Hello, I'm an American Merchant Mariner, working on a ship which will be visiting your area several times over the next five or six months.  We moor in Jebel Ali, staying each time three or four days/nights.  I'm also an avid amateur astronomer, and would enjoy the opportunity to meet with local amateurs and observe with you.  Unfortunately I am not able to predict precisely when we will be in-port more than a few days in advance, which is a real detriment to meeting your members, but I am going to make a real effort!

We should be in-port over the New Year (30 Dec-05 Jan) and then again later in January.  If anyone has any activities planned that I might join in, I would appreciate hearing about them here.

Thank You;

Tom Epps

M/V Polar Bear

Persian Gulf

Dear Tom,

Hi, thanks for you interest in astronomy, we will have basic astronomy course in Jan and Feb., if you like to join any of the courses please send us mail, indicating the course and the date.

Reg

Hasan

Well...the New Year visit didn't work out very well; there was some kind of diplomatic problem and we were not able to come ashore during that port call.  Hopefully this problem will be cleared up by our NEXT visit to UAE, which should be in a week or so.  More info when I have it!

In the meantime, I have been observing comets Tuttle and Holmes with my binoculars--the first time I can remember when we have had two bright comets in the sky at once!  Beautiful sight in the 9x63 binoculars! 

I hope to see you all soon--keep in touch!

Regards;

Tom Epps

M/V Polar Bear

Southern Persian Gulf

Again, 'Polar Bear' is planning to visit Jebel Ali next week, and we ought to be there for the Lunar Eclipse on the morning of the 21st.  What times are we looking at for umbral first contact, totality and last contact?

STILL hoping to meet and observe with your members...actually, right now I'm just hoping to get the chance to go ashore at all.  There is I understand an exhibit at the Ibn Battuta mall about the development of Arabic science, and I hope to see it soon!

Regards;

Tom Epps

M/V Polar Bear

Northern Persian Gulf

Hi,

Welcome to Dubai again, no eclips observation for DAG as it's very late, Yes I would highly recommend the visit of Ibn Batota Mall, the exhibits are superb, unfotunatly it become old, there was small digital planetarium user controled touch screen, but it's damaged, the display there for more than 2 years now, I recommend that everyone should visit it, last night I was there in company of our guest from ferance Michel who is Astronomer, if you need any help please call me at my mobile :0506246172

Reg

Hasan