Apropos of Nothing

Palomar · 2003-11-22 09:59:39

*Does anyone else here own a small telescope? I have an Astroscan 2001, as some may recall. I'm wondering if small refracting telescopes have proven more beneficial/powerful than a small reflector? Astroscan 2001s are reflectors.
I thought Byron mentioned he has an Astroscan 2001?
--Cindy
Yep, I've got one of those....lol...
I've had it since I was 12, and it still works great.
My father has a "decorative" refractor telescope...it looks pretty in the living room, but it's not practical for astronomy, since the field of view is so limited. Reflectors are the way to go for general use, and the bigger the better...lol.
When Mars made its closest approach last Aug, I had the privilage of looking through a home-built 18-incher...talk about light-gathering ability! I could pick out things like the southern polar ice cap and everything.
B

*I thought I recalled that right. Is yours red as well? Mine is cherry red, really cute.

Is your father's scope more like a nautical apparatus? I'm thinking glossy wood and brass finish on it.

Yes, I recall your (enviable!) ability to look through an 18-inch telescope. That must have been wonderful.

The local university had a large 'scope available for the August viewing of Mars, but I could imagine the crowd. I'm rather crowd-avoidant, ha ha, so just used my Astroscan.

--Cindy

Byron · 2003-11-22 10:09:07

*I thought I recalled that right. Is yours red as well? Mine is cherry red, really cute.
Is your father's scope more like a nautical apparatus? I'm thinking glossy wood and brass finish on it.
Yes, I recall your (enviable!) ability to look through an 18-inch telescope. That must have been wonderful.

Yep, mine's bright red...lol. My dad's telescope is brass on a wooden tripod...I say it's about a 2.5."

That's the thing that's so bad about living in a major metro area, as there's just too many lights. My grandparent's farm, on the other hand, is so dark that you can easily see the Milky Way on clear nights. I'd like to be able to look through that 18" scope out there....it'd be a feast!

There was a bit of a crowd that time at the park, but not too bad. The owner of that telescope was very friendly and accomodating to everyone that showed up to look at Mars...he was apparently quite proud to be able to share the use of his amazing instrument. The 85-degree heat was really the worst about being out there...lol, not to mention the pesky mosquitos...

B

Palomar · 2003-11-22 10:19:53

*I thought I recalled that right. Is yours red as well? Mine is cherry red, really cute.
Is your father's scope more like a nautical apparatus? I'm thinking glossy wood and brass finish on it.
Yes, I recall your (enviable!) ability to look through an 18-inch telescope. That must have been wonderful.

Yep, mine's bright red...lol. My dad's telescope is brass on a wooden tripod...I say it's about a 2.5."
That's the thing that's so bad about living in a major metro area, as there's just too many lights. My grandparent's farm, on the other hand, is so dark that you can easily see the Milky Way on clear nights. I'd like to be able to look through that 18" scope out there....it'd be a feast!
There was a bit of a crowd that time at the park, but not too bad. The owner of that telescope was very friendly and accomodating to everyone that showed up to look at Mars...he was apparently quite proud to be able to share the use of his amazing instrument. The 85-degree heat was really the worst about being out there...lol, not to mention the pesky mosquitos...
B

*Those wood-and-brass jobs are pricey. They may not be great for viewing stuff, but they are excellent conversation pieces.

Yes, light pollution is a big problem. It's great going out into the wilds of NM at night to star gaze, but it's a bit of a risky venture in the summer with 5 kinds of rattlesnakes in this area...not to mention scorpions and tarantulas. My hometown was small, so light pollution wasn't an issue...but mosquitos? Oh yeah...ten tons of Off! sprayed on and they are still dive-bombing you.

Then there are the nearly ever-present clouds in the Midwest. And cold, and...well...

That was really generous of the gentleman in the park to give others access to his scope, considering how expensive instruments are (not to mention how sometimes surprisingly fragile).

Your grandparent's farm sounds wonderful.

