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----| | D25 | | | A04 | A03 | | | D12 | R$05 |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----| | D26 | | | AO1 | A02 | | | D11 | R$04 |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----| | D27 | | | | | | | D10 | R$03 |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----| | D28 | | | | | | | D09 | R$02 |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----| | D01 | D02 | D03 | D04 | D05 | D06 | D07 | D08 | R$01 |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----| F$A F$B F$C F$D F$E F$F F$G F$H Non-Acentric (Centered Notation) 9 x 9 board Cell A01 is at the centre of this notation |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----| | E25 | E24 | E23 | E22 | E21 | E20 | E19 | E18 | E17 | R$09 |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----| | E26 | D19 | D18 | D17 | D16 | D15 | D14 | D13 | E16 | R$08 |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----| | E27 | D20 | C13 | C12 | C11 | C10 | C09 | D12 | E15 | R$07 |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----| | E28 | D21 | C14 | B07 | B06 | B05 | C08 | D11 | E14 | R$06 |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----| | E29 | D22 | C15 | B08 | A01 | B04 | C07 | D10 | E13 | R$05 |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----| | E30 | D23 | C16 | B01 | B02 | B03 | C06 | D09 | E12 | R$04 |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----| | E31 | D24 | C01 | C02 | C03 | C04 | C05 | D08 | E11 | R$03 |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----| | E32 | D01 | D02 | D03 | D04 | D05 | D06 | D07 | E10 | R$02 |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----| | E01 | E02 | E03 | E04 | E05 | E06 | E07 | E08 | E09 | R$01 |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----| F$A F$B F$C F$D F$E F$F F$G F$H F$J //ACHATES A faithful comrade. `A fisus Achates' - a faithful companion. //ACHELOUS-ACHERON 20:1 01 Greek Mythology:- a river god, defeated by Hercules in a struggle over Deianira. 02 The line between F$5 and F$6 on the Chinese Chess board. 03 Acheron:- Classical Mythology: a river in Hades, over which Charon ferried the souls of the dead. The `woeful river' of the underworld. //A CHEVAL 14:2 By horse - on horseback (used in reference to a knight). //ACHIEVEMENT TEST A test designed to measure the results of learning or teaching - a game of Chesmayne. //ACHILLES 20:2 01 In Greek legend - the hero of Homer's Iliad, the greatest Greek warrior in the Trojan war, who came to be the ideal of Greek manhood. According to legend he died when Paris wounded him in the heel, where he was vulnerable. In Chesmayne this refers to a weak point (:wp)in a position. 02 Achilles heel:- one's only vulnerable spot. In Greek myth the Nereid (sea-nymph) Thetis bore a son, Achilles, who, being half-mortal, was doomed to die. Thetis dipped him in the River Styx, rendering his entire body invulnerable, save for the heel by which she held him. Aged nine, it was foretold of him by the seer Calchas that he would conquer Troy. Fearing his death there, Thetis disguised him as a girl in the palace of Lycomedes, KI of Skyros. But the Greek champion Odysseus entered the palace and sounded war-cries. Thinking they were being attacked, Achilles seized his weapons and so betrayed himself. Taken to Troy, he killed the Trojan hero Hector in single combat, before himself being slain, shot through the heel by an arrow fired either by Apollo or by Paris. Thus, an early statement of the theme known as the `Achilles heel'. The vulnerable spot in the character of a wo/man or a nation. 03 Also in Greek myth, Talos is the giant guardian of Crete met by Jason and the Argonauts. Made of bronze, created by Daedalus, his only weakness is that `beneath the sinew of his ankle was a blood-red vein, and this, with its issues of life and death, was covered by a thin skin'. Through this weak point (:wp) Talos met his doom. Achilles, in one of Homer's works says `I had rather work as a labourer for a poor master on earth, than be KI of all the souls of the dead'. //ACME Greek:- a point. The pitch of perfection. //ACOLYTE 15:5 01 An attendant - an assistant - a mp - follower. 02 Disciple:- literally, `pupil.' 03 Chela (Buddhism):- a novice qualifying himself for initiation (slave, servant, pupil, disciple). 04 When the student is ready, the teacher will appear. //A COUVERT 15:6 French:- under cover - a protected MP or mp. //ACQUIRED CHARACTERISTICS Characteristics that are the result of environment, use, ie, the characteristics of the Chinese Chess board. //ACQUIREMENT The act of acquiring especially the gaining of knowledge or mental attributes. //ACRODROME 15:7 Mps:- running to a point. //ACRONYM 01 A word formed from the initial letters of other words ie, FIDE, AIPE. 02 `Scuba' is an acronym derived from the initial letters of `(Se)lf (C)ontained (U)nderwater (B)reathing (A)pparatus.' //ACROPOLIS 01 Greek:- the upper city (R$01 on a Chesmayne board). 02 The citadel of an ancient Greek city - the citadel of Athens. 03 R$01. //ACROTER 19:4 The MP to be checkmated (a plinth and the object on it), ++CM. //ACTABLE A board capable of being acted upon - capable of being carried out in practice. //ACTAEON 14:3 20:3 KM. Knigtht Magnifico:- Classical Legend:- a hunter, who, having seen Artemis (Diana) bathing, was changed by her into a stag and torn to pieces by his own hounds. This story was a popular theme in renaissance painting. //ACTION Action is best activated by doing something rather than thinking about it. //ACTION CHESS 01 American term for `Allegro.' A game of Chesmayne in which :A and :B have 0.5 of an hour each (30 minutes each). 02 Allegro:- Latin: music term - brisk, rapid. 03 Quickplay is the term used in England and Ireland. //ACTION STATIONS The positions of the MPs/mps taken up in readiness for a particular level of Chesmayne. The ISP. //ACT OF FAITH The sacrifice of a MP or mp - a risk or gamble. See `Auto de Fay.' //ACTUARY One who computes risks according to probabilities indicated by recorded facts. //ACUMEN Quickness of perception - mental acuteness - keen insight. //ADAGE A proverb. //ADAGIO In a leisurely manner - slowly. //ADAMS MICHAEL 22:3 Born 1971. In 1989 he ++WN the British championship and became a GM. //AD ASTRA PER ASPERA 17:3 01 Latin:- To the stars through difficulties. 02 This admonition accompanies the Kansas state flag. //ADEPT 01 A player who has attained proficiency - fully skilled. 02 Latin:- adeptus. 03 Vere adeptus was used by the alchemists to those who found the elixir of life or the philosopher's stone. //A DEUX French:- of or for two (a game of Chesmayne). //ADIANTO UTUT 22:4 Born 1965. Indonesia's first International GM (1986). //AD INFINITUM 17:4 Chesmayne:- to infinity - endlessly - without limit. //ADIT The move of a MP/mp horizontally - horizontal approach. //ADJOIN To lie or be next. //ADJOURN To suspend - defer - postpone to a future date. //ADJOURNMENT 01 An unfinished game (:ug) may be adjourned and continued at a later time/date. The player to make the next move (:nm) on the board is required to write the next move (:nm) on a piece of paper which is given to the referee. This is called a `sealed move' (:sm). When the game recommences this move must be the next move played on the Chessmayne board. 02 Sixty moves must be played in a game of traditional chess before it can be adjourned. //ADJUDICATION Sometimes, when a game cannot be finished on time a referee is asked to adjudicate the position on the board. S/he decides whether the game is a ++WN or ++DR. //ADJUST You must move a MP/mp if you touch a piece during a game of Chesmayne. Before adjusting a MP/mp in a cell you must say `I adjust' or `J'adoube' to prevent your opponent from forcing you to move a particular MP/mp. //AD LIBITUM-AD LIB 17:5 (Symbol :ad) 01 Used in Chesmayne to indicate that the manner of performance of a game is left to the discretion of the player - usually after a particular opening set of moves (symbol :&O) has been played. Symbol: (~~~). //AD LITTERAM 17:6 Played to the letter (as an :&O) - exactly. //AD MAJOREM DEI GLORIAM - A.M.D.G. 17:7 01 Latin:- for the greater glory of God (motto of the Jesuit Order). 02 Ignatius Loyola 1491-1556, was the founding GE of this movement. //AD MINICLE 15:8 Mp:- an aid - auxilary. //ADMINISTRATIX A female administrator (a female MP that has to be ++CM). //ADONIS 14:4 20:4 Knight Magnifico:- Greek Mythology: a favourite of Aphrodite, killed by a wild boar, but permitted by Zeus to pass four months every year in the lower world with Persephone, four with Aphrodite, and four wherever else he chose. In another accounts he spent half the year on earth and thus symbolically represented the vegetation cycle - a very handsome young man - a beau or dandy. Adonize:- to adorn or dandify oneself. KM1. The name derives from the Semetic Adonai, Lord. //AD QUEM 17:8 The goal (++CM). //ADROIT Expert in the use of the mind - ingenious - straight. Possessing readiness of resource. //ADSCRIPT Notation:- written after (distinguished from subscript, superscript) ie, A-PA4-$D02/D04 (the four in PA4 is written after the monogram PA). //A DROIT 17:9 01 To (or on) the right side of the board. :L01, KIs-side (:ks) of the board. 02 Adret: Swiss:- on the right. The side of a hill facing the equator and therefore receiving the maximum sunshine. //AD UTRUMQUE PARATUS 17:10 Latin:- ready for either alternative. //ADVANCE GUARD 15:9 01 The body of troops going before the main force to clear the way - guard against suprise etc - the GUs. Advance:- to move or bring forwards - to bring to view or notice - to raise in rank - promote - to raise, as a banner. Advance, move on, proceed all imply movement forwards. Advance applies to forward movement, especially towards an objective. 02 Proceed emphasizes movement as from one place to another, and often implies continuing after a halt. 03 Move on, a more informal expression, is similar in meaning to `proceed', it does not, however, imply a definite goal. //ADVANCE POINT A cell on your 5th rank (R$05) that is subject to attack by an enemy mp on one of the adjoining files (other than a `hole', :ho). //ADVANCED MINOR PIECE 15:10 (Symbol, :ad-mp) A mp on the R$05 or beyond (:L01). It may be strong or weak depending on the position - :ad-mp, :ad-PA, :ad-GU, :ad-FS etc. See notation. //ADVANTAGE 01 Any state, circumstance, opportunity, or means specially favourable to success, interest, or any desired end - benefit, gain, profit - superiority or ascendancy - vantage. Advantage is anything that places you in an improved position especially in coping with competition or difficulties. Vigorish: having the `edge' or `advantage.' 02 Benefit is anything that promotes the welfare or improves the state of a person or group. 03 Profit is any valuable, useful, or helpful gain. The value of :A's advantages are weighed against :Bs and if :A has better prospects of winning from the position, then :A is said to have the advantage. A player is considered to have the advantage when the position is more favourable than the opponents. Some of the factors to be taken into account are:- 03A Control of the central cells of the board. 03B More mps on your QU-side (:qs) than your opponent. 03C More mps on your KI-side (:ks) than your opponent. 03D Having more MPs or mps. 03E BS1 and BS2 versus BS1 and KT1. 03F Controlling more cells on the board. 03G Having your MPs/mps well developed. 03H BS1 and BS2 versus KT1 and KT2. 03J Control of a F$. 03K The advantage of having more time on your clock. //ADVERSARIA Notes or jottings - comments about a game. //AD VERBUM 17:11 Opening:- to the word - exact in wording according to the original game. :&O. //ADVERSARY 01 An opponent in a contest. Adversary, antagonist, mean a person, a group, or a personified force, contending against another. Adversary suggests an enemy who fights determinedly, continuously, and relentlessly. 02 Antagonist suggests one who, in hostile spirit, opposes another, often in a particular contest or struggle - a duel. //ADVICE 01 An opinion recommended, or proffered, as worthy to be followed. A communication from a distance, containing information: advice from abroad. Advice, Counsel are suggestions given by a presumably wiser or more highly trained person to one considered in need of guidance. Advice is practical recommendation as to action or conduct. 02 Counsel is weighty and serious advice, given after careful deliberation. 03 Advice is seldom welcome; and those who want it the most always like it the least (Philip Chesterfield). //ADVISER 01 On a Chesmayne board the `AD' is allowed to move one cell in any direction. On a Chinese chess board they must remain within the nine cells of the palace. See Chinese Chess. One who gives advice - `an advisory council.' They move one cell at a time diagonally. The two ADs are placed left and right of the GE at the start of the game. Therefore, the ADs may move to five different cells within the Palace. The sole function of the ADs is to protect the GE and losing an AD can put your GE in danger. They act as the GEs inner protective layer. Losing one AD makes the GE vulnerable to attack by two ROs. 02 The Duke of Wellington, Arthur Wellesley 1769-1852 was the elder statesman (Prime Minister) who guided the young QU Victoria during Britain's expansion in the 19th century. Churchill filled this same role in the 20th century to the QU of England. Councils of war are necessary to the operations of war - mutual advice is mutual assistance. They act in concert and concern for the public welfare. Advicenna:- Vizer of Persia (980-1037). 03 Kautilya/Chanakya:- first Indian political scientist and author of a book on the art of statesmanship entitled `Arthashastra'. 04 Panchatantra (India):- `The Five Formulas' - famous books of fables in world literature and authored by the Brahmin prime minister Vishnu-Sharman. The purpose of the book was to teach unruly, uneducated princes good manners and diplomacy, what is now referred to as `public relations.' They are: Loss of Friends, The Winning of Friends, How to Deal with Enemies, Loss of Gains and Ill-Considered Actions. Really a textbook of political science and how to make friends and influence people in the disguise of folk-tales which are easily remembered and recommended for aspiring politicians. 05 Governor. Joseph was Prime Minister (PM) under Pharaoh. Persian governors were satraps. Roman:- procurator. Ethnarch, steward, steersman, pilot, master of ceremonies. Paraclete: Greek: `the Counsel for the defence.' 06 Egeria:- a nymph who instructed the 2nd KI of Rome in his wise legislation and hence a counsellor, adviser. //ADYTUM 01 On the Chinese chessboard - the Palace or Fortress - a sacred place. 02 Greek:- Adyton: not to be entered. 03 Holy of Holies. 04 A sanctum. //AEDICULE 8 x 8 board:- a small shrine especially between two pillars - any small building - temple. //AEDILE 14:5 01 The palette of knights. 02 In ancient Rome:- one of a board of magistrates in charge of public buildings, streets, markets, games, etc. //AEGIR 01 A blue blocked cell (symbol :XB) as on the Chinese Chess board. 02 Scand Myth:- the sea-god, the husband of Ran. //AEGIS 16:7 20:5 01 Chesmayne:- the player expected to ++WN. 02 Greek Mythology:- the shield of Zeus. The shield lent by Zeus to other deities, especially Athene. 03 Protection, sponsorship:- under the Imperial Aegis. 04 Symbolic of divine protection. 05 Amalthea's horn:- the cornucopia or `horn of plenty'. //AENEAS (Trojan) 15:11 20:6 01 TR:- a Trojan hero who became the founder of Rome - son of Anchises and Aphrodite (Venus). 02 Aeneid:- Virgil's epic poem in 12 books. //AEOLIAN-AEOLIAN MODE-AEOLIC 2:2 20:7 01 Belonging to a branch of the Greek race named after Aeolus, the legendary founder. The other two types of cells are Dorian (dark cells, XD) and Ionian (blocked XB, XR, XW). Pertaining to Aeolus, or to the winds in general - the ruler of the winds. The Aeolians, Dorians and Ionians were the three branches of the Greeks or Hellenes. Aeolus was appointed ruler of the winds by Zeus and lived on his Aeolian island. 02 Vayu (India):- god of the winds. Breath. 03 The light cells (XL) beginning with A01 at the centre of the board (Block-A). Chesmayne Notation |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----| R$08 | | D21 | | D19 | | D17 | | D15 | :B |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----| R$07 | D23 | | C15 | | C13 | | C11 | | |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----| R$06 | | C17 | | B09 | | B07 | | D13 | |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----| R$05 | D25 | | B11 | | A03 | | C09 | | |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----| R$04 | | C19 | | A01 | | B05 | | D11 | |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----| R$03 | D27 | | B01 | | B03 | | C07 | | |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----| F$02 | | C01 | | C03 | | C05 | | D09 | |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----| R$01 | D01 | | D03 | | D05 | | D07 | | :A |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----| F$A F$B F$C F$D F$E F$F F$G F$H //AEON 16:8 (see `Tarot') 01 One of a class of powers or beings conceived as emanating from the Supreme Being and performing various functions in the operations of the Universe. 02 Basilides (2nd century) said there were 365 Aeons. 03 Symbol of judgement. Taking the overall view, the whole, broad perspectives, discernment, self-analysis. 04 The large figure of Osiris (Egyptian god of Wisdom) on this card:- represents family. He is shown with his finger to his mouth indicating that wisdom comes from experience and is not spoken randomly. 05 The three floating fetuses represent Horus (new forms). 06 Surrounding the above figures is the Egyptian god Nuith (sky-goddess). She is indicated by the sign of Leo on this card - creative and professional power. Her companion Hadit is indicated by a winged ball of fire (omniscent view). 07 Red-winged eye of Horus at the bottom of this card:- inspired vision. Horus was the Egyptian god of perception (able to see the over-view). 08 The three figures at the bottom of this card:- body, spirit and soul. 09 Winged serpent at the top of this card:- Ohyros, god of Wisdom. //AESIR and VANIR 01 The two opposing sides in a game of Chesmayne (:A and :B). 02 There are echoes in the ancient literature of a war between Aesir and Vanir which ended in alliance and an exchange of hostages. //AESTHETE 16:9 01 One who cultivates the sense of the beautiful. One very sensitive to the beauties of art or nature. 02 Esthete:- one who perceives. 03 Aesthesia/Aesthesis:- sensitivity - feeling - perceptibility. Perceptive state. A perceiving. //AETIOLOGY The study of causes (as in Chesmayne). //AFFAIRE D'HONNEUR A duel - a Chesmayne contest. //AFFLATUS 16:10 01 Inspiration - an impelling mental force acting from within - a sudden rush of divine or poetic communication of knowledge. `Inspiration' comes from the Latin `afflare' to bow or breathe upon. A god, or a Muse is imagined blowing on the inspired person. 02 `The Spoiling of Annwn', a Welsh poem attributed to Taliesin, describes how KI Arthur and his comrades raid Annwn to seize the cauldron of inspiration and plenty (one of its treasures). //AFFRAY A fighting of two or more persons in a public place. //AFICIONADO An ardent devotee. //AFTER-EFFECT A delayed effect - effect that follows later. //AGAMEMNON 20:8 Greek Legend:- a KI of Mycenae, son of Atreus and brother of Menelaus. He led the Greeks against Troy. Upon his return he was treacherously slain by his faithless wife Clytemnestra. //AGER CHESS PIECES A chess-set made of rock crystal (12th century). //AGHA Title of honour usually implying respect for age. The General (GE), Agha Khan. //A GAUCHE On (or to) the left-hand side. QUs-side (:qs) of the board. //AGGIORNAMENTO The act of bringing customs up-to-date as in the game of Chesmayne. //AGGRESS To commit the first act of hostility or offence - attack first - to begin a the attack. //AGNOMEN 01 A nickname ie, RO = Castle. 02 His Majesty = KI (XP, HMB). //AGONE-AGONIST 20:9 01 Greek:- a contest for a prize as an athlete in a game or of poets, painters and the like -a competitor. 02 Agonistic:- pertaining to contests. //AGONY 01 Nervous tension and fear experienced by a contestant about to enter the arena or lists for combat (agon). 02 The agony in Gethsemane. //AGORA 01 In ancient Greece:- a popular political assembly. 02 The level of play. //AGREED DRAW (Symbol, ++AD) The outcome of a game which has been agreed beforehand by the players (++DR). Unsporting play. //AIDE-DE-CAMP 14:6 Standard-Bearer:- a militry officer acting as a confidential assistant to a superior especially a GE - camp assistant. SB2. //AIDE MEMOIRE A reminder - a memorandum of the moves (record of moves made/notation). //AIKIDO Also known as the `Way of Harmony'. The secret being to turn the attackers energy against themselves. //AIPE Association Internationale de la Presse Echiqueenne (Organization of chess journalists). //AITCH The letter `H'. F$H or B$H on the Chesmayne board. //AJAX 15:12 20:10 01 Trojan:- Greek Legend: a mighty warrior of the Greeks in the siege of Troy. He killed himself in chagrin when Achilles' armour was awarded to Odysseus. From the blood spilled a flower sprang up bearing the monogram of his name `AI' (Aias in Greek). TR4. 02 The Lesser Ajax:- a Locrian KI, a hero in the Trojan War, second in speed only to Achilles. TR5. //AJEEB See `Automaton.' //AJI Keeping your options open (see `Shogi'). //AKIMBO 15:13 Mps:- PAs placed diagonally. GUs, BEs placed in the same file. //AKITU New Year festival in Ancient Babylon. Part of this festival involved the ritual humilation and reinvestiture of the Babylonian KI as an act of atonement for both KI and city and as a renewal of his kingship. //ALA-ALAE-ALARY 15:14 01 Mp:- the mps on the wings ie:- PA1 and PA8 on an 8 x 8 board. 02 One of the two side petals of a flower - wing. 03 Alary:- pertaining to the wings. //A LA BONNE HEURE 17:12 At the right moment. //ALADDIN (Ala'Addin at-Tabrizi) 22:5 01 14th century chess player who could play blindfold chess. Lawyer and best chess player in the world who could play four blindfold games at once plus another game under normal conditions while carrying on a conversation with the spectators. He was given the nickname `Ali Shatranj' (Ali the chess player), better known to us as Aladdin, the chap with the wonderful lamp who appears in Christmas pantomimes who was the World Chess Champion of his day, 600 years ago. 02 Aladdin: in `The Arabian Nights' Entertainments: the son of a poor widow in China. He becomes the possessor of a magic lamp and ring, with which he commands two genii who gratify all his wishes. //AL-`ADLI AR-RUMI 22:6 9th century player who wrote a book on chess (:&Os, :EGs and problems, :pr). //ALAMEDA The differing game-trees of Chesmayne - a public walk shaded with trees. //A LA MODE In or accordiang to the fashion ie:- the knights having an `L' shaped move. //A LA MORT Half dead (in reference to a players position on the board). //ALARUM A clock designed to ring a warning bell at a certain point in a game. //ALATE-ALATED 13:3 14:7 18:2 Winged (the knights, VC, CN of Chesmayne). //ALB-ALBESCENT-ALBION 01 The :A MPs/mps. 02 Alb:- a white linen robe. Albion: Poetic: Britain, possibly from the white cliffs that face Gaul. Celtic: alp. Albion: Old name for Britain (Scotland in Gaelic is called Alba). William Blake's `The Dance of Albion' is a symbolic figure embodying the personality of England. //ALBERT CHAIN 15:15 Mps:- a chain of mps. //ALBIN COUNTER GAMBIT :A :A :B :B XY axis Chesmayne XY axis Chesmayne Notation Notation ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 01A PA4-D02/D04 PA4-C03/A01 01B PA5-D07/D05 PA5-C14/A04 02A PA3-C02/C04 PA3-C02/B12 02B PA4-E07/E05 PA4-C13/A03 03A PA4-D04*E05-PA4 PA4-A01*A03-PA4 03B PA5-D05/D04 PA5-A04/A01 04A KT2-G01/F03 KT2-D07/B04 04B KT2-B08/C06 KT2-D21/B10 05A KT1-B01/D02 KT1-D02/C03 05B ----------- ----------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Set-up the board and play through the moves as shown above. The position below shows the state of play after move 05A. |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$08 | B-RO2 | | B-BS2 | B-QU1 | B-KI | B-BS1 | B-KT1 | B-RO1 | :B |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$07 | B-PA8 | B-PA7 | B-PA6 | | | B-PA3 | B-PA2 | B-PA1 | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$06 | | | B-KT2 | | | | | | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$05 | | | | | A-PA4 | | | | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$04 | | | A-PA3 | B-PA5 | | | | | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$03 | | | | | | A-KT2 | | | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$02 | A-PA1 | A-PA2 | | A-KT1 | A-PA5 | A-PA6 | A-PA7 | A-PA8 | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$01 | A-RO1 | | A-BS1 | A-QU1 | A-KI | A-BS2 | | A-RO2 | :A |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| F$A F$B F$C F$D F$E F$F F$G F$H //ALCAIDE/ALCAZAR 01 Alcaide:- The General (GE). Commander of a fortress. 02 Spanish:- al qasr (castle). 03 Alcalde:- an officer with judicial powers. 04 Alcazar:- palace of the Moorish KIs - later of Spanish Royalty. //ALCESTIS 20:12 Greek Legend:- the wife of the Thesalian KI Admetus, whose life she saved by dying in his place. She was brought back from Hades by Hercules. //ALCHEMY 01 Arabic:- al kimia. 02 Greek:- chemeia (`Egyptian art') - the art of the Egyptians. Its objective was the transmutation of base metals into gold and the quest for the philosopher's stone. Unus mundus (one world), Jung. 03 The forerunner of chemistry. //ALCINOUS 20:13 Homeric Legend:- a KI of the Phaeacians, at whose court Odysseus related the story of his wanderings - the father of Nausicaa. //ALCOVE 19:5 KIs castled position - a recessed space - `the vaulted space.' //ALCYONARIAN 15:16 Groups of eight ie:- PAs, GUs etc on an 8 x 8 board (:L01). //ALCYONE 15:17 (mp7 - GU7) 01 Vanguard - the brightest star in the group known as the Pleiades (mp-7, GU7). 02 Daughter of Aeolus, KI of the winds. She married Ceyx, son of the morning star. They were both transformed into birds - Alcyone into a kingfisher and Ceyx into a gannet. Zeus ordered that the seas should remain calm while she was hatching her eggs and hence the origin of the term `halcyon days.' //ALDEBARAN Aramic:- follower of the Pleiades. GU8. //ALEATORY 16:11 Dependent on a contingent event - having or pertaining to accidental causes and hence not predictable - felt to be a matter of luck - see `Aetiology'. //ALGEBRAIC NOTATION 21:2 A system of abbreviation used to record the moves of a Chesmayne game. Algebraic notation is based on eight letters (a to h) for the files and eight numbers (1 to 8) for the ranks (on an 8 x 8 board, :L01). See `Notation'. //ALECTO 20:11 01 Chesmayne:- QU. PS = Megaera. LA = Tisiphone. 02 Greek Mythology:- one of the Furies. One of the avenging deities of classical mythology, in female form, with serpents twined in their hair, in later accounts three in number and called Alecto, Megaera, and Tisiphone - a fierce and violent person, especially, a woman. Furiously, violently, furore, frenzy, rage, ire, wrath, vehemence. //ALEKHINE 22:7 Alexander Alexandrovich 1892-1946 - Russian World Champion chess player. The only person to die while being world champion. He was taught chess by his mother and played and studied chess eight hours a day. In 1927 he wrote `My Best Games of Chess'. 1996 is the 50th anniversary of his death. He was world champion from 1927 to 1935 and from 1937 to 1946. Alekhine was a devastating attacking player who had a liking for unusual :&Os often involving gambit play. In 1935 he lost the world title to the Dutchman Dr Max Euwe. Alekhine's best games have been published with comments by GM John Nunn. Sample games:- set-up the board and play through the moves as shown below. -------------------------------------- Game-01 Capablanca versus Alekhine Game-02 Alekhine versus Bogoljubow Game-03 Alekhine versus Nimzowitsch Game-04 Alekhine versus Lasker Game-05 Alekhine versus Reshevsky Game-06 Alekhine versus Marcozy Game-07 Alekhine versus Flohr Game-08 Alekhine versus Keres Game-09 Alekhine versus Euwe -------------------------------------- //01 Chesmayne Chesmayne XY axis Notation XY axis Notation :A :A :B :B Jose Capablanca Jose Capablanca Alexander Alekhine Alexander Alekhine Game-01 Game-01 Game-01 Game-01 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 01A PA4-D02/D04 PA4-C03/A01 01B PA5-D07/D05 PA5-C14/A04 02A PA3-C02/C04 PA3-C02/B12 02B PA4-E07/E06 PA4-C13/B08 03A KT1-B01/C03 KT1-D02/B01 03B KT1-G08/F06 KT1-D16/B07 04A BS1-C01/G05 BS1-D03/C09 04B KT2-B08/D07 KT2-D21/C14 05A PA5-E02/E03 PA5-C04/B03 05B BS1-F08/E07 BS1-D17/C13 06A BS2-G01/F03 BS2-D07/B04 06B %K %K 07A RO1-A01/C01 RO1-D01/D03 07B PA8-A07/A06 PA8-D23/D24 08A PA1-A02/A03 PA1-D28/D27 08B PA1-H07/H06 PA1-D14/D13 09A BS1-G05/H04 BS1-C09/D11 09B PA5-D05*C04-PA3 PA5-A04*B12-PA3 10A BS2-F01*C04-PA5 BS2-D06*B12-PA5 10B PA7-B07/B05 PA7-C16/C18 11A BS2-C04/E02 BS2-B12/C04 11B BS2-C08/B07 BS2-D20/C16 12A %K %K 12B PA6-C07/C05 PA6-C15/B11 13A PA4-D04*C05-PA6 PA4-A01*B11-PA6 13B KT2-D07*C05-PA4 KT2-C14*B11-PA4 14A KT2-F03/D04 KT2-B04/A01 14B RO2-A08/C08 RO2-D22/D20 15A PA2-B02/B04 PA2-C01/C19 15B KT2-C05/D07 KT2-B11/C14 16A BS1-H04/G03 BS1-D11/C07 16B KT2-D07/B06 KT2-C14/C17 17A QU1-D01/C03 QU1-D04/C20 17B KT1-F06/D05 KT1-B07/A04 18A BS2-E02/F03 BS2-C04/B04 18B RO2-B08/B04 RO2-D20/B12 19A KT1-C03/E04 KT1-B01/A02 19B QU1-D08/C08 QU1-D19/D20 20A RO1-C01*C04-RO2 RO1-D03*B12-RO2 20B KT2-B06*C04-RO1 KT2-C17*B12-RO1 21A RO2-F01/C01 RO2-D06/D03 21B QU1-C08/A08 QU1-D20/D22 22A KT1-E04/C03 KT1-A02/B01 22B RO1-F08/C08 RO1-D17/D20 23A KT1-C03*D05-KT1 KT1-B01*A04-KT1 23B BS2-B07*D05-KT1 BS2-C16*A04-KT1 24A BS2-F03*D05-BS2 BS2-B04*A04-BS2 24B QU1-A08*D05-BS2 QU1-D22*A04-BS2 25A PA1-A03/A04 PA1-D27/D26 25B BS1-E07/F06 BS1-C13/B07 26A KT2-D04/F03 KT2-A01/B04 26B BS1-F06/B02 BS1-B07/C01 27A RO2-C01/E01 RO2-D03/D05 27B RO1-C08/D08 RO1-D20/D19 28A PA1-A04*B05-PA7 PA1-D26*C18-PA7 28B PA8-A06*B05-PA1 PA8-D24*C18-PA1 29A PA8-H02/H03 PA8-D09/D10 29B PA4-E06/E05 PA4-B08/A03 30A RO2-E01/B01 RO2-D05/D02 30B PA4-E05/E04 PA4-A03/A02 31A KT2-F03/D04 KT2-B04/A01 31B BS1-B02*D04-KT2 BS1-C01/A01 32A RO2-B01/D01 RO2-D02/D04 32B KT2-C04*E03-PA5 KT2-B12/B03-PA5 33A -----------++RS -----------++RS 33B -----------++WN -----------++WN ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Position of the MPs/mps after move 32B listed above:- |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$08 | | | | B-RO1 | | | B-KI | | :B |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$07 | | | | | | B-PA3 | B-PA2 | | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$06 | | | | | | | | B-PA1 | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$05 | | B-PA8 | | B-QU1 | | | | | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$04 | | A-PA2 | | B-BS1 | B-PA4 | | | | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$03 | | A-QU1 | | | B-KT2 | | A-BS1 | A-PA8 | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$02 | | | | | | A-PA6 | A-PA7 | | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$01 | | | | A-RO2 | | | A-KI | | :A |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| F$A F$B F$C F$D F$E F$F F$G F$H //02 Sample game-02:- set-up the board and play through the moves as shown below:- Chesmayne Chesmayne XY axis Notation XY axis Notation :A :A :B :B Alekhine Alekhine Efim Bogoljubow Efim Bogoljubow Game-02 Game-02 Game-02 Game-02 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 01A PA4-D02/D04 PA4-C03/A01 01B KT1-G08/F06 KT1-D16/B07 02A PA3-C02/C04 PA3-C02/B12 02B PA2-G07/G06 PA2-C11/C10 03A PA6-F02/F03 PA6-C05/B04 03B PA5-D07/D05 PA5-C14/A04 04A PA3-C04*D05-PA5 PA3-B12*A04-PA5 04B KT1-F06*D05-PA3 KT1-B07*A04-PA3 05A PA5-E02/E04 PA5-C04/A02 05B KT1-D05/B06 KT1-A04/C17 06A KT1-B01/C03 KT1-D02/B01 06B BS1-F08/G07 BS1-D17/C11 07A BS1-C01/E03 BS1-D03/B03 07B KT2-B08/C06 KT2-D21/B10 08A PA4-D04/D05 PA4-A01/A04 08B KT2-C06/E05 KT2-B10/A03 09A BS1-E03/D04 BS1-B03/A01 09B PA3-F07/F06 PA3-C12/B07 10A PA6-F03/F04 PA6-B04/B05 10B KT2-E05/F07 KT2-A03/C12 11A PA1-A02/A04 PA1-D28/D26 11B PA4-E07/E06 PA4-C13/B08 12A PA4-D05*E06-PA4 PA4-A04*B08-PA4 12B BS2-C08*E06-PA4 BS2-D20*B08-PA4 13A PA1-A04/A05 PA1-D26/D25 13B KT1-B06/D07 KT1-C17/C14 14A PA1-A05/A06 PA1-D25/D24 14B PA7-B07/B06 PA7-C16/C17 15A BS2-F01/B05 BS2-D06/C18 15B QU1-D08/E07 QU1-D19/C13 16A KT2-G01/E02 KT2-D07/C04 16B PA6-C07/C05 PA6-C15/B11 17A BS1-D04/F02 BS1-A01/C05 17B %Q %Q 18A QU1-D01/A04 QU1-D04/D26 18B PA3-F06/F05 PA3-B07/B06 19A PA5-E04/E05 PA5-A02/A03 19B PA2-G06/G05 PA2-C10/C09 20A BS2-B05/C04 BS2-C18/B12 20B KT1-D07*E05-PA5 KT1-C14*A03-PA5 21A BS2-C04*E06+CH BS2-B12*B08+CH 21B QU1-E07*E06-BS2 QU1-C13*B08-BS2 22A PA6-F04*E05-KT1 PA6-B05*A03-KT1 22B KT2-F07*E05-PA5 KT2-C12*A03-PA5 23A %K %K 23B QU1-E06/C04 QU1-B08/B12 24A PA2-B02/B04 PA2-C01/C19 24B QU1-C04*B04-PA2 QU1-B12*C19-PA2 25A QU1-A04/C02 QU1-D26/C02 25B KT2-E05/D03 KT2-A03/B02 26A RO2-F01/B01 RO2-D06/D02 26B QU1-B04/C04 QU1-C19/B12 27A RO1-A01/A04 RO1-D01/D26 27B QU1-C04/E06 QU1-B12/B08 28A KT1-C03/B05 KT1-B01/C18 28B KI-C08/B08 KI-D20/D21 29A KT2-E02/D04 KT2-C04/A01 29B QU1-E06/E04 QU1-B08/A02 30A KT1-B05/C03 KT1-C18/B01 30B QU1-E04/E08 QU1-A02/D18 31A QU1-C02*D03-KT2 QU1-C02*B02-KT2 31B PA6-C05*D04-KT2 PA6-B11*A01-KT2 32A BS1-F02*D04-PA6 BS1-C05*A01-PA6 32B QU1-E08/E06 QU1-D18/E08 33A QU1-D03/F03 QU1-B02/B04 33B QU1-E06/F07 QU1-B08/C12 34A BS1-D04*B06-PA7 BS1-A01*C17-PA7 34B -----------++RS -----------++RS 35A -----------++WN -----------++WN ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Position of the MPs/mps after move 34A listed above:- |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$08 | | B-KI | | B-RO2 | | | | B-RO1 | :B |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$07 | B-PA8 | | | | | B-QU1 | B-BS1 | B-PA1 | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$06 | A-PA1 | A-BS1 | | | | | | | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$05 | | | | | | B-PA3 | B-PA2 | | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$04 | A-RO1 | | | | | | | | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$03 | | | A-KT1 | | | A-QU1 | | | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$02 | | | | | | | A-PA7 | A-PA8 | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$01 | | A-RO2 | | | | | A-KI | | :A |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| F$A F$B F$C F$D F$E F$F F$G F$H //03 Sample game-03:- set-up the board and play through the moves as shown below:- Chesmayne Chesmayne XY axis Notation XY axis Notation :A :A :B :B Alekhine Alekhine Nimzowitsch Nimzowitsch Game-03 Game-03 Game-03 Game-03 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 01A PA5-E02/E04 PA5-C04/A02 01B PA4-E07/E06 PA4-C13/B08 02A PA4-D02/D04 PA4-C03/A01 02B PA5-D07/D05 PA5-C14/A04 03A KT1-B01/C03 KT1-D02/B01 03B BS1-F08/B04 BS1-D17/C19 04A PA5-E04/E05 PA5-A02/A03 04B PA6-C07/C05 PA6-C15/B11 05A BS1-C01/D02 BS1-D03/C03 05B KT1-G08/E07 KT1-D16/C13 06A KT1-C03/B05 KT1-B01/C18 06B BS1-B04*D02+CH BS1-C19*C03+CH 07A QU1-D01*D02-BS1 QU1-D04*C03-BS1 07A %K %K 08A PA3-C02/C03 PA3-C02/B01 08A PA7-B07/B06 PA7-C16/C17 09A PA6-F02/F04 PA6-C05/B05 09A BS2-C08/A06 BS2-D20/D24 10A KT2-G01/F03 KT2-D07/B04 10B QU1-D08/D07 QU1-D19/C14 11A PA1-A02/A04 PA1-D28/D26 11B KT2-B08/C06 KT2-D21/B10 12A PA2-B02/B04 PA2-C01/C19 12B PA6-C05*D04-PA4 PA6-B11*A01-PA4 13A PA3-C03*D04-PA6 PA3-B01*A01-PA6 13B BS2-A06/B07 BS2-D24/C16 14A KT1-B05/D06 KT1-C18/B09 14B PA3-F07/F05 PA3-C12/B06 15A PA1-A04/A05 PA1-D26/D25 15B KT1-E07/C08 KT1-C13/D20 16A KT1-D06*B07-BS2 KT1-B09*C16 16B QU1-D07*B07-KT1 QU1-C14*C16-KT1 17A PA1-A05/A06 PA1-D25/D24 17B QU1-B07/F07 QU1-C16/C12 18A BS2-F01/B05 BS2-D06/C18 18B KT1-C08/E07 KT1-D20/C13 19A %K %K 19B PA1-H07/H06 PA1-D14/D13 20A RO2-F01/C01 RO2-D06/D03 20B RO1-F08/C08 RO1-D17/D20 21A RO2-C01/C02 RO2-D03/C02 21B QU1-F07/E08 QU1-C12/D18 22A RO1-A01/C01 RO1-D01/D03 22B RO2-A08/B08 RO2-D22/D21 23A QU1-D02/E03 QU1-C03/B03 23B RO1-B08/C07 RO1-D21/D20 24A RO2-C02/C03 RO2-C02/B01 24B QU1-E08/D07 QU1-D18/C14 25A RO1-C01/C02 RO1-D03/C02 25B KI-G08/F08 KI-D16/D17 26A QU1-E03/C01 QU1-B03/D03 26B RO1-B07/C08 RO1-C16/C15 27A BS2-B05/A04 BS2-C18/D26 27B PA7-B06/B05 PA7-C17/C18 28A BS2-A04*B05-PA7 BS2-D26*C18-PA7 28B KI-F08/E08 KI-D17/D18 29A BS2-B05/A04 BS2-C18/D26 29B KI-E08/D08 KI-D18/D19 30A PA8-H02/H04 PA8-D09/D11 30B -----------++RS -----------++RS 31A -----------++WN -----------++WN ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Position of the MPs/mps after move 30A listed above:- |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$08 | | | B-RO2 | B-KI | | | | | :B |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$07 | B-PA8 | | B-RO1 | B-QU1 | B-KT1 | | B-PA2 | | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$06 | A-PA1 | | B-KT2 | | B-PA4 | | | B-PA1 | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$05 | | | | B-PA5 | A-PA5 | B-PA3 | | | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$04 | A-BS2 | A-PA2 | | A-PA3 | | A-PA6 | | A-PA8 | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$03 | | | A-RO2 | | | A-KT2 | | | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$02 | | | A-RO1 | | | | A-PA7 | | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$01 | | | A-QU1 | | | | A-KI | | :A |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| F$A F$B F$C F$D F$E F$F F$G F$H //04 Sample game-04:- set-up the board and play through the moves as shown below:- Chesmayne Chesmayne XY axis Notation XY axis Notation :A :A :B :B Alekhine Alekhine Emanuel Lasker Emanuel Lasker Game-04 Game-04 Game-04 Game-04 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 01A PA4-D02/D04 PA4-C03/A01 01B PA5-D07/D05 PA5-C14/A04 02A PA3-C02/C04 PA3-C02/B12 02B PA4-E07/E06 PA4-C13/B08 03A KT1-B01/C03 KT1-D02/B01 03B KT1-G08/F06 KT1-D16/B07 04A KT2-G01/F03 KT2-D07/B04 04B BS1-F08/E07 BS1-D17/C13 05A BS1-C01/G05 BS1-D03/C09 05B KT2-B08/D07 KT2-D21/C14 06A PA5-E02/E03 PA5-C04/B03 06B %K %K 07A RO1-A01/C01 RO1-D01/D03 07B PA6-C07/C06 PA6-C15/B10 08A BS2-F01/D03 BS2-D06/B02 08B PA5-D05*C04-PA3 PA5-A04*B12 09A BS2-D03*C04-PA5 BS2-B02*B12-PA5 09B KT1-F06/D05 KT1-B07/A04 10A BS1-G05*E07-BS1 BS1-C09*C13-BS1 10B QU1-D08*E07-BS1 QU1-D19*C13-BS1 11A KT1-C03/E04 KT1-B01/A02 11B KT1-D05/F06 KT1-A04/B07 12A KT1-E04/G03 KT1-A02/C07 12B PA4-E06/E05 PA4-B08/A03 13A %K %K 13B PA4-E05*D04-PA4 PA4-A03*A01-PA4 14A KT1-G03/F05 KT1-C07/B06 14B QU1-E07/D08 QU1-C13/D19 15A KT2-F03*D04-PA4 KT2-B04*A01-PA4 15B KT2-D07/E05 KT2-C14/A03 16A BS2-C04/B03 BS2-B12/C20 16B BS2-C08*F05-KT1 BS2-D20*B06-KT1 17A KT2-D04*F05-BS2 KT2-A01*B06-BS2 17B QU1-D08/B06 QU1-D19/C17 18A QU1-D01/D06 QU1-D04/B09 18B KT2-E05/D07 KT2-A03/C14 19A RO2-F01/D01 RO2-D06/D04 19B RO2-A08/D08 RO2-D22/D19 20A QU1-D06/G03 QU1-B09/C07 20B PA2-G07/G06 PA2-C11/C10 21A QU1-G03/G05 QU1-C07/C09 21B KI-G08/H08 KI-D16/D15 22A KT2-F05/D06 KT2-B06/B09 22B KI-H08/G07 KI-D15/C11 23A PA5-E03/E04 PA5-B03/A02 23B KT1-F06/G08 KT1-B07/D16 24A RO2-D01/D03 RO2-D04/B02 24B PA3-F07/F06 PA3-C12/B07 25A KT2-D06/F05+CH KT2-B09/B06+CH 25B KI-G07/H08 KI-C11/D15 26A QU1-G05*G06-PA2 QU1-C09*C10-PA2 26B -----------++RS -----------++RS 27A -----------++WN -----------++WN ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Position of the MPs/mps after move 26A listed above:- |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$08 | | | | B-RO2 | | B-RO1 | B-KT1 | B-KI | :B |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$07 | B-PA8 | B-PA7 | | B-KT2 | | | | B-PA1 | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$06 | | B-QU1 | B-PA6 | | | B-PA3 | A-QU1 | | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$05 | | | | | | A-KT2 | | | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$04 | | | | | A-PA5 | | | | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$03 | | A-BS2 | | A-RO2 | | | | | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$02 | A-PA1 | A-PA2 | | | | A-PA6 | A-PA7 | A-PA8 | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$01 | | | A-RO1 | | | | A-KI | | :A |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| F$A F$B F$C F$D F$E F$F F$G F$H //05 Sample game-05:- set-up the board and play through the moves as shown below:- Chesmayne Chesmayne XY axis Notation XY axis Notation :A :A :B :B Alekhine Alekhine Samuel Reshevsky Samuel Reshevsky Game-05 Game-05 Game-05 Game-05 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 01A PA5-E02/E04 PA5-C04/A02 01B KT1-G08/F06 KT1-D16/B07 02A PA5-E04/E05 PA5-A02/A03 02B KT1-F06/D05 KT1-B07/A04 03A KT2-G01/F03 KT2-D07/B04 03B PA5-D07/D06 PA5-C14/B09 04A PA4-D02/D04 PA4-C03/A01 04B BS2-C08/G04 BS2-D20/C08 05A PA3-C02/C04 PA3-C02/B12 05B KT1-D05/B06 KT1-A04/C17 06A BS2-F01/E02 BS2-D06/C04 06B PA5-D06*E05-PA5 PA5-B09*A03-PA5 07A KT2-F03*E05-PA5 KT2-B04*A03-PA5 07B BS2-G04*E02-BS2 BS2-C08*C04-BS2 08A QU1-D01*E02-BS2 QU1-D04*C04-BS2 08B QU1-D08*D04-PA4 QU1-D19*A01-PA4 09A %K %K 09B KT2-B08/D07 KT2-D21/C14 10A KT2-E05*D07-KT2 KT2-A03*C14-KT2 10B KT1-B06*D07-KT2 KT1-C17*C14-KT2 11A KT1-B01/C03 KT1-D02/B01 11B PA6-C07/C06 PA6-C15/B10 12A BS1-C01/E03 BS1-D03/B03 12B QU1-D04/E05 QU1-A01/A03 13A RO1-A01/D01 RO1-D01/D04 13B PA4-E07/E06 PA4-C13/B08 14A QU1-E02/F03 QU1-C04/B04 14B %Q %Q 15A BS1-E03*A07-PA8 BS1-B03*D23-PA8 15B QU1-E05/A05 QU1-A03/D25 16A BS1-A07/D04 BS1-D23/A01 16B QU1-A05/F05 QU1-D25/B06 17A QU1-F03/G03 QU1-B04/C07 17B PA4-E06/E05 PA4-B08/A03 18A BS1-D04/E03 BS1-A01/B03 18B BS1-F08/B04 BS1-D17/C19 19A KT1-C03/A04 KT1-B01/D26 19B BS1-B04/A05 BS1-C19/D25 20A PA6-F02/F04 PA6-C05/B05 20B BS1-A05/C07 BS1-D25/C15 21A PA2-B02/B03 PA2-C01/C20 21B PA3-F07/F06 PA3-C12/B07 22A PA6-F04*E05-PA4 PA6-B05*A03-PA4 22B QU1-F05/E06 QU1-B06/B08 23A PA8-H02/H03 PA8-D09/D10 23B RO1-H08/G08 RO1-D15/D16 24A BS1-E03/D04 BS1-B03/A01 24B KT1-D07*E05-PA6 KT1-C14*A03-PA6 25A QU1-G03/C03 QU1-C07/B01 25B KT1-E05/D07 KT1-A03/C14 26A PA3-C04/C05 PA3-B12/B11 26B RO1-G08/E08 RO1-D16/D18 27A PA2-B03/B04 PA2-C20/C19 27B KT1-D07/B08 KT1-C14/D21 28A KT1-A04/B06+CH KT1-D26/C17+CH 28B BS1-C07*B06-KT1 BS1-C15*C17-KT1 29A PA3-C05*B06-BS1 PA3-B11*C17-BS1 29B QU1-E06*A02-PA1 QU1-B08*D28-PA1 30A QU1-C03/G03 QU1-B01/C07 30B R02-D08/D07 RO2-D19/C14 31A BS1-D04/C05 BS1-A01/B11 31B QU1-A02/F07 QU1-D28/C12 32A RO1-D01/A01 RO1-D04/D01 32B QU1-F07/G06 QU1-C12/C10 33A QU1-G03/H02 QU1-C07/D09 33B RO1-E08/E05 RO1-D18/A03 34A RO1-A01/A08 RO1-D01/D22 34B RO2-D07/D02 RO2-C14/C03 35A RO1-A08*B08-KT1+ RO1-D22*D21-KT1+ 35B KI-C08*B08-RO1 KI-D20*D21-RO1 36A QU1-H02*E05-RO1+ QU1-D09*A03-RO1+ 36B PA3-F06*E05-QU1 PA3-B08*A03-QU1 37A RO2-F01/F08+CH RO2-D06/D17+CH 37B -----------++RS -----------++RS 38A -----------++WN -----------++WN Position of the MPs/mps after move 37A listed above:- |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$08 | | B-KI | | | | A-RO2 | | | :B |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$07 | | B-PA7 | | | | | B-PA2 | B-PA1 | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$06 | | A-PA3 | B-PA6 | | | | B-QU1 | | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$05 | | | A-BS1 | | B-PA3 | | | | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$04 | | A-PA2 | | | | | | | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$03 | | | | | | | | A-PA8 | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$02 | | | | B-RO2 | | | A-PA7 | | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$01 | | | | | | | A-KI | | :A |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| F$A F$B F$C F$D F$E F$F F$G F$H //06 Sample game-06:- set-up the board and play through the moves as shown below:- Chesmayne Chesmayne XY axis Notation XY axis Notation :A :A :B :B Alekhine Alekhine Geza Maroczy Geza Maroczy Game-06 Game-06 Game-06 Game-06 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 01A PA4-D02/D04 PA4-C03/A01 01B PA5-D07/D05 PA5-C14/A04 02A KT2-G01/F03 KT2-D07/B04 02B KT1-G08/F06 KT1-D16/B07 03A PA3-C02/C04 PA3-C02/B12 03B PA4-E07/E06 PA4-C13/B08 04A BS1-C01/G05 BS1-D03/C09 04B KT2-B08/D07 KT2-D21/C14 05A PA5-E02/E03 PA5-C04/B03 05B PA1-H07/H06 PA1-D14/D13 06A BS1-G05/H04 BS1-C09/D11 06B BS1-F08/E07 BS1-D17/C13 07A KT1-B01/C03 KT1-D02/B01 07B %K %K 08A RO1-A01/C01 RO1-D01/D03 08B PA6-C07/C06 PA6-C15/B10 09A BS2-F01/D03 BS2-D06/D02 09B PA8-A07/A06 PA8-D23/D24 10A %K %K 10B PA5-D05*C04-PA3 PA5-A04*B12-PA3 11A BS2-D03*C04-PA5 BS2-B02*B12-PA5 11B PA6-C06/C05 PA6-B10/B11 12A PA1-A02/A04 PA1-D28/D26 12B QU1-D08/A05 QU1-D19/D25 13A QU1-D01/E02 QU1-D04/C04 13B PA6-C05*D04-PA4 PA6-B11*A01-PA4 14A PA5-E03*D04-PA6 PA5-B03*A01-PA6 14B KT2-D07/B06 KT2-C14/C17 15A BS1-C04/D03 BS1-B12/B02 15B BS1-C08/D07 BS1-D20/C14 16A KT2-F03/E05 KT2-B04/A03 16B RO1-F08/D08 RO1-D17/D19 17A PA6-F02/F04 PA6-C05/B05 17B BS2-D07/E08 BS2-C14/D18 18A KT2-E05/G04 KT2-A03/C08 18B RO1-D08*D04-PA5 RO1-D19*A01-PA5 19A BS1-H04*F06-KT1 BS1-D11*B07-KT1 19B BS1-E07*F06-BS1 BS1-C13*B07-BS1 20A KT2-G04*F06-BS1+ KT2-C08*B07-BS1+ 20B PA2-G07*F06-KT2 PA2-C11*B07-KT2 21A KT1-C03/E04 KT1-B01/A02 21B RO2-A08/D08 RO2-D22/D19 22A KT1-E04*F06-PA2+ KT1-A02*B07-PA2+ 22B KI-G08/F08 KI-D16/D17 23A KT1-F06/H07+CH KT1-B07/D14+CH 23B KI-F08/E07 KI-D17/C13 24A PA6-F04/F05 PA6-B05/B06 24B RO2-D08/D06 RO2-D19/B09 25A PA2-B02/B04 PA2-C01/C19 25B QU1-A05*B04-PA2 QU1-D25*C19-PA2 26A QU1-E02/E05 QU1-C04/A03 26B KT2-B06/D07 KT2-C17/C14 27A QU1-E05/H08 QU1-A03/D15 27B RO1-D04*D03-BS2 RO1-A01*B02-BS2 28A PA6-F05/F06+CH PA6-B06/B07+CH 28B -----------++RS -----------++RS 29A -----------++WN -----------++WN ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Position of the MPs/mps after move 28A shown above:- |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$08 | | | | | B-BS2 | | | A-QU1 | :B |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$07 | | B-PA7 | | B-KT2 | B-KI | B-PA3 | | A-KT1 | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$06 | B-PA8 | | | B-RO2 | B-PA4 | A-PA6 | | B-PA1 | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$05 | | | | | | | | | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$04 | A-PA1 | B-QU1 | | | | | | | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$03 | | | | B-RO1 | | | | | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$02 | | | | | | | A-PA7 | A-PA8 | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$01 | | | A-RO1 | | | A-RO2 | A-KI | | :A |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| F$A F$B F$C F$D F$E F$F F$G F$H //07 Sample game-07:- set-up the board and play through the moves as shown below:- Chesmayne Chesmayne XY axis Notation XY axis Notation :A :A :B :B Alekhine Alekhine Salo Flohr Salo Flohr Game-07 Game-07 Game-07 Game-07 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 01A PA4-D02/D04 PA4-C03/A01 01B PA5-D07/D05 PA5-C14/A04 02A PA3-C02/C04 PA3-C02/B12 02B PA5-D05*C04-PA3 PA5-A04*B12-PA3 03A KT2-G01/F03 KT2-D07/B04 03B KT1-G08/F06 KT1-D16/B07 04A PA5-E02/E03 PA5-C04/B03 04B PA4-E07/E06 PA4-C13/B08 05A BS2-F01*C04-PA5 BS2-D06*B12-PA5 05B PA6-C07/C05 PA6-C15/B11 06A %K %K 06B KT2-B08/C06 KT2-D21/B10 07A QU1-D01/E02 QU1-D04/C04 07B PA8-A07/A06 PA8-D23/D24 08A RO2-F01/D01 RO2-D06/D04 08B PA7-B07/B05 PA7-C16/C18 09A PA4-D04*C05-PA6 PA4-A01*B11-PA6 09B QU1-D08/C07 QU1-D19/C15 10A BS2-C04/D03 BS2-B12/B02 10B BS1-F08*C05-PA4 BS1-D17*B11-PA4 11A PA1-A02/A04 PA1-D28/D26 11B PA7-B05/B04 PA7-C18/C19 12A KT1-B01/D02 KT1-D02/C03 12B %K %K 13A KT1-D02/B03 KT1-C03/C20 13B BS1-C05/E07 BS1-B11/C13 14A PA5-E03/E04 PA5-B03/A02 14B KT1-F06/D07 KT1-B07/C14 15A BS1-C01/E03 BS1-D03/B03 15B KT1-D07/E05 KT1-C14/A03 16A KT2-F03*E05-KT1 KT2-B04*A03-KT1 16B KT2-C06*E05-KT2 KT2-B10*A03-KT2 17A RO1-A01/C01 RO1-D01/D03 17B QU1-C07/B08 QU1-C15/D21 18A BS1-E03/C05 BS1-B03/B11 18B BS1-E07*C05-BS1 BS1-C13*B11-BS1 19A KT1-B03*C05-BS1 KT1-C20*B11-BS1 19B QU1-B08/B06 QU1-D21/C17 20A QU1-E02/H05 QU1-C04/D12 20B KT2-E05/D07 KT2-A03/C14 21A BS2-D03/E02 BS2-B02/C04 21B PA2-G07/G06 PA2-C11/C10 22A QU1-H05/G05 QU1-D12/C09 22B KT2-D07*C05-KT1 KT2-C14*B11-KT1 23A RO1-C01*C05-KT2 RO1-D03*B11-KT2 23B PA8-A06/A05 PA8-D24/D25 24A PA8-H02/H04 PA8-D09/D11 24B BS2-C08/A06 BS2-D20/D24 25A BS2-E02/F03 BS2-C04/B04 25B PA3-F07/F06 PA3-C12/B07 26A QU1-G05/E03 QU1-C09/B03 26B RO2-A08/D08 RO2-D22/D19 27A RO2-D01*D08-RO2 RO2-D04/D19 27B RO1-F08*D08-RO2 RO1-D17*D19-RO2 28A PA5-E04/E05 PA5-A02/A03 28B PA3-E06/E05 PA3-B07/B06 29A RO1-C05/C08 RO1-B11/D20 29B -----------++RS -----------++RS 30A -----------++WN -----------++WN ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Position of the MPs/mps after move 29A shown above:- |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$08 | | | A-RO1 | B-RO1 | | | B-KI | | :B |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$07 | | | | | | | | B-PA1 | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$06 | B-BS2 | B-QU1 | | | B-PA4 | | B-PA2 | | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$05 | B-PA8 | | | | A-PA5 | B-PA3 | | | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$04 | A-PA1 | B-PA7 | | | | | | A-PA8 | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$03 | | | | | A-QU1 | A-BS2 | | | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$02 | | A-PA2 | | | | A-PA6 | A-PA7 | | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$01 | | | | | | | A-KI | | :A |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| F$A F$B F$C F$D F$E F$F F$G F$H //08 Sample game-08:- set-up the board and play through the moves as shown below:- Chesmayne Chesmayne XY axis Notation XY axis Notation :A :A :B :B Alekhine Alekhine Paul Keres Paul Keres Game-08 Game-08 Game-08 Game-08 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 01A KT2-G01/F03 KT2-D07/B04 01B KT1-G08/F06 KT1-D16/B07 02A PA3-C02/C04 PA3-C02/B12 02B PA7-B07/B06 PA7-C16/C17 03A PA4-D02/D04 PA4-C03/A01 03B BS2-C08/B07 BS2-D20/C16 04A PA7-G02/G03 PA7-C06/C07 04B PA4-E07/E06 PA4-C13/B08 05A BS2-F01/G02 BS2-D06/C06 05B BS1-F08/E07 BS1-D17/C13 06A %K %K 06B %K %K 07A PA2-B02/B03 PA2-C01/C20 07B PA5-D07/D05 PA5-C14/A04 08A KT2-F03/E05 KT2-B04/A03 08B PA6-C07/C06 PA6-C15/B10 09A BS1-C01/B02 BS1-D03/C01 09B KT2-B08/D07 KT2-D21/C14 10A KT1-B01/D02 KT1-D02/C03 10B RO2-A08/C08 RO2-D22/D20 11A RO1-A01/C01 RO1-D01/D03 11B PA6-C06/C05 PA6-B10/B11 12A PA5-E02/E03 PA5-C04/B03 12B RO2-C08/C07 RO2-D20/C15 13A QU1-D01/E02 QU1-D04/C04 13B QU1-D08/A08 QU1-D19/D22 14A PA3-C04*D05-PA5 PA3-B12*A04-PA5 14B KT1-F06*D05-PA3 KT1-B07*A04-PA3 15A PA5-E03/E04 PA5-B03/A02 15B KT1-D05/F06 KT1-A04/B07 16A PA2-B03/B04 PA2-C20/C19 16B RO1-F08/C08 RO1-D17/D20 17A PA4-D04*C05-PA6 PA4-A01*B11-PA6 17B PA7-B06*C05-PA4 PA7-C17*B11-PA4 18A PA2-B03/B04 PA2-C19/C18 18B PA8-A07/A06 PA8-D23/D24 19A PA1-A02/A04 PA1-D28/D26 19B PA8-A06*B05-PA2 PA8-D24*C18-PA2 20A PA1-A04*B05-PA8 PA1-D26*C18-PA8 20B QU1-A08/A02 QU1-D22/D28 21A KT2-E05/C04 KT2-A03/B12 21B QU1-A02/A08 QU1-D28/D22 22A BS1-B02*F06-KT1 BS1-C01*B07-KT1 22B PA2-G07*F06-BS1 PA2-C11/*B07-BS1 23A PA1-B05/B06 PA1-C18/C17 23B RO2-C07/C06 RO2-C15/B10 24A PA5-E04/E05 PA5-A02/A03 24B RO2-C06*B06-PA1 RO2-B10*C17-PA1 25A KT2-C04*B06-RO2 KT2-B12*C17-RO2 25B KT2-D07*B06-KT2 KT2-C14*C17-KT2 26A BS2-G02*B07-BS2 BS2-C06*C16-BS2 26B QU1-A08*B07-BS2 QU1-D22*C16-BS2 27A PA5-E05*F06-PA2 PA5-A03*B07-PA2 27B BS1-E07*F06-PA5 BS1-C13*B07-PA5 28A KT1-D02/E04 KT1-C03/A02 28B BS1-F06/E07 BS1-B07/C13 29A QU1-E02/G04+CH QU1-C04/C08+CH 29B KI-G08/H08 KI-D16/D15 30A QU1-G04/F04 QU1-C08/B05 30B BS1-E07/F08 BS1-C13/D17 31A KT1-E04*C05-PA7 KT1-A02*B11-PA7 31B QU1-B07/C07 QU1-C16/C15 32A KT1-C05*E06-PA4 KT1-B1*B08-PA4 32B QU1-C07*F04-QU1 QU1-C15*B05-QU1 33A KT1-E06*F04-QU1 KT1-B08*B05-QU1 33B -----------++RS -----------++RS 34A -----------++WN -----------++WN ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Position of the MPs/mps after move 33A listed above:- |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$08 | | | B-RO1 | | | B-BS1 | | B-KI | :B |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$07 | | | | | | B-PA3 | | B-PA1 | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$06 | | B-KT1 | | | | | | | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$05 | | | | | | | | | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$04 | | | | | | A-KT1 | | | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$03 | | | | | | | A-PA7 | | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$02 | | | | | | A-PA6 | | A-PA8 | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$01 | | | A-RO1 | | | A-RO2 | A-KI | | :A |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| F$A F$B F$C F$D F$E F$F F$G F$H //09 Sample game-09:- set-up the board and play through the moves as shown below:- Chesmayne Chesmayne XY axis Notation XY axis Notation :A :A :B :B Alekhine Alekhine Max Euwe Max Euwe Game-09 Game-09 Game-09 Game-09 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 01A PA4-D02/D04 PA4-C03/A01 01B KT1-G08/F06 KT1-D16/B07 02A PA3-C02/C04 PA4-C02/B12 02B PA2-G07/G06 PA2-C11/C10 03A KT1-B01/C03 KT1-D02/B01 03B PA5-D07/D05 PA5-C14/A04 04A QU1-D01/B03 QU1-D04/C20 04B PA5-D05*C04-PA3 PA5-A04*B12-PA3 05A QU1-B03*C04-PA5 QU1-C20*B12-PA5 05B BS1-F08/G07 BS1-D17/C11 06A BS1-C01/F04 BS1-D03/B05 06B PA6-C07/C06 PA6-C15/B10 07A RO1-A01/D01 RO1-D01/D04 07B QU1-D08/A05 QU1-D19/D25 08A BS1-F04/D02 BS1-B05/C03 08B PA7-B07/B05 PA7-C16/C18 09A QU1-C04/B03 QU1-B12/C20 09B PA7-B05/B04 PA7-C18/C19 10A KT1-C03/A04 KT1-B01/D26 10B KT2-B08/A06 KT2-D21/D24 11A PA5-E02/E03 PA5-C04/B03 11B BS2-C08/E06 BS2-D20/B08 12A QU1-B03/C02 QU1-C20/C02 12B %K %K 13A PA2-B02/B03 PA2-C01/C20 13B RO2-A08/B08 RO2-D22/D21 14A BS2-F01/D03 BS2-D06/B02 14B RO1-F08/C08 RO1-D17/D20 15A KT2-G01/E02 KT2-D07/C04 15B PA6-C06/C05 PA6-B10/B11 16A BS2-D03*A06-KT2 BS2-B02*D24-KT2 16B QU1-A05*A06-BS2 QU1-D25*D24-BS2 17A KT1-A04*C05-PA6 KT1-D26*B11-PA6 17B QU1-A06/B05 QU1-D24/C18 18A KT2-E02/F04 KT2-C04/B05 18B BS2-E06/G04 BS2-B08/C08 19A PA6-F02/F03 PA6-C05/B04 19B PA4-E07/E05 PA4-C13/A03 20A KT2-F04/D03 KT2-B05/B02 20B PA4-E05*D04-PA4 PA4-A03*A01-PA4 21A PA6-F03*G04-BS2 PA6-B04*C08-BS2 21B PA4-D04*E03-PA5 PA4-A01*B03-PA5 22A BS1-D02*E03-PA4 BS1-C03*B03-PA4 22B KT1-F06*G04-PA6 KT1-B07*C08-PA6 23A BS1-E03/F04 BS1-B03/B05 23B BS1-G07/C03+CH BS1-C11/B01+CH 24A RO1-D01/D02 RO1-D04/C03 24B RO1-C08*C05-KT1 RO1-D20*B11-KT1 25A KT2-D03*C05-RO1 KT2-B02*B11-RO1 25B QU1-B05*C05-KT2 QU1-C18*B11-KT2 26A BS1-F04*B08-RO2 BS1-B05*D21-RO2 26B QU1-C05/E07+CH QU1-B11/C13+CH 27A KI-E01/D01 KI-D05/D04 27B KT1-G04/E03+CH KT1-C08/B03+CH 28A KI-D01/C01 KI-D04/D03 28B KT1-E03*C02-QU1 KT1-B03*C02-QU1 29A RO1-D02*C02-KT1 RO1-C03*C02-KT1 29B PA1-H07/H05 PA1-D14/D12 30A RO2-H-1/D01 RO2-D08/D04 30B BS1-C03/G07 BS1-B01/C11 31A PA8-H02/H03 PA8-D09/D10 31B PA8-A07/A05 PA8-D23/D25 32A BS1-B08/F04 BS1-D21/B05 32B QU1-E07/E04 QU1-C13/A02 33A BS1-F04/C07 BS1-B05/C15 33B QU1-E04/E03+CH QU1-A02/B03+CH 34A KI-C01/B01 KI-D03/D02 34B PA8-A05/A04 PA8-D25/D26 35A PA2-B03*A04-PA8 PA2-C20*D26-PA8 35B PA7-B04/B03 PA7-C19/C20 36A PA1-A02*B03-PA7 PA1-D28*C20-PA7 36B QU1-E03*B03-PA1+ QU1-B03*C20-PA1+ 37A KI-B01/C01 KI-D02/D03 37B BS1-G07/H06+CH BS1-C11/D13+CH 38A RO2-D01/D02 RO2-D04/C03 38B QU1-B03*A04-PA2 QU1-C20*D26-PA2 39A BS1-C07/E05 BS1-C15/A03 39B KI-G08/H07 KI-D16/D14 40A BS1-E05/C03 BS1-A03/B01 40B QU1-A04/B05 QU1-D26/C18 41A BS1-C03/D04 BS1-B01/A01 41B QU1-B05/E02 QU1-C18/C04 42A PA7-G02/G04 PA7-C06/C08 42B QU1-E02/E01+CH QU1-C04/D05+CH 43A KI-C01/B02 KI-D03/C01 43B BS1-H06*D02-RO2 BS1-D13*C03-RO2 44A RO1-C02/C08 RO1-C02/D20 44B BS1-D02/C01+CH BS1-C03/D03+CH 45A -----------++RS -----------++RS 45B -----------++WN -----------++WN ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Position of the MPs/mps after move 44B shown above:- |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$08 | | | A-RO1 | | | | | | :B |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$07 | | | | | | B-PA3 | | B-KI | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$06 | | | | | | | B-PA2 | | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$05 | | | | | | | | B-PA1 | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$04 | | | | A-BS1 | | | A-PA7 | | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$03 | | | | | | | | A-PA8 | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$02 | | A-KI | | | | | | | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$01 | | | B-BS1 | | B-QU1 | | | | :A |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| F$A F$B F$C F$D F$E F$F F$G F$H //ALEKHINE'S DEFENCE :A :A :B :B XY axis Chesmayne XY axis Chesmayne Notation Notation -------------------------------------------------------------------- 01A PA5-E02/E04 PA5-C04/A02 01B KT1-G08/F06 KT1-D16/B07 -------------------------------------------------------------------- The position below shows the state of play after move 01A. |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$08 | B-RO2 | B-KT2 | B-BS2 | B-QU1 | B-KI | B-BS1 | | B-RO1 | :B |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$07 | B-PA8 | B-PA7 | B-PA6 | | B-PA4 | B-PA3 | B-PA2 | B-PA1 | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$06 | | | | | | B-KT1 | | | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$05 | | | | B-PA5 | | | | | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$04 | | | | | A-PA5 | | | | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$03 | | | A-KT1 | | | | | | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$02 | A-PA1 | A-PA2 | A-PA3 | A-PA4 | | A-PA6 | A-PA7 | A-PA8 | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$01 | A-RO1 | | A-BS1 | A-QU1 | A-KI | A-BS2 | A-KT2 | A-RO2 | :A |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| F$A F$B F$C F$D F$E F$F F$G F$H Like the KIs Fianchetto :&D, it aims to tempt the :A mps forward onto cells where they will be liable to counter attack by :B. A suggested move is as follows:- -------------------------------------------------------------------- 02A KT1-B01/C03 KT1-D02/B01 02B PA5-D07/D05 PA5-C14/A04 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Set-up the board and play the move as shown above. //ALEMBIC Chesmayne:- anything that transforms, purifies, or refines. //ALERT 01 Vigilantly attentive - an alert mind - moving with celerity - nimble - an attitude of vigliance or caution - on the alert - to prepare troops for action. Alert, vigilant, watchful, imply a wide-awake attitude, as of someone keenly aware of the surroundings. Alert describes a ready and prompt attentiveness together with a quick intelligence. 02 Vigilant suggests some immediate necessity for keen, active observation, and for continuing alertness. Watchful suggests carefulness and preparedness. Brish, lively, quick, active. //ALEXANDER CONEL HUGH O'DONEL 1909-1974 22:8 Born in Cork, Ireland. Cryptanalyst and one of the three men who cracked the German Enigma code. After the 2nd World War he worked in Cheltenham on intelligence work. Due to the sensitive nature of his work he was not allowed to play in the eastern bloc countries. //ALEXANDRIAN 01 Erudite and critical rather than original or creative. Zolism:- carping, destructive criticism. 02 Alexander the Great, 356-323 BC. He became a figure of legend in the Greek tradition, traveled `beyond the known world', became son of Nectanebo (the last Pharaoh of Egypt), met the QU of the Amazons and visited the legendary QU Candace of Meroe, walked through the land of perpetual darkness in search of the `Water of Life', descended to the depths of the sea in a diving-bell and ascended to heaven in a basket borne by an eagle. The Greeks saw him as a sage and seeker of universal knowledge. 03 Alexandria:- founded by Alexander the Great in 332 BC. A mole connected it to the island of Pharos and the lighthouse. At one time the centre of the world's intellectual life with a university, museum and library. //AL-FIL 01 See Shatranj. The Fil, Aufin or Alfin (the Leaper). See `Fil'. 02 Al-, is the Arabic prefix which means `the.' Astronomy: Al-nitak (means `the belt.'), and Al-nilam (means `belt of pearls'). These are names used to refer to the stars in the belt of Orion. See `Orion'. //ALFONSO THE WISE 22:9 The first European work on chess was supervised by KI Alfonso the Wise in the late 13th century. 1221-1284. Commissioned a manuscript on chess in the 13th century comprising 98 pages. KI of Castile and Leon. It discusses 103 chess (European and Arabic) and 14 fairy chess problems, great-chess, must-capture-chess, the Fer's leap and the PAs double move, :dm. //ALFORJA 14:8 15:19 Two mps either side of a knight - `the double saddlebag.' //ALFRESCO To play outdoors - in the open air - in the cool. //ALGEBRA 21:1 01 The mathematical art of reasoning about quantitative relations by means of a systematized notation including letters and other symbols - any special system of notation adapted to the study of a special system of relationships - `al jebr' bone-setting, hence algebraic reintegration. 02 Algol: an internationally accepted autocode in which computer programmes are written, in algebraic notation following the rules of Boolean algebra. 03 Omar Khayyam: 1048-1122, Persian poet, mathematician and astronomer. He completed a seminal work on algebra. //ALGEBRAIC NOTATION, STANDARD NOTATION, CO-ORDINATE NOTATION See `Notation'. In Chesmayne the following notations may be used:- 01 The traditional algebraic notation (on :L01 only). 02 The Chesmayne XY notation. 03 The Chesmayne notation. In the traditional algebraic notation the cells are lettered a to h (lower case) along the F$ and from 1 to 8 along the R$. 01 In the Chesmayne XY notation the letters and numbers are capitalised. 02 A to H along the F$ and 1 to 8 along the R$ (:L01). 03 Chesmayne symbols are used to describe the movement of a MP/mp ie:- * = capture. / (the moving process, no capture). %K, %Q. # (sharp symbol, promotion). PA1 to PA8 for the pawns. GU1 to GU8 for the Vanguards etc. The Chesmayne notation has its own system for numbering and lettering the cells on a board. See `Notation' for more details of this system. It is a method of recording the moves using letters for the MPs/mps and a grid reference for their positions on the board. Symbols used in the Traditional Algebraic Notation:- 01 x Bxh7 BS captures the MP/mp on square h7. 02 + Re6+ RO moves to e6 and places the KI in +CH. 03 ++ Re6++ RO moves to e6 and ++CM the KI. 04 0-0 Kingside castling, %K. 05 0-0-0 Queenside castling, %Q. 06 ! Re2! RO makes a good move to e2. 07 ? Nf5? KT makes a bad move to f5. 08 = Position is equal. Neither player has an advantage. 09 (Q) h8(Q) PA reaches R$08 and is promoted to a QU. 10 (N) e8(N) PA reaches R$08 and is promoted to a KT. The traditional algebraic notation records moves by using letters, numbers and symbols. Each MP/mp is referred to by its initial, except for the KT which is indicated by the letter `N'. No letter (initial) is used to indicate PAs. A move is indicated using the initial of the MP and the grid reference of the cell it moves to ie:- Nh4 means the KT moves to cell h4. Be4 means the BS moves to cell e4. For a PA, only the grid reference of its new position is given ie:- f4 means a PA moves to f4. At times it is not clear which MP moves so in this case both the initial and file letter of the MP are given ie: the move Ne5 could be made by KT1 or KT2. Nce5 indicates that the move is made by the KT on the F$C. The moves are usually numbered and :A (White's) move is always given first. When a PA captures, only its file is written ie:- bxc4 means that the PA on the F$B captures the MP/mp on cell c5. //ALGORISM 01 The Arabic system of arithmetical notation (with the figures 1, 2, 3 etc). The art of computation with the Arabic figures, one to nine, plus the zero. //AL-ADLI 22:10 Arabic chess player of the ninth century (author of a book describing :&Os, :EGs and `chess problems', :cp). //ALGORITHM Any systematic procedure for solving a particular mathematical problem. A rule for solving a mathematical problem in a finite number of steps and derived from the name of an Arabian mathematician. See Computer section for an in-depth discussion. Algorithm: any systematic procedure for solving a particlar mathematical problem. Al Khwarizmi the native of Khwarizm Khiva:- (Abu Fa`far Mohammed ibn Musa, 9th century Arab mathematician, author of a famous treatise on algebra translated into medieval latin). An algorithm is a method that is guaranteed to produce an answer to a Chesmayne problem and although an algorithm will not always be efficeint, they always work. You make use of algorithms whenever you play Chesmayne. For well defined problems, we are often defeated in our efforts to find an algorithm because the problem is so enormous. Chesmayne is a good example of a problem that is too vast to permit the discovery of an algorithm. Starting from a conventional opening position, the estimate is that a Chesmayne D-array (8 x 8 board, :L01), has 10(40) continuations of games. If you had a computer capable of evaluating each game at the rate of three per micromillisecond, examining all the possibilities would still take the computer 10(23) centuries. The moral - don't hold your breath waiting for computers to discover the Chesmayne algorithm. An algorithm is written which enables the program to generate a significant portion of a problem's branches. The program then compares some or all of these branches systematically, evaluating each branch against some criteria that have been stored as part of the program. In the computer section several of the programs that use some variation of the strategy outlined here and how they are used to solve the problems are discussed. //ALICE CHESS Invented by Vernon Rylands Parton 1897-1974. It was named after the character in Lewis Carroll's `Through The Looking Glass.' Two boards and one set of traditional MPs/mps are used. The game commences with all the MPs/mps on board-01 but when a MP/mp is moved it is transferred to the corresponding cell on board-02. The cells of arrival on board-02 must be unoccupied. A move need only to be legal on board-01. Captures can only occur on board-01. +CH can only occur on board-02. In an illustration by Tenniel to Lewis Caroll's Through the Looking-Glass and what Alice Found There, Alice (A-QU2) is shown as a promoted A-QU2 with A-QU1 and the B-QU1. C.L. Dodgson, an Oxford mathematician was the pseudonym of Lewis Carroll. Alice schemes, projects and ideas are unreal, impractical and only exist in the realm of fantasy. Carroll also invented baffling puzzles and brain-teasers. The puzzles range from children's riddles to more abstruse logic problems. The conundrums were used by Carroll to test the wits of colleagues, undergraduates and friends such as Alice Liddell, at whose request he wrote Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. His puzzles contain the humour and whimsy so typical of Dodgson who wanted children and students to catch on and laugh with him and by trying to make mathematics fun and enjoyable, was way ahead of his time. To entertain children, he invented a game called Doublets. The object was to link two words through a chain of other words, changing one letter each step of the way. The person who uses the smaller number of links is the winner. The problem is posed in the form of a sentence such as "make (flour) into (bread). The solutin is five steps, suns flour-floor-flood-blood-brood-broad- bread. Other doublets set by Carroll are "prove (pity) to be (good), evolve ((man) from (ape) and turn (witch) into (fairy). The Alice books did not just come to Dodgson/Carroll out of the blue. Wit and invention ran through everything that Carroll did, including mathematics. He had an unusual combination of deep mathematical ability with the genius that led him to write of Alice's Adventures. He died in 1898. //ALIPED 14:9 Latin:- having winged feet - the knights of Chesmayne. //ALIQUANT 15:20 Contained in a group but not dividing it evenly ie:- 3 PAs and 5 GUs make a total of 8 mps. 3 PAs is an aliquant part of 8 mps. See `Aliquot.' //ALLAN-A-DALE mp-2 or mp-7 on an 8 x 8 board (:L01). 15:21 01 The mp in front of a knight ie:- :L01. 02 In Englsih balladry:- a youth, befriended by Robin Hood, who kept his sweetheart from wedding an aged knight and took her for his own bride. //ALIQUOT 15:22 Forming an exact proper divisor ie:- 2 PAs are an aliquot of 8 mps. See `Aliquant.' //ALLEGIANCE The obligation of a subject or citizen to a sovreign or government - duty owed to a sovreign or state - faithfullness to any person or thing. //ALLEGORY 16:12 01 Figurative treatment of one subject under the guise of another - a presentation of an abstract or spiritual meaning under concrete or material forms - a story about Chesmayne whose aim is something else. A symbolic narrative - an emblem - to understand in an allegorical sense - interpret allegorically. 02 A political allegory by Thomas Middleton was performed at the Globe theatre in 1624 (`A Game At Chess'). Originally the Roman deification of virtues such as equity, hope, courage and many others, the term in the singular (allegory) came to refer to the expression of truths about the human experience by means of symbolic or mythic narrative. The device is also traditionally used by authors who wish to make political points without getting their throats cut. Metaphors, similes. Allegory is an attempt to manipulate symbolic modes of expression. Symbols erupt spontaneously from the unconscious, while allegories are man-made substitues. Symbolism is the language of nature speaking to man. Chesmayne is partly a political essay dressed up in the language of chess, but also partly a fairy-tale of the human predicament. George Orwell's Animal farm used the indirect device of an allegorical fable to lampoon the former Soviet Union's political establishment during the Cold War. 03 Commentaries on the Quran which give deeper allegorical and mystical insights are known as `tawil' and were influenced by Jewish `midrash' precedents which used the method of parable as well as exegesis to bring out the meaning and intention of the text. These have included `Ocean of Knowledge', The Comprehensive Explanation of Koranic Exegesis by al-Tabari, The Light of Revelation and the Secrets of Interpretation by al-Baydawi. //ALLEN GEORGE 1808-1876. His chess library was acquired by the Library Company of Philadelphia. //ALLGAIER JOHANN BAPTIST 22:11 1763-1823. Wrote `Theoretisch-Praktische Anweisung Zum Schachspiele. This was the first systematic treatise in German containing advice, :&Os, :&Vs, detailed annotations and a preference for a KIs-side (:ks) majority of mps and was regarded as the best treatise/textbook of its time. In the 1811 edition the :&Os were produced in tabular form which has since become the usual way of presenting the moves of a game. Please see examples in the text which demonstrate this method of presenting the moves of a Chesmayne game. //ALLIES Ie:- a game of Chesmayne played by four players - 2 for :A and 2 for :B. A, B, C, D. //ALL-PLAY-ALL-AMERICAN TOURNAMENT American term: each player plays against every other player at least once. If they meet twice it is known as a `double-round'. If more than twice it is known as a `double-round tournament.' The benefit of this method is that a player is not eliminated after losing a single game. This sort of tournament is exactly what it says: everybody in the tournament plays everyone else. There could be as few as four players in the tournament or as many as, well, everyone in your Chesmayne club. //ALL-STAR 01 Chesmayne:- having all or many of the parts played by stars - of a theatre production or the like. 02 Many of the Chesmayne GUs are named after stars. //ALMA MATER 17:13 One's school, college, or university. Latin:- foster mother - Chesmayne. //ALPHA 21:3 (Symbol, :A) 01 The :A MPs/mps in a Chesmayne game (light MPs/mps). 02 The first letter in the Greek alphabet corresponding the the letter `A'. 03 A star, usually the brightest in a constellation. 04 Alphanumeric:- a set of characters conveying information using both letters and numbers (see notation). 05 Aleph (ox in Greek). 06 Aleph-hind (Indian ox). 07 Alpha and Omega:- beginning and end Rev: 1:8. //ALPHA-BET 21:4 01 First elements, simplest rudiments (alpha plus beta) - any system of characters or signs for representing ideas. See notation. The basic units of the universe. Simple rows of letters can be arranged in different combinations. Alpha and Omega juxtaposed represent the cycle of time where the beginning meets the end, like the serpent (Ouroboros), a symbol of the All ie: God. Words are the intermediate between the life of the mind and material substance, relating idea to object. Words symbolize the creative force of consciousness. 02 In the Kabbalah the ways of wisdom were identified with the letters of the alphabet and linked the numbers of the Sephiroth. Jot and Tittle: Yod is the smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet and iota is the smallest in the Greek. 03 The Sinaitic script:- the oldest alphabetical writing. 04 Mount Sinai:- the mountain, of uncertain identity, from which the law was given to Moses, Exodus 19. 05 Michelangelo said beofore he died `I regret that I die as I am beginning to understand the alphabet of my profession'. 06 In China the carp is reputed to swallow letters and symbolizes secret correspondence. 07 Kubla Khan (China) introduced the Mongolian alphabetic script during his reign (1215-94) and was the grandson of Genghis Khan. 08 Ogma (Irish): warrior of the Tuatha de Danaan and credited with inventing the ogham alphabet which the Irish used in inscriptions, but not for writing. The duridic prohibition of writing down knowledge persisted until very late in Ireland's history. 09 Evelyn Wood 1909-1995 was the inventor of speed-reading. Speeds range from 1,500 to 6,000 words per minute. Such people read down the page rather than from left to right and read groups of words or complete thoughts rather than one word at a time and avoid involuntary rereading of material. They are encouraged to use a hand or finger sweeping down the page, pacing the eyes at ever-increasing speeds. One student absorbed a textbook at the rate of 14,000 words a minute. Evelyn Wood had a rate of 2,700. Another group read George Orwell's `Animal Farm' in 25 minutes. Her technique was comprehension by accumulation. Speed is not most important, but only through speed do you get good comprehension. 10 Cadmus:- Greek mythology: introduced the alphabet into Greece. The 16 simple letters which he introduced. 11 Peru:- the language of the Aymara Indians is regarded by some specialists as the oldest in the world. Hebrew alphabet: Name: Symbol: Value: ------------------------------- 01 Aleph. ox/bull 1 02 Beth. house 2 03 Gimel camel 3 04 Daleth. doorway 4 05 Heh. window 5 06 Vau. nail 6 07 Zain. sword 7 08 Cheth. enclosure 8 09 Teth. serpent 9 10 Yod. creative hand 10 11 Kaph. palm of hand 20 12 Lamed. an ox goad 30 13 Mem. water 40 14 Nun. fish 50 15 Samekh. a prop 60 16 Ain. shape of eye 70 omicron and `O'. 17 Peh. mouth 80 18 Tzaddi. fish hook 90 19 Qoph. back of head 100 20 Resh. face 200 21 Shin. tooth 300 22 Tau. cross 400 ------------------------------- //ALPHA-EVAL-BETA-EVAL An evaluation of the :A or :B position. //ALPHEUS (XB, `blue' blocked cell) 01 A `blue' blocked cell (XB). 02 Greek mythology:- a river god, son of Oceanus and Tethys, who fell in love with the nymph Arethusa and, when she became a spring to escape him, changed into a river and mingled with her. //ALQUERQUE Chesmayne:- a game played on a grid instead of a board of cells. See Chinese chess. //ALSO-RAN A contestant who wins no prize during a contest (2nd-place). //ALTER IDEM 15:23 01 Mps:- another exactly similar. 02 In Chesmayne the mps are individually numbered ie:- PA1, PA2, PA3. GU1, GU2, GU3 etc. //ALTIS The sacred precinct of Zeus at Olympia and connected with an arched passage with the stadium, where the games were held. //ALTRUISM-ALTRUIST-ALTRUISTIC 16:13 Regardful of others - having regard to the well-being or best interests of others (opposed to egoistic). //ALUMBRADO Spanish:- enlightened, illuminated - a perfectionist. //ALVEOLATE-ALVEOLUS 3:1 A cell - a little cavity, pit, cell of a honeycomb. //AMALGAM 15:24 Mps:- a mixture or combination ie, PAs and GUs in the initial position (ISP). //AMARANTH 15:25 21:5 01 Mp:- Poetic:- a flower that never fades - unfading - everlasting. Symbolising:- the constancy of true love. Pliny: the name of some real or imaginary fadeless flower. The flowers of the amaranth retain their deep blood-red colour to the last. The most well known species are `Love lies bleeding' and `Prince's feather'. Mentioned by Woodsworth (Loves Lies Bleeding), Milton (Paradise Lost, III, 353), and Spenser (Faerie QU, III, vi, 45). QU Christina of Sweden (1653) instituted the order of `Knights of the Amaranth.' They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old. Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning. We will remember them. 02 Rosary:- a chain or string of beads, seeds or flowers. 03 Matthew 6:28, Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin. //AMARYLLIS 20:14 Princess:- in classical and pastoral poetry: a shepherdess or country girl. //AMATEUR One who cultivates the study of Chesmayne for personal pleasure instead of professionally or for gain - dilettante - tiro - novice - amator = lover. A player who does not make a living by playing chess. The World Champion, Euwe was an amateur. //AMATI 01 The mp in front of QU1 (mp-4, :L01). Amative:- loving, amorous. 02 A family of violin makers of Cremona, Italy, who flourished in the 16th and 17th centuries. Nicolo Amati:- 1596-1684, teacher of Antonio Stradivari. //AMAUROSIS SCACHISTICA Chess blindness. The characteristic symptom is making obvious blunders. This term was coined by Tarrasch in his book Die Moderne Schachpartie and described it under various headings:- 01 Chronic 02 Acute and 03 Ridiclous //AMAZON 01 Used in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries as a substitute for QU1. This MP has the moving ability of the RO, BS and KT combined (combined piece). 02 A race of female warriors dwelling beyond the river Thermodon in scythia. They were said to have built the original Temple of Artemis at Ephesus. 03 Antiope was QU of the Amazons. Amphion and Zethus were her sons (RO1 and RO2). 04 Amazon is Greek and means `without breast'. In Africa girls had their right breast burnt off, so that they might better draw a bow. //AMBASSADOR //13:4 Vaunt Courier:- a diplomatic agent of the highest rank, sent by one sovereign state to another either as resident representative - an authorized messenger or representative. //AMBIDEXTERITY Unusual cleverness. //AMBIENCE Environment, surrounding atmosphere - the mood, character, quality etc, as on a particular level of Chesmayne. //AMBIT Board:- the boundary, limit, sphere, scope, extent, circumference. //AMBIVALENCE Inability to make up one's mind - uncertainity or ambiguity. //AMBO 13:43 The home cells of the BSs (8 x 8 board, :L01, $C01 and $F01). //AMBOIS KIs castled position on the KIs side (:ks) of the board. %K. //AMBROSIA-AMBROSIAL 16:14 20:15 01 Greek:- food of the gods in heaven. Ambrotos: immortal - anything imparting the sense of divinity, as poetic inspiration, music, Chesmayne. 02 Mohini (India):- the flask of ambrosia. Elixir of Life (granted extended life and even, possibly, immortality). //AMBRY A chest, cupboard for the MPs/mps. A folding chessboard. //AMBS-ACE 15:26 01 Mp:- the smallest move or distance (one cell). 02 MP:- the smallest move or distance (dependent on MP). //AMBUSH 01 Chesmayne:- a position in which a vector MP controls a F$, R$ or D$ if a mp or MP of either side is moved out of its way. 02 The term `Battery' (:by) is used if the two MPs involved belong to one side. //AMELIORATE-AMELIORATION 16:15 To make better, improve, meliorate - the resulting state - something which is improved. //AMEN-AMON-AMEN-RA 19:6 01 KI:- Egypt: `the one who hides his name.' 02 Ammon:- classical name of the Egyptian divinity Amen, whom the Greeks identified with Zeus, the Romans with Jupiter. From the Middle Kingdom onwards the supreme deity in Ancient Egyptian religion, and as royal patron was given the qualities o f the sun god Re, as the god Amun-Re. He was associated with the ram and goose, and was often depicted as a man wearing a tall plumed head-dress. 03 Amen:- `may it be so', `so be it,' - literally: firm, established. Used of Jesus in Revelation and starting his sentences with it instead of ending it as `verily.....'. 04 Om mani padme hum:- `Omm, the jewel, is in the lotus. Amen' - mystic formula of the Tibetans and Buddhists. //AMENDE HONORABLE To beg pardon of God, the KI and the court. A full and public apology. //AMICUS CURIAE 17:14 Latin:- friend of the court. A person who volunteers advice on some matter pending before it. //AMORETTO 15:27 01 The mp in front of the QU, PS - a little cupid - love. 02 Amoret:- Spencer's Faerie QU: a type of female loveliness, young, gay, witty and good, soft as a rose, sweet as a violet, chaste as a lily, gentle as a dove, loving everybody and by all beloved. 03 Love personified. //AMOUR-PROPRE French:- self-esteem - self-respect. //AMOVE ++RS: to remove - to remove from office - move away. //AMPERSAND 21:6 01 Symbol:- the name of the character `&' - contraction of `and per se-and' - `per se'. 02 Latin:- by or in itself - intrinically. 03 Used in Chesmayne to indicate an :&O, :&D, &V or :&G etc. See notation symbols. //AMPHION - RO1 and RO2 18:1 20:16 01 The ROs. 02 Greek mythology:- the son of Antiope by Zeus, twin brother of Zethus, and husband of Niobe, who with his brother fortified Thebes with a wall, charming the stones into place by his lyre. 03 RO1 = Amphion. RO2 = Zethus. 04 Amphion learnt music from Hermes and added three more strings to his lyre making a total of seven. //AMPHITHEATRE A place for public contests or games - an arena - the Chesmayne board. //AMPHITRITE 01 The blue blocked cells (XB). 02 Greek mythology:- the goddess of the sea, daughter of Nereus and wife of Poseidon. Theseus was entertained at Amphitrite's court among the Nereids and was given a wreath of roses. //AMPHITRYON The :A player in a game of Chesmayne:- a host - an entertainer. //AMRITA 16:16 21:7 01 Chesmayne:- the Chesmayne MPs/mps as immortal symbols. 02 Hindu mythology:- the ambrosial drink, elixir of immortality - the immortality conferrd by it. Ambrosia. Water of Life. Described as the drink of the gods when they churned the sea of milk. The sacred Soma juice. //AMUCK-AMOK To play and capture MPs/mps wildly - to rush about in a murderous frenzy. //AMUSE 01 To hold the attention agreeably, entertain, divert. To cause time, leisure etc to pass agreeably. To engross, to puzzle - occupy with trifles, divert. To amuse, divert, entertain mean to occupy the attention with something pleasant. That which amuses dispels the tedium of idleness or pleases the fancy. Amusement: the state of being amused - enjoyment - pastime - entertainment - a mechanical entertainment - recreation, frolic, pleasure, merriment, diversion game. Amusing: pleasantly enteraining or diverting - delighting the fancy. Amusing, comical, droll describe that which causes mirth. That which is amusing is quietly humorous or funny in a gentle, good-humoured way. 02 Divert implies turning the attention from serious thoughts or pursuits to something light, amusing, or lively. 03 That which entertains usually does so because of a plan or programme which engages and holds the attention by being pleasing and sometimes instructive. 04 That which is comical causes laughter by being incongruous, witty, or ludicrous. 05 Droll adds to comical the idea of strange or peciular, and sometimes that of waggish humour or clowning. //ANABASIS 15:28 To march from the edge of the board to the interior/middle. A military expedition. //ANABIOSIS 01 To promote a mp for a MP that has already been captured. A bringing back or returning to consciousness - reanimation (after apparent death) - revival. 02 A promoted PA becomes KT3 in a game of Chesmayne (not KT1 or KT2). See `Anagamin.' //ANABRANCH Any of the blocked blue (XB) cells. //ANADEM 15:29 01 Promotion of a mp. 02 Poetic:- a garland or wreath for the head. //ANADROMOUS 15:30 A mp on the way to being promoted - `running up.' //ANAGAMIN 01 A `non-returner'. 02 If during a game of Chesmayne KT1 is captured, KT1 is not allowed to be reinstated if a mp is promoted to a new KT. Instead KT3 is placed on the board. See`Anabiosis.' //ANAGLYPH The Chesmayne MPs/mps executed in low relief, as a cameo or an embossed chess MP/mp- wrought in low relief. The traditional Chinese chess MPs/mps and draughts/checkers are produced in this way. //ANAGRAM ie, `Amor' and `Roma' etc. Interchangeable words. //ANALYSIS-ANALSYSE-ANALYST 01 To resolve into elements or constituent parts - determine the elements or essential features of - to examine critically, so as to bring out the essential elements or give the essence (of a game). 02 Analysis:- opposed to synthesis. This process as a method of studying the nature of a position or of determining its essential features. To examine the variations that may arise from the present position on the board. 02 Analyst:- a person who analyses a game, usually the :&O or :EG. //ANAND VISWANATHAN (star-sign:- Sagittarius) Indian GM. See Kasparov versus Anand (1995 World Championship) for a list of the 18 games played between these two players. Also known as `Vishy.' //ANANTHOUS 15:31 A level of Chesmayne without mps - without flowers. //ANASTASIA'S CHECKMATE (symbol, ++ACM) A ++CM taken from a novel by Wilhelm Heinse. //ANCHOR RING-TORUS A board in which the cells are placed on a cylindrical surface. On an array such as this there are no edges. Each R$, F$, D$ and B$ are continuous. //ANCIENNCE NOBLESSE The ancient nobility:- KI, QU, RO, BS, KT and PA. A former system of government. //ANCIEN REGIME 01 The old rules of traditional occidental chess. 02 Ancient:- dating from a remote period - of great age - very old - venerable. Ancient, antiquated, antique, old-fashioned refer to something dating from the past - an ancient custom. 03 Antiquated connotes something too old or no longer useful. 04 Antique suggests a curious or pleasing quality in something old. 05 Old-fashioned may disparage something as being out of date or may approve something old as being superior. //ANCIENT 14:10 01 Standard Bearer (SB) - the bearer of a flag. A banner, or standard - an ensign. 02 `Ancient of Days':- picture by William Blake which he used as an illustration to his poem `Europe'. The Image was inspired by a vision which he said hovered over his head. //ANDERSSEN ADOLF 22:12 1818-1879. Famous for playing two games: `The Evergreen Game' and `The Immortal Game'. See chapter on `Notation' for these games. //ANDROCLES 15:32 20:17 01 A mp ushered forward to promotion by the KI. Roman legend:- a slave spared in the arena by a lion from whose foot he had years before extracted a thorn. 02 Bible:- Daniel in the lion's den. //ANDROMEDA (Princess) Below is given a list of objects which you may view with a pair of binoculars or a telescope in this constellation. Please use a star-chart (which may be found in any of the monthly astronomy magazines) or a set of good maps to locate the objects listed below. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01 She was the beautiful daughter (Princess) of Cassiopeia who was chained to a rock and offered to the sea monster. The constellation is in the shape of a `V'. Her head is marked by Alpheratz (see `Pegasus'), which means `The Navel of the Horse'. Alpheratz is also known as Sirrah (Arabic: `Al Surrat al Faras' which means `The Navel of the Horse'). In one arm of the `V' are the stars Mirach (lions) and Almak `Weasel' (Andromeda's foot). Just above Alpheratz is Groombridge-34. This pair of stars are our 16th nearest neighbours. Nearby is M31, the Great Andromeda Galaxy. This can be seen on a dark night with the unaided eye! It is a giant spiral galaxy at a distance of 2+ million ly. Nearby are M32 and NGC-205. It is composed of several hundred billion suns. Andromeda is a member of our Local Group of 20+ galaxies. Galaxies come in the following shapes:- Elliptical, Lenticular (lens-shaped), Spiral, Barred-Spiral and Irregular. `p' is sometimes added to indicate `peciular'. Nearby Mirach is the spiral M33 which is known as the `Pinwheel' (it is in fact in Triangulum). Andromeda and the Monster has a similar ring to the story of George and the Dragon. The heroine is Andromeda, daughter of KI Cepheus of Ethoopia and his vain wife QU Cassiopeia whose boasting knew no bounds. QU Cassiopeia claimed that she was more lovely even than the Nereids (an alluring group of sea nymphs). KI Cepheus appealed to the Oracle of Ammon for an answer and was informed that he must sacrifice his virgin daughter to appease the sea monster (Cetus). QU Cassiopeia watched from the shore with remorse as her daughter was tied to a rock on the wave-lashed cliffs, pale with terror and crying pitifully at her impending doom. Perseus was passing, fresh from his exploit of beheading Medusa the Gorgon monster. His heart was all aflutter at the sight of the frail Andromeda in distress. At first sight Perseus thought she was a marble statue, but when the wind ruffled her hair and he saw the warm tears on her cheeks, he realised she was human. Perseus asked Andromeda her name but she did not reply as she awaited the slavering jaws of Cetus. Finally, she told Perseus her story but broke off with a screech as she saw the monster breasting the waves as it approached her. Perseus swooped down, killed Cetus, released Andromeda to the applause of the watching crowd and claimed her for his bride. Athene placed Andromeda between Perseus and her mother Cassiopeia. Now the constellation of Pisces (Fishes), separates her from the Sea Monster (Cetus) in our night sky in rememberance of this epic story. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 02 Andromeda is the 19th largest constellation in our sky. Any decent tour of the night sky includes M31, our neighbouring galaxy. It can be seen with the naked eye from a dark site. It becomes obvious in a pair of binoculars as an oval shaped fuzzy patch of light. It is the most distant object that is visible to the unaided eye at 2.2 million ly. Through my 16-inch Newtonian the dust lanes of Andromeda become visible. The center of the galaxy appears as a bright condensed core. The entire field of view is filled with the diffuse glow from the spiral arms of the galaxy. Two other galaxies are nearby (M32 and NGC-205). These are in fact companion galaxies to M31. Both are elliptical galaxies. NGC-205 measures 17m x 10m. Nearby is is the lenticular galaxy NGC-404 (+12). Gamma Andromedae is a fine double-star. NGC-891 is seen edge-on and my 16-inch reveals the dust lane bisecting the nucleus. It measures 12m x 1m and appears like a thin pencil line. NGC-752 is an easy open cluster. 70 stars of this cluster can be seen with a pair of binoculars which measures about half a degree in size. NGC-7662 is a good planetary nebula (+8). You will need high magnification to see it. The smudge of light at Andromeda's knee is M31. In a dark sky the disk of M31 extends as far as 5 degrees across the field of view as a milky glow. Many are impressed with this galaxies magnificent presence in an ultra-wide eyepiece. NGC-205 is sometimes referred to as M110 (Messier missed this one!). It is necessary to nudge your telescope slightly away from M31 in order to see NGC-205 in all its splendour without the interfeering light of M31 getting in the way. M31 is a mighty assemblage of a few hundred billion stars. It is one third larger than the Milky Way. Its tremendous distance reduces M31 to a soft naked eye glow in our skies. In 1924 Edwin Hubble made the announcement that M31 was not a nearby cloud of interstellar gas but a distant galaxy in its own right - an island universe! Before this time astronomers believed this object to be a single star in the process of forming its own solar system. M31 was first mentioned by Al-Sufi in 964 AD. Charles Messier numbered it 31 on his list of annoying comet-lookalikes in the 18th century. Under dark skies it looks like a gray, oval patch of light to the unaided eye. Patient observers will note that the northwest side has a sharp edge. The southeast side fades into the sky background. M110 is difficult to see in binoculars, so you may have to resort to a telescope. M33 in Triangulum and M74 in Pisces are not far away from Andromeda. Andromeda consists of a line of +2 stars extending from Alpheratz (Alpha) to Almach (Gamma). -------------------------------------------------------------------------- //ANECDOTE 01 A short narrative of a particular incident or occurence in a game (:gm) of an interesting nature. 02 Greek `anekodota':- things unpublished. //ANFRACTUOSITY Chesmayne:- full of windings and turnings, sinuous, circutous - see labryinth. Intricate. //ANGEL 13:5 A backer of a play, campaign, actor etc. A messenger - the Vaunt Courier. Hark the Herald! Their depiction in religious painting far outweighs their recorded presence in either Old and New Testament stories. Even clerics concede that beauty is a surer magnet to the impoverished eye than textual accuracy. Belief in angels provides an acceptable alternative to either theological commitment or corn circles and aliens in UFOs, whose innocence and messenger role mirror and mimmick that of angels. However, extra-terrestrials of the angelic kind score over the UFO variety both historically and aesthetically. Since the time of Botticelli angels and music have been inseparable. The truth is that humans need angels and always have. These winged go-betweens have their origin much earlier than Christian art. Winged figures have been found in pottery in Ur, and in an Egyptian tomb a winged Isis appears. Poetically, `the Sons of God.' Sometimes they appear as protectors and on occasion in human form. The phrase `Angel of the Lord' means a direct visitation of God to a human being (divine communication). Angels of the churches (may be human beings - BSs of the churches). Guardian angels. Apostle: literally, `like an angel, a messenger', `the deliverer of a message', `an ambassador', `a delegate', `one commissioned.' Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones, Dominions, Virtues, Powers, Principalities, Archangels and angels (Ephesians 1:21 and Colossians 1:16). The seven holy angels:- Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Chamuel, Jophiel and Zadkiel. 69% of Americans believe in angels. Many claim to have seen one! A glossy magazine on the subject of angels sells 200,000 copies per month. Plato said "God does not deal directly with men; it is by means of winged spirits that all communication of God with man is carried out." The Hebrew word for angel is `malak' which means `go-between'. In the Bible, Jacob had a dream while sleeping near the village of Beth El. He saw a ladder or stairway extending up to heaven with angels ceaselessly walking up and down it. These angels carry news of the world back to the heavenly abodes. Some angels are indistinguishable from ordinary men and women. Hence the expression `entertaining angels unawares'. In AD 478 a Syrian monk began to categorise and describe the various types of angels. Dionysis the Aeropagite split them up into nine orders in his book `Die Hierarchia Celesti'. The seraphim, cherubim and thrones do not have contact with our world at all. Angels and archangels have dealings with man. The Bible and Apocrypha mention seven angels:- Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Anael, Camael, Sachiel and Cassiel. All have the suffix `el' attached to their names. Gabriel appeared to the shepherds outside Bethlehem and to the wise men (see `Magi'). Angels are said to number millions. Guardian angels function as protectors ie, chapter 10 and 12 of Daniel mentions the archangel Michael `the great prince who has charge of your people' (the angel of the Jewish people). The Koran says that we each have four angels. Arthur Machen was the author of the `Angels of Mons'. Matthew 18:10:- "See you don't despise any of these little ones. Their angels in heaven, I tell you, are always in the presence of my Father in heaven". The Aztecs had angels, and so do American Indians, Hindus and of course Muslims, who share Christianity's top ranking angels. The Greeks were particularly keen on their messengers from the gods. Hermes was not the only one, and Nike, the winged Victory, is the classical antecedent for all those exultant Renaissance angels that continue to define our image of them now. Winged angels are largely a New Testament phenomenon. Old Testament (Judaic) angels tended to appear as ordinary mortals, without haloes or wings. The most important source of angelology is not the Bible at all but extra-Biblicial Jewish, Christian and Gnostic texts written between 200 BC and 200 AD, which present a cosmos teeming with angelic activity. They were the guardian of sacred things. Literary works inspired by angles include Dante (Catholic) and Milton (Protestant). Stories of the miraculous intervention of angels or strangers offering life-saving help and vanishing are as nebelous as UFO reports. Angels traditionally act as divine messengers and represent a higher form of consciousness emenating outside the human mind. The angel Gabriel (Strong One of God) acted as enunciator to Mary. The Kabbalah was received through angelic revelation. Koran: Gabriel, the angel of revelation, who writes down the divine decrees. Michael, the champion, who fights the battle of faith. Azrael, the angel of death and Israfel, who is commissioned to sound the trumpet of resurrection. Examples of these beings are: Uriel, Raphael, Michael and Gabriel mentioned above. Holy Guardian Angel (the Higher Self). Their function (role) is to carry out the will of God for individuals or nations. `Angel of Yahweh'. They are known as the `Heavenly Host'. They are also said to be the guardians of individuals and churches. They are created beings. Maimonides equated them with Aristotle's incorporeal intelligences. In Islamic Africa, angels are said to be created by God from pure light. In Caithness seals were believed to be fallen angels. Abaddon (Bible): Angel of the Abyss, Apollyon and meaning death, destruction or the lowest stratum of sheol. The `Host of Heaven': the angels. Japanese: `tenshi'. Hebrews 13:2, Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Abaddon: the angel of the bottomless pit (Revelation 9:11). Milton: `In all her gates Abaddon rues' (Paradise Regained, IV, 624). Gabriel (Muslim): chief of the four favoured angels and the spirit of truth. Milton mentions him as chief of the angelic guards placed over paradise. In the Talmud he is mentioned as one of the angels who buried Moses. He is said to have explained to Daniel certain visions (Daniel 8:16-26) and to have appeared to Mary (Luke 1:26). Koran: took Mohammed to heaven on Al Borak and revealed to him his `prophetic love'. Israfel: angel of music. Israfel, Gabriel and Michael warned Abraham of Sodom's destruction. William Blake's (1757-1827) pictures convey a moral purpose by the use of his own symbolic devices. In `The Good and Evil Angels' (1793), he depicts a battle between two angels which symbolize the opposing qualities of dark and light, beauty and ugliness. He is now recognized as one of the giants of the Romantic period who lived in the world of the imagination and the spirit. He claimed he was visited by angels! //ANGELS-ON-HORSEBACK 14:11 01 Having three or more knights on the board. 02 A particular vision of Zechariah was `The angels on horseback', 1:7-17. //ANGEVIN 14:12 01 The Viscount - of or from Anjou - relating to the Counts of Anjou - a member of an Angevin Royal House - the Plantagenets. 02 Plantagenet:- one of the line of English Sovereigns from Henry II to Richard III. 03 French:- sprig of broom. 04 Anjou:- former province in W France, in the Loire Valley. //ANGST A feeling or outlook of dread, fear, etc. //ANIL Indigo - deep blue:- the colour of a blue (XB) coloured cell. //ANIMADVERSION-ANIMADVERT A comment concerning a particular move - a criticism - the act or fact of criticizing - make remarks by way of criticism or censure - to take cognizance or notice - to consider - to remark. :am. //ANIMATISM 16:17 The attribution of consciousness to inanimate objects. Animism: the belief that all natural objects and the universe itself possess a soul - the belief that natural objects have souls which may exist apart from their material bodies - belief in spiritual beings or agencies. //ANKH 21:8 Symbol:- of enduring life. Egypt:- life, soul. The ankh symbol may represent a man praying (antenna). //ANISOMETRIC In reference to a Chesmayne board:- of unequal measurement ie, the Chinese chessboard, 10 x 9 cells in size. //ANLACE 15:33 19:7 01 The mp directly in front of the KI. A medieval dagger or short sword, worn in front of a person. 02 Main Gauche:- a dagger worn on the left side. Used to help ascend the circular stairways in fortifications. Stairways usually rose clockwise in order to give the advantage to the defenders (who were assumed to be right-handed). //ANNOTATE-ANNOTATION (:an) 01 To make notes about a game - comment - explaining. To comment on a move/moves of a game. They usually explain what happened during a contest and point out each error or good move as it occured in play. A precondition for victory is an error (:er) by your opponent at some juncture during a contest. 02 Annotation:- a verbal description of what occured during a game. They usually give the :&O and :&D adopted - errors (:er) - good moves (:gm), and other significant events during the contest. //ANNOTATOR'S COMMENTS To play a game of Chesmayne you need to know the main elements that make up the moves of a game. Notice that the comments are preceded by a colon (:). Some commentators comments are listed below. See `Notation' for a complete list. 01 Fork................................................. :fk 02 Pin.................................................. :pn 03 Check................................................ +CH 04 Doubled mps.......................................... :do-mps 05 Tripled mps.......................................... :tr-mps 06 Open file............................................ :of Open diagonal........................................ :od 07 Half open file....................................... :hof Half open diagonal................................... :hod 08 Skewer............................................... :sk 09 Forced sequence...................................... :fs Forced capture....................................... :fc 10 Double attack........................................ :da Masked attack........................................ :ma 11 Castling............................................. %K, %Q, %RE 12 Intermezzo........................................... :imz 13 Turning point........................................ :tp 14 Central control...................................... :cc 15 Recapture............................................ :rc 16 Bad Bishop........................................... :ba-BS 17 Threat............................................... :th Counter threat....................................... :ct 18 Locked MP............................................ :lo-MP Locked mp............................................ :lo-mp 19 Connected Rooks...................................... :co-ROs Disconnected ROs..................................... :di-ROs 20 Weakened KI-side..................................... :we-KI Weakened QU-side..................................... :we-QU 21 Expansion KI-side.................................... :ex-KI Expansion QU-side.................................... :ex-QU 22 Trapped MP........................................... :td-MP 23 Trapped mp........................................... :td-mp 24 Blockade............................................. :bl 25 Sacrifice............................................ :sac 26 Unguarded............................................ :ug 27 A dead draw.......................................... :dd (nothing that either player can do to avert a ++DR). 28 A balanced position.................................. :bp 29 A complicated position............................... :cp 30 A slight advantage................................... :sa 31 Decisive Advantage................................... :da 32 A certain win for.................................... :cw 33 A difficult position................................. :dp 34 An inaccurate move - Alpha weakens his position...... :im 35 :A strengthens his position.......................... :sp 36 A mistake............................................ :mi 37 A blunder............................................ :bl 38 A strong move........................................ :stm 39 A very strong or brilliant move.......................:vsm 40 A brilliant but unsound move........................ :bum 41 Best move............................................ :bm 42 Best move in difficult circumstances................. :bmdc 43 A safe move.......................................... :sam 44 Should press home his/her advantage.................. :pha 45 Should play for time................................. :pft //ANNOUNCED MATE 19:8 (Symbol ++CMA) 01 A claim to be able to force ++CM in a stated number of moves. 02 In Correspondence chess there is a penalty for a false claim. //ANNUIT COEPTIS 17:15 01 Latin:- `He (God) has favoured our undertakings' - motto on reverse of the great seal of the United States. 02 Adapted from Virgil, Aeneid, IX, 625. //ANOMALOUS Deviating from the common rule, type, or form. See Zugzwang (ie, PA/GU). //ANTAEUS-ANTAEAN CAPTURE 14:13 20:18 01 The capture of one knight by a different knight ie, KT2*SB2 or, SB1*PL2 etc. An Antaean capture. 02 Greek mythology:- an African giant who was invincible when in contact with the earth, but was lifted into the air and crushed by Hercules. //ANTECEDE 15:34 To go before as in order ie, MPs go before the mps. //ANTECHAMBER 1:3 01 B$B, C and D. 02 A chamber through which access is had to the principal apartment ie, B$A. //ANTEPENTULIMATE 15:35 The third from the end ie, PA3, PA6 or GU3, GU6 etc (:L01). //ANTERIOR 15:36 Situated more to the front ie, mps (opposed to posterior). //ANTHEMION 15:37 A group of differing mps. An ornament of floral forms in a flat radiating cluster, as in architectural decoration, vase painting, etc. //ANTHESIS 15:38 The expansion of the mps - the maturing phase - full bloom. //ANTI 01 A move or manoeuvre which indicates its opposite or prevention - see `Critical play.' 02 Examples, Anti-Grunfeld Variation (:&AV, Anti-Meran Gambit, :&AG. //ANTI-PAWNS Berolina's. See `German Chess'. Symbol, BE. //ANTI POSITIONAL MOVE :apm A move that is part of an incorrect plan ie, PA moves (irreversible). Such incorrect moves become obvious as the game progresses. //ANTIPODES The direct or exact opposite ie, :A and :B, XD and XL, X and Y, Ying and Yang etc. //ANTONOMASIA The identification of a MP/mp by an epithet or appealative not his/her name, as His Majesty for the KI (to call instead). The use of a personal name to denote a class of similar persons, as a Pawn or, Vanguard. //AOM 24:05 All Other Moves. Used in reference to the move of a mp. The 2nd and subsequent moves of a mp. See FMO (First Move Option). //A PIED 15:39 French:- on foot, walking (used in relation to mps). //APHORISMS 01 A terse saying embodying a general truth - a definition - a proverb - a short pithy sentence expressing a view of Chesmayne. 02 Gnomic (gnome was Greek for an aphorism, maxim or pithy, witty saying). Gnomic means either consisting of aphorisms, having the quality of an aphorism, or given to the use of aphorisms ie:- 03 A tactician knows what to do when there is something to do, but a strategist knows what to do when there is nothing to do. 04 Chess is a sea in which a gnat may drink and an elephant may bathe. Indian proverb. 05 There are many moves but only one ++CM. Soviet proverb. 06 For a game it is too serious, for seriousness too much of a game. Moses Mendelssohn. 07 GMs as well as chess computers deserve less reverence than the public accords them. Eliot Hearst, Indiana University. 08 Madness is the professional disease of genius. Hans Binder 09 What went wrong with your plan? He didn't follow it. 8 year old. 10 Like love, like music, chess has the power to make men happy. Tarrasch. 11 Variously described as a game, an art and a science, it contains elements of all three, though as everyone knows it is too serious for a game, too transient for an art, too useless for a science. 12 Art manifesting itself as a game. Great Soviet Encyclopedia. 13 Chess is a substitute for life itself. David Spanier. 14 BSs for attack, KTs for defence. Apophthegm:- a short, pithy, instructive saying - a terse remark or aphorism. Apophthegmatize:- to speak in apophthegms. //APHRODITE 20:19 Princess (PS). Greek goddess of love and beauty, identified by the Romans with Venus. Castrating his father `Ouranos' at the wish of his mother Gaia, Cronus threw the severed phallus into the sea. From the white foam thus produced arose the Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite (`Foam-Born'). Richly dressed and jewelled by the fertility divinities (Horae), seductively lovely and sweet-natured, she brought amorous chaos to Olympus. All the gods wanted her. Marrying Hephaestus, the lame ugly smith-god, she had affairs with Hermes and the war god Ares, and got all the immortals (save Artemis and Hestia) so worked up that even Zeus began chasing mortal women. Aphrodite also represented social affections. The Athenians regarded her as the senior of the fates (Moirai). Her retinue also included the three Graces, who delighted all men and aided her in her seductions. Paris awarded the Golden Apple to `the Fairest of them all', namely Aphrodite. The decision in favour of the Goddess of Love is the initial cause of the Trojan War escalating the conflict with the other goddesses involved, Hera and Athene. The apple was provided by the Goddess of Strife, Eris. Egoism is always striving to be the fairest, to possess the fairest woman, or to win the war. A golden apple is also ultimately the hero's passport to paradise, beyond the western shore. The blazing sphere of the Tree of Life also refer to the ultimate fruit of life, the golden apples of redeemed consciousness. Symbols can be compared to the apples on the tree of life, there is a plentiful crop for everyone, so you can pick or starve. The first nude female statue was Praxiteles' Aphrodite of Cnidus. Rati (India): Love - goddess of sexual passion and identified as the Aphrodite-Venus of India. Viracocha (Peru): means `Foam of the Sea'. //APLOMB Imperturbable self-possession, poise or assurance (attribute of QU1). //APOLLO 20:20 01 Prince (PR). Greek and Roman deity, the god of light, healing, music, poetry, archery, prophecy, youthful manly beauty, etc - a very beautiful young man. As god of music he was usually accompanied by the nine Muses, deities of poetic inspiration. His emblem was the Laurel. Mentioned in Shakespeare's ` A Winter Tale', IV, iii. 02 Apollo Belvedere:- a marble statue of Apollo, found 1485, and now in the Belvedere, Rome, probably a Roman copy of a Greek original. 03 Apollonian:- pertaining to the cult of Apollo, serene, stately, poised, having the properties of classical beauty. Apollo was associated with the sun in Greek myth supplanting Helios the older sun god. Other attributes, such as his bow, suggest that he was originally a storm god ie, he sends flashes of lightning for the Argonauts. This would make him a symbol of intuition as well as intellect. Like the serpent, lightning was associated with oracles and the powers of divination, indicating the sacred quality of the different functions of the mind, which are to be revered. Apollo's sister was known as Artemis. The Oracle of Apollo was renowned in Greece. He was also identified with archery - the shooter with the bowstring also plays the lyre. 04 Hyperborea (Greek):- the blessed realm governed by Apollo and located `beyond the North Wind', possibly in Britain. His temple, described by Hecateus, is Stonehenge. //APOSTIL Notation:- a marginal annotation or note. //APPELATION The name, title or designation of a Chesmayne MP/mp. //APPELLOR One who challenges - trial by combat. //APPLE OF DISCORD 20:21 :aod 01 The player having the first move (the MP/mp making this move). 02 Greek legend:- the golden apple inscribed `For the Fairest', thrown by the goddess of discord among the Greek gods and awarded by Paris to Aphrodite. The reward led to the destruction of Troy. //APPOSE 15:40 To place side by side (as PA1 GU1 etc). //APRES MOI LE DELUGE 17:1 French:- after me the deluge (attributed to Louis XV). //APROSEXIA 01 Inability to concentrate. 02 Samadhi (India):- complete concentration of the mind, deep meditation. The state of mental elevation which precedes `dhyana', silence. 03 Dhyana:- meditation, religious contemplation, complete absorption in thought, exercises in concentration, to think, reflect (this word is the origin of the Japanese word `Zen' (deep meditation). Dhyana is concentration on spiritual spheres to the exclusion of all that happens in the world around. //AQUARIUS Below is given a list of objects which you may view with a pair of binoculars or a telescope in this constellation. Please use a star-chart (which may be found in any of the monthly astronomy magazines) or a set of good maps to locate the objects listed below. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01 The Water Carrier. Corresponds to the Chinese Tiger sign. Aquarius is a large but faint constellation. It is a Y-shaped asterism. It lies at a low altitude (Ireland and England) and best seen from a dark site. Two of Messier's globular clusters are located in Aquarius. During 1996 Saturn was located in this sign. Galle discovered Neptune in Aquarius in 1864. Aquarius is often seen as Ganymede, the most beautiful youth of his day. When guarding a flock of sheep, Zeus sent Aquila, the Eagle, to abduct him. The song `Age of Aquarius is sung in the musicial `Hair'. Kalasha (India):- a vase or water-jar, symbol of Brahma, who is often seen with it and seated on a lotus. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 02 Sadalmelek is the brightest star (which means `Lucky Star of the KI'). -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 03 Just below `Skat' is NGC-7293 (a bubble of gas which is known as a planetary nebula). It measures half a degree in size. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 04 M72 and M73 are star clusters (M73 is not a true cluster as it is quite small). A large telescope will resolve stars in the outer reaches of this cluster. +9.4. M73 is one of Messier's lost objects. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 05 NGC-7009 is called the Saturn Nebula because it looks like Saturn with two ears that look like rings seen edge-on. +8.3. 25s in size. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 06 M2 is one of the most compact globular clusters with 100,000+ stars packed into an area covering 150 ly. It is 9m in size. +6 (easy), even binoculars will pull-in M2. A dark lane crosses the northeast part of this cluster. Looks like a fuzzy star in a finderscope. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 07 The famous Helix nebula NGC-7293 is 13m in size and nearly half the size of a full Moon. Seen quite readily in 80mm finder scopes. In a telescope it looks like a large smoke ring. +6. A Rich-field telescope is required to see this planeary (f/4) and a dark sky. May be seen from a dark site with 20 x 80 binoculars (use averted vision). Ranks as the closest planetary to Earth! 07A The Hubble telescope has resolved thousands of gossamer tendrils that look like tiny comets in the Helix Nebula. At 450 ly these `cometary knots' are several billion kilometres in length (a hundred times the Earth-Sun distance). The tails are 1,000 the Earth-Sun distance. The Helix Nebula itself spans 1.6 ly. The central star was 8 times larger than our Sun. As it neared the end of its life cycle it puffed off the outer layer of its atmosphere forming the ringlike structure. The nebula is 25,000 years old. It is a slow-moving, high-density gas cloud. The surface of the central star is 120,000 degrees. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 08 An unusual variable star is CY Aquarius which is one of the fastest variables in the northern hemisphere. It varies from +10.5 to +11.4 in 1.44 hours and rises from minimum to maxium in 10 minutes! It is an RR-type variable (often found in globular clusters). -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 09 NGC-7492. +11.5. 6m in size. Large fuzzy appearance. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10 NGC-7606. Barred spiral, bright nucleus, +11. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11 Zeta Aquarii. Double. 2s separation. +4.4 and +4.6. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12 R-Aquarii. Mira-type variable. Period of 386 days. It ranges from +6 down to +12. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- //AQUILA - SAGITTA Below is given a list of objects which you may view with a pair of binoculars or a telescope in these constellations. Please use a map (which may be found in any of the monthly astronomy magazines) or a set of good maps to locate the objects listed below. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01 The Eagle. This is the bird of Zeus (KI of the gods) who runs errands between heaven and earth. The Eagle sometimes served as the armour carrier of Zeus and this is shown on some maps by the arrow (Sagitta) being placed in Aquila's talons (the southern tip of the Summer Triangle). It is most easily recognised since two fainter stars lie equal distance either side of it. The Milky Way runs through this constellation. The bird was used by Zeus to carry thunderbolts around just in case he needed them, such as whenever an enemy required a lesson in discipline. The Greeks saw Aquila by the side of the KI of the gods in his long struggle with the Titans for overall control of the universe. Aquila was sent to earth to find a new cupbearer to bring them fresh nectar. This task could only be performed by the most handsome youth on Earth. Aquila delivered the Trojan prince Ganymede. The KI of the gods was so delighted that a place was reserved for the eagle amongst the stars for evermore. The Druids identify Altair with a great star-serpent called Sarph which represents the Primum Mobile (origin of all things). -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 02 Particularly interesting is the Great Rift, most noticeable in Aquila. Created by dark interstellar material blocking starlight from the far reaches of our Galaxy, they can create rather strange patterns that are easily noticed in photographs of this region. Barnard 142 and 143 are two of these dark clouds northwest of Altair. Superb area to scan with binoculars or a finderscope. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 03 Altair (the `Flying One') is the brightest star in this constellation and is 16 ly distant. Altair spins on its axis every 6.5 hours compared to 25 days for our Sun. The planet Jupiter also rotates quite rapidly (10 hours). Due to its spinning motion, Altair must be quite flattened at the poles. Its equatorial diameter is probably twice its polar diameter! The three stars Altair, Tarazed and Alshan are called the `Family of Altair.' -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 04 To either side of Altair are Tarazed and Alshain which take their names from the Persian word for `Falcon'. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 05 Van Biesbroeck's star marks the Eagle's back. It is the least brightest star known and is about the size of the earth. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 06 Four nova have been observed in Aquila (1899, 1918 and two in 1936). -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 07 Sagitta (the arrow) is just above Altair. It has four stars of +4. Satitta is sometimes identified with the arrow of Cupid. The Arrow of Sagitta is just north of Altair (M71 is nearby). -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 08 Pioneer-11 which is now 4+ billion miles from Earth (1996) will continue on its unimpeded outward-bound journey to Lambda Aqualae and arrive 40,000+ centuries from now! -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 09 NGC-6781 (planetary nebula) spans 110s, +11.8. Outer edges are sharp. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10 Eta Aquilae. Cepheid variable 5 degrees south of Altair. It varies from +3.5 to +4.4 in a period of a week. It rises from minimum in two days and spends the rest of the time declining in brightness. Easily seen with the naked eye. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11 NGC-6804. +12.2. 33s in size. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12 NGC-6751. +12.5. 20s in size. +13 central star. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13 R-Aquilae. Mira type variable. It can reach +5.5 (naked-eye visibility). It has a period of 284 days. Observe every 14 days! -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14 077178. Double. Primary +5.5, yellow. Companion 7.5, white, 89s distant. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15 Pi Aquilae. Double, both +6. Separation of 1.5s. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16 15 Aquilae. Double. +5.5 and +7.2. Separation of 38s. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17 M11, M26 (Aquila) and M71 (Sagitta) are in the vicinity. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18 M71. Look for the four main stars of Sagitta (in your finderscope). M71 is located halfway down the shaft of this arrow! -------------------------------------------------------------------------- //ARABIC 01 Spoken by 150+ million people. Two forms exist (Colloquial and Classical). It is written from left to right. 02 Many stars and Chesmayne GUs have Arabic names (see `Astronomy'). //ARABIAN CHESS See Shatranj for in-depth discussion. //ARABIAN ++CM (Symbol, ++ACM) ++CM given by a RO and KT without the aid of other mps or MPs. This can only be achieved when the KI is in a corner cell, :c$. //ARABIC NUMERALS 21:9 The characters 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 introduced into the West in the 12th century. //ARACHNE 20:22 01 The mp in front of the Lady (LA). 02 Greek mythology:- a Lydian maiden who challenged Athene to a contest in weaving, and was turned into a spider. Hence `Arachnidae' for the genus of spiders. //ARBALEST 13:6 01 The Vaunt Courier (MP). VC. 02 A powerful medieval crossbow - catapult. //ARBITER-ARBITRATRIX 01 A person empowered to decide points at issue. 02 One who has the sole or absolute power of judging or determining (Latin:- witness, Judge). 03 A referee who is familiar with the rules of Chesmayne and has the power to penalize infringements or resolve disputes. //ARBOREAL 01 Chesmayne:- pertaining to game-trees, treelike - adapted for living and moving about in trees. 02 Arboreous:- abounding in game-trees, :gt. 03 Arborescent:- treelike in size and form. 04 Arboreous:- in Chesmayne:- abounding in game-trees - pertaining to game-trees. Aborist - Arboretum - Arborescent. //ARCADES AMBO Two persons having the same tastes or habits in common. //ARCANUM 16:18 A secret, a mystery. A supposed great secret of nature which the alchemists sought to discover - a secret and powerful remedy. //ARCHAIC 01 Marked by the characteristics of an earlier period - old-fashioned. No longer used - borrowed from older usage (distinguished from obsolete). 02 Archaism:- something archaic - archaic quality or style. //ARCHBISHOP 13:7 01 Vaunt Courier:- a BS of the highest rank - high BS. VC. 02 Archbishopric:- the office of an archbishop. 03 Archiepiscopal:- of or pertaining to an archbishop or his office. 04 -archy:- word element meaning `rule', `government' as in `monarchy' etc, ie, the Archbishop of Cantebury etc. Those who inherit a responsibility to be a guardian of a faith and the repository of valued traditions. A BS appointed to have jurisdiction over other BSs. 05 Dunstan:- Abbot of Glastonbury and Archbishop of Canterbury who codified the English Coronation Rite and wrote a treatise entitled `The Philosopher's Stone.' 06 The Hebrew word translated circle (khug) means arch, sphere or globe. //ARCHDUKE 01 Austria:- a title of sovereign PRs of the former ruling house of Austria. 02 Archduchess:- a PS of the Austrian imperial family. DK. //ARCHIPELAGO 01 A Chesmayne board with many blue (XB) blockers. 02 Any large body of water with many islands. 03 Literally:- chief sea. //ARCHITECTONICS 01 The systematic arrangement of knowledge. Systemization of knowledge. 02 Mouse:- sorts and categorizes and files away for later use. They may seem like they are hoarding but, they are putting everything in order so that they will be able to explore it more carefully at a later date. 03 One can always delve deeper and deeper. Try to see the larger picture than the one staring you in the face - develop largesse of spirit. 04 Symbolizes:- scrutiny. //ARCHITRAVE 1:4 01 The blocks of cells on a Chesmayne board. B$. 02 A decorative band about a panel of any shape. //ARCHIVAL 01 Pertaining to archives or valuable records. 02 Archives:- a place where public records or other historical documents are kept. Documents or records relating to the activities of chess players. 03 Archivist:- a custodian of archives. //ARCHON 14:14 Praetorian Guard (PG) - a higher magistrate in ancient Athens - any ruler. //ARCHTYPE 15:41 A model or first form - the original pattern or model after which a thing is made ie, the mps are a model on which the PAs are based. //ARCTIC 01 Chinese chess:- the northern territory - artic regions - frigid - cold. 02 Chesmayne:- the opponent's half of the board. 03 Arctic Zone:- R$07 and R$08 on an 8 x 8 board, :L01. //ARCTURUS 13:8 15:42 01 The mp in front of the BS or VC. 02 Literally:- guard/keeper of the Bear. A star of the first magnitude in the constellation Bootes (the brightest star behind the tail of the Great Bear (Bible: Job). Bootes:- the Herdsman, Ox-driver. Bible, Job 38:- Can you guide Arcturus with his sons? It was singled out by God to Job to guide it? It travels at 260 miles a second! See `Bootes'. Arcturus is an ancient Population-02 star (about 10 billion years old) which is moving south through our Milky's Way disk of Population-01 stars at high speed toward Carina. //ARDEN 19:9 01 KIs side (:ks) of the board. :L01:- R$E, F, G and H. 02 Forest of Arden:- scene of Shakespeare's `As You Like It.' XY axis |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----| R$08 | | | | | E08 | F08 | G08 | H08 | :B |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----| R$07 | | | | | E07 | F07 | G07 | H07 | |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----| R$06 | | | | | E06 | F06 | G06 | H06 | |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----| R$05 | | | | | E05 | F05 | G05 | H05 | |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----| R$04 | | | | | E04 | F04 | G04 | H04 | |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----| R$03 | | | | | E03 | F03 | G03 | H03 | |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----| R$02 | | | | | E02 | F02 | G02 | H02 | |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----| R$01 | | | | | E01 | F01 | G01 | H01 | :A |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----| F$A F$B F$C F$D F$E F$F F$G F$H //ARENA 01 The oval space in a Roman amphitheatre for combats or other performances. 02 An enclosure for sports contests, shows, etc. 03 A field of conflict or endeavour. 04 Latin:- sandy place. 05 Arenaceous:- sandlike, sandy. Arenicolous:- inhabiting sand. //AREOCENTRIC 01 Having Mars as centre. 02 In Chesmayne this term is used to signify the warlike nature of the game. //AREOLE 3:2 An open space, :os, (cell). Not blocked. //AREOPAGUS 01 The rank on which the MPs are placed. 02 A hill in Athens, to the west of the Acropolis. Greek Historical:- the council which met on this hill, originally having wide public functions but later a purely judicial body. Any high tribunal. The Mars Hill. The supreme court of Athens before which Paul was invited to speak before interested intellectuals. 03 Areopagite:- any of the MPs placed on R$01. A member of the council of the Areopagus. Dionysius:- a member of the Areopagus converted after Paul's preaching (Acts). A French tradition has equated him with Denys, BS of Paris (3rd century), founder of the abbey that bears his name and holds the tombs of many French KIs. //ARES 20:23 Greek god of war, identified by the Romans with Mars. Clad in bronze armour and attended by his sons Phobos (Fright) and Deimos (Fear) he ranged battlefields in a swift chariot. His Roman equivalent was Mars. The name derives from the word `scream' in Greek and this word is sometimes used as a synonym for battle or war. He had an affair with Aphrodite who bore him three sons, Eros (Love), Fear and Panic (Fright). //ARETE 1:5 01 A block of cells separating an inner and an outer block ie, B$B separates B$A from B$C. 02 The sharp ridge of a mountain. //ARETHUSA 20:24 01 8 x 8 board:- a blocked cell (XB, XW, XR) on the 2nd or 7th rank. 02 Greek Mythology:- a nymph changed into a spring on the island of Ortygia, near Syracuse, Sicily, to save her from the pursuing river god, Alpheus. //ARGENT 2:3 01 The XL cells on a Chesmayne board. 02 Heraldry:- the silver or silvery white used in armorial bearings. 03 Argential:- resembling silver. Argentous:- silvery. //ARGIL 01 The :A MPs/mps. 02 Greek:- white clay. 03 Argive:- any :A MP/mp - of or pertaining to Argos - Greek. 04 Argo:- the RO - the ship in which Jason sailed in quest of the Golden Fleece. //ARGOT 01 The peciular language or jargon of Chesmayne players. 02 Argonauts:- the heroes who sailed with Jason on the ship Argo to fetch the Golden Fleece. A sailing ship on any adventurous voyage. The name of the Southern constellation (the Ship). //ARGUS (eyed) 20:25 01 An observant or vigilant player. Jealously watchful. 02 Greek Legend:- a giant with a hundred eyes, set to guard the heifer Io (Zeus' mistress). His eyes were transferred, after his death, to the peacock's tail. //ARGYLE 4:1 The diamond-shaped pattern of two or more colours as on a Chesmayne board. //ARIADNE 20:26 Greek Legend:- a daughter of Minos and Pasiphae. She gave Theseus a skein of thread whereby he escaped from the Minotaur in the labyrinth. Dionysus placed her in the sky as the constellation Corona Borealis. Her name means `all-holy.' Titian painted her discovery by Dionysus. //ARIEL 14:15 01 Any of the Chesmayne knights. 02 Shakespeare's Tempest:- a spirit of the air having magical powers. 03 Hebrew name signifying `lion of God', Isaiah 29:1-7. 04 A satellite of Uranus. //ARIES The Ram. Hamal (meaning `Ram') is the brightest star in this group. Sharatan and Mesarthim (meaning `Fat Ram') are also members. Aries is the ram of Golden Fleece fame. Corresponds to the Chinese Dragon sign. The ram with the golden fleece bore Phrixus and Helle on its back was set in the heavens as a constellation by Zeus. The equinoxes mark an important point in the Earth's orbit around our Sun. Day and night are of equal length. This point is located in the constellatin of Aries. In the Celtic zodiac they are symbolized by two inter-connected spirals. //ARISTOCRACY 01 A government or a state characterized by the rule of the `Nobility', elite, or privileged upper class. Government by the best men/women in the state. 02 Aristokratia:- rule of the best. 03 Benjamin Disraeli:- A starving population, an absentee aristocracy, and an alien Church, and in addition the weakest executive in the world. That is the Irish question? //ARISTOTELIAN One who thinks in particulars and scientific deductions as distinct from metaphysical speculation. //ARJUNA 20:27 01 The man of the match. 02 Hindu Mythology:- the chief hero of the Bhagavad-gita. //ARMADE 18:3 01 The ROs or CNs - any fleet of warships. RO1, RO2, CN1 and CN2. 02 The Spanish or Invicible Armada:- a fleet sent by Spain against England in 1588, but scattered and dispersed by storms. //ARMAGEDDON 16:19 Bible:- the place where the final battle will be fought between the forces of good and evil - probably named in reference to Megiddo, near Haifa in modern Israel, once a Canaanite fortress at which many biblical battles occured. This history seems to have commended it to St John, author of Revelation, as a useful metaphor for the site of his final visionary battle. Centuries of fundamentalist interpretation have led to the perception (by some) of Armageddon as a location in literal space-time, rather than as visionary metaphor of internal or psychological conflict of a sort that perpetually reoccurs in every human heart. //ARMIGER 14:16 01 The mp in front of a knight. 02 One entitled to armorial bearings - an armour bearer to a knight - a squire. Armorial bearings:- a coat of arms. Habergeon:- a coat of mail. //ARMS 01 Bible:- Shield, Buckler and target carried by spearmen, lancers, slingers and archers. Helmets were of leather, iron, or brass - breastplates or coats of mail were made of leather, quilted cloth, brass or iron and laced boots heavily studded with nails. 02 Armlet:- Small metal braclet worn round the upper arm by royalty. //A.R.R. 17:17 19:10 Latin:- Anno Regni Regis or Reginae:- in the year of the KIs or QUs reign. //ARRANT 14:17 Wandering (variation of errant). //ARRAY 01 See Notation for list of arrays/boards used in Chesmayne. The arrangement of mps and MPs in their initial starting positions (ISP) at the beginning of a particular level of Chesmayne. The game is annuled if the MPs/mps or matrix has been incorrectly set-up. To place in proper or desired order, as troops for battle - order, as of troops drawn up for battle. Arrayal: the act of arraying, muster. 02 Vihara (India):- originally a field for sport and now a Buddhist monastery. //AR-RAZI 22:13 Arabic chess player of the 9th century. //ARRIERE-BAN 19:11 01 A group of vassals who owe military service especially to a KI. 02 The message calling on this group for duty - the `Nobility'. //ARRIERE-PENSEE Hidden motive. //AS-SULI (also known as Azophi) 22:14 It is difficult for modern players to grasp that As-Suli's city, Baghdad, was at one time the capital of chess and capital of the world from the 9th century onwards. It was founded in 762 AD by Caliph Al-Mansour who had 100,000 men erect a circular city with a diameter of 8655 feet and encompassed by a rampart of 360 towers. By 814 AD this had grown to 40 square miles. As-Suli came from a place bordering the Caspian Sea and elevated to be the favourite of the Caliph Al-Muktafi. He fled the city on uttering an unwelcome political comment and died in Basra at the grand old age of 92 years. He was also a composer of chess ditties/puzzles and the writer of the first book on how to play Shatranj correctly and an excellent conversationalist with encyclopedic knowledge. He owned a large library, wrote historical books as well as two volumes on Shatranj. Al-Lajlaj was one of his students. //ART 01 A skill or knack, a method of doing a thing especially if it is difficult - studied action - artificiality in behaviour. `The beauty of nature exceeds all art' - G. Bredero. 02 Artful:- crafty, cunning, tricky (tricky-dicky). Skillful in adapting means to ends - ingenious. 03 Artist:- one who exhibits art in his/her work, or makes an art of his/her employment. An artist has to have lived! 04 Artist, Artisan are persons having superior skill or ability, or capable of a superior kind of workmanship. An artist is a person engaged in some type of fine art. An artisan is engaged in a manual enterprise. 05 Artiste:- an artist especially an actor, dancer, or other public performer - thespian. 06 Artistic:- aesthetically excellent or admirable - stormy, emotional, and capricious, as temperament or behaviour popularly ascribed to artists. Chess has been used by many artists in courtly, family and group portraitures and amongst these have been Lucas van Leyden, Henri Matisse and John Singer Sargent. Chess themes have also been used in abstract art, illuminated manuscripts, sculptures, mosaics, tapestries and book-plates ie, Titian's masterpiece `Rest on the Flight into Egypt', a 16th century painting, measuring 25 x 18 inches and set in an elaborate frame showing Mary cradling the baby Jesus during a rest as they flee into Egypt from KI Herod's law, with Joseph looking on (value estimated to be around five million pounds). Craft or skill. Workers in wood/carpenter (Scotland: wright), trade of Joseph and Jesus. 