--Cindy

Palomar · 2003-11-22 10:28:51

*Speaking of troubles with artificial lights while using a telescope, I remember the first time I set up my Astroscan (a cinch...just rest it on the little tripod on a TV tray).

Anyway, I had asked our neighbors if I could stand in their gravel driveway. They were an elderly couple, retired from the farm...sweet and wonderful people, like grandparents. If everyone in the world had neighbors like them when growing up, it'd probably be a nicer world. Anyway, they said yes, so I set my Astroscan up.

I was just looking into the eyepiece (with my eyes all accustomed to the night, etc.), when the neighbor's porch light popped on. Bertha called out, "Can you see anything yet?" LOL. Aw, gosh. Well, I was starting to, LOL. I just said "Yes," and talked with her. She was curious. I think I even coaxed her and her husband to come out and take a look (sans porchlight, of course). And, of course, my eyes readjusted to the night sky.

I'm glad Bertha flipped on the porchlight, actually -- it imprinted the memory of my first use of the Astroscan and another wonderful memory of her in my mind. :*)

--Cindy

Byron · 2003-11-22 10:35:43

That's funny.... It's fun to share things like that with people like that, especially if they don't have a clue about space, etc. If we all did our little part to educate people, then perhaps there would be a greater appreciation for space-related programs and exploration.

Too bad that you have to deal with rattlers and scorpions out there...I'm not too fond of snakes myself... ??? I guess one thing you could do, if you had access to a pick-up truck, is to set up the scope in the bed of the truck and this way you'd be off the ground and safe from those nasty critters...lol. Just an idea, anyhow...

B

dicktice · 2003-11-22 13:46:32

Sightseeing in Norway some decades back, we were admiring the colourfull "rainbow" at a famous waterfall, when one of the other foreign tourists snapped a picture using a flashbulb. I hadn't the guts to point out the obvious to the poor ignorant soul (I wuz a grajuatud injuneer) and suggest she take another without the flash. Still feel guilty about that.

dicktice · 2003-11-22 13:57:16

Cindy: [I was just looking into the eyepiece (with my eyes all accustomed to the night, etc.), when the neighbor's porch light popped on. Bertha called out, "Can you see anything yet?" LOL. Aw, gosh. Well, I was starting to, LOL.]

Puh-leeze: Tell me what "LOL" means...!

Palomar · 2003-11-22 14:47:44

Sightseeing in Norway some decades back, we were admiring the colourfull "rainbow" at a famous waterfall, when one of the other foreign tourists snapped a picture using a flashbulb. I hadn't the guts to point out the obvious to the poor ignorant soul (I wuz a grajuatud injuneer) and suggest she take another without the flash. Still feel guilty about that.

*Aw dicktice...no need to worry about it.

Hmmmm. That reminds me of the time, as a kid traveling out West with my folks, a guy was fussing about where to stand to take a shot of Mount Rushmore, etc., etc. He took the shot, then stepped back and turned around (I guess to go back to his car)...and dropped his camera on the cement walkway. The camera smashed into about 4 or 5 pieces...that poor man.

You've mentioned having been in Sweden before too, if I remember correctly?

Want to tell us more about your visits to Europe? I'd be interested.

--Cindy

Palomar · 2003-11-22 14:50:09

Cindy: [I was just looking into the eyepiece (with my eyes all accustomed to the night, etc.), when the neighbor's porch light popped on. Bertha called out, "Can you see anything yet?" LOL. Aw, gosh. Well, I was starting to, LOL.]
Puh-leeze: Tell me what "LOL" means...!

*Dicktice:

It means "laugh out loud" or "lots of laughs" :laugh:

Perhaps you missed the other posts where Byron and I answered you?