07 Artists must be sacrificed to their art. Like bees, they must put their lives into the sting they give. `Art' depicts the human quest for self-knowledge (knowledge of the gods) and the attempt to portray or magically control the forces that rule life. Bas-reliefs of the victories of Assyrian KIs express an urgent desire to render their local glory immortal. In Greek and Rome sculptors like Phidias moulded stone into god-shapes in which men saw themselves. For a millenium all art was controlled by the Church. Not until the Renaissance did Giotto, Masagna, Dante, Boccaccio and Aristo again dare to express the old pagan themes. Botticelli, Leonardo, Michelangelo and others drew on Classical myth and Breughel and Vermeer began to celebrate everyday life and material wealth. Caravaggio, Bernini and other baroque masters drew on it. From Dante, Chaucer and Shakespeare to Blake, Joyce and Yeats - from medieval troubadours to Berlioz and Wagner - all are one in that myth inspires them. Without myth no artist works. The art of myth is owned by nobody, but is expressed by all with heart. Education and refinement are the decoration of the soul, making a gross mind into a spiritual work of art, the highest intellectual achievement. Saraswati (India): goddess of the arts - literature, poetry, song, mucic and belles lettres (the finer or more elegant forms of literature regarded as the finest art). She is seen in paintings smiling happily, dressed in her gold-embroidered sari, holding a book, symbol of scholarship and writing, in one hand, and the vina, a stringed instrument in the other. She rides a swan, symbolizing that she is in control of her passions, which is a condition for the success of any artistic or literary endeavour. She is the goddess of speech and eloquence (polished language) and shown sitting on a lotus signifying meditation, lucidity of mind and clarity of expression or in the company of the peacock, the Indian royal bird so admired for its beauty. Her swan floats on a pond as smooth as a telescope mirror, reflecting her and signifying the serenity of mind necessary for clarity of language. She is sometimes shown with vina and hymnbook, rosary and lotus or carrying the vidya (emblem of knowledge) and a vessel of ambrosia and wears the moon in her crown. In Japan she is known as Benten. //ARTEMIS 20:28 The Princess (PS). Greek mythology:- a goddess, sister of Apollo, represented as a virgin huntress and associated with the moon, identified with Diana. Born on the isle of Delos to Zeus and Leto, twin sister of Apollo. The myth of how the hunter Actaeon spied on her as she bathed naked, and was turned into a stag torn apart by his own hounds, amplifies her nature as a virgin huntress. `Virgin' here is parthenos, `unmarried'. To sleeping Endymion she bore fifty daughters yet remained virgin. Like Athene, she sometimes wore a Gorgon-mask - turning men to stone by her gaze alone. Bubastis:- capital of Lower Egypt (named after Bast), the local cat-headed goddess. She was identified with Artemis by the Greeks. The cat was sacred to her. //ARTHUR 19:12 20:29 01 Legendary KI in ancient Britain and leader of the Knights of the Round Table. 02 Arthurian:- of or pertaining to Arthur, who, with his knights, forms the subject of a great body of medieval romantic literature. Aided by the magic of the wizard Merlin, KI Uther Pendragon assumed the appearance of KI Gorlois of Cornwall in order to seduce Ygraine, the wife of Gorlois. From this union Arthur was born and hated by his step-sister, the enchantress Morgan Le Fay. He became KI by doing what no one else could do:- pulling the sword (see `Sword') Excalibur from the stone into which Uther had plunged it as he died. Gaining the allegiance of many unruly KTs, Arthur established his court at Camelot. He married Guinevere, and set about stablising the kingdom. More KTs joined him, including Lancelot, Perceval, Galahad, Gawain and Bedivere. These were the KTs of the Round Table. The Holy Grail appeared at Camelot, leading to a great quest by all the KTs for this elusive object which led to the deaths of many KTs. Some of the KTs including Bors and Galahad came close to the Grail, but only Galahad (Lancelot's son) gained the true vision of it. Arthur was mortally wounded but three mystrious QUs came on a black barge and took him to Avalon to be healed. It is said that one day he will return when the land needs him. So he is known as `Rex Quondam Rex Futurus' (`The Once and Future KI'). The sword Excalibur derives from the Irish sword `Caliburn'. The Isle of Avalon was identified by Malory as Glastonbury (`The Isle of Glass'). Yet more likely Avalon derives from Celtic tales of the Isles of the Blest (Mag Mell, Tir nan Og, etc) mythically located in the Western ocean. 03 Semi-legendary KI of the Britons (6th century) and national hero. He may have been a war leader in the west of England called Arturus. In the Arthurian legend Locrinus (Latin) is the basis of the name of England (Welsh:- Loegres or Logres). 04 Logres:- one of the earliest names for Arthurian Britain and remains the name for the `inner' Britain as the secret heart of the land. 05 Lud (Latin):- renamed Trinovantum as Caer Lud or Caerlundein, later called London. 06 Mary, the Blessed Virgin:- England has been traditionally known as Mary's Dowry for centuries. Joseph of Arimathea founded the first Christian church at Glastonbury, a humble edifice of wattles which was dedicated to Our Lady Mary. He is supposed to have brought Mary with him to England after the death and resurrection of her son. 07 Round Table:- institution set up by Arthur at the behest of Merlin. The table seated, according to various sources, 25, 50 or 150 knights, each of whom was dedicated to the service of the Round Table code of chivalry and met twice a year to exchange news of their adventures. Esoterically it symbolizes the coming together of peers, human and otherworldly, to watch over the fortunes of humanity (Clas Myrddyn). //ARTILLERY 18:4 01 The `CNs'. CN1 and CN2. 02 Mounted guns, moveable or stationary as distinguished from small arms. 03 French:- `artillerie' implements of war/weapons. 04 Topches (Ottoman Empire):- a gunner or artilleryman. Hindi:- topci. Persian:- topchi. Turkish:- toccu. //ASCENDANT When a player's outlook is bright; `H/er star is in the ascendant'. See `Astrology'. //ASCERTAIN To find out by trial, examination, or experiment - determine. //ASCETIC 01 Arhat:- Buddhist ascetic who, having attained the highest peak of self-control, is exempt from rebirth. Higher spiritual knowledge associated with the ascetic and ritualistic way of life. Asceticism is no longer a popular word. It has a negative connotation. `Ascesis', the Greek word from which it derives, means simply `training' or `exercise'. 02 Shramana (India):- literally `one who makes an effort' and origin of the word `shaman', a seer. 03 Upanishad and Aranyakas:- `Forest Treatises' (as the ascetics taught in the forest). //ASGARD 20:30 01 8 x 8 board:- R$01, R$02 and R$07, R$08. 02 Scandanavian mythology:- the heavenly abode of the gods, connected with the earth by a rainbow bridge (Bifrost). Bifrost:- the rainbow bridge of the gods from heaven to earth. 8 x 8 board:- R$04 and 5. The Olympus of Scandinavian mythology. //ASHLAR The Chesmayne board. //ASHTAPADA (Sanskrit:- having 8 legs) Ancient Indian race game played on an 8 x 8 board with dice. The rules have been lost. The name has reference to a spider or a legendary being with eight legs. In India some chessboards still retain the crosses which are marked on cells:- these crosses are similar to the marks used in Chesmayne to indicate a blocked cell, :bc (XR, XW, XB). See `Thai' and `Burmese' chess. $A01 $D01 $E01 $H01 $A04 $D04 $E04 $H04 $A05 $D05 $E05 $H05 $A08 $D08 $E08 $H08 |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----| R$08 | X | | | X | X | | | X | |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----| R$07 | | | | | | | | | |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----| R$06 | | | | | | | | | |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----| R$05 | X | | | X | X | | | X | |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----| R$04 | X | | | X | X | | | X | |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----| R$03 | | | | | | | | | |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----| R$02 | | | | | | | | | |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----| R$01 | X | | | X | X | | | X | |-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----| F$A F$B F$C F$D F$E F$F F$G F$H //ASPERLING 22:15 17th century author of an important treatise/textbook on chess `Traite de Lausanne.' The chess :&Os were listed in an orderly manner for the first time. //ASKEW 15:43 Mps:- out of line. ASPERLING Author of `Traitte du leu royal des Echets' (17th century chess textbook). //ASPIRANT 15:44 A mp who aspires - one who seeks advancement, honours, a high position. //ASSEMBLAGE A number of persons or things assembled - an assembly. //ASSENTOR 15:45 A mp in the Initial Starting Position (ISP). //ASSIDUITY Constant or close application - diligence. //ASSIZE 01 The set of rules governing a particular level of Chesmayne ie:- :L01 (traditional chess) has its own set of rules - :L02, :L03 etc. 02 Sets of rules drawn up during the middle ages to regulate the game within a nation or region ie, A) Long Assize. B) Short Assize. C) German A. D) Lombard A. E) Spanish A. Reformers attempted to rectify flaws in Shatranj (its slow pace). One document (13th century) gave the rules of 44 variants of chess. The chequered pattern, double-move of the PA (see `Paso Doble') and the BS made their first appearance during this period. Lucena published a rule which mentioned the e.p. (`en passant') move of the PA and promotion to any of the five MPs (KI, QU, RO, BS, KT). ++BK (`bare KI') and ++ST (Stalemate) were considered a win (++WN). The KI and QU were allowed the privlege of a leaping move, :lm. //ASSOCIATION OF IDEAS The tendency of a position, thought etc, to recall others previously coexisting in consciousness with it or with positions similar to it. //AS-SULI See `Automaton.' //ASTARTE 20:31 Phoenician-Syrian mother-goddess also known as Anat the `Maiden', the `Virgin' and `Lady of the Mountain'. Despite these tender epithets Anat was warlike, potrayed with helmet, axe and spear, wading in the blood of her victims. As the Greek Astarte she was worshipped as the planet Venus, not only beautiful but dangerous, bull-horned, `mistress of horses and chariots'. //ASTERISK 21:10 Chesmayne:- the symbol for capture (*). Greek:- star. //ASTOLAT 1:6 Chesmayne:- B$A. A place in the Arthurian romances. //ASTRAEA 14:18 20:32 01 Templar/Bannerete (BA). 02 Greek mythology:- the goddess of justice - daughter of Zeus and Themis, the last of the immortals to leave mankind. //ASTROLOGY 01 The pseudo-science of the ancient world. The forerunner of the science of astronomy. Man has believed that the stars influence his destiny as long as he has been able to grasp that the heavens are the Other. The medieval gentry of England were obsessed by stargazing and the advantage it might give them against capricious Fortuna. Since Copernicus, of course, astrology has grown detached from astronomy and been officially discredited as mere suprstition. Does it work?... try it! Science and astronomy hold a certain animosity toward astrology. Many arguements have been put forward debunking astrology. The main one is the inability of astrology to be subjected to the scientific method. In the past astrology and astronomy went hand-in-glove in which the lights of the sky represented the anthropomorphized gods. Astronomy broke away from its enmeshment with astrology and religion and has paid an extremely high price for its separate existence and as a result protects its impartial pursuit of universal truths adamantly. At the present time astrology is viewed as a pseudo science. Most would agree that the symbol/glyph of our solar system would be the Christ (the anointed one) and Buddha (the awakened one) which represent an accurate model of a mastering of this system. Astrology is an art used by gifted people and opens the door to the predictive potential of the human mind. Human beings are largely the masters of their own fate who have an overmind that controls the life through the brain (Jung: collective unconscious). Astrology is the most enduring and popular belief about the universe. Some are of the opinion that the solar system is a cycle of experiences for the soul with the subconscious being being the record of all the lives of the soul, in this world and other systems (reincarnation). Our job is to perfect our individuality and return to the Creator and become a full part of his creation. The 12 signs of the zodiac represent 12 patterns. This basic system runs throughout all the mystery religions of the past. Every 2,160 years a new sign of the zodiac holds sway. This sign moves backward (precession) every 2,160 years. Taurus the Bull held sway during the time of the Egyptians. Taurus ruled by reflection, so to speak (the overt sign). The real sign, Scorpio (180 degrees opposite), appeared on the heads and staffs of the religious leaders during this time. Virgo is opposite Pisces. Leo is opposite Aquarius. 02 Natural Astrology:- concerns itself with the movement of the stars and planets, tides, time, eclipses, the fixing of easter etc. 03 Judicial Astrology:- deals with the influence of the planets (stars) in human affairs. 04 Horoscope means `a map of the hour.' A birthchart is a map of the planets of our Solar system (plus 12 constellations) at the time of birth. It is the location of these planets along the signs of the zodiac and their symbolic meanings which are said to describe a person's character. The function of astrology is to learn about the innate character of a person. The chart itself is like a clock-face split into 12 segments. The nine o'clock point indicates the Ascendant. The 12 o'clock position indicates the Midheaven. The positions of the planets in the twelve segments are considered very important and used by an astrologer to tell you about your character etc. The combinatins and relationships of the planets etc to each other in a chart are used when writing an astro-analysis. 05 For the sake of simplicity, astrologers refer to the Sun and Moon as planets. A birth chart shows the positions of the planets as seen from the Earth (geocentric view). Western astrology has always been based on geocentric observations. The Druids developed a zodiac that was both geocentric and heliocentric. The position of a planet in a particular house gives the astrologer an idea of its effect in a person's life. 05A Angular Houses:- those which immediately follown the Asc, Des, M.C. and I.C. (1st, 4th, 7th and 10th). Planets placed in these houses are said to indicate a strong influence. 05B Succedent Houses:- (2nd, 5th, 8th and 11th houses). 05C Cadent Houses:- (3rd, 6th, 9th and 12th houses). Talent and aptitude are associated with the 9th and 12th houses. 1st house:- the self. 2nd house:- growth. 3rd house:- communication. 4th house:- home. 5th house:- leisure. 6th hosue:- work. 7th hosue:- relationships. 8th hosue:- beginnings and endings. 9th house:- travel. 10th house:- aims. 11th house:- hopes/wishes. 12th house:- mysticism. 06 In a birth chart the positions of the planets fall roughly into various shapes ie, bowl, bucket, locomotive or see-saw patterns etc. 07 The planets are said to rule particular signs ie:- Sun rules Leo. Moon rules Cancer. Mercury rules Gemini and Virgo. Venus rules Taurus and Libra. Mars rules Aries (in ancient times, Scorpio). Jupiter rules Sagittarius (in ancient times, Pisces). Saturn rules Capricorn (in ancient times, Aquarius). Uranus rules Aquarius. Neptune rules (Pisces). Pluto rules Scorpio. 08 Chart Ruler:- the planet ruling the Ascending sign. This house and sign is considered of major importance. 09 Rising planet:- the first planet to appear after the Ascendant ie, in the 1st house. 10 Retrograde planets:- represents a weak point in a chart. 11 The 12 signs of the zodiac are of three types:- 1] Fire, Earth, Air, Water. 2] Cardinal, Fixed, Mutable, 3] Masculine, Feminine. Sign:- ----------------------------------------- Aries: Fire, Cardinal, Masculine. Taurus: Earth, Fixed, Feminine. Gemini: Air, Mutable, Masculine. Cancer: Water, Cardinal, Feminine. Leo: Fire, Fixed, Masculine. Virgo: Earth, Mutable, Feminine. Libra: Air, Cardinal, Masculine. Scorpio: Water, Fixed, Feminine. Sagittarius: Fire, Mutable, Masculine. Capricorn: Earth, Cardinal, Feminine. Aquarius: Air, Fixed, Masculine. Pisces: Water, Mutable, Feminine. ----------------------------------------- 12 Astrology computer programs are available that `erect' a chart in a few minutes. To `erect' a chart you will need the following information:- 1] Name of the person. 2] Date of birth. 3] Time of birth (within an hour). Enquire at hospital for the exact time or ask your mother (father) about their recollections of your birth. 4] Place of birth ie, city, town, village. 13 Aspects:- the angles which the planets make to each other, the Ascendant, Midheaven, Descendant and Nadir. A major planet or stellum (group of planets) near any of these points can be very revealing. The aspects are listed below. Some of these are considered positive and others negative. An astrologer usually takes into account the nature of the planets involved in an aspect and the houses and signs in which they occur. An `Orb' (whether an angle is exact or slightly off) by a few degrees is allowed either side of a perfect angle. For major aspects this is about eight degrees either side. For minor aspects an orb of about 4 degrees is allowed. An aspect to Fortuna or a Node has to be exact. 13A Conjunction:- Two planets or planet and Asc etc are within 8 degrees of each other. 13B Sextile:- Major: 60 degrees apart (considered positive). 13C Square:- Major: 90 degrees apart (considered negative). 13D Trine:- Major: 120 degrees apart (considered positive). 13E Opposition:- Major: 180 degrees apart (considered negative). 13F Semi-sextile:- Major: 30 degrees apart (easy/positive). 13G Quincnx:- Major: 150 degrees apart (awkward). 13H Semi-Square:- Minor: 45 degrees apart (difficult). 13I Sesquiquadrate:- Minor: 135 degrees apart (stressful). 13J Quintile and Bi-quintile:- Minor: 144 and 72 degrees apart (talent/fortunate). 13K Parallel:- When two planets are an equal distance above and below the ascendant (acts like a conjunction). 13L Others:- Many other minor aspects are also considered. 01 Conjunction 0 degrees. 02 Sextile 60 degrees. 03 Square 90 degrees. 04 Trine 120 degrees. 05 Opposition 180 degrees. 06 Semi-sextile 30 degrees. 07 Quincunx 150 degrees. 08 Semi-square 45 degrees. 09 Sesquiquadrate 135 degrees. 10 Quintile 72 degrees. 11 Bi-quintile 144 degrees. 12 Parallel planets equal distance above and below Ascendant. 14 The Ascendant is the sign of the zodiac which is rising over the horizon at the time of birth. This zodiacal sign is said to show how a person presents himself/herself to the outside world and may have a strong influence on his/her physical appearance. It is said to indicate the type of programming he/she received during the early formative years. May indicate employment. The 1st house rules the physical body. Planets near the Ascendant may indicate childhood circumstances. It is said to have a strong influence on a person's behaviour and outlook. The Ascending sign can be quite strong in a person's life but, other factors can be buried amongst stronger influences in a chart. 14B The Descendant (180 degrees away and opposite to the Ascendant) is said to describe the type of partner that the person may live with. It also indicates the types of associates and friends which the person feels comfortable with. 14C The Midheaven is traditionally associated with the career chosen by a subject (also aims and aispirations in the wider context). Planets near the M.C. can indicate the type of work that the person may be good at. 14D The I.C. (Nadir) indicates the persons roots (the beginning and end of a life). Parents, home and domestic arrangements. 15 Sun Sign:- the sign of the zodiac in which the Sun is placed. The Sun spends a month in each sign of the zodiac. 16 Nodes of the Moon:- the points where the Moon crosses the celestial equator on its journey around the Earth. Planets which are close to a node in a birth chart are considered very important. 17 Midpoints:- the point exactly halfway between two planets. 18 Exhaltation, detriment and fall:- planets are said to be best placed in their own sign or house. 19 Arabic parts:- ie, the part of fortune is calculated by finding the difference between the Sun and ascendant and adding it to the Moon. Other `parts' can also be calculated. 20 The fixed stars:- these are also considered to have an effect ie, Algol indicates problems caused by carelessness. Regulus indicates pride, success etc. 21 Mundane astrology:- astrology of nations, towns and places. 22 Horary astrology:- a question is asked and a chart is `erected' for the time of asking. 23 Electional astrology:- used when choosing the right time to start an enterprise. 24 Other areas include harmonic astrology, sidereal Indian astrology and astro-cartography. 25 Horace:- Odes, Book 1, xi, 2:- `Do not make trial of babylonian calculations, ie, do not consult astrologers or fortune-tellers. The Babylonians or Chaldeans were the most noted of astrologers. Many international astrologers have been tested by TV and press. 26 Astrological glyphs are powerful symbols. Planetary symbols:- 01 Sun. Dynamic energy, generation, motivation, stimulation, yang (masculine energy), subject's nature (house position), leadership qualities, creativity, games, areas in which the subject shines (house position). 02 Moon. Represents truth, authenticity, yin (feminine energy), inner feelings, urges, moods, obsessions, needs, unconscious, nuturing, attitude to women (with Venus), food. 03 Mercury. Communication, synthesis of content, context of timing, winged messenger, speaking, writing, journalism, teaching, mentality, schooling, dexterity, mathematics, relationships with brothers and sisters. 04 Venus. Love, beauty, the creative power, open partnerships, feelings, creature comforts, value in the practical sense, sensual pleasures, feminine pastimes, arts, social life, grooming, dress-sense, fashion, 05 Mars. Energy, vitality, assertion, war, action, desire, projects, adrenalin, energetic outlook, sexuality, heated feelings, anger. 06 Jupiter. Expansion, growth, opportunity, luck, flexibility, acquisition of knowledge, freedom, philosophy (religion), law, travel, exploration, 3rd level education, fortune, charities, financial speculation, outdoors, ventures, publishing. Other traits may be indicated when combined with other planets as with the other clestial orbs. Livelyhood, cooperation, humanitarian, good deeds, expansive personalities. 07 Saturn. Teacher, discipline, honoring ones limits/boundaries, following things step-by-step, balancing, serious thoughts, attention to detail, security, framework, hard work, endurance, tenacity, trust, doing the chores, overcoming problems, father figures, great achievers, austerity, unfeeling, misery. Saturn's sign position is said to indicate the area in a life where some fundamental tension is at work. 08 Uranus. Sudden, unexpected change. Relationships (detached). Clubs, societies, invention, realm of ideas, intellect, novel ideas, new methods, broad minds, rebellion. The awakener. 09 Neptune. Inspiration, delusions, illusions, deceptions. Inspiration, light, truth, wisdom, art and artists, music, illusion, religion, mysticism, charity, hope, real or imagined prisons, states of altered consciousness, anaesthetics, muddles, deceptions, lying. If well-placed in a chart Neptune can bring creative imagination and on the negative side, fantasy. 10 Pluto. Dismantling the outgrown, renovating, restoring. Associated with transformation, recycling. Beginnings, endings and money. Endurance, ability to change, recovery from failure, illness, loss etc. Hidden things (out of sight), investigation. This planet can heal or change all within its influence. Wealth. Overcoming fear and fearful situations. The unconscious, reproductive organs, unusual sudden situations etc. Constellation/Zodiac symbols Please see individual constellations in the dictionary for mythological and astronomical information. The 12 listed below are the most popular from an astrological point of view. The Sun spends a month in each of these twelve signs. Note:- there are a total of 88 constellations in the sky. From your birth-date you can find your sun-sign from the table below:- 01 Aries. March 21 to April 21. Fire sign, pioneering work, adventurer, explorer, traveler, Mars. The Ram. Beginning of year. 02 Taurus. April 21 to May 21. Earth sign, Venus, love, beauty, creative power, form maker, builder. Bull. 03 Gemini. May 21 to June 21. Air sign, ability to integrate, synthesize, mediate, duality. Twins. 04 Cancer. June 21 to July 21. Water sign, heart, nuturing, comfort, support, healing, family, home. Crab. 05 Leo. July 21 to August 21. Fire sign, unlimited creativity, multi-faceted. Lion. 06 Virgo. Auguest 21 to September 21. Earth sign, virgin, organize, systematize, create order, balance. The Virgin. 07 Libra. September 21 to October 21. Air sign, balanced thinking, simple, clear, direct (to the point). The Scales. 08 Scorpio. October 21 to November 21. Water sign, passion, feeling (depth), commitment to change and transformation, privacy, mystery, associated with the snake, eagle and scorpion. 09 Sagittarius. November 21 to December 21. Fire sign, visionary, dreamer, direct communication. The Archer. 10 Capricorn. December 21 to January 21. Earth sign, tenacity, step-by-step, cultivate, apply, produce and implement. Goat. 11 Aquarius. January 21 to February 21. Air sign, pioneer, innovative, creative leaning, futuristic. Water-Bearer. 12 Pisces. February 21 to March 21. Water sign, spirituality, evolution, feelings, exploratory, love and service. The Fish. Astrological Symbolism (Chinese) In China astrology is a revered way of life. Traditionally, a young man offers a prospective father-in-law a card with his name on one side and on the other the `four pillars' (the time, day, month and year of birth) as a formal proposal of marriage. It was held to be the key to the Heaven's secrets, fit for the Emperor's ears only! You may determine your Chinese sign by looking at the chart below. In the 2nd century AD the Chief Astrologer held one of the highest ministerial posts at court. In western astrology your sun sign is based on the month of birth but for the Chinese the year is most important because they have a calendar of twelve years. Chinese astrologers used strange mystical characters called `the twelve branches' instead of the now familiar animal forms. It was only later that animal emlems were adopted. Indian astrology places less emphasis on a person's Sun-sign than on his/her Moon-sign. It is completely different from western astrology. According to legend, the Lord Buddha summoned all the animals to come to him before he departed from Earth. Only 12 came to bid him farewell and as a reward he named a year after each one in the order that the animals arrived. This is the animal that hides in your heart. During a 60 year cycle each of the animal signs (twelve Earth Branches) is combined with the five main elements: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water. Each two-hour section of the day is also ruled by one of the animal signs. The sign which rules the ascendant is said to shape the personality. The year of the Fire Horse is dreaded by all (most recently, 1967), as it is believed that those born under this sign will bring disaster to families and future spouses. A new cycle begins in 1996. The 21st century starts in the cusp of the Dragon and Snake years. Sign Ruling hours ----------------------------- 01 Rat..........2300 to 0100 02 Ox...........0100 to 0300 03 Tiger........0300 to 0500 04 Rabbit/Hare..0500 to 0700 05 Dragon.......0700 to 0900 06 Snake........0900 to 1100 07 Horse........1100 to 1300 08 Sheep........1300 to 1500 09 Monkey.......1500 to 1700 10 Rooster......1700 to 1900 11 Dog..........1900 to 2100 12 Boar/Pig.....2100 to 2300 ----------------------------- From your birth-date you can find your Chinese sign from the table below:- Rat Ox -------------------------------- -------------------------------- 31 Jan 1900 to 18 Feb 1901 Metal 19 Feb 1901 to 07 Feb 1902 Metal 18 Feb 1912 to 05 Feb 1913 Water 06 Feb 1913 to 25 Jan 1914 Water 05 Feb 1924 to 24 Jan 1925 Wood 25 Jan 1925 to 12 Feb 1926 Wood 24 Jan 1936 to 10 Feb 1937 Fire 11 Feb 1937 to 30 Jan 1938 Fire 10 Feb 1948 to 28 Jan 1949 Earth 29 Jan 1949 to 16 Feb 1950 Earth 28 Jan 1960 to 14 Feb 1961 Metal 15 Feb 1961 to 04 Feb 1962 Metal 15 Feb 1972 to 02 Feb 1973 Water 03 Feb 1973 to 22 Jan 1974 Water 02 Feb 1984 to 19 Feb 1985 Wood 20 Feb 1985 to 08 feb 1986 Wood 19 Feb 1996 to 06 Feb 1997 Fire 07 Feb 1997 to 27 Jan 1998 Fire -------------------------------- -------------------------------- Tiger Hare -------------------------------- -------------------------------- 08 Feb 1902 to 28 Jan 1903 Water 29 Jan 1903 to 15 Feb 1904 Water 26 Jan 1914 to 13 Feb 1915 Wood 14 Feb 1915 to 02 Feb 1916 Wood 13 Feb 1926 to 01 Feb 1927 Fire 02 Feb 1927 to 22 Jan 1928 Fire 31 Jan 1938 to 18 Feb 1939 Earth 19 Feb 1939 to 07 Feb 1940 Earth 17 Feb 1950 to 05 Feb 1951 Metal 06 Feb 1951 to 26 Jan 1952 Metal 05 Feb 1962 to 24 Jan 1963 Water 25 Jan 1963 to 12 Feb 1964 Water 23 Jan 1974 to 10 Feb 1975 Wood 11 Feb 1975 to 30 Jan 1976 Wood 09 Feb 1986 to 28 Jan 1987 Fire 29 Jan 1987 to 16 Feb 1988 Fire 28 Jan 1998 to 15 Feb 1999 Earth 16 Feb 1999 to 04 Feb 2000 Earth -------------------------------- -------------------------------- Dragon Snake -------------------------------- -------------------------------- 16 Feb 1904 to 03 Feb 1905 Wood 04 Feb 1905 to 24 Jan 1906 Wood 03 Feb 1916 to 22 Jan 1917 Fire 23 Jan 1917 to 10 Feb 1918 Fire 23 Jan 1928 to 09 Feb 1929 Earth 10 Feb 1929 to 29 Jan 1930 Earth 08 Feb 1940 to 26 Jan 1941 Metal 27 Jan 1941 to 14 Feb 1942 Metal 27 Jan 1952 to 13 Feb 1953 Water 14 Feb 1953 to 02 Feb 1954 Water 13 Feb 1964 to 01 Feb 1965 Wood 02 Feb 1965 to 20 Jan 1966 Wood 31 Jan 1976 to 17 Feb 1977 Fire 18 Feb 1977 to 06 Feb 1978 Fire 17 Feb 1988 to 05 Feb 1989 Earth 06 Feb 1989 to 26 Jan 1990 Earth 05 Feb 2000 to 23 Jan 2001 Metal 24 Jan 2001 to 11 Feb 2002 Metal -------------------------------- -------------------------------- Horse Sheep -------------------------------- -------------------------------- 25 Jan 1906 to 12 Feb 1907 Fire 13 Feb 1907 to 01 Feb 1908 Fire 11 Feb 1918 to 31 Jan 1919 Earth 01 Feb 1919 to 19 Feb 1920 Earth 30 Jan 1930 to 16 Feb 1931 Metal 17 Feb 1931 to 05 Feb 1932 Metal 15 Feb 1942 to 04 Feb 1943 Water 05 Feb 1943 to 24 Jan 1944 Water 03 Feb 1954 to 23 Jan 1955 Wood 24 Jan 1955 to 11 Feb 1956 Wood 21 Jan 1966 to 08 Feb 1967 Fire 09 Feb 1967 to 29 Jan 1968 Fire 07 Feb 1978 to 27 Jan 1979 Earth 28 Jan 1979 to 15 Feb 1980 Earth 27 Jan 1990 to 14 Feb 1991 Metal 15 Feb 1991 to 03 Feb 1992 Metal 12 Feb 2002 to 31 Jan 2003 Water 01 Feb 2003 to 21 Jan 2004 Water -------------------------------- -------------------------------- Monkey Rooster -------------------------------- -------------------------------- 02 Feb 1908 to 21 Jan 1909 Earth 22 Jan 1909 to 09 Feb 1910 Earth 20 Feb 1920 to 07 Feb 1921 Metal 08 Feb 1921 to 27 Jan 1922 Metal 06 Feb 1932 to 25 Jan 1933 Water 26 Jan 1933 to 13 Feb 1934 Water 25 Jan 1944 to 12 Feb 1945 Wood 13 Feb 1945 to 01 Feb 1946 Wood 12 Feb 1956 to 30 Jan 1957 Fire 31 Jan 1957 to 17 Feb 1958 Fire 30 Jan 1968 to 16 Feb 1969 Earth 17 Feb 1969 to 05 Feb 1970 Earth 16 Feb 1980 to 04 Feb 1981 Metal 05 Feb 1981 to 24 Jan 1982 Metal 04 Feb 1992 to 22 Jan 1993 Water 23 Jan 1993 to 09 Feb 1994 Water 22 Jan 2004 to 08 Feb 2005 Wood 09 Feb 2005 to 28 Jan 2006 Wood -------------------------------- -------------------------------- Dog Boar -------------------------------- -------------------------------- 10 Feb 1910 to 29 Jan 1911 Metal 30 Jan 1911 to 17 Feb 1912 Metal 28 Jan 1922 to 15 Feb 1923 Water 16 Feb 1923 to 04 Feb 1924 Water 14 Feb 1934 to 03 Feb 1935 Wood 04 Feb 1935 to 23 Jan 1936 Wood 02 Feb 1946 to 21 Jan 1947 Fire 22 Jan 1947 to 09 Feb 1948 Fire 18 Feb 1958 to 07 Feb 1959 Earth 08 Feb 1959 to 27 Jan 1960 Earth 06 Feb 1970 to 26 Jan 1971 Metal 27 Jan 1971 to 14 Feb 1972 Metal 25 Jan 1982 to 12 Feb 1983 Water 13 Feb 1983 to 01 Feb 1984 Water 10 Feb 1994 to 30 Jan 1995 Wood 31 Jan 1995 to 18 Feb 1996 Wood 29 Jan 2006 to 17 Feb 2007 Fire 18 Feb 2007 to 06 Feb 2008 Fire -------------------------------- -------------------------------- Celtic Astrology:- The Celtic lunar zodiac has 13 signs:- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Tree Period Zodiac Ruler Celtic Symbol ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 01 Birch Dec-24 to Jan-20 02:00 Cap to 29:59 Cap Sun White Stag 02 Rowan Jan-21 to Feb-17 00:00 Aqu to 27:59 Aqu Uranus Green Dragon 03 Ash Feb-18 to Mar-17 28:00 Aqu to 25:59 Pis Neptune Sea-Horse/Trident 04 Alder Mar-18 to Apr-14 26:00 Pis to 23:59 Ari Mars Pentacle Hawk 05 Willow Apr-15 to May-12 24:00 Ari to 20:59 Tau Moon Sea-Serpent 06 Hawthorn May-13 to Jun-09 21:00 Tau to 17:59 Gem Vulcan Chalice 07 Oak Jun-10 to Jul-07 18:00 Gem to 14:59 Can Jupiter White Horse/Wheel 08 Holly Jul-08 to Aug-04 15:00 Can to 11:59 Leo Earth Unicorn Star 09 Hazel Aug-05 to Sep-01 12:00 Leo to 08:59 Vir Mercury Rainbow Salmon 10 Vine Sep-02 to Sep-29 09:00 Vir to 06:59 Lib Venus White Swan 11 Ivy Sep-30 to Oct-27 07:00 Lib to 04:59 Sco Persephone Butterfly 12 Reed Oct-28 to Nov-24 05:00 Sco to 02:59 Sag Pluto White Hound/Stone 13 Elder Nov-25 to Dec-23 03:00 Sag to 01:59 Cap Saturn Black Horse/Raven ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The astrology of the Celts/Druids is lunar-oriented! Western astrology is solar-oriented. The symbol of the tree is connected with the Celtic Beth-Luis-Nion tree alphabet which has 5 vowels and 13 consonants as mentioned by Robert Graves in his book `The White Goddess'. Druid's are familiar with astronomy and astrology and in the past considered it profane to commit their doctrines to the printed page. The dryads (tree spirits) associated with the sacred trees of the Druids represent the spiritual ethos of the creator (Celi). Each tree represents a symbol of primeval archetypal spirits or an ideal human archtype. It is said that their esoteric wisdom has been purposely concealed by Christianized Druids in the Celtic Church! Nine days during the year are considered important:- Name Day Zodiac -------------------------------------- 01 Winter Solstice Dec-22 00:00 Cap 02 Nameless Day Dec-23 01:00 Cap 03 Brigantia Feb-01 10:00 Aqu 04 Vernal Equinox Mar-21 00:00 Ari 05 Beltane May-01 10:00 Tau 06 Summer Solstice Jun-22 00:00 Can 07 Lammas Aug-01 10:00 Leo 08 Autumnal Equinox Sep-23 00:00 Lib 09 Samhain Nov-01 10:00 Sco -------------------------------------- In Celtic astrology decanate divisions are used. The Birch Tree sign marks the beginning of the lunar zodiac (the Cancer decan), the sign of the Lunar Goddess. Each sign has three decans. //ASTRONOMY See `Index by Category' for a list of the 88 constellations mentioned in the dictionary. Description Paragraph of text:- Number:- --------------------------------------- About the Author.....................01 Falling stars?.......................02 My first telescope...................03 Thirty years later...................04 Equatorial...........................05 16-inch f/4..........................06 Viewing from a rural location........07 Popular Deep-Sky objects.............08 The top 50 Herschel Objects..........09 Refurbushing the telescope...........10 Messier - Herschel-400...............11 CCD camera...........................12 The new accessories..................13 Focal Ratio..........................14 What is an Equatorial Mount?.........15 Advantages of a dark-site location...16 Advantage of refractor...............17 Disadvantages of Refractor...........18 What is the best type of telescope?..19 Schmidt cassegrain telescopes........20 How do you find things?..............21 Apeture..............................22 Area of glass of the mirror..........23 Resolution...........................24 Light Collecting Power...............25 How is a telescope mirror made?......26 Finishing touches....................27 Wavelength of mirror.................28 What is a CCD?.......................29 Efficiency film 3%, CCD 60%..........30 A binocular viewer...................31 Quick view of of the heavens.........32 Planetary Nebulae....................33 A solid mount........................34 Other members of our solar system....35 Wratten filters......................36 The importance of Dark Adaption......37 How Polluted are your Skies?.........38 Light Pollution Filters..............39 Deep Sky filter......................40 UHC filter...........................41 O-III filter.........................42 A view of M42........................43 The Central Region...................44 M43, a Little Companion..............45 A Revelation?........................46 O-III................................47 H-Beta filter........................48 Swan Band comet filter...............49 Minus Violet filter..................50 Cyan filter..........................51 Other comet photometry filters.......52 A quick tour of the sky..............53 Solar filter.........................54 Observing the Sun....................55 Solar Filters........................56 Steady atmosphere....................57 Clean optics.........................58 The Limb.............................59 11-year cycle........................60 H-Alpha and Mylar....................61 Observing the Sun....................62 Path of Sun Spots....................63 Irish eclipses - 1990 to 2010........64 Different types of Solar eclipse.....65 Annular eclipse......................66 Annular - Partial....................67 Next total eclipse in 2090...........68 Next 20 years........................69 What is a total eclipse like?........70 Totality.............................71 Diamond Ring.........................72 Lunar eclipses.......................73 Umbra and Penumbra...................74 Partial - Total - Penumbral..........75 Using a Hydrogen Alpha Filter........76 Solar Filter.........................77 HA Filter............................78 Eyepieces - U know U need 'em........79 --------------------------------------- //01: About the Author I live in Dublin from where I now observe. I developed a fatal attraction and fascination for astronomy and chess aged seven and over the last number of years these two subjects have been my two main interests and favourite hobbies. Chess and astronomy are vast and extensive and in recent years many clubs have sprung up in Ireland to cater for the simmering cauldron of interest in this burgeoning hobby. Astronomy Ireland is the largest with 2,900+ members. Shannonside (county Clare) and Tullamore (Offaly) are also quite popular. If you can steer your way past the superficial academic hype, there is a marvelous universe waiting for you in the nocturnal solitude of the starry gallery above. The drama of the sky is much like a chess board where the main actors (Sun, Moon and planets) ply their trade with a cast of millions (stars) in subsidiary roles. Many believe that in a deep and primitive way, the stars and planets have always served an essential psychological purpose for mankind. Most people find the night sky an abstract muddle. When you become familar with the rhythm of the sky all of the cogs fit together and Earth's 365.24 day orbit falls into place in this never ending panorama. Nothing in amateur astronomy is as exciting as your first view of the rings of Saturn or resolving the Trapezium in the Orion Nebula. Solar-system objects are the easiest objects to see. These stellar lights are so bright that streetlamps make little difference when observing them and are best observed when they lie toward the south (of Dublin). Chess and astronomy are hobbies which can be started by any person, particularly boys and girls with eyes on far-off worlds. I became interested in these subjects at an early age (in the days when they had real money - bobs, tanners, florins and half-crowns) and read some books about them. This lead to the purchase of a large poster size star and moon map from which I learned my way around the sky (which is not quite so difficult as some people think), and borrowed a pair of binoculars - basiclly two small refractors mounted side-by-side and working in unison, so that you can use both eyes at the same time. I was happy when I could sit at my telescope and view the sky and the world of the stars - happy as a child that is allowed to play with a 60mm refractor. About seven years ago I turned my thoughts to the idea of buying a serious large telescope (star-boat) which I presently use to transport me to the stars on clear evenings. An astronomer sees the ordinary in new ways which turns the silence of observation into an aesthetic experience when you look straight up into the deep. Elsewhere in the dictionary you will find a copious store of fables that describe each of the constellations in detail. The sky is quite exciting - too marvelous for words. Most people just look up and say "Oh yeah", and just carry on! They do not see the beauty that nature displays so thoughtfully above them. The media see amateur astronomy as a fringe esoteric hobby with an almost lunatic group of followers. The publics interest is usually fickle except when a comet crashes into Jupiter (as happened in 1994) or, a large comet (Halley or Hale-Bopp which will be visible in 1997), signal their presence in the light buckets that astronomers call telescopes. A Journey of a 1000 light years begins by taking your first view Is there any grander sight than a star-filled sky on a crisp clear night? Over your head a million stars burn silently against the coal black firmament. As you gaze up at the Milky Way the stars seem strewn like powder on velvet. You can almost feel infinity within your grasp as you reach up and pluck a handful, like grapes from a vinyard. These nameless stars, hundreds of billions of them, swirl through eternity like the drops of water making up the ocean. Astronomy traces its roots back to the earliest recorded activities of our forebears. In the past it was generally accepted that our Sun, Moon, planets and the field of stars were affixed to their own solid, crystalline sphere. Until the introduction of modern lighting along our highways and byways, the average person was able to view the mysteries of the night sky quite readily from their front and back gardens. I have spent many a night sitting in my garden, eyes cast on the heavens, watching the constellations or eyeballing some tantalizing planet or galaxy. I have found that exploring the sky is a treasured hobby - my telescope the center of activity which complements my other activities of sightseeing and occasional weekend retreats to the unbelievable dark skies in the west of Ireland - an amateur astronomers dream come true. When you first come out under the canopy of the sky the intimacy of a dark-site location falls away, leaving you alone and in awe of the spectacle. After placing my prized telescope (called `Vertigo-01') in a strategically good viewing position I align and collimate the optics for peak performance with a lazer collimator, insert my favourite eyepiece and coma corrector (a 16mm Nagler) and begin an evening's viewing session and plunge headlong into the strangeness of each new starscape. By changing the 16mm for a 9mm I can look into a moon crater instead of at it, watch the birth of new stars in the Pleiades or reach out across 2,300,000 light years to our neighbouring island star colony, Andromeda. Properly set-up my telescope provides ultra sharp viewing, bright images and unequaled depth perception. I often take trips into the Dublin mountains to use my telescope under darker skies, but these trips are too few and far between to satisfy my observing needs. Observing from my city location can be done on any clear night of the year, at a few minutes notice. I sometimes stay outside all night and when left alone with my thoughts I ponder the past and muse about the future. My family are beginning to think that this is an indication of the onset of Alzeimer's disease. More people, nowadays, are turning their attention beyond our little blue planet. But what can you see when you look out into the cosmos? To most people, amateur astronomy seems difficult, technical, and mysterious. It does not have to be this way! The stars can belong to everyone and soon become old friends, returning like clockwork trains each year. You will discover that you enter a special realm of truly infinite proportions. This world belongs to everyone who is fascinated by, and seeks to understand, the marvels of our universe. As you become more engrossed in astronomy you will find your whole perspective changing and enlarging. Most people go through their days unaware of the cosmos that stretches for billions of light-years above their heads. Astronomers `are' different. They are people who `look up' and try to comprehend what is seen and observe the best free entertainment that is available on Earth! Have you ever been curious when gazing up at the sky, seen the mysterious realms of the stars, planets and moons, and wondered? How far away are these shining heavenly spheres? Gazing at Jupiter with binoculars, you will be suprised to see several of its tiny moons lined up on either side of it like beads on a string - a most arresting sight. The wonder of being able to look upon incomprehensibly strange and distant sights, is the reward for your effort. The best way to begin is by learning the constellations one or two at a time. The patterns formed by the brighter stars make up the geography of the heavens. For your observing site, pick a big open area far from artificial lighting. Bring a lawn chair or lie on the ground so you will not have to crane your neck. The best sites are in the country where the glow of `light pollution' from cities and towns does not wash out the fainter objects. Unfortunately, light is still not regulated as a pollutant and it is expected that this is to get progressively worse in future years. Most large cities blot out most of the stars for 50+ miles around and chemical-sweetie colours are used to floodlight public buildings. Our view of the stars have been taken from us by default. Standing in an open field under a rural night sky, we seem to be on a flat Earth under a hemispherical dome with the stars attached to its inner surface. A naked-eye comet appears once every few years, to spend a month or so as a fuzzy glow creeping among the stars. The newly discovered comet Hale-Bopp is heading toward a rendevous with Earth in the spring of 1997 when it will be at its most spectacular - possibly 100 times brighter than Halley's Comet. If it lives up to expectations, it may become one of the brightest comets seen this century, resembling the Great Comet of 1811, whose tail stretched nearly halfway across the sky. In March 1996 this comet lay east of the Teapot asterism about 20 degrees above the southwest horizon during the morning twilight and moved nearly 1 degree per week. Predictions about comets are fraught with uncertainity and astronomers always have the dilemma of whether to alert the public and risk another damp squib or play safe by saying nothing and risk depriving the public of a rare sight in the evening or morning sky. In January 1996, Yuji Hyakutake discovered a new comet (his second in 36 days) using 25x150 binoculars. It passed within 10 million miles of Earth and reached naked eye brightness. At one point it was nearly overhead (three degrees distant from Polaris), and shone at +1. During April it was circumpolar and visible all night with a coma that was half a degree in size (superb in binoculars). Its tail stretched for tens of degrees. It was a welcome sight for many astronomers who were deprived of a decent sized comet for many years. Hale-Bopp is expected to be even better. A nova, an exploding star that shines for a few weeks, is a special event. Many have been discovered by amateurs using the naked eye or binoculars. And once in a while you may step outdoors and, as your eyes adapt to the dark, discover that the whole sky is shimmering with the ghostly light of an aurora. No amateur astronomer who starts with an extended period of purely naked-eye observing ever seems to regret it. Optical instruments are fine in their place, but they reach their true potential only in the hands of someone who is already on familiar, friendly terms with the denizens of the night sky. Every evening, a pageant of Greek mythology circles over our heads. Perseus flies to the rescue of Andromeda, Orion faces the charge of the snorting Bull and the ship of the Argonauts sails in search of the Golden Fleece. The constellations are the invention of the human imagination (not of nature) and are an expression of the human desire to impress its own order upon the apparent chaos of the night sky. Storytelling is one of the most engaging of human arts, and what greater inspiration to a storyteller's imagination than the stars of night. Once you are comfortable finding your way around the constellations, you will be ready to try hunting down individual objects. This is where amateur astronomy begins in earnest. You will soon find a bright star or two among the constellations where none should be? Over a few days or weeks you can watch them shift position with respect to background stars. The word planet derives from the Greek for `wanderer'. As the nights go by, each planet will take on its own personality. The brilliant white of Venus in the west after sunset (east before sunrise), the creamy white of Jupiter, orange Mars, dimmer yellow Saturn, and elusive Mercury hiding near the Sun in twilight. They all shine with a steadier light than the twinkling stars. When a planet is near a bright star you will find this particularly evident. Stars, too, come in colours. Some are merely red-hot, others are yellow, white, or blue-white hot. A constellation watcher soon begins to look for these subtle differences in tint. On close examination, a certain few stars are seen to be `double'. Some pairs, such as the famous double-double Epsilon Lyrae, are true binaries in which the member stars really orbit each other. Other stars are seen to vary in brightness, on time scales ranging from hours to decades. Some naked eye observers follow the never-ending changes of a dozen or more variables. Recently, the first brown dwarf has been seen orbiting the star Gliese-229 in the constellation of Lepus by the Hubble WFPC. Hubble has produced the most spectacular sky images of space every seen by man. Astronomers have now quadrupled their estimate of the number of galaxies to around 50+ billion. Lyman Spitzer had a dream of what a time machine (a cylinder that would hang in orbit around the earth and transmist images from the edge of the universe) could do. The space shuttle programme has at last made putting such a large and delicate object into orbit a practical proposition. As I write this 2.4 metre reflecting telescope orbits the Earth at an altitude of 320 miles and is based on the design invented by Isaac Newton in 1669. Initially the main mirror was flawed and it was necessary to perform the most exotic and expensive piece of eye surgery in human history to fix it. It was found that the primary mirror was imperfect at its edge (the light could not be properly focussed). This spherical abberation measured only two microns. The Hubble telescopes eagle eye on the universe had an incurable cataract! Its guidance sensors are so accurate that it can keep a beam of light focussed on a coin at 800 miles. The sheer photographic quality of the new images, the remarkable planetary shots - Shoemaker-Levy comet's collision with Jupiter, dust storms on Mars, a volcano on the Jovian moon Io - glimples of protoplanetary discs (dust clouds around very young stars that may be the raw material for a solar system), have seized the publics imagination. Hubble achieves its effects by photographing in monochrome with different filters. The best pictures so far have been the `talons' of the Eagle nebula (galactic pillars of dust and hydrogen, sculpted by intense ultraviolet light from newborn stars). In the future telescopes with giant arrays of mirrors will focus on one object and reveal the whereabouts of other habitable worlds. Our Milky Way is the grandest naked eye spectacle of all. It appears as a wide band of dim, mottled light spanning the entire sky. It takes a very dark sky to see the Milky Way well - but the effect is spectacular. When a skywatcher first sees it in its true perspective as a great flat disk of stars (usually after quite a while of trying), the sense of being `lost in space' in its midst can overpower you. We reside in a spectacular galaxy, one that is far larger and far brighter than most other galaxies in the universe. Books and magazines frequently claim just the opposite, that the Milky Way is average and unspectacular, not differing much from the multitude of others in the cosmos. Our galaxy harbours hundreds of billions of suns. It was only in the 1920's that Edwin Hubble proved the existence of `island universes' other than our own. M31 and the Milky Way are superpowers with smaller galaxies orbiting them. Among these are the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. Our galaxy harbours roughly a trillion times the mass of the Sun - a galactic superpower. In the past, alchemists claimed that they could transform base elements into copper and gold. Today astronomers know that the true alchemists are the stars of the Milky Way. Astronomers think a supermassive black hole with the mass of a million Suns lurks in the heart of our Milky Way galaxy. A gas cloud near the galactic center known as Sagittarius-B glows with X-rays which seems to turn on and off intermittently every few hundred years. //02: Falling stars? The night sky, like any other aspect of nature, grows richer the more time you spend with it. Stars fall out of the sky or, so it seems! Hardly an evening will go by in which you do not see at least one meteor, a momentary streak of light when a bit of space debris strikes the Earth's atmosphere. But it may be years before you see one bright enough to qualify for the term `fireball'. On seeing one of these breathtaking, heart-stopping, eye-popping fireballs that splits the inky sky with a lance of laser light evokes memories of the epiphany. Of the 60+ annual meteor showers, the Perseid display is the most active in the northern hemisphere. This shower is also known by the ephthet `Tears of St. Lawrence' during which 100+ streaks of light grace each hour. Meteor watching is an excellent activity. Some shooting stars display unusual longevity, streaking across the entire sky canopy in a few minutes. These are man-made satellites. Shooting stars, or `meteors' are the glowing trails of space dust that burn up high in the Earth's atmosphere, 60 km/120 km above the ground. They collide with the atmosphere at speeds of tens of km persecond (60km/sec for Perseid meteors). As they burn up in the atmosphere they can leave the air behind them glowing in what is called a `train'. Good examples can last 30 seconds or more. This space dust comes from comets which are giant dirty snowballs a few miles across. Comets go around the Sun in elliptical (cigar-shaped) orbits. When away from the Sun, the ice and dust of the comet are frozen solid. When the comet nears the Sun it is heated up and the ice `boils' off its surface, spitting out quite a lot of dust. The dust particles remain near the comet at first but they eventually spread out all around the comet's orbit. At the same time each year, when the Earth passes closest to the orbit of a comet it ploughs through this debris field and we get a meteor shower. `Shower' is not a very good word to describe the event as even the best examples of the dozen or so major showers only produce one meteor per minute under ideal conditions. The most active showers can produce more than ten times this number of meteors. Don't get the wrong idea about space, it is extremely empty - the particles even in a shower may be separate by 30km from their nearest neighbour, but the high speed of the Earth through space (18 miles per second) means we sweep up large numbers of meteoroids. Note also that meteoroids that produce `average' meteors are typically the size of a grain of sand. A pea-sized object would produce a fireball that would light up the ground - these are quite rare. Meteor observing is the simplest of all tasks. All you need to do is find a comfortable place to lie with as much of your vision unobstructed as possible. The naked eye is the best tool for the job. Every few minutes a meteor will flick across the sky. Meteoritics is the name given to the study of meteorites and the events which preceed their fall. Let us recap on some basic meteoritics. As we all know, there are nine planets travelling around the Sun in elliptical orbits. Between two of these, Mars and Jupiter, there are large numbers of minor planets, collectively termed as Asteroids, ranging from under 1km up to 1,000km in diameter. Many discoveries of asteroids are made by amateur astronomers which are reported to the Minor Planet Center in the USA. 21,000+ are located each year. Observations can be recorded on the Internet site:- http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/cfa/ps/mpc.html The other members of the Sun's family, familiar to astronomers are, of course, the Comets - cold bodies of ice and dust which travel out to the darker reaches of the solar system. Aside from all of these, there are huge numbers of objects orbiting the Sun, all equally entitled to be regarded as members of its family. These objects are often so minute that they elude detection by even the most sensitive of equipment. They are the Meteoroids - interplanetary matter spread throughout the system, bearing testimony to its violent beginning. When the Earth passes through a `cloud' of meteoroids, or when it collides with a lone meteoroid, the object enters the terrestrial atmosphere, travelling at a typical speed of 10 to 30 km/s. Increasingly dense air is encountered, and this leads to friction. The kinetic energy of the meteoroid is converted into heat, light and other forms of energy, as the object slows down. The air molecules become ionised, producing the phenomenon identified by most people as a `shooting star' or, more correctly, a Meteor. This event occurs at an altitude of about 100km, and the meteoroid normally disintegrates during the process. Sometimes however, larger meteoroids, such as those of asteroidal origin, enter our atmosphere, resulting in much brighter meteors, known as `fireballs'. These objects are rarely seen to explode. Such detonating fireballs are termed `bolides'. The apparent explosion is caused by the erosion of the meteoroid during its passage through the atmosphere, and its subsequent breakup. The cosmic velocity having been lost, any intact material remaining falls to Earth under the effects of gravity from a height of about 20km. The resulting crater is normally a simple indentation in the ground, of a size comparable to the diameter of the impacting object. A meteor which survives the atmospheric passage to reach the Earth's surface, is called a `meteorite'. Asteroids which threathen to collide with the Earth are a target for the Pentagon who intend to develop probes to intercept them in deep space. An asteroid big enough to destroy a large city hits the Earth roughly once every century. //03: My first telescope On my 7th birthday my uncle presented me with a 60mm telescoping spyglass. Depending on which eyepiece was used, I could get magnifications of x25, x50, or x75. Thrilled by this long-anticipated gift, I eagerly waited for night to fall and went outside in search of a good site to make my first astronomical observations and scope a jet black sky that was filled with sparkling gems. In the velvety warmth an hour after sundown I aimed it at a conveniently located bright star. Perhaps it was Vega, but I do not remember. What I do recall is the magnified image of this star. My shaky view through the eyepiece revealed an enormous ball of variegated and rapidly transforming hues. Our sun's nearest 1,000 stars are within a 42 light year distance of Earth. The red warmth of Betelgeuse, the butterfly yellow of Capella, the frosty blue of Sirius (the sky's brightest luminary) - these hues are the first impression that strikes your eye upon a casual glance up into the darkness of the night. //04: Thirty years later My sense of the certitude of reality was changed forever - I was awestruck! It was not until several weeks later that I realized I had been viewing the stars without properly focusing my entry-level telescope. After gaining some practice focusing on the waxing Moon, I now saw the stars reduced to trembling points of intense light. Although disappointed by my 2.25-inch telescope's inability to reveal any structure in the stars, I was also dazzled by the intensities and incredible distances implied by these unresolvable suns. I learned the names of the constellations, made lists of lunar craters, double stars, asteroids, galaxies and nebulae and never failed to know the location of the planets in the morning or evening sky. On nearly every clear night, you will find me in the back garden. I have sketched planets, counted meteors and did all the other things that allow me to call myself an amateur astronomer. From that moment on, I was hooked and over three decades later, I am now one of a handful of dedicated astronomers in Ireland. Even today, I find myself simply marveling at the starlight, just as I did more than thirty years ago. When outside on a clear night, I still look up at the constellations, and sometimes catch the flash in the blackness between the stars which is rent by the bright slash of a meteor or follow the steady motion of a satellite slipping between the stars. It is perhaps the city or suburban observer who feels the call of the cosmos most intensely when s/he experiences the majesty of the night sky from a truly rural location for the first time. When we leave the cosy confines of the living room and enter the realm of the night we lose many of our everyday frames of reference when we look up at the broad expanse of the sky. //05: Equatorial I invariably began to sigh longingly for an equatorial telescope as my interest in astronomy intensified through the years which culminated in the purchase of a 16-inch semi-professional Newtonian in 1989 (after some back-of-the envelope calculations) which was designed and manufactured in accordance with my observational requirements. My objective was to be able to take some photographs of various objects, and to this end I have invested a substantial amount of money over a seven year period in a telescope and accessories. Some astronomers are star-hoppers and telescope nudgers by nature. The all machined German equatorial mount is a work of art in itself having both axes driven by 12-inch diameter, 360-tooth gear wheels which opens up the sky to an extremely wide range of serious visual and photographic observing. The equatorial head has proven itself to be a valued addition to my observing equipment. The RA and DEC axes have zero play and are friction clutched by a single manual knob. Along with electronic control of the telescope, these features deliver the smoothness, refinement, controllability and precision that is required in a fine mount as used by the big boys. On good nights my old warhorese produces superb images. Many tracking rates are available from a hand held pendant, including King, lunar and solar. Built into the pendant is a user programmable RA and DEC backlash compensation for instant tracking response (in both directions for each motor). Smooth manaul operation and one-handed tracking are added bonuses with a balanced equatorial telescope. I have found that as I have added each new accessory the overall user-friendliness of the telescope improves. When Ireland's notoriously inclement weather clears quite a number of the 110 objects catalogued by Messier in all their variations of colour, form and extent are readily discernible in stunning, high-resolution detail. Like many fellow amateur astronomers who have completed 40+ orbits around our nearest stellar neighbour, I have mellowed and find observational astronomy a pleasing aesthetic pursuit that I pursue in the quietude of the evening and plot our ever changing position in relation to our celestial neighbours. Floating in space, the axis of daily rotation of our blue planet lies slightly tilted away from the vertical in its orbit around our nuclear furnace. Our revolving planet zips around our sun at 66,600 miles each hour. This means that you and I are moving at 18.5 miles every second! The globe of our wobbling planet has a diameter of 7926.8 miles at the equator. From pole to pole it is slightly smaller at 7899.8 miles (about 27 miles shorter). The earth has an equatorial circumference of 24,902.5 miles and rotates at just over 1,000 miles per hour (faster than a jet aircraft). //06: 16-inch f/4 Graduating from my uncle's 60mm refractor to a 16-inch F/4 equatorial Newtonian and a panoply of some of the most sumptous accessories I sit on our ship, sailing the vast ocean of the heavens, observing the wonders of the night sky from the patio in my back garden. Scarcely a week goes by without seeing amazing new images since the new accessories were retrofitted in 1994. I have had the pleasure of unprecedented views of nearby and distant objects that fill one with a sense of awe and fascination. There is no respite from this excitement. Some of these highlights are featured below. There is so much to see that it is going to be difficult to cram it all in, but I will do my best to describe the views below. This year I have added 8 wheels to the bottom of my 13-stone telescope (making it exceptionally portable) which enables it to be moved to the front or back garden within a few minutes. To ventilate and cool the 16-inch mirror I have installed a 12V muffin fan at the rear end that creates a laminar flow of air which clears any troublesome tube currents. The 19-inch, five-foot long tube is balanced very precisely and two locks on the RA and DEC give the right amount of sticktion (a state between slipperiness and friction that allows a telescope to pivot smoothly yet hold its orientation without slipping when you let go). The tube itself never sags, even when a 16mm Nagler and 2-inch coma corrector are inserted into the NGF-1 focuser. The mirror cell is supported at the centre and at three points on its surface by cork pads. Collimation of the primary mirror merely involves tightening or loosening one of three brass screws by hand until the main mirror is properly aligned. The secondary mirror is also adjusted (pivoted) on its stalk by three philips screws and aligned properly. Fine-tuning the secondary tilt is done with a laser device installed instead of an eyepiece. The optics take about 20 minutes to stabilize and then yield distortion-free images. The muffin fan hastens this process and blows out the annoying air currents. The main mirror itself shows no sign of astigmatism. Images on either side of focus show clean, virtually similar diffraction rings, a sure sign of being spherical abberation-free. Images snap into focus and the aluminum coatings add to this clarity by producing a snappy image contrast. As well as this ease and stability of operation, a certain amenity comes from observing with a 16-inch f/4 Newtonian. The eyepiece height when pointed at the zenith is a comfortable five feet. In this era when amateur astronomers are reduced to observational nomads, all of the above factors add up to a good design and well crafted transportable telescope. The complete telescope can be brought to a dark site and assembled in less than ten minutes. Astro-hobbyists My telescope is a Rich Field Telescope (RFT) - the old-fashioned kind hardly seen any more which is superb for astrophotography, particularly deep-space objects ie, galaxies, nebulae. It has been in use at various Star-B-Qs (where it catches the attention of the attendees), the Wicklow mountains, in the west of Ireland (Achill Island, a dark site which gives superb views), in Skull, County Cork and beside the Papal monument (near the American ambassador's residence) in the Phoenix Park on many occasions. In the past, astronomy was synonymous with the solitary amateur observer. These days the general public flock to star parties in huge numbers. These events hold future friends and celestial vistas that cry out to be seen. It is on these occasions that you can get a guided tour of the night sky when amateur astronomers show off their telescopes to the general public. Astrophotography, tours of the solar system, tailgate swap meets (many forms of new and used equipment), Messier-hunting contests (easy, intermediate and hard targets that may be found in a variety of telescopes), deep-sky observing fests and all night star gazing, `Observe 'til you drop' is the buzz word), Perseid meteor watches, mirror grinding demonstrations, astronomers on the cutting edge of their fields, the latest in equipment and services, impromptu chats under the inky jet black sky, workshops on how to construct inexpensive telescope accessories, and the latest in amateur-built adaptive optics can be seen at first hand for those who want to explore or are thinking of venturing into this exciting hobby. 200+ people usually camp out at a dark site all night to observe the wonders of the night sky. Many large amateur scopes turn up year after year and the chat and camaraderie leads to a very pleasant evening for all concerned. My compact Newtonian is efficient, simple to set up and store away for the next evenings viewing. The eyepiece height of my telescope is a comfortable 54 inches. Larger telescopes (20+ inches) need adjustable chairs, ladders or, rising floors to bring an observer to a comfortable viewing position. Needless to say, my telescpe is immediately the centre of attraction and a large crowd gathers around to hear of the joys and difficulties of owning, using and transporting such a large beast. Having owned a 60mm refractor I have come to know the difference between a portable and a transportable telescope. When set-up it attracts a que at various venues and I have had as many as 30+ people waiting in line to take a peek at the rich trove of celestial delights which tickle the naked-eye observer. Like children about to take their first carnival ride, some can hardly contain their excitement as they wait in line to look at Jupiter as it sharpens in the eyepiece to reveal a vivid disk drifting lazily across the blackness. For many years now, I have been bringing telescopic views of Jupiter, Saturn and our Moon to the astronomically challenged, giving many people the unforgettable experience of seeing the planets with their own eyes for the first time. I have discovered that the general public have unusual ideas about the universe we live in. With the crowds come constant questions which interrupt the stargazing reverie... What star/planet is that? How far away is it? How much did your telescope cost? I usually field each question with a smile (a golden rule of amateur astronomy is:- not to make someone ashamed for asking what seems to be an obvious question). For many people this is the first view through a real telescope, and the view they get, especially our Moon simply floors them. The Moon's arrival in the evening sky is a visual spectacle. Deep-sky objects are washed-out by its brightness. On average it arrives 50 minutes later each evening. The dark maria-dominated last quarter is lonelier when its arrival becomes even later. The gasps of delight by a person seeing their first eyeful of Saturn might encourage a curiousity about astronomy that may flower into a deeper interest in the years ahead. Scores of people keep coming back again and again to view through my telescope after having a look through the smaller light buckets. Most of these evenings are spent comparing notes with the other astro-talent and studying the components of other amateur astronomers telescopes. It is interesting to compare the views through different sized telescopes on such nights. Double stars, nebulae and satellites are observed, noted, discussed and explained by experienced observers. It is unfortunate that the best time for a barbecue is the summer, but this does not coincide with the best time for studying the heavens. There are only about two or three hours of complete darkness during June, July and August, and these happen to be between 12 a.m. and 3 a.m. The Sun is never more than 16 degrees below the horizon, even at midnight! Consequently, these three months are used to concentrate on the brighter objects on offer in the sky, namely the brighter planets. The `summer triangle' can also easily be found in June (Vega, Deneb and Altair). Many amateur and professional astronomers have viewed the celestial canopy overhead and I have found that this cross-cultural contact provides one with priceless memories. Many diamontes that sparkle even under the light of the Moon have been embedded into various parts of my telescope mount to remind me of the stars when it is cloudy overhead. The piece-de-resistance will be the mounting of a 5-inch, 1/20th wave triplet fluorite astrograph (giving absolute perfect chromatic correction and having superb optical properties) and a binocular viewer on the 16-inch tube assembly in the not too distant future. To survive exposure to the elements, corrosion-resistant materials and paint (Hammerite) are used. The right-ascension and declination drives use stainless steel worm gears 12 and 11 inches in diameter respectively. Attached to the worm-and-wheel are track and slew motors. Six-inch engraved setting circles are also mounted on the drive wheels. Many amateurs attach video cameras or home-built stereo binocular viewers to their telescopes. If you watch the planets of our solar system on a TV screen or monitor in seated comfort you will have the time to look for fine detail with both eyes. The main advantage of video is that you do not have to worry about missing a good moment of superb seeing. It will all have been recorded on tape containing many thousands of still images which can be reviewed to find the best pictures when the air was steady. Robert Evans (Australia) has used a 16-inch Newtonian to discover supernovae. Others monitor 100+ variable stars per night. Meticulous record keeping, patience and care are the marks of a good astronomer or chess player. Grids like a chess board Over the years astronomers have conveniently divided up the celestial sphere into grids much like that of a chess board. All objects in the sky can be given a precise coordinate for later reference. With Digitial Setting Circles (DSC) installed on my telescope mount I now spend my time observing, not searching for ten minutes trying to find a particular object. Finding any of over 12,000+ celestial objects is nearly as easy as pointing the telescope itself due to the database which is incorporated into the hand-held pendant which controls the movement of the main tube. To align the telescope two bright stars from a database of 40 stars are chosen and the hand held computer is aligned in under a few seconds. There is no need to input the date, time, latitude or longitude as the microprocessor calculates the telescope position in milliseconds. After inputting the RA and Dec of an object the telescope slews to the object and places it in the visual field, quickly and very precisely. Each axis has a high resolution motor/encoder that gives a precise readout of position. The pendant itself measures only about 6" x 5" x 1" and fits in the palm of one hand. It has a red LCD character display and an RS-232 serial interface for remote control PC applications. 1000+ objects can be user defined. The eight major planets from Mercury to Pluto, NGC objects, IC objects etc, can be called up in a few seconds. //07: Viewing from a rural location In the Emerald Isle, the County of Mayo has a magnificent coastline and a lovely off-shore island separated from the mainland by a narrow sea-passage which boasts the wildest scenery in our western islands. This is Achill island, 35,000 acres in extent and measuring 12 x 15 miles, which attracts tourists from all over Europe. It is said to derive its name from the eagles which once made their haunts in the tops of its wild and picturesque mountains. Four of these mountains (Minaun, Slievemore, Croaghaun and Corraun) are the glory of the island. Corraun rises to 1,750 feet and commands views of Clew Bay, Clare Island and the other neighbouring islands. Below Slievemore are megalithic remains or stone monuments and the famous seal caves. The notorious Captain Boycott lived for 20 years on Croaghaun (2,000 feet) which has some of the finest cliff scenery in Europe. Below the Minaun Cliffs is Keel Strand which stretches for two miles to the village of this same name. These cliffs are also known as the Cathedral Rocks because their arches and rugged pillars actually look like the arches of a cathedral. Achill was bridged in 1886 and takes the visitor to the cliffs, beaches, whitewashed villages, boglands, mountain glens, green boreens, B & B's, and Achill's peciular way of life. What I find attractive about the island is the wild beauty of its lunar landscape and the colour and variety of the cloud formations. Percy French in his poem `The Exile' called Achill the island of his dreams. The ancient kingdom of Achill borderering Clew Bay was the haunt of Grace O'Malley who had a small castle built at Kildownet. She was a famous sea-QU heroine of the 16th century who commanded three galleys and two hundred fighting men. Some of the celestial sights seen during a recent stay on the island are related below. Your first run of the Northern or Southern hemisphere with a telescope broadens your mind and gives you a chance to examine many constellations in fine detail. On gentle, warm sunny days with limpid blue skies and a soft breeze the rustic setting of Achill Island offers vistas of the Atlantic Ocean. Terrestrial objects - bungalows, houses, farms, fields, cows and cars are easily seen. On a recent trip I have had close up views of otters and cormorants warily perching on a small rock, wings spread to dry, preening themselves in the evening sun. After the puffy white clouds which blossom in the afternoon vanish, a night on Achill with its many hamlets can be very beautiful with the canopy of a star-spangled sky almost at arm's length. Sea, sand and the long midsummer nights offer a welcome distraction from the usual rustic round and two weeks of fun and frolicks on Achill Island clears the head. On these jewelled evenings your first sight on canvassing the asterisms overhead is Draco who threads his way between Ursa Major (the Big Dipper) and Ursa Minor (the Little Dipper). Looking carefully you will see a luminous band of light, resplendent against the inky black of space. This is our Milky Way Galaxy which looks like a great river in the sky from a rural dark site. Sprinkled throughout the constellation of Sagittarius (on the southern horizon) are clusters of stars, nebulae and glowing clouds of gas. Our galaxy is a vast rotating disc-shaped gathering of stars measuring 100,000 light years from rim to rim, and 1,000 light years thick. It is amazing to think that the planetary system within which you and I live is just one of 200 billion stars in this star island which lies approximately halfway between the central bulge and the rim of this disc, about 68 light years above the galactic plane (close to the middle but not right on it). Our galaxy is one of at least 100+ billion galaxies in our universe and holds countless groups and clusters of stars and bands of glowing gas called nebulae. //08: Popular Deep-Sky objects for the amateur astronomer ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name of Object Type Where? NGC-number Mag Size (') ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01 Cat's Eye Planetary Nebula Draco 6543 08.8 00.3 x 05.8 02 Cave Nebula Cepheus Sh2-155 07.7 50.0 x 10.0 03 Bubble Nebula Cassiopea 7635 07.0 15.0 x 08.0 04 Blinking Planetary Nebula Cygnus 6826 09.8 00.5 x 02.3 05 Cocoon Nebula Cygnus IC-5146 10.0 12.0 x 12.0 06 North American Nebula Cygnus NGC-7000 06.0 120.0 x 100.0 07 Crescent Nebula Cygnus NGC 6888 07.5 10.0 x 10.0 08 Flaming Star Nebula Auriga IC-405 06.0 30.0 x 19.0 09 E. Veil SN remnant Cygnus NGC-6992/5 ---- 60.0 x 8.0 W. Veil SN remnant Cygnus NGC-6960 ---- 70.0 x 6.0 10 Eskimo Planetary Nebula Gemini NGC-2392 09.9 00.2 x 0.7 11 Hubble's Nebula Monoceros NGC-2261 10.0 02.0 x 1.0 12 Rosette Nebula Monoceros NGC-2237-9 ---- 80.0 x 60.0 13 Saturn Nebula Aquarius NGC-7009 08.3 02.5 x 1.0 14 Barnard's Galaxy Sag. NGC-6822 09.3 10.0 x 9.0 15 Ghost of Jupiter Nebula Hydra NGC-3242 08.6 00.3 x 21.0 16 Helix Nebula Aquarius NGC-7293 06.5 13.0 - ---- 17 Bug Nebula Scorpius NGC-6302 12.8 50.0 - ---- 18 Eta Carinae Nebula Carina NGC-3372 06.2 120.0 x 120.0 19 Jewel Box Cluster Crux NGC-4755 04.2 10.0 - ---- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Messier Objects (M001 to M109) The Messier objects:- these are the sky's greatest hits for astronomers. These objects were catalogued by Charles Messier (1730-1817) and are denoted by an `M' prefix. You can find and observe the sky's greatest treasures from your back garden. Many amateur astronomers make a sport out of seeing the list of objects given below:- ----------------------------------------------------- Messier Where How bright Size in minutes Object is it? is it? of arc ----------------------------------------------------- M001 Taurus --- 06 x 04 M002 Aquarius 6.5 13 - -- M003 Com 6.4 16 - -- M004 Scorpio 5.9 26 - -- M005 Serpens 5.8 17 - -- M006 Scorpio 4.2 15 - -- M007 Scorpio 3.3 80 - -- M008 Sagittarius --- 90 x 40 M009 Oph 7.9 09 - -- M010 Oph 6.6 15 - -- M011 Scutum 5.8 14 - -- M012 Oph 6.6 15 - -- M013 Hercules 5.9 17 - -- M014 Oph 7.6 12 - -- M015 Pegasus 6.4 12 - -- M016 Serpens --- 35 x 28 M017 Sagitarius --- 46 x 37 M018 Sagittarius 6.9 09 - -- M019 Oph 7.2 14 - -- M020 Sagittarius --- 29 x 27 M021 Sagittarius 5.9 13 - -- M022 Sagittarius 5.1 24 - -- M023 Sagittarius 5.5 27 - -- M024 Sagittarius 4.5 120 x 40 M025 Sagittarius 4.6 32 - -- M026 Sagittarius 8.0 15 - -- M027 Vulpecula 7.6 06 - -- M028 Sagittarius 6.9 11 - -- M029 Cygnus 6.6 08 - -- M030 Capricorn 7.5 11 - -- M031 Andromeda 3.5 178 x 63 M032 Andromeda 8.2 08 x 06 M033 Triangulum 5.7 62 x 39 M034 Perseus 5.2 35 - -- M035 Gemini 5.1 28 - -- M036 Auriga 6.0 12 - -- M037 Auriga 5.6 24 - -- M038 Aururiga 6.4 21 - -- M039 Cygnus 4.6 32 - -- M040 spurious --- -- - -- M041 Canis Major 4.5 38 - -- M042 Orion --- 66 x 60 M043 Orion --- 20 x 15 M044 Cnc 3.1 95 - -- M045 Taurus 1.2 110 - -- M046 Pupis 6.1 27 - -- M047 Pupis 4.4 30 - -- M048 Hya 5.8 54 - -- M049 Virgo 8.4 09 x 07 M050 Monoceros 5.9 16 - -- M051 CVn 8.4 11 x 08 M052 Cassiopeia 6.9 13 - -- M053 Com 7.7 13 - -- M054 Sagittarius 7.7 09 - -- M055 Sagittarius 7.0 19 - -- M056 Lyra 8.3 07 - -- M057 Lyra 9.7 01 - -- M058 Virgo 9.8 05 x 04 M059 Virgo 9.8 05 x 03 M060 Virgo 8.8 07 x 06 M061 Virgo 9.7 06 x 06 M062 Oph 6.6 14 - -- M063 CVn 8.6 12 x 08 M064 Com 8.5 09 x 05 M065 Leo 9.3 10 x 03 M066 Leo 9.0 09 x 04 M067 Cnc 6.9 30 - -- M068 Hya 8.2 12 - -- M069 Sagittarius 7.7 04 - -- M070 Sagittarius 8.1 08 - -- M071 Sge 8.3 07 - -- M072 Aquarius 9.4 06 - -- M073 Aquarius 8.9 03 - -- M074 Pisces 9.2 10 x 10 M075 Sagittarius 8.6 06 - -- M076 Perseus 12.2 01 - -- M077 Cetus 8.8 07 x 06 M078 Orion --- 08 x 06 M079 Lepus 8.0 09 - -- M080 Scorpio 7.2 09 - -- M081 Ursa Major 6.9 26 x 14 M082 Ursa Major 8.4 11 x 05 M083 Hydra 8.0 11 x 10 M084 Virgo 9.3 05 x 04 M085 Com 9.2 07 x 05 M086 Virgo 9.2 07 x 06 M087 Virgo 8.6 07 x 07 M088 Com 9.5 07 x 04 M089 Virgo 9.8 04 x 04 M090 Virgo 9.5 10 x 05 M091 spurious --- -- - -- M092 Hercules 6.5 11 - -- M093 Pupis 6.2 22 - -- M094 CVn 8.2 11 x 09 M095 Leo 9.7 07 x 05 M096 Leo 9.2 07 x 05 M097 Ursa Major 12.0 03 - -- M098 Com 10.1 10 x 03 M099 Com 9.8 05 x 05 M100 Com 9.4 07 x 06 M101 Ursa Major 7.7 27 x 26 M102 Draco 10.0 05 x 02 M103 Cassiopeia 7.4 06 - -- M104 Virgo 8.3 09 x 04 M105 Leo 9.3 05 x 04 M106 CVn 8.3 18 x 18 M107 Oph 8.1 10 - -- M108 Ursa Major 10.1 08 x 03 M109 Ursa Major 9.8 08 x 05 --------------------------------------------- Most of these can be found with a pair of 10 x 50 binoculars. Do not expect to see any detail with a pair of binoculars. Messier received the title `Bird Nester of Comets' by KI Louis XV. If the night is long and dark you may find it possible to see the equivalent of 11 months of the year paraded before your eyes during the course of one night. On such a night you can observe most of Charles Messier's list of 109 Deep Sky Objects listed above. The following factors will have to be available for such a marathon:- A clear sky (all night), a good dark site to observe from (free of horizon obstructions and no light pollution), familiarity with the constellations. Late March to early April is the best time of year. Patience, obseving skill and clear skies will make all the difference. During March many astronomers test their observing skill in a Messier marathon (a competition that involves tracking down most or all of the 109 galaxies, clusters and nebulae on Charles Messier's list). The objective is to view them all on the `same' night (a dawn-to-dusk scramble). It is fun and educational. Others engage in a solar system marathon. The objective is to observe as many members of our solar system in one night (with the naked eye, binoculars or a telescope). During 1996 all the planets could be seen several times during one night. Try to see all of the planets in a 24-hour period. This game can be played between neighbouring clubs, groups of observers or, hardware versus the eyeball method. Messier marathons can only be held in late March and early April because our Sun lies in a region of sky that is devoid of Messier targets. Trick of the trade:- you will find success by following the sequence listed below:- ~~~~~~~~ Table:- Messier Marathon sequence of objects to observe:- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1st 077 074 033 031 032 110 034 076 103 052 --- --- --- --- --- --- = 10 2nd 079 041 093 042 043 078 045 001 038 037 036 035 050 --- --- --- = 13 3rd 046 047 048 044 067 095 096 105 065 066 --- --- --- --- --- --- = 10 4th 081 082 097 108 109 040 101 051 063 094 106 003 --- --- --- --- = 12 5th 064 053 060 059 058 089 090 091 088 084 086 087 099 098 100 085 = 16 6th 049 061 104 068 083 013 092 057 056 027 071 029 039 --- --- --- = 13 7th 004 080 062 019 009 107 005 010 012 014 --- --- --- --- --- --- = 10 8th 011 026 016 017 018 024 025 023 021 020 008 022 028 --- --- --- = 13 9th 006 007 070 069 054 015 002 --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- = 7 10th 072 073 075 055 030 --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- = 5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Total = 109 //09: The top 50 Herschel Objects Sky Atlas No Description NGC 2000 Chart number ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01 Galaxy 404 04 ------------------ 02 Open cluster 457 01 Owl or Bug cluster 03 Galaxy 524 10 Excellent 04 Galaxy 598 10 Small, round 05 Open cluster 654 01 Looks like cluster/double stars 06 Galaxy 779 10 Long barred spiral 07 Open cluster 1750 05 Amazing! Three clusters. 08 Diffuse nebula 1931 05 Bloated star immersed in dust 09 Open cluster 2301 12 Rich, obvious. 10 Open cluster 2354 19 Big. 11 Open cluster 2360 12 Speckled appearance 12 Planetary nebula 2371 05 Double planetry with NGC-2372 13 Planetary nebula 2372 05 As above 14 Open cluster 2422 12 M47 15 Open cluster 2423 12 Same field as M47. Big nucleus 16 Planetary nebula 2438 12 M46, easy 17 Open cluster 2489 19 Grains of sparkling sand 18 Open cluster 2506 12 Rich with stars, delicate 19 Open cluster 2539 12 Oblong 20 Galaxy 2683 06 Silver galaxy, edge-on, needle 21 Galaxy 3077 02 Same field as M82, roundish 22 Galaxy 3184 06 Fairy dust shimmer, easy 23 Planetary nebula 3242 20 Big, blue green/Ghost Jupiter 24 Galaxy 3344 06 Resembles a comet 25 Galaxy 3377 13 Looks lonely 26 Galaxy 3432 06 Simply lovely, elongated 27 Galaxy 3610 02 Classic `Hairy Star' 28 Galaxy 3726 06 Big, cloud-like 29 Galaxy 4179 13 Edge-on, diamond-braclet 30 Galaxy 4365 13 Definitive `round fuzzball' 31 Galaxy 4414 07 Arms easily seen, dark lanes 32 Galaxy 4429 13 At end of string of stars 33 Galaxy 4485 07 Tereffic, beside 4490 34 Galaxy 4565 07 Edge-on, dust lanes visible 35 Galaxy 4594 14 M104, Sombrero, bueon! 36 Galaxy 4631 07 Long and thin 37 Galaxy 4697 14 Amid fied of bright baubles 38 Galaxy 4845 14 Good size, Orion like 39 Galaxy 5005 07 Other galaxies nearby 40 Galaxy 5033 07 Gorgeous field (near 5005) 41 Galaxy 5363 14 Beside star, 5364 nearby 42 Galaxy 5907 02 Needle galaxy, easy 43 Galaxy 6207 08 Same field as M13 2.0 x 1.1' 44 Planetary nebula 6543 03 Cat's eye nebula, blue-green 45 Globular cluster 6638 22 Typical small globular 46 Open cluster 6866 09 Rich riot of bright stars 47 Planetary nebula 6905 09 Sapphire cast in diamonds 48 Open cluster 6940 09 Huge, rich cluster 49 Planetary nebula 7009 16 Saturn nebula 50 Planetary nebula 7662 09 Blue Snowball nebula, nice --------------------------------------------------------------- //10: Refurbushing the telescope For many, the hours spent in designing, building, and modifying telescopes is as rewarding as any spent observing under the darkest of skies. Presently, I am in the process of refurbushing my own telescope by so that it can be transported more easily and adding stepper motors that enable the instrument to track any object continuously. With digitial setting circles and computer control I am able to operate the telescope remotely from my PC. Some people have groused that a computer locates objects too easily. I have found that the computer takes the hard work out of locating targets thus allowing more time viewing with eyepieces that have a panoramic 82 degree flat field. Even so, I have not lost my sense of wonder when gazing up at the sky and have found that amateur astronomy is in fact a state of deep appreciation that slowly grows over the years. Some lose touch with visual observing and find it dull after a while. Their telescopes usually end up in the attic or in the for-sale advertisements in astronomy magazines. //11: Messier - Herschel-400 There are many books written about the best deep-sky objects but they should be used to enhance your obseving skills and as adjuncts to your own choice of the sky's celestial showpieces. After logging most of the Messier objects most die-hard astronomers observing skills stagnate and can become tedious, or even worse, boring. With electronic positioning and tracking a whole new view of the sky has opened up which has enabled me to embark on locating `The Herschel 400' list of objects which have become so popular of late and renewed my interest in many of the night sky's finest star clusters, galaxies and nebulae. If finding the Messier objects represents a mile marker (an apprenticeship), then the `Herschel 400' represents a large cairn on this journey. My observing sessions now have a fresh bounce and have put a new glimmer in my eyes. The complete list of 2477 Herschel objects guarantees several more years of challenge and excitement hunting the treasures that Messier missed. Hunting some faint, amorphous deep-sky object gets your adrenelin flowing and helps you to see them as part of the visual milieu. My repertoire of deep-space objects has increased dramatically over the last 36 months and reminds me of the very first time I saw the Great Orion Nebula, M42. The globular cluster M13 in is one of the many popular deep-sky objects that is routinely viewed by many astronomers and is composed of several hundred thousand stars located in Herecules. In my telescope it appears as a glowing ball of stars (exactly like an engagement ring). The famous Ring Nebula, M57 in Lyra, or the Andromeda Galaxy M31 remind me of the time so many years ago when my imagination and eyes were young. To be new is to be fresh and seen with an unprejudiced eye. An astronomer seeks the physical adventure of the observing session, sometimes in remote, hostile environments as s/he seeks the subtle, yet powerful adventure of discovery, both at the eyepiece and sometimes just under the naked canopy of stars. Astronomy has never appealed to the shallow spirit. //12: CCD camera The next phase will be to add a CCD camera, enabling me to view the sky directly with the aid of my PC, in full colour and also to download deep-space images from the Hubble Space Telescope (94 inches in diameter). A CCD camera can produce some amazing results when connected to a telescope ie, true-colour images of faint galaxies, the discovery of supernovae, location of faint jets blasting out from the neclei of active galaxies, the imaging of quasars and even gravitational lenses, the discovery of asteroids and comets, the practice of precise photometry, spectroscopy and astrometry and so forth. They are in fact very easy to use and anyone having a basic understanding of computers will have no trouble using these modern electronic boxes of tricks. I am looking forward to the launch of the next-generation telescope (tenatively named Darwin) which is expected to be 120+ inches in diameter. I share my telescope, especially with youngsters and have given countless people their first look at the Moon, Jupiter or a galaxy and answer all of the questions posed. I hold children up to the eyepiece to take in their first look at the Sun or Moon which most find a marvel. With the increased availability of multi-media PCs, it comes as no surprise that there are many chess and astronomy related programs. Some of the better versions come on CD-ROM (this is because the programs are so intuitive to use), making the traditional `manual' obsolete. You can zoom-in on telescopic fields smaller than one arc second in size. With computer control remote auto-centering of objects in the telescope field can be achieved in under 30 seconds. These astronomical databases can display millions of objects down to the +15 By clicking on an object a box pops up giving detailed information about the nine planets, 15,000+ double stars, 10,000+ variable stars, 75,000+ deep sky objects and thousands of asteroids. You can print your own customized star charts before commencing an evenings viewing. A step-function enables you to plot the paths of new comets (when they are discovered) and an eclipse and conjunction finder demonstrates these phenomena from any location on Earth. These user-friendly packages with their enhanced ease of use, leading-edge technology, full-featured tools and CD-ROM format allow the amateur stargazer to embark on a boundless journey. Thousands of images are also readily available. These types of program enable the user to control a telescope remotely from the comfort of an armchair. The telescope follows the PC display and matches the view through your eyepiece! Locating any of the thousands of celestial objects is a snap and nearly as easy as pointing the telescope itself. I just input the RA or Dec of the object I wish to observe, or call up an object from the database. This allows the telescope to slew manually to the object and center it in the visual field, swiftly and precisely with the aid of the dual-axis, drive corrector, microslewing system. These computer programs can speed up the heavens to a dizzying pace with a season's motion being displayed in a few minutes by just clicking on a few of the observers tools (ie, movable labels, eyepiece field charts, comet-plotting - hunting runs, printed star charts, Telrad target, etc),that are available. The Sun's movement across the sky over the period of a year can be compressed into a single minute. Astronomers with portable telescopes use laptop computers when in the field. CD roms are an imposing resource for the knowledgeable observer and are intended for the intensely committed observer. Other programs broaden your interest into areas that you would not normally consider and these include Internet/Usenet/WWW files, CCD imaging utilities, astronomical clocks, calendars, almanacs, observation logging utilities, amateur telescope making, astrophotography, source code and algorithms and a plethorea of text files that cover just about every subject in astronomy. Microsoft have recently produced a true-to-life `Space Simulator' that enables you to fly to other worlds and explore our Milky Way galaxy. By using the information garnered by the Voyager, Magna, Viking and Mariner space probes they have produced an entertaining computer simulation which has outstanding photo-realistic graphics which enable you to navigate and experience space, the planets and other heavenly objects from the comfort of your armchair (very useful when cloudy conditions do not permit direct visual observation). Books worth having in your library are listed below:- 01 The Astronomical Almanac. 02 Norton's Star Atlas. 03 Bright Star Atlas 2000.0. 04 Burnham's Celestial Handbook. //13: The new accessories Magazine advertisements and mail order houses are brimming with a maze of telescope models and a befuddlement of brands. What is the best telescope to buy? The best telescope you will ever own is the one you will use most often! Portability and convenience are more important than most first-time buyers realize. Choose an instrument that is solidly-crafted and simple to use, with a minimum of `fiddly bits' that you will soon tire of assembling and adjusting each viewing night. Keep in mind that you will be using it in the dark, in the cold, and at odd hours of the night and day (solar observing). Learning to use a telescope properly is an art that is gained with practice, ideally under experienced supervision. The telescope used most often is one you can keep assembled and carry or wheel out to your backyard as a single unit. It should be easy to carry, set-up, aim, have a reasonable eyepiece height and be able to withstand a few (minor) knocks and bumps. Whether you opt for the latest LX50 models or computerized f2.2 LX-200 Schmidt Camera, 7-inch Massutov-Cassegrain, 4-inch through 20-inch Dobsonian, 16-inch Schmidt or 8-inch triplet refractor, you will find yourself joining the ranks of many amateur astronomers who have travelled this road before you. There are 100+ binocular models, 30+ colour filters, 27+ nebula filters, 100+ eyepiece focal lengths, 13+ barlows, dozens of CCD camera models, dew shields and electric focusers available from which to choose that suit your obseving needs and budget. There are a few things that you should know about telescopes and binoculars if you are to make a good choice. Telescopes fall into two categories; refractors and reflectors. The refractor uses a large lens at the front [the `objective'] to collect the light, and sends this light down the tube to the eyepiece. The reflector uses a concave mirror at the back of the tube to collect the light and send it up to a small flat mirror, which in turn deflects the light out to the side of the tube where the eyepiece is located. The most common type of telescope that you can buy is a refractor. As with the reflector, or binoculars for that matter, the bigger the objective lens, or the primary mirror in the case of the reflector, the more light it can gather. The more light that is collected, the brighter will be the image that will be seen through the eyepiece. Also, the better the quality of the lenses or mirrors used, the sharper the image. The alternative is to buy a reflector. Inch-for-inch of aperture, they are a lot cheaper and have more light gathering power. A 6-inch reflector [with a 6-inch wide mirror], is the equivalent of a 3-inch refractor. Reflectors are therefore bigger, more awkward, but better value than refractors. While not readily available in shops, they can be bought to order. Ideally, at least a 6-inch is required if you want to engage in serious observing. Some use portable `Dobsonian' telescopes with 36 or 40-inch mirrors (best value telescope that you can buy). If you do not want to spend a large amount, you might consider investing in a pair of binoculars. Some people consider that they are of little use, but when used on a good, dark sky, they provide some spectacular views of the heavens. There are three basic sizes:- 8 x 30, 7 x 50 and 10 x 50. The first number is the magnification and the second, the size of the objective lens. So a pair of 7 x 50 binoculars magnify the image 7 times, and have objective lenses 50mm wide. 8 x 30's are too small to give decent sized images. 7 x 50s or 10 x 50s are more suitable for astronomical observing. Binoculars with objectives of 60mm, 70mm, 80mm, 100mm, 150mm and larger, can be found, but are expensive. However, even large binoculars are compact (when compared with a telescope). Always remember, the larger the lens, the brighter the image. Most people are under the mistaken impression that `high' magnification is important. For astronomy this is wrong! An eyepiece is used to examine the image produced by an astronomical telescope. You can have as many as these as you like and by popping in a higher or lower power you can change the magnification to suit the object you are looking at. If you increase the magnification you see a smaller area of the sky and the image looks dimmer. A telescope with only high magnification is virtually useless for astronomy as objects are very hard to find, and dim when you do find them. In fact, the only object worthy of high magnification is our Moon. To see detail on the brighter planets like Jupiter, Mars and Saturn you need a large telescope to collect enough light and allow high magnification to be used. Also, larger telescopes can see finer details, even on our Moon. There is a lot more to see than the Moon and planets. There are thousands of galaxies, star clusters, gas nebulae (where new stars form or where old stars have blown off their outer parts), and the occasional comet. Most of these objects are faint and need `low' magnification in a BIG telescope. At low magnification they appear small but bright so at least they can be seen. Also, low magnification means you see a larger area of the sky and so finding objects is a breeze. An astronomical telescope is not a toy. It will last a lifetime and should keep its value. You should look on it as an investment and not an expense. Buy the biggest that you can afford. Binoculars are rated by two figures you will see marked on them such as 10 x 50. The 10 x means they magnify 10 times. The 50 means each of the front light-collecting lenses is 50mm across. A 50mm pair of binoculars collects 50 times more light than the human eye which is a very significant jump. Ideally, you will also need a pair of binoculars at times, even if you own a telescope! Dressing properly for an observing session is vital if you want to stay warm and enjoy the experience. Some people arrive in suits and dresses - the most inappropriate clothing - freeze, and then decide that astronomy is not for them. Clothing is all-important, and incorporates several layers of your protective clothing. Always wear a hat, as it is estimated that up to 60% of body heat is lost through your head. It is normal to take breaks during an observing session in order to warm up and to rest your eyes. After 30 minutes or so, in -2°, a cup of hot soup, coffee or cocoa is very welcome, and only involves a few minutes of preparation before setting out. So, bring a flask. If you are going out on a general naked-eye or meteor observing session, bring a plastic groundsheet to lie on, or a reclining deck-chair (if you can carry it). These reduce the risk of neck strain due to cold muscles, and prolonged neck flexion if standing. A star map is `a priori'. A planisphere can also be useful in helping you to locate individual constellations and stars. Bring a red torch, such as a bicycle back light, for reading maps and charts. Red light places less strain on the eyes than white, and so causes little disruption to dark adapted eyes. Learning constellation names and stars takes many hours of practice and just plain observing. Start by identifying the most famous constellations such as the Plough (Ursa Major), Orion, Ursa Minor and Cassiopeia. Most first time observers are hard pressed to pick out the Big Dipper! As you observe, you will notice several interesting differences between particular stars. First, some are brighter than others. This relative brightness of stars (and other celestial objects) is called magnitude, and is dependant on the luminosity of the star and its distance from Earth. It should be noted that, on the magnitude scale, the brighter the star, the lower its assigned magnitude. Hence +1 is brighter than +2 (its as simple as that)! Second, you will see some stars that appear to be made up of two components. These are double stars revolving about a common centre of gravity under the influence of their mutual gravitational attraction (binary stars), or two stars which appear close together because they lie nearly in the same direction from Earth, but are in fact many light years apart (optical double stars). I often view the second star in the `handle' of the Plough. This is the optical double, Mizar and Alcor. Thirdly, you may notice that not all stars are the same colour. For example, Betelgeuse, at the top left corner of Orion, appears vividly red when contrasted with Rigel, at the bottom right corner, which seems bluish-white. This is due to the fact that these stars belong to different spectral types, and so possess different characteristics. Of the 3,047 naked eye stars, just one has the unique colour green! It is known as Beta Librae (Zuben el Chamali) and is 160 light years distant. Scattered throughout the sky are closely-knit groups of stars, called star clusters. These may be wide open, as with the Haydes, or closer as with the Pleiades, both of which are in Taurus. Other groups of stars take on what appears to be a tighter grouping. These are themselves galaxies, and one naked-eye example is Andromeda, which is estimated to be some 2.2 million light years away, and appears as a faint `fuzzy star'. Our own galaxy - the Milky way - is more observable, stretching across the sky as a wide band of luminosity. Mention should also be made of nebulae. These clouds of interstellar dust, often associated with stellar development, are difficult to see with the unaided eye, though one - the Great Nebula in Orion, can be observed as a luminous patch in the centre of Orion's Sword. A useful method for observing faint objects is the `averted vision' technique. All that is involved to locate an object is to look at it, and then avert your eyes slightly away from it. Often the object will be noticed `through the corner of your eye', so to speak. All of the above objects are unchanging in the night sky. Other starlike bodies will be noticed which are not on the star charts and which appear to change their positions nightly. These are the planets, and six are visible to the naked-eye - Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and sometimes Uranus. You will need a telescope to see Neptune and Pluto. The planets are different to stars in several ways. A star may be defined as a luminous, gaseous body, that generates energy by means of nuclear fusion reactions in its core. A planet on the other hand, is a body which orbits the Sun and nearby stars and shines by reflected light. To the naked-eye observer, the main interest in planets lies in tracing their paths across the sky, and noting how some tend to backtrack (move retrograde) as the months go by. The Moon displays little to those without optical aid, but does go through a monthly cycle of phases. Look out also for occultations - that is when the Moon passes over (in front of) a star. Very occasionally, a bright comet may grace our skies. This may appear either as a `fuzzy star' or as a classic comet, with a prominent head and streaming tail. More often though, the only sight of cometary matter which we can see every night, is observed to whizz across the sky in less than a second. These starlike objects are, of course, meteors or shooting stars, and are usually caused when the Earth passes through dust spread out along the orbit of a comet. Rates during these meteor showers may rise to as many as 100+ per hour. Often, new observers mistake slow-moving objects which cross the sky in a matter of minutes, for meteors. These are in fact, manmade artificial satellites in Earth orbit. One of the most interesting of these at the moment is the Soviet Mir spacecraft, which can be seen quite regularly. Light pollution, while reducing the number and quality of observable objects, does not block out all stars or planets. The most significant way of getting started in astronomy, whether young or old, is to join an astronomical association. There, you will find other ordinary mortals who have been amateur astronomers for many years, and who will be more than pleased to advise and help you on the road to becoming proficient in the art of observing the night sky. Telescopes are the mainstay of the amateur astronomer. The paragraphs below examine the reasons for buying or making a telescope. If expense is not a serious problem, the simplest answer is to buy a complete professionally made instrument. Dealers will be found advertising telescopes and have catalogues available. This is probably the best way to become a telescope owner. For the uninitiated, telescopes come in two main varieties. Those using lenses are called Refractors as they bend (refract) light as it passes through them. Reflectors use mirrors. In both cases the surfaces of the optics are curved and shaped in very specific ways. Putting the exact final shape or `figure' on the surface is called figuring. In fact, the particular figures required of the lens or mirror surface must not be deviated from by just a couple of millionths of an inch or the images it gives will be poor. This is why optics are so costly. Refractors have a number of disadvantages associated with their construction compared to reflectors. Since the light passes `through' a lens it must be very pure. A reflector has only the front surface of the glass figured so less costly glass can be used. `Two' surfaces of a lens must be accurately figured - the front and back. Also, a simple lens focuses light of different colours at different points, the solution being to put two or more lenses together giving at least `four' surfaces, all of which must be very accurately made. The mirror of a reflector reflects all colours of light to the same focus and so does not suffer from this problem. The disadvantages of the reflector are minor by comparison. The front surface of the mirror must be coated with a very thin reflective coating (usually aluminium). This is usually done commercially at fairly low cost. The simplest form of reflector, the Newtonian, employs one main curved mirror (the Primary) and a small flat `secondary' mirror which reflects the light out the side of the tube just before it comes to a focus so the images may be viewed without the observer's head obstructing the main mirror. Mainly because some of the light is blocked by the secondary and the effects this causes, reflectors must be larger than their `unobstructed' refractors to achieve the same results. The lens or mirror of a telescope focuses the light coming from a distant object into an image. If the object is bright a card held at the focus will show the image like a tiny picture. A camera is a lens with light sensitive film held at this focus. In a telescope a magnifying glass is placed behind the image to get a detailed look at it. This magnifying glass is called an ocular or eyepiece. There are many designs each incorporating several small lenses which give images of varying quality. By changing the eyepiece, different magnifications can be achieved. Those new to astronomy are usually surprised to learn that the most important fact about a telescope is `not' its magnification but its `aperture' (diameter of the main mirror or lens). Most astronomy is conducted at night. In the dark, virtually everything of interest in the sky is faint. If the image of an object is magnified to make it larger, its feeble light is spread over a bigger area and it becomes more difficult to see. For this reason `low' magnification is usually the best. Binoculars are low magnification telescopes and this is why they are so useful to astronomers. Obviously, the larger the aperture the brighter will be the image. There are very few objects where `high' magnification is ever needed, perhaps for the Moon, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and double stars. Note that atmospheric conditions must also be ideal. Also, note that a larger telescope gives brighter images for a given magnification so it still follows that high magnification requires a large aperture. For various technical reasons, even under perfect conditions with perfect optics a magnification of 50 times per inch of aperture is the highest that can ever be used. The lowest is 3 or 4 times per inch of aperture. With all these facts in mind it is usually said that a `decent' size for an astronomical telescope is a refractor of at least 3 inches' (75mm) aperture or a reflector of 6-inch aperture. With such instruments, intricate detail will be seen on the Moon and planets. Countless star clusters, gas clouds, galaxies, double stars, asteroids and comets will be seen, some of these objects will not be visible to the naked eye at all. There will be many events to see. As aperture increases the difference between refractor and reflector diminishes. However, the cost of refractors rises far more quickly than that of reflectors as do some of the factors involved in their use. The majority of large amateur telescopes are, therefore, reflectors. An important aspect of any telescope is the means of pointing it in the sky - the mount. There are two basic designs. The Alt-azimuth allows the telescope to be moved up and down by rotating it about one axis ie, to point it at objects at different altitudes in the sky. It can also be moved from side to side to point in different directions (technically called Azimuth in astronomy). The better design is the Equatorial where one axis is tilted over to lie parallel to the Earth's axis. This means it must be tilted towards the north, the angle between the horizon and the so-called polar axis being equal to the latitude of the location of the telescope. Set up like this in the northern hemisphere, the polar axis will roughly point at Polaris, the north star. Because the polar axis is aligned with the axis of the Earth's rotation the telescope need only be rotated about the polar axis at a constant rate (roughly once in 24 hours) and it will track any object off the Earth - the stars etc. A simple drive motor can easily be attached to do this job and observing at high magnification means the drift caused by the Earth's rotaton is factored out. Very popular these days are the highly compact folded optical designs called Schmidt Cassesgrains and Maksutov's which use both lenses and mirrors (such designs are called catadioptric). This design, and use of lightweight materials, allows an 8-inch aperture telescope to be held in one hand for attachment to a fold up tripod and mount. All this equipment can be bundled into a packing case and transported in the boot of a car to be set up anywhere in minutes. For all this convenience a price must be paid, perhaps double that of an equivalent aperture low-cost Newtonian reflector. Whether you buy a low-cost or high-quality instrument you will want to know what to look at with it. This is the topic of some of the other sections in this text. //14: Focal Ratio This feature of the telescope, often referred to as the f/ratio is described as the ratio of the telescopes focal length to its diameter. Low Focal Ratio:- f/3 to f/5 provide wide fields of view and are `fast' photographically. Low f/ratio telescopes may be converted to higher effective f/ratio by connecting a Barlow Lens. The term `short focus' or fast, is generally reserved for Newtonians in the f/3 to f/5 range. This implies that the focal length (the mirror to focus distance) is four to five times the mirror diameter. The main advantage of a short focus Newtonian is simply the reduced tube length, making it easier for the observer to build, use and carry the telescope. In today's light-polluted city skies, escaping with a portable telescope to the country is a popular pursuit and portability a major concern. If ease of use and portability is important to you, a short-focus Newtonian may well be ideal. My Newtonian can be transported in an estate car or hatch-back to to a dark site for viewing (it is in fact, very compact, for its size). //15: What is an Equatorial Mount? Put simply, an equatorial mounting is one in which one of the axes of motion (the polar axis) is parallel to the Earth's axis. Thus, the objects rise in the east, transit due south and set in the west, the observer only needs to move the equatorially mounted telescope about one axis to follow them. To polar align the telescope you point the RA axis at Polaris (or, as near as you can to this point in the sky). You do this when starting an observing session (it's as simple as that!). Electronic black-boxes are now available that give a read-out in RA and DEC. With Digital Setting Circles installed on the telescope you do not need to point the telescope at Polaris (the computer knows where the telescope is pointed). //16: Advantages of a dark-site location Remember:- if you want to obtain the best views of the sky, you have to go to a dark site location (preferably out of city lights). If you view in a lit-up location, you will still see most objects, but they will not be as good as a dark-site. //17: Advantage of refractor Sealed tube optics prevent tube currents from ruining planetary definition. Fixed, long-focus optics virtually guarantee good coolimation and sharp images. Refractors are of various optical designs:- doublets and triplets. Refractors use a `lens'. Reflectors use a mirror. Refractors suffer from an imperfection called chromatic abberaton which adds a faint purple glow around all bright objects. A better type is called `Apochromatic', often called `Apos', and use special types of glass (fluorite or ED glass) to eliminate this false colour and provide top-quality images but at a premium price. The best of all world's would be to have a large reflector with a triplet refractor mounted on top. //18: Disadvantages of Refractor Very expensive per inch of aperture. With f/ratios as low as f/5 they can be used for spectacular, pin sharp, wide field photography (using fluorite or ED type glass). Buy a triplet lens for perfect optics (however, they are expensive). Remember, that you will have a telescope for life and the initial cost is not really expensive when you consider that you will be using your telescope(s) for a lifetime of use (20, 30, 40 years). Moral of buying a telescope: buy the best - do not compromise on quality - you will be disappointed in the long term if you do! //19: What is the best type of telescope? Neither type has a clear advantage. Refractors use lenses to gather and focus light. When made right they provide sharp images in a rugged instrument requiring little maintenance. In apertures over 90mm, they are expensive. Reflectors use mirrors to gather light. A reflector usually does not provide quite as sharp an image as a top-notch refractor of the same aperture, but you can buy a much larger reflector for the same money. Most of the price variations in magazines stem from the type of mount that you choose (from simple manual to full electronic guidance and acquisition of objects). Many newcomers are afflicted with a common problem. After reading about galaxies, nebulae, moons and planets, they rush out and buy the biggest and fanciest telescope they can afford to buy, expecting to see all these lovely objects on their first night! //20: Schmidt cassegrain telescopes This type of telescope is a hybrid of the reflector and refractor. It uses a mirror to collect the light but also incorporates a lens-like corrector plate to cancel out an optical distortion called spherical aberration. They are known as `Cats'. They are compact and versatile. Another type is the `Maksutov' (expensive as a refractor). Meade produce a 12-inch f/2.2 Schmidt Camera for the discerning photographer. //21: How do you find things? The low-tech but economical way to explore the universe is to use star charts to find your way across the sky. This is called star-hopping - find a bright star, then use nearby stars as stepping stones to hop over to a deep-sky target. A good finderscope is essential. Do you live in a city? City lights will not wash out views of the Moon and planets. Only the brightest deep-sky objects (clusters, nebulae, and galaxies) will show up under urban skies, no matter how large your telescope. A 3 to 10-inch telescope will work well in a city. Your prime consideration should be portability. How easy is it to carry your telescope in and out of your house and around your front/back garden? Giant 14 to 40-inch reflectors are impractical in a city. These galaxy-class-starships work best cruising dark rural skies. Can you attach a camera to a telescope? With a suitable camera adapter you can attach a 35mm camera body to most telescopes. What is the best telescope to buy? The telescope market now contains some superb low-cost telescopes. Adding a good equatorial mount and motor drive allows hands-off tracking. Before you buy and start observing you should be familiar with the sky. If not, how will you find them in a telescope? The biggest mistake people make is not buying the wrong brand or type of telescope but buying a telescope, period - at least before they are ready to use one. Those premature telescopes inevitably end up collecting dust, not starlight. Spend time learning the sky first with no more than simple star charts and binoculars. When you do make the leap, instead of wondering what to look at on your first nights out you will actually be able to find and `appreciate' all the incredible sights every telescope is capable of revealing. //22: Apeture The size of a telescope's primary mirror (reflector) determines not only how faint you will be able to see, but with what clarity. Put simply, a larger aperture lets you see more. A 2.4-inch telescope will not show as much detail as an 8-inch (which will reveal the Moon with stunning clarity, subtle detail on Jupiter, Saturn's cloud bands and a gap in the rings, and structre in galaxies and nebulae). On larger telescopes some star clusters even seem to gain new members by the hundreds. The Newtonian reflector, named after inventor Isaac Newton uses a concave primary mirror at the bottom of a telescope tube to direct light back up to a secondary mirror. The secondary then deflects the light path out one side of the tube, to an eyepiece that magnifies the image. //23: Area of glass of the mirror The main function of a telescope is to collect photons of light emenating from high above in the depths of space. At any magnification, the larger your apeture, the more light will enter the tube to make the image `brighter' and easier to see. The apeture is the diameter of the Primary mirror measured in inches or millimeters. Greater detail and image clarity will be evident as apeture increases. I have given the apeture of various sized telescopes from 100mm (4-inch) in the table below (column-1). Column-2 gives the total area in square inches and column-3 gives the area in square feet. The formula for working out the value is Pi x Radius squared ie, for an 8-inch (20.32cm) telescope this would work out as:- Inches: 8 inch = 4 x 4 x 3.14 = 50.24 square inches (area of glass). Metric: 20.32cm = 20.32cm x 20.32cm x 3.14 = 1296.51 square centimeters. Apeture Area millimetres: Sq millimetres: (lens or mirror) -------------------------------------------------------------- Some binocular models have multicoatings, special glass formulations (95% light transmision) and flat-field optical designs which result in virtually no distortion or astigmatism. 30mm 707mm Binoculars 50mm 1963mm Binoculars 60mm 2826mm Binoculars 70mm 3847mm Binoculars 80mm 5024mm Binoculars -------------------------------------------------------------- Apeture Area Area Inches: Sq Inches: Sq Feet: -------------------------------------------------------------- 04" 12.56 0.09 Meade/Astro Physics Refractor 05" 19.64 0.14 Meade/Astro Physics Refractor 06" 28.26 0.20 Meade/Astro Physics Refractor 07" 38.47 0.27 Meade/Astro Physics Refractor 08" 50.24 0.35 Celestron/Meade. 10" 78.50 0.55 Meade 11" 94.99 0.66 Celestron 12" 113.04 0.79 Meade 14" 154.00 1.07 Celestron ------------------------------------------------------------- 16" 201 1.40 My telescope (Newtonian) ------------------------------------------------------------- 18" 254 1.76 NGT 20" 314 2.18 Dobsonian 22" 380 2.64 24" 452 3.14 25" 491 3.41 NGT/Dobsonian 26" 531 3.69 28" 616 4.28 30" 707 4.91 Dobsonian 40" 1256 8.72 Dobsonian (Jim's Mobile) 50" 1963 13.62 60" 2826 19.63 70" 3847 26.71 80" 5024 34.89 94.49" 7009.00 48.70 Hubble Telescope 200" 31400.00 218.05 Mount Palomor Telescope -------------------------------------------------------------- //24: Resolution Resolution is the ability of a telescope to render fine detail. The higher the resolution the better the detail. The larger the aperture of a telescope the more resolution the instrument is capable of. The resolving power of a telescope is referred to by the technical term `Dawles Limit'. It is the ability to separate two closely-spaced binary (double) stars into two distinct images measured in seconds of arc. To determine the resolving power of a telescope you divide the aperture of the telescope (in inches) into 4.56. For example, the resolving power of an 8-inch aperture telescope is 0.6 seconds of arc. The larger your aperture, the better the resolving power. Resolving power is often marred or affected by `atmospheric conditions' and the visual acuity of the observer. Aperture Dawes Limit Seconds of arc --------------------------------------------------------- 3-inch telescope: 4.56 divided by 3 = 1.50 arc seconds 4-inch telescope: 4.56 divided by 4 = 1.10 arc seconds 5-inch telescope: 4.56 divided by 5 = 0.90 arc seconds 6-inch telescope: 4.56 divided by 6 = 0.80 arc seconds 7-inch telescope: 4.56 divided by 7 = 0.70 arc seconds 8-inch telescope: 4.56 divided by 8 = 0.60 arc seconds 10-inch telescope: 4.56 divided by 10 = 0.50 arc seconds 11-inch telescope: 4.56 divided by 11 = 0.40 arc seconds 12-inch telescope: 4.56 divided by 12 = 0.40 arc seconds 14-inch telescope: 4.56 divided by 14 = 0.30 arc seconds 16-inch telescope: 4.56 divided by 16 = 0.29 arc seconds 20-inch telescope: 4.56 divided by 20 = 0.22 arc seconds 30-inch telescope: 4.56 divided by 30 = 0.15 arc seconds 40-inch telescope: 4.56 divided by 40 = 0.11 arc seconds ---------------------------------------------------------- //25: Light Collecting Power `Light Grasp' is the ability to collect light compared to your fully dilated eye which is normally 7mm and is proportional to the square of your aperture. You can calculate this by first dividing the aperture of your telescope (in mm) by 7mm and then squaring the result. A 16-inch Newtonian has a light gathering power of:- -------------------------------------------- 1-inch = 25.4mm. 16 inches = 25.4 x 16 = 406.4mm. -------------------------------------------- 406.4 divided by 7 = 58.06. 58.06 x 58.06 = 3371 (light collecting power) --------------------------------------------- Therefore, a 16-inch Newtonian collects 3371 times more light than your eye. //26: How is a telescope mirror made? The mirrors of a reflecting telescope have to be ground and polished to almost unimaginably small tolerances to work well. A 1000th of a millimetre (25 thou of an inch) may be the limit of accuracy for an average lathe or milling machine), but the optician routinely has to achieve glass surfaces of complex curvature to a smoothness ten times smaller than this. The basic principle of producing the finished article is as follows:- two circular discs of glass are used, one of which, called the `tool', is fixed to the centre of a slowly rotating turntable, of much the same appearance as a potter's wheel. The other disc, which will become the mirror, is attached to an arm on a reciprocating mechanism and placed face down upon the tool. To save time and effort the mirror and tool often have the rough curve milled onto their respective surfaces. A slurry of carborundum (silicon carbide) powder and water is then placed between the two glass discs and the machine placed in motion. The process appears deceptively simple but, after some time the mirror automatically takes on a concave shape which precisely matches the convex convex profile of the tool. Only two types of surface - both perfectly flat or one convex and one concave of the same spherical curvature - can move against each other and maintain perfect contact at all points at all times. By varying the length of the stroke you can vary the radius of the curve, which determines the eventual focal length of the mirror. Periodically it is tested until it has acquired the correct focal length, then you use progressively finer abrasives until the surface is ready for polishing. When fine grinding is complete the tool is cleaned and coated with a layer of molten bitumen pitch which is allowed to cool and harden. The surface of the pitch is then cut into a series of facets in order to accelerate the polishing process. The mirror, having been meticulously cleaned, is cold pressed onto the pitch such that it precisely takes the mirror's form, then the polishing medium is applied and the machine set to work. Pitch has been used in this process for about two hundred years since it has remarkable properties like glass inasmuch as both materials flow slightly under pressure. //27: Finishing touches A techinque of polishing and figuring the mirror to the required parabolic form of a 1/4 wavelength of light, or about 1/10,000th of a millimetre is then carried out. But it is the final hand figuring to 1/8th wave that the sheer artistry of the optician readily becomes apparent. It comes as no surprise that astronomical telescopes are among the world's most precision-made instruments. Test equipment that can measure glass surface irregularities as small as 1/100,000th of a millimetre are used to check the surface of the mirror. To produce the finished product, an extremely thin but hightly reflective layer has to be deposited on the front surface of the glass. In a high vacuum chamber the mirror is scrupulously cleaned by an electrical discharge prior to an opaque film of pure aluminium only a few thousand molecules thick being evaporated onto its surface. The coating so produced reflects about 85% of the light of visible wavelengths falling upon it. A further thin overcoat of silicon monoxide protects the aluminium for years of high reflectivity. //28: Wavelength of mirror 1/4 wave. The image will seem to be out of focus, that's because mirrors of this quality have no real focus. All detail has been washed out, making serious observation completely impossible. 1/8 wave. Considerably better, but still the resolving power is only 50% of theoretical maximum. Most of the fine detail is still too fuzzy to be visible. 1/10 wave. Not bad. 1/16 wave. This is the basic requirement for `maximum resolving power'. Dispersed light is still significant, however, causing a severe loss of contrast on fine detail. 1/30 wave. Perfection. //29: What is a CCD? A CCD is a Charge Coupled Device. It consists of thousands of tiny light sensitive elements called photosites arranged in rows and columns. When light falls on the CCD `chip', electrons released by the action of the light falling on the semiconductor material in the chip, collect in the photosite. The number of electrons is proportional to the amount of light. By means of conditioning electronics, this information is sent to the attached P.C. in the form of a digitial pattern. The P.C. then deciphers this signal and recreates the picture, seen by the CCD, on the computer screen. These CCD `chips' are often only about 3mm square and a typical layout would be 192 x 165 pixels. //30: Efficiency of film is 3%. Efficiency of CCD is 60%. The efficiency of photographic film is typically about 3% while that of a CCD is up to 60%, this means the required exposures for imaging are significantly shorter. A 15 second exposure with a CCD can reach down to +14. The added advantage of this is that, because of the much shorter exposures, problems such as broken cloud do not have to prevent or ruin an observing session. //31: Using two eyes - a binocular viewer With a set of highly corrected eyepieces, a motorized focusser, coma corrector, laser collimator, glass solar filter and light pollution filters, I now observe the heavens in panoramic detail from a suburban location on a regular basis from a low of x60 to a high of x650. Star diffraction patterns show textbook optical results both in-focus and out-of-focus. I now see rich clusters of sparkling stars and sense their awesome significance and have recaptured the magic I felt on those nights so many years ago when I first rambled through the stars. Recently I stumbled upon the eerie glow of M13, (Hercules' globular cluster) and have had glimpses of elusive wisps and mists - felt the Beehive Cluster's subliminal presence or the ghostly hint of the nebulous patch in Orion's Sword which now evoke the same primeval wonder I experienced three decades ago when I first started out in astronomy. A binocular viewer is to be added in the near future thus enabling both eyes to be used at the same time for a stereoscopic view of the night sky. For Deep-Sky work my time-machine is packed into a hatchback car as I make my way to a dark site in the west of Ireland on a regular basis. High power subjects include the Moon (a fascinating place with its mountains, faults, domes and craters), planets, globular star clusters, planetary nebulae, small galaxies, small open clusters, and of course double stars. The telescope's resolving power has transformed a packed field of stars into a desert of irreducible points. Much of the joy of chess and astronomy lie in their serendipity. During 1995/6 a new comet (Hale-Boop) was reported. It is set to become the comet of the century (best seen from Earth during 1996/7) and should be a spectacular evening sight in northern skies. It appears to be very active and is expected to be visible to the naked eye (faintly). If it really is a giant comet it may be very bright (rivaling the brightest stars). Comets are small bodies in our solar system orbiting the Sun at generally very great distances. Occasinally, however, comets from the Oort cloud are carried in toward the Sun, where they pass close to it before heading back out. When this occurs, their dirty snowball composition warms and releases a tail of particles stretching as far as millions of miles. The comet's nucleus - its icy mudball - a dense envelope of particles called a coma, long dust and gas tails become visible in backyard telescopes, binoculars, or even to the naked eye. Hale-Bopp's closest passage to Earth occurs on April 1, 1997, when the comet may shine as brightly as minus-2 and sport a tail between 10 and 20 degrees long. It reached naked eye brightness in the summer of 1996. Comets are those celestial hobos of space. They are dirty, dusty and icy and best seen in morning or evening twilight. //32: A quick view of the changing cycle of the heavens Various prehistoric monuments and stone rings, such as Newgrange and Stonehenge, dot the landscapes of both Ireland and Britian. What is the likelihood that these monuments had an astronomical significance? It began long ago. Thousands of years before men learned to write, before there were cities or farms, small groups of people must have watched the stars. In the clear, still, unpolluted air the stars would have seemed bright and very numerous, rising in the east and setting in the west. Generation upon generation would have watched them march across the heavens, eternal and unchanging. Yet, there are mysteries in the night sky, mysteries which must have puzzled our ancestors. For although nearly all the stars keep the same formation year after year, century after century, there are a few that do not; five visible stars wander across the sky, blatantly destroying the unchanging perfection of their fellows. Today we know these five renegades to be planets, but our ancestors must have watched them with awe and perhaps fear, as they changed not only their positions, but their brightnesses too. What could it possibly mean? And sometimes our ancestors would have seen a star falling, flashing momentarily in the night. A startling thing to see. More terrifying still, once in a long while a comet would have appeared, hanging pale and ominous like a dreadful finger pointing to a forthcoming disaster, to say nothing of lunar and solar eclipses, when the Moon fades from sight or turns blood red, or the Sun goes dark, and its life-giving warmth ebbs away. In time they must have made attempts to understand why the Sun or Moon deserted them, why the five wandering stars destroyed the perfection of the night sky, why the days grew shorter and colder and then longer and warmer. In searching for answers, they had to closely observe and discover the cycles of heavenly bodies, and in doing so they earned the right to be called astronomers. Today we might wonder who were the first people in these islands to deserve the title? When did they live, and where? And why did they feel compelled to understand the sky - for practical reasons, religious reasons or simple curiosity? Such questions are not easy to answer them all here, but our ancestors have at least left us some clues. Included amongst these are mysterious rings of stone which dot the landscape of these islands. What are stars, planets and globular star-clusters? How do they move? Why are there craters on the lunar surface? Are there other island universes out there? As evening twilight fades to darkness, the stars of early spring reign supreme overhead. The triumvirate of Coma Bernices, Virgo and Bootes are anchored by the star Arctures (orange-red). The Black Eye galaxy (M64) is in Coma Bernices. It has a prominent dust patch that can be seen on the face of the galaxy. It is necessary to use a nebular filter to enhance the spiral arms of this galaxy and to cover your head with a dark cloth (tap your telescope slightly and more of the surface brightness will show up). The Coma cluster of galaxies (Abell-1656), provides a view of a number of galaxies in the same telescopic field. To identify them you will need a good finder chart. April showers bring springtimes most recognizable sky-figure - the Big Dipper, high in the northern part of the sky. Some of these stars are just 70 light years distance. The Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) in Canes Venatici is located in the Plough's handle and seen magnificently by Lord Ross's 72-inch Newtonian in the 1840s for the first time. The saucer-shaped apparition (M104) can be found in Virgo. Other ocular treats visible on dark nights include the Beehive star cluster (M44) and the oval peculiar galaxy Centaurus-A with its broad dust lane that splits this galaxy in half. Spica rises, southeast, in the constellation of Virgo and provides numerous galaxies for the deep-sky observer (around midnight). The famous variable star, Algol, is in Perseus. Corvus the Crow is just a few fist-widths above the southern horizon. As the Earth turns on its axis during spring we can look out between the spiral arms of our own Galaxy into deep space. The main objects to be seen in Leo, Virgo, Coma Bernices and Canes Venatici are galaxies. M3, M5 and M53 (globular clusters) are three of spring's finest objects. Globular clusters are classified empirically on a scale of I to XII, with `I' being the most condensed near the nucleus and `XII' being the most diffuse. As the bright stars of summer ascend in the east, the winter constellations disappear on the western horizon. Take out a sky chart (available in the monthly astronomy magazines) and discover some of these wonders for yourself? The month of May traditionally commences the start of the summer observing season when star parties and the social side of astronomy comes to the fore. In the months before May the Milky Way has been sneaking around in the early hours of the morning. At midnight it is now centrally placed for the best views and its treasures offer something for skywatchers of every level. The summer Triangle (the stars Vega, Altair and Deneb) highlight the long evenings when the faint, wispy band of light known as the Milky Way arches overhead. These three widely spaced gem-like stars appear in the azure twilight as soon as the sky begins to darken enough. Deneb and Altair lie embedded in the summer Milky Way which can be seen as a ghostly mist rising on the southeastern horizon and wending its way northwards. A naked eye viewer can bask in the glory of the light from a billion stars. If you have a pair of binoculars you can delight in sprawling open clusters, trace the black etchings of dark nebulae, observe the fuzzy glow of star factories at work and rediscover past triumphs and log new finds. Deneb lies 1,800 light years away and Vega is a mere 26 light years distant. They shine at the same brightness which indicates that Deneb must be a very bright star indeed. It does in fact shine with a brillance of 80,000 suns and classed as a blue supergiant. M8, the Lagoon Nebula can be seen without optical aid and comfortably with a pair of binoculars. A summer observer can get a preview of winter's evening stars by staying up to predawn hours! Before dawn, you can quickly scan the sky for other interesting objects. One such object that you may encounter is a beautiful double star in Cygnus. One component is a large white star, while its smaller companion is a lovely icy blue colour. The hours leading up to the dawn unfold the autumn sky when lingering night owls and early risers can get a glimpse of the next seasons constellations. Three great regions dominate the Milky Way. The 1st area is located at the center of our galaxy (southern part of the sky) and is populated by the stars of Sagittarius and Scorpius. The 2nd area is northeastward and dominated by Scutum, Aquila, Ophiuchus, and Vulpecula. The 3rd area (overhead and to the north) contains Lyra, Cygnus, Lacerta, Cepheus and Cassiopeia. Each of these areas holds dozens of alluring sights. During the summer months tens of thousands of backyard astronomers return to see old friends with a new eye and explore this area to locate new and unusual objects. This personal sense of discovery, renewed each year in the warmth of the summer air has priceless memories. As summer passes the autumunal evenings bring a fresh vista before our gaze. If you stay up late on summer evenings when the air cools to short-sleeve conditions you may eye a variety of autumn's delights before the constellations of the winter season rotate into view. If you are fortunate enough to be at a dark site, then the Milky Way through Cassiopeia and Perseus is still well defined with many fine star clusters. This is the time of year in which amateur astronomers observe the denizens of deep space. On warm autumnal country evenings, rural night sounds cease as the night sky falls absolutely still. Cassiopeia the QU is the W-shaped asterism over our heads and below to the south lies four bright stars marking the Great Square of Pegasus (the `Flying Horse'). Near Pegasus is the Dumbbell Nebula (M27) and a globular cluster of hundreds of thousands of stars known as M15. Also near Pegasus at 2.2 million light years is our neighbouring island galaxy (M31), which appears as a soft, oval glow to the unaided eye. This ethereal glow or band of light comes from the unresolved countless distant stars that form our Galaxy's disk. A baker's dozen of deep-sky wonders are embedded in this swathe of light. One of these is M13, a huge ball of over a million yellow stars which hovers in the halo of our galaxy. Not far away is M57, a smoke-ring that indicates the death-throes of a dying star. A galaxy that looks exactly like our own is NGC-253 which is well worth a view, as you will get an idea of what our galaxy looks like from an external point of view. The California nebula is a very difficult object to see visually but an eyepiece giving a wide view and a nebular filter brings it into view. Stephen's Quintet (five interactng galaxies) are an excellent target for autumn. Not to be forgotten from the chess players point of view is Cepheus, the KI, which contains the ruddy orange `Garnet Star', the reddest star visible to the naked eye in the northern hemisphere. //33: Planetary Nebulae The winter sky contains enough gems to enthral any jaded stargazer when the clear skies beckon and it is bitterly cold outside. The majestic splendors of this season make their appearance in a star-studded show of tiny clusters and glowing clouds when the sky is at its darkest. M42, the Orion nebula looks like the burning embers of some celestial fire through the telescope eyepiece and is in fact a star-factory which dominates the southern winter Dublin skyline. Betelgeuse, a red supergiant marking the shoulder of Orion has a mass 20 times that of our Sun and is soon (in astronomical terms) destined to end its brief bright life in a supernova explosion. Being nearby in astronomical terms (310 light years) it will match the full Moon in brightness when it does explode. Not to be forgotten is the V-shaped group of stars known as the Haydes and their resplendent companions, the Pleiades, a group of sapphire stars surrounded by a gossamer nebulous haze. The skys brightest star, Sirius, is just below Orion's feet (unmistakably bright). The Big Dog (Canis Major) with its Dog Star (Sirius) is unmistakable to the south on icy winter evenings and the surrounding region a playground for sky-watchers. Nearby is M50, which contains approximately 80 stars. M41, M47 and M46 are also near. Recently, the Infrared Space Obsevatory (ISO) was pointed at a planetary nebula, called NGC-7027, a Sun-sized star that has reached the end of its life and blown off an outer layer, forming a halo of ejected material around it. ISO is a 2.5 tonne flying freezer, filled with more than 2,000 litres of liquid helium to cool its instruments to -271C. The sensitivity of the instruments is such that they could `see' a person 100km away and measure the heat emission from an ice cube in a persons hand! Almost overhead and therefore well-placed for telescopic observation during late Autumn and early Winter is the well known planetary nebula M57 - the famous `Ring Nebula' in Lyra. This is perhaps the most frequently observed object in its class. Spread throughout our galaxy, planetary nebulae were first recognized during the early 18th and 19th century sky surveys of Messier and Herschel. With the telescopes then available to observers, many of these objects displayed a visual appearance resembling that of a distant planet and, as a result, were given the most misleading name in astronomical nomenclature. Planetary nebulae are formed around stars which are near the end of their lives as a shell of gas gently expelled from a star after it exhausts its nuclear fuel supply. Only stars of average mass form planetaries - those more massive than our main-sequence Sun end abruptly as supernovae, smaller stars simply cool off. Typically, we know that a star, such as our Sun, converts hydrogen into helium inside its dense, hot core and radiates energy across the electromagnetic spectrum (including visible light and heat), as a result of nuclear fusion. As the hydrogen supply becomes exhausted, energy generation is confined to a thin layer surrounding the star's core, and the star begins to expand, becoming a `red-giant'. When the expansion continues such that the stars' diameter exceeds 100 million miles, the inner core, now mainly consisting of helium, collapses, forming the planetary nebula's central star. This expels the hot ionised hydrogen, as the luminous ring which we see as the typical planetary nebula. The speed of the continually expanding gas is usually between 10 and 30 km per second, much slower than the expansion during a nova, which may be up to several thousand kilometres per second. The central star has now settled down to an intensely hot compact object, with a surface temperature of 100,000 degrees Kelvin, or more, radiating an increased proportion of its energy in the ultra-violet (UV) region of the spectrum. In the earlier stages, the inner zone of the exploding material is ionized by the intense UV radiation of the central star, and its density is so high that the material is easily seen by our telescopes. As the material expands further, it cools rapidly, and the influence of the central star wanes. Hence, over a time scale, of perhaps 30,000 years, (according to Whipple), the nebula gradually grows larger and fades from view. Small, young planetary nebulae are often easily seen in amateur telescopes, being condensed and quite luminous. Older Nebulae, such as M87, the `Owl Nebula', are notoriously difficult visually because the apparent surface brightness of the expanded shell of gas is so low. However, there are several techniques to aid the astronomer in viewing planetary nebulae. If you remember that a large proportion of the star's central radiation occurs in the ultraviolet range of the spectrum, it comes as no surprise to learn that when examined by a spectrograph, planetaries were found to emit light from the expanding gas clouds chiefly at the emission lines of hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen. The large amount of UV radiation easily ionises the oxygen atoms in the cloud, leading indirectly to an enhanced brightness at the emission wavelengths of triply ionised oxygen (406 and 501 nm). Several O-III filters are now available from advertisers in the popular astronomy magazines, transmitting almost 90% of the light at these wavelengths, leading to an increased contrast (and hence increased visibility) of the nebulae against the sky background. However, these filters are quite pricy. For the visual observer, the most obvious planetary nebulae are M57 in Lyra and M27 in Vulpecula. M57, the `Ring Nebula' (NGC-6720) lies directly on a line between the stars Beta and Gamma Lyrae. A 6-inch (15 cm) reflector will show a pale oval ring with a dark space at the centre, with about 150x magnification. A much larger telescope is needed to show the central star, whose variability is suspected, leading to magnitude estimates in the range +14.1 to +15.4. Photographically, the central star is about +14 - its high UV light emission making it easier to photograph with modern blue sensitive emulsions ie, Koday TMAX 3200. M57's visual integrated magnitude is about +9.7. The distance of M27 is still quite uncertain. Current estimates based on the white-dwarf central stars' intrinsic luminosity vary from around 1200 to 1500 light years. The Ring Nebula is about 74 arc seconds across at its widest diameter and 60 arc seconds at its narrowest; this corresponds to a linear diameter of approximately half a light year. M27, the `Dumbell Nebula' (NGC-6853) is much larger and brighter than the `classic' M57, having an integrated magnitude of +7.6. In early evening it is quite a prominent sight in the southwest, just south of the star 14 Vulpecula - its shape being evident in even a 60mm refractor of 30x magnification. The Dumbbell has an apparent size of 8 by 4 minutes of arc with a linear diameter at its widest point of nearly three light years. The central star glows dimly at +13.9 and is difficult to see because of the extensive foreground nebuloisity. There are many faint stars superimposed on the nebula giving a visual impression quite unlike M57, and, whether you use binoculars, or a 10-inch, 14-inch, 16-inch, 20-inch, 25-inch or, 40-inch reflector the dumbell nebula is still an impressive sight! The human eye cannot detect the rich colours we see in pictures of galaxies and nebulae. This is due to a deficiency of the mechanics of our eye-brain system. //34: A solid mount The telescope mounting (its rigidity) and a smooth drive are necessary for high-powered observing. With the new equipment stars appear as pinpoints and planets show delicate detail. Viewing from my front garden, the Orion Nebula is a treat. It contains many subtle wisps and its massive stars illuminate the glowing gas. The Andromeda galaxy and its companion are extremely bright. //35: Other members of our solar system As the full Moon rises in silent grandeur it bathes a dark site in its ghostly canescence. The lunar terminator which marks the division of night and day is a good area to view craters and their shadows in stark relief. At medium power (x350) the telescope can zoom in on individual craters. When story-telling was the method used to pass information from one generation to the next the story tellers created names for the celestial objects. The vault of heaven was seen as a sheet upon which shone tiny specks of fire that were all fixed in place, except for five erratic wanderers. I have seen Saturn many times ago, but it never fails to fascinate me. There it is, hanging just above the horizon, showing up a lovely creamy colour and with the rings and Titan clearly visible through the eyepiece. Uranus is technically visible to the unaided eye but a dark sky and transparent skies are required. Binoculars easily pick out this distant planet at 1.8 billion miles from Earth. Neptune lies at about 3.2 billion miles distance. Pluto is a challenging target even for a large telescope. A very accurate star chart, perfect atmospheric transparency and preferably no street lighting are needed to locate this +14 planet. It appears perfectly stellar in appearance, but its planetary nature is revealed by its motion against the background stars over the course of several days by a vigilant observer. //36: The function of Wratten filters Solar system observing has been dramatically imporved by the use of coloured Wratten filters which increase contrast and resolution on our Moon and planetary neighbours. They can also be stacked (piggy-backed). Filters significantly reduce irradiation (the fuzzy boundary between light and dark areas of our Moon and planets). This fuzziness is caused by the motion of our Earth's atmosphere and light entering the human eye. Many small craterlets on our Moon - whirls, loops and festoons on Jupiter and the crepe ring of Saturn are seen more distinctly. Filters are made from crown glass, anti-reflection coated and mounted in an aluminum cell with the appropriate Wratten number embossed on the outer wall of the cell. These filters can be bought separately. A complete set of 13 filters can be purchased that come in a foam-lined case. When not in use the filters are stored in this case for protection and storage purposes. When observing our Moon a variable polarizing filter is used ie, two Moon filters are stacked and rotated to give the required throughput of light (5% to 25%) which is dependent on the phase of our Moon, magnification used and the size of the telescope being used by the observer. A red filter allows the disc of Mercury to stand out against a blue sky, permitting daytime or twilight viewing. Orange is used at high powers to see its various phases. The crescent shape of Venus is easily seen gleaming like a tiny pearl on the azure canvas of the daytime sky. A Wratten violet filter stacked with green and blue reduces twinkling while examining its fascinating changing phases. Red is used to discern the elusive `ashen light' of the dark side or to watch for the blunting of the `cusps' on the shadow terminator. Other filters are used to see shadings in the upper Venusian clouds and dusky markings. Recently I have had my best views of Venus (March and August 1996). Venus was well into its crescent phase and the planet shimmered wildly until I inserted a Wratten-#47 violet filter. During August Venus displayed an extremely thin crescent. The last transit of Venus occured in 1882, and will occur again in 2004 and 2012. During a transit Venus passes between Earth and across the face of our Sun! (inferior conjunction). Lanes, gaps and irregularities can be seen in the Martian polar cap. Morning hazes on the east side of the planet and clouds that form against giant volcanoes (ie, Elysium) can be detected. The melt lines, plains, marias, mottling, high faint clouds, oases, canal markings and of course the famous `blue clearings' can be observed quite readily. Syrtis Major and other features are also readily seen. Mars' polar caps stand out like tiny pearls. I can now do a series of telescopic drawings to monitor the changing details of the Martian surface at favourable oppositions or time the occultation of a +10 star by a +12 asteroid. Mars is no longer an orange ball but is mottled with shades of reds and browns. Coloured eyepeice filters are superb for contrast-enhancing planetary and lunar observation. //37: The importance of Dark Adaption Allowing your eyes to `dark-adapt' can be difficult if you have street lights nearby. Just a momentary glance at a bright object like a street lamp or bright flashlight bulb, and your eyes need 20-30 minutes to fully recover. Be sure to set up in the `shadows' of buildings and avoid any view of distant street lights. //38: How Polluted are your Skies? 01 LITTLE or no light pollution:- The Milky Way will appear dramatically bright. The major constellations will not be immediately apparent due to the over-whelming presence of faint stars. No street lights within several miles of your observing site. Country location. In the velvet solemn darkness that falls on such nights a church tower will cast a dark ancient shape against the background stars. 02 MODERATE light pollution:- The Milky Way will be visible but not very distinct. Ursa Minor will be clearly seen. Fewer than a dozen street lights will be within several miles of your observing site and no major cities will be within 50 miles. The sky will brighten noticeably near your horizon. 03 SEVERE light pollution:- The Milky Way will usually be invisible. Ursa Minor will be difficult to see. Dozens or hundreds of street lights will be within several miles of your observing site. It should be noted here that atmospheric turbulence is the bane of many planetary observers. //39: Light Pollution Filters If you observe from sites where light pollution levels are high, Light Pollution Filters can give you darker skies than you ever imagined. These filters block all forms of light pollution, including both narrow-band mercury and sodium vapour lighting and broadband light pollution sources. They reject pollution from incandescent and fluorescent lighting. Deep sky observing becomes a possibility for the urban dweller. The Deep-Sky Filter (Lumincon) reduces the brightness of star images and faint stars, and diminishes the image of globular clusters, but the resultant black sky background is astonishing. If you insert a Deep-Sky Filter and observe M42, the faint tendrils of glowing clouds will become visible against a velvety deep background. Pleiades:- will unmistakably bring out the nebulosity around several of the brightest stars (even in a small telescope). The vague cloud of M1 (Crab Nebula) is easily seen. M31 (Andromeda Galaxy): visible as much more than just a dim comet-like glow without a filter. You can clearly discern the oval shape of M31 and spot its companion galaxies. The Deep-Sky filter will also improve star image sharpness in fast f/4 telescopes (which have considerable coma at the edges of the field). Bright stars are much cleaner and sharper. Not only does the nebulosity in the Pleiades appear against the background, but the center stars approach refractor clarity because only blue-green wavelengths enter the eyepiece. This filter will make your front or back garden suitable not just for planetary observing but `deep space' viewing. Light pollution filters make detailed deep-sky observing possible from light-polluted city and surburban locations. //40: Deep Sky filter For enhancing some deep-sky objects, a nebula or light-pollution filter can block the light from streetlights while passing the colours emitted by some nebulae. Planetaries and reflection nebulae are fantastic with this filter ie, M1 the Crab nebula in Taurus, M20 the Trifid nebula and M33 the Pinwheel nebula in Triangulum. It improves the contrast on faint galaxies - NGC-253, NGC-55, M33, M101, M83 etc. It improves the view of all deep-sky objects including galaxies and comets. It removes natural and man-made light pollution and 1-3x contrast gain for clusters and galaxies. It is ideal for both visual use and black and white or colour photography. This gentle filter yields the most natural view of any LPR filter available. 90nm visible bandpass. 442-532nm. H-Alpha 656nm transmission = 85-95%. Visible transmission = 90-96%. The Deep-Sky filter clearly has the best contrast contrast for reflection nebulae. //41: UHC filter Especially designed for visual astronomy in areas of severe light pollution. It is ideal for backyard use in or near cities and is guaranteed to yield a higher visual contrast on planetary and emission nebulae than any other filter. Superb for faint nebulae - Helix, Rosette, North American Nebula, Veil nebula, Outer Loop of the Orion nebula etc. Brighter nebula - Dumbbell, Lagoon, Owl nebula and Swan nebula really stand out vividly. Narrow line filter with 85%-95% (premium version) at the doubly ionized oxygen 495.9nm and 500.7nm and H-Beta 486.1nm nebula lines. Band-width is 24nm (2 to 4 times smaller than other LPR filters). Dielectric coating on clear, optically flat glass are used, with multi-layer anti-reflection (AR) coatings on the outside of a protective glass cover. Ghost-images eliminated. I saw the Veil Nebula for the very first time with this filter. It was actually there and not just around 52 Cygni. The whole loop was clearly visible! Words cannot possibly express my feelings. I don't know how I managed without these filters in the past. //42: O-III filter Filters help you see the most you can in the sky's greatest showpiece nebula, M42. M42 is number one in the hearts of observers scattered across the Northern Hemisphere. A huge cloud of gas and dust spanning dozens of light years, the eerie, glowing object is visible to the naked eye on any clear winter night. The swirls of gas and dust studded with stars are breathtaking from country skies. I experienced the Orion Nebula in a whole new way that opened my eyes to new and satisfying views. I discovered that filters do more than enhance the glow and extend it farther out - they actually highlight new shapes and boundaries. Shows IC-434 (the Horsehead Nebula). For diffuse nebulae. IC-5146 (Cocoon), IC-405, NGC-1499 (California). Use low magnification, 4-7mm exit pupil. //43: A view of M42 Let's go on a tour of Orion. We will compare the filterless views in natural light to those through Oxygen III (O-III) and Hydrogen-Beta (H-B) filters. These filters are produced by Lumincon in California. They produce views dramatically different than other deep-sky filters I have used. An 8-inch scope under good conditions should be able to show as much detail as I describe, if not more. The H-B filter will show the Horsehead Nebula. M42 (NGC 1976) measures 60' x 60' (minutes) in diameter, more than four times the area of the Full Moon. It is the brightest nebula visible from mid-northern latitudes. Its overall colour is relatively red, its shape irregular, and its features both amorphous and filamentary. The nebuala lies at a distance of some 1600 light-years, and light takes 30 years to travel from one side of the nebula to the other. The brightest object embedded in the nebula is a 3rd-magnitude O-type star. The Trapezium is the bright multiple star, also called Theta (1) Orionis, in the heart of the Orion Nebula. Four bright stars are easily visible in small telescopes. Large backyard instruments can reveal six membes of this system. //44: The Central Region The most striking visual characteristic of M42's heart is its strong green colour. Blazing with a fire that no picture can reproduce, the four bright stars of the Trapezium are a magnificent sight. The brightest area of nebulosity is roughly square-shaped with a dark intrusion on the north side - some call this the `Fish's Mouth'. Heading south into the main fan is what I call the `thrust', a bright area attached to the central square. To see colour in this bright area, you must use direct vision because the center of your retina contains the most colour receptors. Observers more fortunate than me will detect pinkish and bluish colours along the wings, the arcs of light streaming away from M42s core, but I was only able to detect a green colour in the cone and thrust areas. As you stare at the core it becomes incredibly mottled. There are all sorts of darker areas and filament-like brighter pieces. Switch to medium and even high powers to get a better look - you will be amazed. Before you use the filters here, check out the unfiltered view! //45: M43, a Little Companion For years this interesting cloud of dust and gas was just a nebular blob to the north of M42. There is nothing like some close attention and a filter to change one's perspective. M43s overall shape reminds me of a comma, its tail section lying on the north side. Until now, I have never noticed a gap in the nebula where the tail joins the circular section. With the O-III filter, the entire cloud practically disappears - I needed strong averted vision to see anything! The comma tail was invisible. The H-B view surprised me again, because it is usually darker than the O-III. Not only was the comma tail visible, but the gap was filled in with nebulosity. The other amazing thing about M43 is the sharpness of its eastern boundary. In short, the H-B filter really enhances the tail of the comma cloud. //46: A Revelation? Each filter highlights a different physical structure within the huge gas cloud. Unfortunately, the human eye just cannot detect red at low light levels, but it can see H-B because it is green. A reasonable assumption is that wherever there is strong H-A emission, the H-B emission will also be fairly strong. Other kinds of deep-sky filters will produce similar but different results, with the Orion Nebula. I cannot say for sure what your type of filter might reveal. It will definitely enhance the clouds of gas and show tendrils of nebulosity that escaped your unfiltered eye. Light-pollution filters, including the Lumincon's UHC and Orion's Ultrablock, include both the H-B and O-III emission lines. Some of the differences I have pointed out will not be as noticeable. Only the O-III and H-B filters isolate the lines. Spend some time with your filters observing the Lagoon (M8), the Omega (M17), and Eagle (M16). Like the Orion Nebula, fascinating structures are yours to uncloak. //47: O-III The ultimate in filter performance! The Lumincon Oxygen-III filter has a contrast twice as high as the high performance UHC filter. Use the O-III filter for observing the very faintest planetary and diffuse emission nebulae. Also gives incredible views of bright nebulae like M27 and M17 from urban locations. Bandpass is 11nm, transmission is 90% for both O-III lines at 496nm and 501nm. Clouds of gas in the Galaxy like the Orion Nebula emit a broad spectrum of light, but much of it is concentrated in several narrow areas. Two significant such areas are the O-III and HB lines, which occur at about 500nm and 486nm, and account for about one quarter and one-fifteenth of the nebula's visible light, respectively. The greenish light of O-III results from doubly-ionized oxygen, the bluish light of HB from hydrogen. The fact that these narrow bands pack so much of the nebula's light allows filtering out light pollution and concentrating on these bright portions of the nebula's light. Lumincon's O-III and HB filters are threaded to screw into a standard 1.25" eyepiece and permit this selective observing of important nebular wavelengths. Attach an O-III filter and M42 changes significantly. At 65x, nebulosity floods the view. Faint areas that were invisible are now obvious. The greatest change that occurs along the bright wing to the east. So razor sharp is the inside edge that it has been called `the sword'. It continues past a bright star, though it becomes somewhat fainter at that point. Surveying the eastern side with the O-III filter, the eye notices a prominent notch of darknes where the sword curves away from a straight line of nebulosity. Both in natural light and through the HB filter, this notch fills in with nebulosity. The fainter, western wing of M42 appears bright in the O-III filter, as does the thrust that brightens and pushes well out into the fan region. The whole area between the western wing and the thrust fills in with a uniform glow, but oddly there is little change between the thrust and the sword. This must be why the sword is so prominent in the O-III view. //48: H-Beta filter The H-B filter added contrast and changed forever the way I see the Orion Nebula. I was shocked to see a `sail' to the west, parallel to the three bright stars along the central thrust. Brightness-wise, the sail is detached from the background nebulosity. Even with a 4.5-inch reflector, the sail is obvious with the H-B. Overall, the appearance of the fan region is very uniform, rounder than other parts of the nebula (except for the sail section), both east and west. It is quite different in comparison to the appearance through the O-III filter. This symmetry is also seen in visible light, though not as prominently. The eastern arc with its sword, while distinct in natural light, is less so with the H-B. What a change from the O-IIIs razor sharp outline. The thrust is much les noticeable as well. It can not be beat for the elusive Horsehead and California nebulae." //49: Swan Band comet filter The Lumincon Swan Band Comet filter has a narrow visible bandpass (495-520nm) for the highest possible contrast. It passes the strong green Comet Swan Band, due to C2 emission, and yields the highest visible contrast boost for gaseous comets. Dusty comets may not yield contrast boost, which helps distinguish them from gaseous comets using this filter. The two filters listed below help boost contrast for comet hunting and observing in bright twilight, near sunrise and sunset and help in the daytime while observing gaseous sungrazer comets. Comet Hyakutake, C/1996 B2, sailed past our Earth in March 1996 when the average visual observer enjoyed a magnificent display and the tail spanned halfway across our evening skies. This was a bright comet with a highly condensed core. Many were fascinated by Hyakutake's colour which was said to range from electric-arc blue to aquamarine. A friend of mine tracked the tail to 45 degrees in length from Mayo (Ireland). He observed several bow-shocks which became visible as well as a long tailward jet or spike which was beaded and the coma appeared blue-green. The fan of dust surrounding the comet rotated in a period of about 6 hours and many luminous knots receded from the nucleus at 30 mph. This comet passed just 15 million kilometers from Earth at its nearest approach and was seen even in many light polluted cities. It had an amazing one-minute per-minute motion against the background stars. At some dark sites the tail spanned from 60 to 100 degrees of sky! Not since the Shoemaker-Levy 9's crash into Jupiter had such telescopic firepower being aimed at a single object. The comet itself was found to be about 2 miles in diameter (nucleus). By comparison, Comet Halley measured 15 by 8 km. The nearest approach of a comet to Earth occured in 1770, when Comet Lexell came to within 2.26 mkm of Earth. Many amateurs took spectaculr razor-sharp, wide-field photographs of Hyakutake. //50: Minus Violet filter Yields pinpoint star images. Improves image quality for all lens systems (photography). Absorbs all light below 420nm (violet). Up to 96% transmission of blue, green, yellow and red light. Fully AR coated. Contrast Gain: slight 1.2x contrast gain in black and white, 1.1x for stars, 1.2x for nebulae. //51: Cyan filter Add the 48mm Lumincon Minus Violet and 48mm Cyan filters to Lumincon 48mm Comet Band Filter for full blocking in the violet and red. This will boost contrast for comet hunting and observing in bright twilight, near sunrise and sunset. This filter combination will also help daytime observing of gaseous Sungrazer Comets. //52: Other comet photometry filters (Lumincon) These come in 1/2-inch or 1-inch size (for the serious Comet-Hunter). 1-inch 1/2-inch -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5:4 C2 Emission 514.0nm (9.0nm FWHM). CP-514 $79 $59 5:5 Continuum 484.5nm (6.5nm FWHM). CP-485 $79 $59 5:6 C3 EMISSION 406.0nm (7.0nm FWHM). CP-406 $89 $69 5:7 CO+ Emission 426.0nm (7.0nm FWHM). CP-426 $89 $69 5:8 H2O+ Emission 7000.0nm (22.0nm FWHM). CP-700 $95 $75 5:9 Continuum 684.0nm (9.0nm FWHM). CP-684 $85 $65 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- //53: A quick tour of the sky There is no totally satisfactory substitute for actually finding and seeing celestial objects for yourself, whether for serious academic reasons, or for aesthetic spiritual satisfaction. Like many amateur astronomers in Ireland, I have observed, over the years, increasing difficulty in carrying out serious scientific work due to the following reasons:- the vagaries of the weather in Ireland make it very difficult to achieve a sustained series of observations with a constant deluge of sleet, hail and rain when the heavens open up like a bottomless bucket full to the brim during the winter months which can make an amateur astronomer look like a half-drowned vagrant and the growth of light pollution in surburban areas. The best nights for observing, are, quite frankly, pretty cold. One of the blessings of Ireland is the climate that makes the island emerald but, the dampness and drizzle eats away at the fabric of houses and telescopes alike. Out of Hibernia's West comes proof that precipitation can be providential. Sometimes the sky is so hazy that you could cut it with a knife. Most nights are definitely not 10 out of 10 on the viewing scale but, a 7 or 8 is quite satisfactory. On a good clear night....... The smeared, pale bands of Jupiter resolve into loops, festoons, ovals and zones. The Great Red spot, Jovian polar regions, tendrils and mottling and as many as seven cloud bands are regularly seen. Please see `Jupiter' in the dictionary. On first seeing Jupiter you will immediately see two dark bands crossing the disk of this planet. These are the two prominent cloud belts that lie near the planet's equator (equatorial belts). Just below one of these belts is a small indentation or oval spot known as Jupiter's Great Red Spot. Appealing also are Jupiter's four major moons- Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. Sometimes all four are visible at one time but, now and then a few of them hide behind Jupiter, or transit across the front of the planet. The deep black shadow of one of these transits are occasionally visible, projected onto the planets disc. Delicate markings appear on Saturn's globe, and the Cassini ring division darkens and solidifies. During 1995/6 Saturn's magnificent ring system was tilted edge-on to the Earth (these ring-plane crossings occur every 15 years) and several of Saturn's icy moons were visible as tiny starlike pinpoints in or near the ring plane (Enceladus, Dione, Tethys and Mimas). When they were edge-on the rings nearly disappeared because they are very thin (less than a mile in thickness). Uranus, Neptune and Pluto appear as coloured star-like points and comets are seen on a regular basis. The four largest minor planets (asteroids), Ceres, Pallas, Juno and Vesta are among a million+ rocky boulders that orbit our Sun between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter and look like pinpoints of light through the eyepiece. Ceres is the largest of these (913 km). The globular cluster M13 looks like an engagement ring at x100. Alcor and Mizar in Ursa major are easily split and I have had the privlige of seeing a super nova in a distant island star colony. On clear evenings I spend my time tinkering with the telescope and observing into the small hours of the morning. Most astronomers first target is the Moon. For sheer drama it is hard to beat cruising over the lunar surface. An eye-filling view of craters, mountains, rilles and rays give mute testimony to its 4.5 billion years of geological violence in breathtaking 3-dimensional crispness. A polarizing filter is used to adjust light transmission on the Moon from 5% to %30. The vague lunar riles and strata acquire greater depth and contrast with an orange or pale blue filter. Please see elsewhere in the dictionary for the mythology of each constellation. //54: Solar filter With the 14-inch solar filter attached to the top of the telescope subtle features in solar prominences are visible. My first view was surprising - the Sun's edge, called the limb, roiled and boiled and is caused by the churning of the Earth's atmosphere, not a display of solar activity. Medium and large sunspots ranging from a few thousand kilometres to tens of thousands of kilometers across form in groups and are easily discernible. The darkest part of a sunspot (the umbra) and the lighter surrounding area (called the penumbra), faculae (seen best near the limb), pores and granules are now observed on a regular monthly basis. A total solar eclipse begins with a partial eclipse, with the Moon gradually creeping across the Sun's disk. The onset of totality is marked by a phenomenon called Bailey's beads - which is the last remnants of the Sun's disk shining through valleys in the Moon's surface. Just before totality, the Sun shines down just one lunar valley, and the eclipse takes on a `diamond ring' appearance - with the Moon silhouetted against the Sun's corona, and this singular lunar valley blazing forth. A few short seconds later, totality starts, and one can usually see the Moon's shadow racing across the Earth. During a total lunar eclipse, the Moon goes a coppery-red colour, due to Sunlight being refracted by the Earth's atmosphere onto the Moon. Lunar eclipses also come in three different types - partial, total and penumbral. Partial and total eclipses are when the Moon travels some of the way into, and all the way into the Earth's umbra respectively. A penumbral eclipse is when part of, or all of, the Moon's disk goes into the Earth's penumbra. Penumbral eclipses are generally regarded as unovservable, unless the Moon travels particularly deep into the penumbra. Other penumbral eclipses occur on 31 Jan 1999 at 16:18 GMT and 14 March 2006 at 23:47. //55: Observing the Sun Using coloured filters for observing Sun #21 Orange. (46% transmission). When using the solar filter, this will give you true colour rendition. #23A Light Red. (25% transmission). When using the solar filter, this will give you true colour rendition. To some the Sun sits in the sky like a yellow beach ball, just a barrier to lunar, planetary and deep-sky observing. Why not make it an observing target? With the proper equipment and technique, the nearest star comes alive with thousands of minute features gleanable with eye or camera. We will look at ways to observe the Sun and photograph it and then discuss what features to look for. Our Sun shifts a little less than one degree eastward along the ecliptic relative to the background stars each day. The background stars which give the amateur astronomer a handy frame of reference are washed out by sunlight during daytime. However, our Sun is the only star you can view all day long! Many luxurious eclipse cruises are available for the serious solar observer and usually feature a program of astronomy enrichment lectures by a stellar cast of onboard experts and nightly stargazing. //56: Solar Filters Commercially available solar filters that fit over the front of the telescope objective are safe and effective. Another observing technique, image projecton, is cheaper than filters. Before starting any solar observing session, CAP THE SCOPE'S FINDER so intensified sunlight will not burn wayward eyes or shirts that happen to get near its focus. In lieu of a finder, aim the telescope by making its shadow on the ground appear as small as possible. Then slip in a low-power eyepiece. Solar filters keep high intensity sunlight out of the telescope, which reduces the chance of damaging components and minimizes air turbulence inside the tube caused by heating. There are three types of commercial filters available: dyed glass, metal-coated and METAL COATED GLASS (as used on the 14-inch filter). A rock-steady mount is necessary to maintain pointing accuracy (my 16-inch mount is rock-steady). //57: Steady atmosphere The steadier the atmosphere, the more you will see and photograph. An ideal site observing site should overlook a large area that has constant temperature (a grassy field for example). Sites near rooftops are likely to have poor image stability because of the heat they generate. Time of day is also an important factor. Views are sharper in the EARLY MORNING because the Earth has cooled off all night and reached the same temperature as the surrounding air. Contrast is just as important as sharpness. An image with good contrast is vastly improved if the telescope's optics are cleaned before solar observing. Dust and dirt on the optics conspire to reduce contrast of the image. Clean optics are especially important when looking for subtle features like SOLAR PROMINENCES. Contrast also suffes when there are thin clouds in front of the Sun. And don't forget to check the solar filter - pinholes in the coating of a solar filter let in flashes of bright sunlight, which reduce contrast. Cover these holes with a black marker (on the inside of the glass filter!). Stray light can also be a problem. To block it, slip a rubber eyecup on the eyepiece or drape a black hood over your head. //58: Clean optics When all the elements line up - clean optics, a good filter, an excellent site, clear skies, and comfort - you will be astounded at what the Sun's photosphere (its visible surface) looks like. Your first view may be surprising - the Sun's edge, called the `LIMB', roils and boils. This is the churning of Earth's atmosphere, not a display of solar activity. Ignore the wavy disk edge and look instead just inside the limb. Compare this area with the center of the Sun's disk. Notice the limb is darker, an effect called `LIMB DARKENING'. This occurs because light from the center of the disk does not travel through as much of the Sun's atmosphere to reach us as light that comes from the limb. //59: The Limb In addition to limb darkening, you may notice some MEDIUM or LARGE SUNSPOTS. These are cooler areas on the Sun. They range in size from a few thousand to tens of thousands of kilometers across. Sunspots contain intense magnetic fields and change in size and shape daily as turbulent gases swirl around and within them. Try to guess which sunspots will last the two weeks it takes them to cross the Sun's face. Use sunspots to MEASURE THE SUN'S ROTATION and figure how it varies with solar latitude. While individual sunspots sometimes appear, they usually form in groups. The darkest part of a spot is the UMBRA - several sunspots together may be surrounded by a lighter PENUMBRA. Other features surrounding sunspots are FACULAE, tiny patches that appear brighter than other portions of the photosphere. Faculae are always present but are seen best around sunspots near the limb. //60: 11-year cycle The region where sunspots form moves as well. Over the course of an 11-year sunspot cycle, the not only vary in number, size, and complexity, but form at different latitudes on the Sun. At sunspot minimum they form close to 30 degrees latitude. Over the course of a few years, they originate closer to the equator. In steady seeing you will see PORES scattered on the photosphere, small darkenings a few seconds of arc or less across (1-second is about 1000 km at the Sun's distance). Pores usually disappear in a few hours time but sometimes grow into large sunspots. GRANULES are another delicate feature with limited lifetimes. Under good seeing, they appear as a slow contrast rice-grain pattern across the disk. Granules are the sites of hot, rising material in the Sun's topmost layer (similar convective cells appear in a pot of very hot porridge!). A large wall of hot hydrogen gas surrounds our Sun and at least two other stars (Epsilon Indi and Lambda Andromedae). The distance to this wall is about 150 AU (Earth orbits at 1 AU). This bubble of hot gas extends 500 lightyears in all directions from our Sun. WARNING!!! NEVER LOOK AT THE SUN THROUGH UNPROTECTED OPTICAL INSTRUMENTS OR YOU WILL BE PERMANENTLY BLINDED! //61: H-Alpha and Mylar There are filters available which attach to telescopes and allow direct observation of the Sun, such as H-alpha and Mylar. However, cheap filters are both useless and dangerous, and for the beginner, projection is better. Securely mount your telescope [preferably a refractor] to a tripod. Take a piece of card and carefully cut out a circle matching the diameter of your telescope. This will form a shade which casts a shadow over the projected image, improving contrast. Use an eyepiece that provides a magnification of around 50x and hold a white card about 20-25 cm behind the eyepiece. Move the telescope until it is pointing at the Sun by watching the shadow of the telescope on the ground [the shadow becomes smaller as the telescope is lined up on the Sun]. When the telescope is properly pointed at the Sun you should see a large yellowish disk on the white card. Slowly focus the image until fine detail begins to appear. If the Sun is very active you will see dark spots on the disk. Large and small, they come in all shapes and sizes. By examining one of the spots you should see its umbra and possibly the delicate strands of its penumbra. At some point you will want to begin making permanent records of your observations. Some of my own records are over two years old, and looking back through them shows me how the current solar cycle has progressed. //62: Observing the Sun You are now ready to draw the Sun. However, the North-South and East-West axes must be oriented first. The Sun appears to cross the sky from East to West. When viewing the Sun through an astronomical telescope, the East-West axis is reversed [with East at right and West at left], but the North-South axis remains unchanged. //63: Path of Sun Spots The Sun's tilt changes throughout the year, and with it, the path of Sun-spots across its disk. Once you have determined the Sun's cardinal points, you can begin to draw. Start by drawing a circle 152mm in diameter which will represent the rim of the Sun's disk. Depending on Solar activity you can see anything from a featureless disk, to one or two or several spots. Draw the spots in your circle to match as closely as possible their positions on the Sun. It is very important to record the date and time [Universal/Greenwich Mean Time] of your observation. You could also record the viewing instrument used, the site where the observation was made, local weather conditions and any comment you might like to make. File your observation for future reference, and over the years your notes will build into a unique and priceless guide to the Sun's activities. //64: Irish eclipses - 1990 to 2010 What are partial and total solar and lunar eclipses? Over the next 20 years, the number of such eclipses that can be seen from Ireland, is quite considerable. There is probably no more spectacular a natural phenomenon than a total solar eclipse - which is when the Moon passes directly in front of the Sun and blots it out. Day turns into twilight, the stars start to come out, and the Sun's corona (i.e. the Sun's `atmosphere') can be seen. Anyone who has seen a total solar eclipse will tell you that it is soul-stirring, and that your life's experience is not complete until you have seen one. //65: Different types of Solar eclipse There are three different types of Solar Eclipse - Total, Annular and Partial. A total eclipse is where the Sun is completely covered by the Moon - i.e. when the observer is standing in the Moon's shadow. Unfortunately, the width of the Moon's shadow on the Earth's surface can only rarely be more than 300km wide - and hence a total eclipse can only be seen along a narrow strip on the Earth. A partial eclipse is where the Moon covers only part of the Sun's disk, and can be seen over a much wider area. //66: Annular eclipse An annular eclipse is similar to a total eclipse - except that the Moon appears smaller than the Sun (due to the fact that the Moon's distance can vary by 12%) and hence a bright ring of Sunlight appears around the dark disk of the Moon. The path of annularity is also narrow, and hence it too can only be seen from a narrow strip. //67: Annular - Partial The exact appearence of any one eclipse depends greatly upon your location during the eclipse. All annular and total eclipses are accompanied by a partial eclipse. //68: Next total eclipse in 2090 A total solar eclipse will not be seen from Ireland until Sept. 23, 2090, and even then the track of the total eclipse will only graze the south-west of the country. The next annular eclipse to be seen from the country is on July 23, 2093, and this will be seen from most of County Donegal and Northern Ireland. //69: Next 20 years However, a number of partial eclipses will be seen from Ireland over the coming years. Table 1 shows the general characteristics of these eclipses to 2011. Given is the date of the eclipse, times of start of eclipse, mid eclipse magnitude, for four different locations around Ireland. The eclipse magnitude is defined as the fraction of the Sun's diameter covered by the Moon at mid-eclipse. From the table, it should be possible to estimate the characteristics of the eclipse as seen from your location. Universal Time All the times are given in UT and should be accurate to about 2 minutes, and the magnitudes should be accurate to 1%. 1999 The August 11, 1999 eclipse is very interesting, because it is a total eclipse, and the path of totality just misses the south of the country. Indeed, a total eclipse will be seen from parts of Cornwall, France, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey. The eclipse will pass through a few other countries before ending up in the Indian Ocean to the east of India. 2003 The May 31, 2003 and January 4, 2011 partial eclipses will be in progress when the Sun rises, and hence the time given as the "maximum" of the eclipse is actually the time of (geometrical) Sunrise (since, in a sense, the maximum happens `before Sunrise in both cases), and the magnitude given is the magnitude of the eclipse at Sunrise. The May 31, 2003 eclipse is best seen TOTAL in the northeast, whereas the January 4, 2011 eclipse is best seen in the south-east. 2005 The October 3, 2005 eclipse is an annular one, which will be visible early in the morning in parts of Portugal and Spain, before moving off into Africa. //70: What is a total eclipse like? A total solar eclipse begins with a partial eclipse, with the Moon gradually creeping across the Sun's disk. The onset of totality is marked by a phenomenon called Bailey's beads - which is the last remnants of the Sun's disk shining through valleys in the Moon's surface. Just before totality, the Sun shines down just one lunar valley, and the eclipse takes on a `diamond ring' appearance - with the Moon silhouetted against the Sun's corona, and this singular lunar valley blazing forth. A few short seconds later, totality starts, and one can usually see the Moon's shadow racing across the Earth. //71: Totality During totality, the corona can be seen, like a large bright halo around the dark disk of the Moon. Small pink solar prominences (which are akin to `flames' on the solar surface) are also visible. Totality can last for anywhere between 1 and 7.5 minutes (though any eclipse lasting more than 6.5 minutes is quite rare - for example the eclipse of July 11, 1991). //72: Diamond Ring The end of totality is marked by the re-appearance of the `diamond ring'. This is followed by Bailey's beads, and then the partial phases. However, a total solar eclipse seems to have quite an affect on anyone who has seen one. One observer was embarrassed when he realised that he screamed in awe and joy throughout totality, perhaps destroying the spectacle for the people around him. But, when he listened to a tape he made, he found that everyone else was screaming too! //73: Lunar eclipses A Lunar Eclipse is when the Moon passes into the Earth's shadow. Lunar eclipses are actually rarer than solar ones, but a lunar eclipse can be seen from the entire night-time hemisphere of the planet, and thus from any one point on the Earth, more lunar eclipses can be seen than solar ones. Lunar Eclipse During a total lunar eclipse, the Moon goes a coppery-red colour, due to Sunlight being refracted by the Earth's atmosphere onto the Moon. The exact brightness of this colour depends on many factors - not least of which is the weather at the Earth's terminator! //74: Umbra and Penumbra The Earth's shadow contains two different zones - the penumbra and umbra. Any observer in the Earth's penumbra will see the Sun partly covered by the Earth's disk, and any observer in the umbra will see the Sun totally covered by the Earth's disk. Thus, parts of the Moon which are in the umbra during an eclipse will appear dark, while those parts in the penumbra (which are still being illuminated by direct Sunlight) will appear bright. Only when the Moon goes deep into the penumbra does it appear (slightly) darker. At the Moon's distance, the umbra is about 2.4 Moon diameters wide (on average), and the penumbra is about as wide as the Moon. However, when the Moon is closest to the Earth, it is possible for one part of the Moon to be completely outside the penumbra and the opposite end to be within the umbra. //75: Partial - Total - Penumbral Lunar eclipses also come in three different types - partial, total and penumbral. Partial and total eclipses are when the Moon travels some of the way into, and all the way into the Earth's umbra respectively. A penumbral eclipse is when part of, or all of, the Moon's disk goes into the Earth's penumbra. Penumbral eclipses are generally regarded as unovservable, unless the Moon travels particularly deep into the penumbra, as happened on October 7, 1987, which was very nearly a partial eclipse. Lunar Eclipses Table 2 below contains details of all lunar eclipses (both visible and invisible from Ireland). Only partial and total eclipses are listed. The information gives the type of eclipse, the date of mid-eclipse, the magnitude of the eclipse (i.e. the distance the Moon is `inside' the Earth's umbra divided by the Moon's diameter) and the times of the phenomena of the eclipse (given in UT, and accurate to a minute or two). For a total eclipse, the times are:- beginning of partial eclipse, beginning of total eclipse, mid-eclipse, end of total eclipse and end of partial eclipsse. For partial eclipses, the times give the start of partial eclipse, mid-eclipse and end of partial eclipse. A lunar eclipse is visible from Ireland if the Sun is set at the time. Table-01 Table-01: future partial solar eclipses DATE LATITUDE LONGITUDE START MID END MAG 12 OCT 1996 53.5N 6W 12:50 14:09 15:23 60% 53.5N 10W 12:45 14:04 15:18 58% 52.0N 8W 12:50 14:08 15:23 58% 55.0N 8W 12:46 14:04 15:19 61% 11 AUG 1999 53.5N 6W 09:01 10:14 11:31 92% 52.5N 10W 08:58 10:09 11:25 92% 52.0N 8W 08:58 10:10 11:28 97% 55.0N 8W 09:02 10:13 11:28 88% 31 MAY 2003 53.5N 6W 04:11 04:38 46% 53.5N 10W 04:27 04:40 23% 52.0N 8W 04:27 04:37 18% 55N 8W 04:10 04:41 54% 03 OCT 2005 53.5N 6W 07:49 08:58 10:13 66% 53.5N 10W 07:47 08:56 10:10 69% 52.0N 8W 07:46 08:57 10:12 71% 55.0N 8W 07:50 08:58 10:11 64% 29 MAR 2006 53.5N 6W 09:51 10:30 11:11 19% 53:5N 10W 09:51 10:26 11:02 15% 52.0N 8W 09:47 10:26 11:06 18% 55.0N 8W 09:54 10:31 11:07 16% 01 AUG 2008 53.5N 6W 08:25 09:12 10:01 27% 53.5N 10W 08:22 09:08 09:56 27% 52.0N 8W 08:26 09:09 09:54 23% 55.0N 8W 08:22 09:11 10:03 32% 04 JAN 2011 53.5N 6W 08:47 09:27 46% 53.0N 10W 09:03 09:22 23% 52.0N 8W 08:47 09:22 40% 55.0N 8W 09:04 09:27 28% Partial Eclipses Other partial solar eclipses visible from Ireland occur on:- 20 March 2015 21 August 2017 10 June 2021 25 October 2022 8 April 2024 29 March 2025 12 August 2026 2 August 2027 26 January 2028 1 June 2030 30 March 2033 Table-02 Table-02: time of future partial and total lunar eclipses TYPE DATE MAG TIMES Total 27 Sep 1996 1.24 01:12 02:19 02:54 03:29 04:36 Partial 24 Mar 1997 0.92 02:58 04:39 06:21 Total 16 Sep 1997 1.20 17:08 18:15 18:47 19:18 20:26 Partial 28 Jul 1999 0.40 10:22 11:34 12:46 Total 21 Jan 2000 1.33 03:01 04:04 04:43 05:22 06:25 Total 16 Jul 2000 1.77 11:57 13:02 13:56 14:49 15:54 Total 09 Jan 2001 1.19 18:42 19:50 20:21 20:52 21:59 Partial 05 Jul 2001 0.50 13:35 14:56 16:16 Total 16 May 2003 1.14 02:02 03:13 03:40 04:06 05:17 Total 09 Nov 2003 1.02 23:32 01:06 01:18 01:30 03:04 Total 04 May 2004 1.31 18:48 19:52 20:30 21:08 22:12 Total 28 Oct 2004 1.31 01:14 02:23 03:04 03:45 04:54 Partial 17 Oct 2005 0.07 11:34 12:03 12:32 Partial 07 Sep 2006 0.19 18:05 18:51 19:37 Total 03 Mar 2007 1.24 21:30 22:44 23:21 23:58 01:11 Total 28 Aug 2007 1.48 08:51 09:52 10:37 11:22 12:23 Total 21 Feb 2008 1.11 01:43 03:00 03:26 03:51 055:09 Partial 16 Aug 2008 0.81 19:35 21:10 22:44 Partial 31 Dec 2009 0.08 18:52 19:23 19:54 Partial 26 Jun 2110 0.54 10:16 11:38 13:00 Total 21 Dec 2110 1.26 06:32 07:40 08:16 08:53 10:01 Total 15 Jun 2011 1.71 18:22 19:22 20:12 21:03 22:02 Total 10 Dec 2011 1.11 12:45 14:05 14:31 14:57 16:18 Other penumbral eclipses which are very nearly partial eclipses are on 31 Jan 1999 at 16:18 GMT and 14 March 2006 at 23:47. //76: Using a Hydrogen Alpha Filter But when it comes to looking for detail, a hydrogen-alpha filter opens up a whole new star for study. In HA light, sunspot numbrae may look simpler, but its penumbra is replaced by threadlike spokes that radiate out from the umbra. PLAGES are active regions that linger long after the sunspots they are associated with disappear. Other features seen in white light look different in HA light. Faculae, the small, bright patches seen around sunspots in white light in HA, are referred to as plage. Plages are active regions that linger long after the sunspots they are associated with disappear. In these active regions, strong magnetic fields sometaimes twist and distort to the breaking point, generating an explosive brightening called a SOLAR FLARE. Solar flares in HA light linger between a few minutes and a few hours. Looking at the Sun's limb under high magnification in HA shows what are called spicules, hairlike threads that stick up for minutes at a time. Arcing high above the spicules are clouds of gas supported by magnetic fields in the chromosphere called PROMINENCES (calling them flares is incorrect). Prominences have a variety of forms and shapes, such as simple clouds, flames, hedgerows, and loops. When seen against the disk, prominences appear as dark streaks called filaments. Filaments and prominences come in active or quiescent forms. Quiescent prominences last for months at a time with few changes and then in the course of a few minutes suddenly rise upward and dissipate. Flare are associated with these changes. Some prominences simply take off into space, dissipating as they join the solar wind. Sometimes the foot of the prominence remains attached to the chromosphere while the other end blows away. A prominence that starts moving upward only to fall back to the Sun is called a surge. In HA (or white light), the Sun offers plenty of opportunity for both observering and photography. Since its face changes from day to day, no two observing sessions are ever the same. Best of all, with solar observing there are no late night hours to compete against the requirements of family and job (this is a good reason for remaining unemployed!). Whether you make a quick, eye-protected glance to check sunspot numbers or spend hours making detailed studies of faculae or prominences, the reward of solar observing is a better understanding of our star. This makes for a better appreciation of other stars found in the realm of night as well. //77: Solar Filter Light we see through a conventional solar filter comes from the Sun's photosphere, a layer that emits the white light we call sunlight. But above the photosphere is yet another layer, the chromosphere. In the chromosphere lie active active features like solar flares, prominences, and filaments, and plage regions around sunspots. To get a sharper look at those details, we need to use a filter that allows only light from the chromosphere to reach the eyepiece. Enter the HA filter, which passes light at 6562.8 angstroms, a wavelength of light produced in the chromosphere. //77: HA Filter All HA filters center on the 6562.8 region of the solar spectrum, with more expensive filters tuning in closer to that spectral line. A broadband filter with a 1A bandwidth shows only large features in the chromosphere, such as giant prominences and bright solar flares. Those filters usually cost less than $700 (1994). Narrowband filters, which pass light from only 0.5 A either side of 6526.8-A, show the most detail but are more expensive, costing at least $2000. HA filters are enclosed in a temperature-controlled chamber. How warm the filter is determines how accurately it transmits the proper bandwidth for HA solar observing. HA filters need to work in tandem with a red energy rejection filter (purchased separately for about $150). Mounted on the front of the telescope, this filter absorbs much of the Sun's light to protect the HA filter from heat damage. For a filter to work at all, you must be able to stop down your telescope to at least f/30. When incoming light converges sharply to focus, as it does in a fast f/ratio telescope (refractor) it broadens an HA filter's bandwidth, which makes features appear more ill-defined. For this reason, long-focus refractors and Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes work best for HA observing and photography. When SCTs are combined with a pre-filter that stops down their aperture, light enters the filter assembly as a parallel beam, essential if the filter is to work properly. Average telescope mirror = 86% reflectivity (normal telescope mirrors). Specially coated mirror = 96% reflectivity. Lens: Good (dear) = Doublet refractors Lens: Best (expensive) = Triplet refractors 1/4-wave = Okay (lens or mirror) Cheap. 1/8-wave = Better (lens or mirror) Dear. 1/10-wave = Good (lens or mirror) Pricy. 1/20-wave = Superb (lens or mirror) Expensive. 1/30-wave = Best (lens or mirror) Special order. Quality of eyepiece used ie:- Orthoscopic = Okay Cheap All sizes (various manufacturers). Plossl = Better Dear 5, 6.7, 7,4, 10.4, 13, 17, 21, 26, 40. (50 degree field). Panoptic = Good Pricy 15, 22, 27, 35, 40. (67 degree field). Clave = Superb Expensive Nagler = Best Very expensive 4.8, 7, 9, 12, 16, 20. (82 degree field). Magnification of eyepiece(s) with differeing f/ratio telescopes 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4" 5" 6" 7" 7" 8" 8" 10" 11" 12" 14" 16" 16" 16" 20" f/9 f/9 f/9 f/9 f/15 f/6 f/10 f/10 f/10 f/10 f/10 f/4 f/5 f/10 f/5 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- LN 2.5mm 366 457 549 640 1067 488 813 1016 1118 1219 1422 650 813 1626 --- NG 4.8mm 191 238 286 333 0556 254 423 0529 0582 0635 0741 339 423 0847 529 NG 7.0mm 131 163 196 229 0381 174 290 0363 0399 0435 0508 232 290 0581 363 NG 9.0mm 102 127 152 178 0296 136 226 0282 0310 0339 0395 181 226 0452 282 NG 12.0mm 076 095 114 133 0222 102 169 0212 0233 0254 0296 136 169 0339 212 NG 16.0mm 057 071 086 100 0167 076 127 0159 0175 0191 0222 102 127 0254 159 NG 20.0mm 046 057 069 080 0133 061 102 0127 0140 0139 0178 081 102 0203 127 PN 22.0mm 042 052 062 073 0121 055 092 0116 0127 0139 0162 074 092 0185 116 PN 27.0mm 034 042 051 059 0099 045 075 0094 0104 0113 0132 060 075 0151 094 PN 35.0mm 026 033 039 046 0076 035 058 0073 0080 0087 0102 047 058 0116 073 SW 40.0mm 023 029 034 040 0067 031 051 0064 0070 0076 0089 041 051 0102 064 PL 55.0mm 017 021 025 029 0049 022 037 0046 0051 0055 0065 030 037 0074 046 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- LN = Lanthanum. NG = Nagler. PN = Panoptic. SW = Meade. PL = Plossl. //78: A set of eyepieces - U know U need 'em Happiness is a sparkling new eyepiece. Or better yet, a matching set of them. Eyepieces are the most important accessoreis you will ever buy for your telescope. Although it is the main lens or mirror of your telescope that forms the image, it is the eyepiece that magnifies this image. And a good eyepiece does this without affecting image quality. With a set of fine eyepieces you will be able to resolve all the celestial wonders your telescope is capable of observing. To get the most out of your telescope, you should have three or four different eyepieces because on an astronomical telescope you switch magnification by switching eyepieces. Entry level telescopes come with poor quality eyepieces and provide poor images. It is recommended to replace poor eyepieces as a first step to improving your telescope. Eyepieces come in various optical designs. `Design' means the number of lens elements, the types of lenses, and their arrangement. The Nagler series contain complex and costly sets of optics and provide the finest images over the widest fields (82 degrees) of any eyepiece available. The 20mm, 16mm and 13mm focal lengths are among the largest and heaviest eyepieces on the market. What eyepieces should you buy? Wide fields of view (82 degrees) are best, but expensive. 50 degree and 68 degree types are produced (less expensive). Four to eight lens elements are inserted into an eyepiece (the expensive types have 7 and 8 lens elements). Some of these eyepieces weigh 2.5 pounds (so, you will need to rebalance your telescope). Optical quality (sharpness and clarity) also needs to be taken into consideration. Are they `parafocal' (meaning that only a little refocusing is necessary when changing to a different eyepiece). Some telescope owners buy just two eyepieces (low and medium power) and use a Barlow lens to provide higher power! Light throughput is a good indicator of eyepiece quality (high quality optical coatings on every air-to-glass surface are standard on top-class eyepieces). Recent modern coatings and good optical designs have banished the age-old problem of ghosts. Short focus (F/4) telescopes place severe demands on an eyepiece's corrections for aberrations. Some eyepieces come in a sturdy reusable box with dust caps and have fold-down rubber eyeguards as well as top and bottom caps, blackened lens edges to reduce internal reflection and are threaded to accept 1.25-inch filters. In good eyepieces the contrast factor comes to the fore (blacks are blacker and whites are whiter). In summary:- you pay for what you get (so buy the best) - you will be using them for `life'. Your eyepieces should be stored in dust-resistant containers. Below is given a selection of telescopes and accessories for the budding astronomer. Some of the larger models may necessitate the re-mortage of your home. Finally, I wish you the special moments you can experience with a telescope or binoculars under a dark sky when you touch the universe and feel a sense of belonging to it. With a telescope you can make a beginning. Good luck, clear skies and good observing! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ --------------------------------------------------------------------- Typical telescope and Accesories list price (1997) $ = USA. ST = Sterling. POA = Price On Application. TAO = Tube Assembly Only. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Make Size Type Price --------------------------------------------------------------------- Meade 3.5-inch ETX Maksutov $ 495 01 Tele Vue 2.7-inch Refractor $ 02 Tele Vue 4.0-inch Refractor $ 1,950 03 Brandon 80mm ED Triplet Refractor $ 995 04 Wholesale Optics 80mm Refractor $ 595 05 Odyssey 4.125-inch Reflector $ 329 06 Meade 4.0-inch 2045D Schmidt $ 699 07 Meade 4.0-inch 102ED Doublet Refractor $ 2,495 08 Tele Vue 4.0-inch Refractor $ 1,950 09 Astro Physics 4.0-inch Triplet Refractor $ POA 10 Takahashi FS-102mm Triplet Refractor ST 1,950 (TAO) 11 Meade 5.0-inch 127ED Doublet Refractor $ 2,995 12 Astro Physics 5.0-inch Triplet Refractor $ POA 13 Takahashi FS-128 Triplet Refractor ST 3,695 (TAO) 14 Meade 6.0-inch Dobsonian $ 349 15 Meade 6.0-inch Newtonian $ 649 16 Meade 6.0-inch 152ED Doublet Refractor $ 4,495 17 Astro Physics 6.0-inch Triplet Refractor $ POA 18 Fujinon 6.0-inch Binoculars $10,000 19 Meade 7.0-inch LX50 Maksutov $ 1,795 20 Meade 7.0-inch 178ED Doublet Refractor $ 5,495 21 Astro Physics 7.0-inch Triplet Refractor $ POA 22 (various) 8-inch f/8 Triplet Refractor $12,890 (TAO) 23 (various) 9-inch f/8 Triplet Refractor $18,890 (TAO) 24 (various) 10-inch f/9 Triplet Refractor $27,890 (TAO) 25 (various) 11-inch f/10 Triplet Refractor $34,890 (TAO) 26 (various) 12-inch f/11 Triplet Refractor $44,900 (TAO) 27 (various) 14-inch f/13 Triplet Refractor $78,900 (TAO) 28 (various) 22-inch Triplet Refractor $ POA 29 Meade 8.0-inch Dobsonian $ 469 30 Meade 8.0-inch Newtonian $ 749 31 Meade 8.0-inch LX50 Schmidt $ 1,395 32 Meade 8.0-inch LX200 Schmidt $ 2,795 33 Takahashi 8.0-inch ST 1,999 (TAO) 34 Celestron 9.25-inch Schmidt $ 2,499 35 Meade 10.0-inch Dobsonian $ 649 36 Meade 10.0-inch Newtonian $ 879 37 Meade 10.0-inch LX50 Schmidt $ 1,695 38 Meade 10.0-inch 2120B Schmidt $ 1,699 39 Meade 10.0-inch LX200 Schmidt $ 3,195 40 Parks 10.0-inch f/3.5-f/13.5 $ POA 41 Vixen 250mm Newtonian $ 1,249 42 Celestron 11.0-inch Schmidt $ 3,400 43 Vixen 12.0-inch Newtonian ST 1,995 44 Meade 12.0-inch LX200 Schmidt $ 4,495 45 Meade 12.0-inch LX200SC Schmidt Camera $ POA 46 Meade 12.5-inch Dobsonain $ 895 47 Jim's Mobile 12.5-inch NGT Newtonian $ 4,700 48 Odyssey 13.1-inch Dobsonian $ POA 49 Celestron 14.0-inch Schmidt $ 4,999 50 Meade 16.0-inch Dobsonian $ 1,195 51 Meade 16.0-inch Newtonian $ 2,695 52 Meade 16.0-inch LX200 Schmidt $14,950 53 Jim's Mobile 18.0-inch NGT Newtonian $11,000 54 Jim's Mobile 40.0-inch NGT Newtonian $ POA 55 Larger sizes 50+ inches available from specialized producers. 56 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Digital Setting Circles --------------------------------------------------------------------- Meade Magellan Computer DSC $ 295/495/595 Celestron Celestar-8 Computer DSC $ Dob-Driver-II (DIY user) for PC control $ 329 to 549 Sky Commander Computer DSC $ 390 Lumincon Sky Vector Computer DSC $ 299/349/439 Orion Sky Wizard Computer DSC $ 179+/249+/349+ --------------------------------------------------------------------- CCD Cameras --------------------------------------------------------------------- Meade 210 XT Auto-guider $ 395 Meade 416 XT Auto-guider/Imager $ 2,495 Meade 1616 XT Auto-guider/Imager $ 6,495 Christian Bull Hi-SIS 22 CCD Camera ST 1,999 Christian Bull Hi-SIS 33 CCD Camera ST 3,495 Christian Bull Hi-SIS 44 CCD Camera ST 6,595 Starlight Express CCD Camera ST 681 to 1300+ Meade 2000-ip Imaging Software $ 199 Meade 2000-sk Astronomy Software $ 179 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Eyepieces --------------------------------------------------------------------- Optik Leitz 30mm 88 degree $ 1,250 Optik Leitz Zoom 10-25mm 50 degree $ 495 Celestron Zoom 6.5 to 18mm 50 degree $ 147 Tele Vue 20mm Nagler 82 degree 2-inch $ 375 Tele Vue 16mm Nagler 82 degree $ 299 Meade 14mm Series 4000 84 degree 1.25 $ 300 Optik Leitz 12.5mm 90 degree $ 395 Tele Vue 12mm Nagler 82 degree $ 279 Tele Vue 9mm Nagler 82 degree $ 239 Meade 8.8mm Series 4000 84 degree $ 240 Tele Vue 7mm Nagler 82 degree $ 219 Meade 6.7mm Series 4000 84 degree $ 200 Tele Vue 4.8mm Nagler 82 degree $ 169 Meade 4.7mm Series 4000 84 degree $ 170 Celestron 2.5mm Lanthanum $ 130 Meade 24.5mm Series 4000 68 degree $ 180 Tele Vue 27mm Panoptic 68 degree 2-inch $ 319 Meade 32mm Series 4000 67 degree 2-inch $ 240 Tele Vue 35mm Panoptic 68 degree 2-inch $ 349 Tele Vue 55mm Plossl 50 degree $ 229 Tele Vue 2-inch Barlow $ 165 Tele-Vue 2-inch Coma Corrector $ 249 Lumincon 2-inch Coma Corrector $ 285 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Meade 9mm Reticle (best) $ 150 Meade 12mm Reticle $ 100 Tele Vue Binocular Viewer $ 899 TL Systems Binocular Viewer Kit $ 190 Celestron Binocular Viewer ST 450 80mm Binoculars 11 x 80, 20 x 80 $ 290 100mm Binoculars 14 x 100, 25 x 100 $ 999 Fujinon Binoculars 25 x 150, 40 x 150 $10,000 Deutsche Optic Binoculars 20 x 110 $ 3,500 Lumincon 80mm Finderscope $ 190 Note:- binocular telescopes - 8 to 20-inches are available from some manufacturers! --------------------------------------------------------------------- Filters 1.25 and 2-inch --------------------------------------------------------------------- Meade Set of 12 planetary filters $ 150.0 Lumincon Deep Sky $ 80-120 Lumincon O-III $ 100-200 Lumincon UHC $ 100-200 Lumincon H-Beta $ 100-200 Lumincon Swan Band (comets) $ 100-200 Thousand Oaks 14-inch solar filter $ 170.0 Thousand Oaks 12-inch solar filter $ 150.0 Thousand Oaks 10-inch solar filter $ 109.0 Thousand Oaks 8-inch solar filter $ 96.0 Thousand Oaks Solar filters for 40 to 80mm binocul $ 92.00 (pair) Pro-Dome Fiberglass Observatory 6, 10, 15ft $ 1,950 (6ft) Pro-Dome Observatory automation system $ 850 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Those interested in astronomy can take the Open University course S-281 Astronomy and Planetary Science (open to anyone). This course begins in February each year with an exam in October/November. The course fee is 160 pounds in the UK (slightly higher elsewhere). 70% of those who take the course sit the exam and 95% pass this exam! Write to:- Central Enquiry Service, The Open University, PO Box 200, Milton Keynes, MK7 6YZ England (telephone:- 01908 653231), for details. //ASTUTE Keen penetration or discernment, sagacious, shrewd, cunning, artful, crafty, wily, sly. //ASTYANAX 15:46 20:33 01 A mp in a cell who fails to be promoted. 02 Greek legend:- the young son of Hector and Andromache, thrown from the walls of Troy by the victorious Greeks. 03 $07 on :L01. Example:- A-PA1 in the diagram below:- |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$08 | B-RO2 | | | | | | B-KI | | :B |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$07 | A-PA1 | B-BS2 | | | | | B-PA2 | B-PA1 | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$06 | | | | | | | | | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$05 | | | | | | | | | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$04 | | | | | | | | | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$03 | | | | | | | A-RO1 | | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$02 | | | | | | | | A-KI | |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| R$01 | | | | | | | | | :A |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------| F$A F$B F$C F$D F$E F$F F$G F$H //ATALANTA 20:34 01 :B Princess (PS). Greek mythology:- a virgin huntress who helped to kill the Calydonian boar. All suitors whom she could outrun were put to death, but she was vanquished by one who dropped three golden apples given him by Aphrodite, which Atalanta stopped to pick up. 02 Melager:- Greek legend: the heroic son of Althaea. He was an Argonaut, and the slayer of the Calydonian boar. It had been prophesied to his mother that as long as a certain brand remained unburnt Meleager would live. After he killed his uncles in argument over the boar, Althaea threw the brand into the fire and so killed her son. //ATARAXIA Absolute calm and tranquility, imperturbability, complete freedom from anxiety or strain (the object of the Epicureans). See `Quiescent'. //ATE 16:20 20:35 Greek mythology:- a goddess personifying the fatal blindness or recklessness which produces crime, and the divine punishment which follows it. Moral blindness. She is the key to the Greek concept of the tragic hero who is destroyed by forces unleashed by himself but which he is powerless to prevent. Goddess of vengeance and mischief. //ATELIER The workshop or studio of a chess player - the board itself. //ATHENA 20:39 01 The Greek goddess of wisdom, arts and prudent warfare, identified by the Romans with Minerva. In Classical Greece she came to assume the dual roles of Promachos `Front-rank Warrior' and also protector of horses. Born straight from Zeus's head, Athene is a force within the mind of Man. Athene is the protectress of Heroes. She taught men the use of bridle and yoke, and is the principle by which man can combine Power and Wisdom, since Athene herself is the unification of the power of her father (Zeus) and the wisdom of her mother (Metis). The owl was the animal closest to her and she introduced the art of weaving, which suggests Athene's relationship with introverted intuition, the wisdom to see the pattern and meaning of life. In later fairy-tales birds were symbolically associated with her and had the power to turn men to stone. 02 Athenaeum:- an institution for the promotion of literary learning - a library or reading room - a sanctuary of Athena built by the Roman emperor Hadrian and frequented by poets and men of learning. 03 Athenaeum Club of London:- a gathering of scientists and thinkers which boasts the largest assembly of Nobel Prize winners in the world which was also popular in 5th century Athens. 04 Athens:- capital of Attica, one of the Greek states which grew up around the Acropolis and became the centre of culture, literature and the arts of the ancient world. 05 Athenian Bee:- Plato was called the `Bee of Athens' because when he was in his cradle a swarm of bees alighted on his mouth. His words flowed with the sweetness of honey. St. Ambrose and Xenophon also had this title. See `Bee'. 06 Consentes Dii:- the 12 Athenian Gods: Jupiter, Apollo, Neptune, Mars, Mercury, Vulcan, Juno, Diana, Minerva, Venus, Ceres and Vesta. //ATHWART 15:47 Mps:- placed incorrectly. //ATLAS 20:36 01 One who supports a heavy burden. A demigod in classical mythology, condemned to support the sky on his shoulders. Son of the Titan Iapetus and the Oceanid Clymene, the older brother of Prometheus, Menoetius and Epimetheus. Atlas was condemned by Zeus for his part in the revolt of the Titans to stand on the edge of the Western world before his daughters the Hesperides, bearing the vault of the heavens on his shoulders for ever. The Atlas mountains in Morocco are named after him. Among his other children were the Hyades (`Rain Makers'), seven sisters translated to the heavens as stars at their deaths, and the Pleiades (plei, `to sail'), also seven sisters (amorously pursued by Zeus) who also became stars after killing themselves in despair at the deaths of the Hyades. 02 Skambha (India):- `support, fulcrum' (the god who supports the heavens and the earth). //ATREUS 20:37 Greek legend:- a KI of Mycenae, and a son of Pelops. His evil deeds and those of his house gave many themes to the Greek dramatists. //ATROPOS 20:38 01 Greek mythology:- one of the Fates. She cut off the thread of life. 02 Greek: literally:- inflexible. 03 `His life was cut short' (allusion to Atropos). //ATTACK-MINORITY ATTACK French: attaque. German: angriff. Italian: attacco. Spanish: ataque. To set upon with force or weapons - begin hostilities against - an offensive military operation with the aim of overcoming the enemy and destroying the armed forces and will to resist. An active threat on your opponents MPs/mps. This may be a single move or a series of moves lasting for a considerable part of the game. A short attack is called a `threat'. Minority Attack:- an attack of :A mps against a majority of :B mps with the objective of creating a weakness in :B position. Attack:- an opening variation (:&OV) started by the :A side. In traditional chess (Chesmayne :L01) they are known by the following names:- Chesmayne Chesmayne Chesmayne Notation Notation Notation &A-L1 &A-L1 &A-L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ &A-L1-01 Adams &A-L1-02 American &A-L1-03 Austrian &A-L1-04 Balogh &A-L1-05 Bayonet &A-L1-06 Benko &A-L1-07 Bird &A-L1-08 Blackburne &A-L1-09 Bourdonnais &A-L1-10 Bradford &A-L1-11 Centre &A-L1-12 Chatard-Alekhine &A-L1-13 Cochrane &A-L1-14 Cozio &A-L1-15 Del Rio &A-L1-16 Fegatello &A-L1-17 Fischer &A-L1-18 Four PAs &A-L1-19 Fraser &A-L1-20 Fraser-Mortimer &A-L1-21 Gledhill &A-L1-22 Goring &A-L1-23 Grand Prix &A-L1-24 Grimm &A-L1-25 Harrwitz &A-L1-26 Holzhausen &A-L1-27 Horwitz &A-L1-28 Kieseritzky &A-L1-29 Levenfish &A-L1-30 Lipnitsky &A-L1-31 Lolli &A-L1-32 Lordansky &A-L1-33 Lowenborg &A-L1-34 Maroczy &A-L1-35 Marshall &A-L1-36 McDonnell &A-L1-37 Moller &A-L1-38 Morphy &A-L1-39 Nimzowitsch &A-L1-40 Nyholm &A-L1-41 Old Indian &A-L1-42 Paulsen &A-L1-43 Pillsbury &A-L1-44 Richardson &A-L1-45 Richter &A-L1-46 Rubinstein &A-L1-47 Samisch &A-L1-48 Schlechter &A-L1-49 Schmidt &A-L1-50 Six PAs &A-L1-51 Sozin &A-L1-52 Steinitz &A-L1-53 Stonewall &A-L1-54 Tartakower &A-L1-55 Torre &A-L1-56 Urusov &A-L1-57 Venice &A-L1-58 Vitzthum &A-L1-59 Walker &A-L1-60 Waller &A-L1-61 Worrall ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ //ATTAKINSKY and DEFENDAROV Fictitious Russian names for :A and :B. //ATTIC Displaying simple elegance, incisive intelligence, and delicate wit. An Athenian. //ATTORNEY GENERAL Praetorian Guard - PG. //ATWOOD GEORGE 22:16 1745-1807. Made a record of many games at a time when this was not customary. He played against Philidor and Verdoni. //AU COURANT To be acquainted/informed of current events. //AUDLEY To bring to a conclusion a game in progress. //AU FAIT 17:18 Having experience or practical knowledge - expert - versed. //AUFIN 13:9 Alfil or Fil. //AUFKLARUNG 17:19 German:- enlightenment. Literally:- clearing up. //AUGEAN STABLES To cleanse the `Augean stables' means to clean away an accumulated mass of rubbish or corrupting influence - moral, religious, physical or legal etc. //AULIC Pertaining to a Royal Court. //AULIS 01 The home cells of RO1 and RO2. 02 The port in Boeotia where the Greek fleet assembled before sailing for Troy. 03 $A01 and $H01 (:L01) for :A, $A08 and $H08 for :B. //AURIGA It is known as the Charioteer and has the shape of a pentagon. Capella is at the top right of this group of stars and is the 4th brightest star visible in the northern sky (after Sirius, Arcturus and Vega). It is in fact the 6th brightest star in the firmament. It is also a double-star (binary). Capella (means `she-goat') and is 45 ly away. Just below Capella are three little stars in the shape of a triangle which are known as `The Kids'. Epsilon Aurigae is highly unusual. One of the stars of this little triangle dims for a period of 700 days once every 25 years. This may be caused by a shell or disk of gas and dust. It dims again in 2009. Auriga is a distinctive five-sided figure (irregular pentagon). Auriga was the unwanted son of the goddess of wisdom, Athena, following her rape by Hephaestus, the god of fire. Athena raised her child by keeping him in a chest that was guarded by snakes. He eventually became a KI but was forever crippled. To solve this problem he invented the chariot. Capella is the brightest star that is nearest to the north celestial pole. Capella consists of two identical giant stars that oribit each other at the distance of Venus from our own Sun. //AUREOLE Radiance surrounding the head - any encircling ring of light or colour - a halo - corona. Golden. See `Uraeus.' //AUSTRALIAN CHESS FEDERATION c/o Larry Ermacora, GPO Box 148, Sydney, NSW 2001. Australia. //AUTARCHY Absolute sovereignty - self-government - self-rule. //AUTOCHESS (address) Bill Jordan. Auto-Chess, 25 King William Street, Victoria 3065. Australia. //AUTO-DA-FE (Symbol, *) 01 Capture of a mp/MP. 02 Portuguese:- an `act of faith'. 03 The public burning at the stake of heretics and sinners condemned by the Spanish Inquisition. //AUTODIDACT A person who is self-taught. //AUTOMATON A mechanical device that plays chess (operated by a human being). These have included `The Turk', `Ajeeb', `Mephisto' and `Ajedrecista'. In the 1950's computers were designed to play chess. The first and most famous is the Turk, first unveiled in 1769. The exhibitor of this device could open the cabinet to convince an onlooker that nobody was hidden inside the apparatus. Ajedrecista is presently on display at the Polytechnic Museum, Madrid. Its inventor, Torres y Quevedo, 1852-1936, was subsidized by the Spanish government to demonstrate the possibility of inventing a machine that could play a game of chess. See computer section for further details. Maelzel chess automaton A device invented by von Kempelen and widely exhibited as a chess playing machine. Edgar Allan Poe wrote a paper entitled `Maelzel's Chess Player' purporting to explain its operation. Various writers concluded that the machine was operated by a concealed human GM. A complete account of the history and method of operation of the Automaton can be found in a series of articles by Harkness and Battell in `Chess Review', 1947. Ajeeb Chess automaton made by Charles Alfred Hooper (1825-1900). This consisted of a life sized dark-skinned Indian figure with a mobile head, trunk and right arm who sat on a cushion mounted on a large box. It had an elaborate clockwork mechanism that was conspicuously wound by a large key. A strong chess player was concealed inside the machine and among these were: Charles Moehle, Albert Beauregard Hodges, Constant Ferdinand Burille and Harry Nelson Philsbury. //AVALON 20:40 01 Celtic legend:- an island represented as an earthly paradise in the western seas, to which KI Arthur and other heroes were carried at death. Avalon is also known as the `Isle of Apples'. Ducking for apples at Hallowe'en symbolises the dying old year. In the Celtic Beth-Luis-Nion tree alphabet, the apple-tree is `Q' for `Quert', one of the `seven noble trees'. Sacred to Aphrodite as a symbol of love and desire, in China it represents peace and concord. Sedgemoor (England). 02 In the game of Chesmayne this is the term used to indicate capture (*) of MPs/mps and their removal from the board. 03 Elysium or the Elysian Fields:- the home of the blessed dead, where they enjoy a happy and carefree life in eternal sunshine and identified with the Islands of the Blessed. Pindar describes how the virtuous dead `travel to the tower of Cronus, where ocean-born breezes blow around the island of the blest, and sprays of gold flower from the earth and from the sea crown their heads. Plutarch has Cronus sleeping eternally on an island in Britain, guarded by Briareus. 04 Blessed Islands:- otherworldly islands which lie west of Ireland, where the worthy dead and otherworldly folk live in the Celtic paradise. Fortunate Islands/Blessed Islands:- earthly paradise located to the west of Ireland and ruled by Morgan and her nine attendant muses. Tir nan Og. 05 Glastonbury:- a town in Somerset (England) and traditionally associated with Arthur and the Holy Grail. The name derives from Ynys Witrin (Isle of Glass) and has been identified with Avalon. Joseph of Arimathea is believed to have brought the chalice, used by Christ to celebrate the Last Supper, to Glastonbury which became the first shrine of the Grail. 06 Hesperides:- garden of the gods on the western extremity of the Greek world (analogous with Avalon, Fortunate Isles, Blessed Islands etc). 07 Hy Breasil (Irish):- Irish earthly paradise and considered to lie in the furthest west. Spanish adventurers applied the name to the new land they discovered, Brazil. 08 Annwn:- Welsh legend: the land of the departed (Celtic Hades). 09 Ogier the Dane and Oberon held their courts at Avalon. 10 Nullibiety:- the state of being nowhere. //AVANT-GARDE 15:48 Mps:- Vanguards - GUs - new ideas or thinkers. //AVERBAKH YURI LVOVICH 22:17 Author of `Shakhmatnye okonchaniya', the standard work on the :EG of traditional chess. A five volume edition of this work has been produced which covers :EGs with BS versus KT, BS or KT, QU, PA, RO. //AVIGNON 13:10 The cell on which the BSs reside. //AVOCATION Hobby - diversion or distraction. //AXIOM 16:21 01 A recognized truth - an established and universally accepted principle or rule. 02 Axiomatic:- pertaining to or of the nature of an axiom - self evident, aphoristic. //AXON The move from one cell to a different cell - the move itself. //AZONIC The Chesmayne MPs/mps are `azonic' - not confined to any particular board. //AZYGOUS //15:49 Not being one of a pair - single ie:- two PAs are a pair of mps but 1 PA and 1 GU are azygous. |--------------------------------------------------------| | | | © Copyright 1997 Raymond Reid. | | The author may be contacted at the address below: | | | | 9 Grange Manor Avenue, | | Rathfarnham 16, | | Dublin. | | Ireland. | | Phone: 4-93-96-71. | | | |--------------------------------------------------------|