--Cindy

Palomar · 2003-11-22 15:51:55

That's funny.... It's fun to share things like that with people like that, especially if they don't have a clue about space, etc. If we all did our little part to educate people, then perhaps there would be a greater appreciation for space-related programs and exploration.
Too bad that you have to deal with rattlers and scorpions out there...I'm not too fond of snakes myself... ??? I guess one thing you could do, if you had access to a pick-up truck, is to set up the scope in the bed of the truck and this way you'd be off the ground and safe from those nasty critters...lol. Just an idea, anyhow...
B

*I would gladly set my scope up in the back of my husband's pick-up truck and go out of the city limits...if he were a little more interested in this sort of thing. I won't go out of town after dark by myself, especially not stopped somewhere...no way.

It is nice, however, to spread a comfy blanket or sleeping bag in the bed of the pickup truck, rest there and do some unaided-eye stargazing in our driveway. Now he's got a tool box obstructing the upper portion of the truck's bed, so there went that idea.

Yes, education and outreach are very worthwhile. I've not known one person to decline an opportunity to view the moon or stars through my telescope. Even my maternal grandmother was interested in looking at a quarter moon through my Astroscan...and grandma didn't have a lot of outside interests.

A few years ago a friend of my husband's was helping to work on a car here at our place. I was out back, using my 'scope; the interest to look through the scope was immediate. He told me his son was practically begging for a telescope -- I told him to get him one, heck -- bring the kids over!

I think a lot of people don't realize how eager people are for science, if it's hands-on and something they can actively participate in.

--Cindy

clark · 2003-11-22 18:59:35

...with a heave and a ho,
they let poor clark go,
to learn how to breathe martian dust.

Josh Cryer · 2003-11-22 19:29:34

and if you don't agree to do so within two days, I'll ban you.
woosh, tough people here. After the Kobe Bryant's affair, the Clark's affair.
You don't have any choice Clark, you have to surrender in the next 48 hrs. Don't escape to Canada, France or something like that.

HAHAHA, tears are rolling down my face! That was hilarious.

Josh Cryer · 2003-11-22 19:33:21

BTW, speaking of telescopes Cindy, I got some Obsession Telescope literature a few weeks ago, you should really check it out, just for the heck of it!

http://www.globaldialog.com/~obsessiontscp/Video.html

I have truely decided. This is the next scope I'm getting.

Palomar · 2003-11-22 20:32:19

BTW, speaking of telescopes Cindy, I got some Obsession Telescope literature a few weeks ago, you should really check it out, just for the heck of it!
http://www.globaldialog.com/~obsessiontscp/Video.html
I have truely decided. This is the next scope I'm getting.

*Thanks, Josh; I'll look it over. I received an "Orion" catalogue in the mail the other day. They have a very fine selection of reflectors and refractors, including some special lenses which I'll get to towards the end of this post.

My husband and I saw a sunspot this late afternoon! From around 10:00 a.m. until shortly after sunset we had a dust and sandstorm. At 4:30 we ate at a restaurant, and upon exiting the restaurant the sand and dust was so thick you could look straight at the sun; most of its light was filtered out, though its disc could be seen quite well. I noticed a black speck against the disc. It was so windy and the speck was stationary (impossible for a tiny cloud to withstand that tempest)...I pointed it out to my husband: I told him to consider the sun's disc as a clock; the speck was at 11 o'clock, and closer to the edge than towards the sun's middle. He saw it too. There is currently a sunspot which is the size of Jupiter. This must be that sunspot; to be seen with the unaided eye -- well, that's large obviously. I looked at it for quite some time.

I'm betting this was a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence, with the combination of a sunspot that large and a storm thick enough to filter out the sun's brightness to that extent and allow non-instrumentation view. Wow.

Going back to telescopes (and the like): I was considering purchasing The Sunspotter, but for $300.00 I'd rather invest in a new telescope from Orion -and- buy one of their special solar filters which fits over the front of the telescope like a lens cap and allows you to view the sun safely, etc.

I'd like to buy no less than an 8" reflecting telescope; I might go for a 10". But we're currently investing a lot of $ in home rennovation and restoration, so it might be another year.

--Cindy

Josh Cryer · 2003-11-22 21:02:35

Great story, Cindy.

I remember when I was a teen, I'd discovered polarization (I'd taken a part about 3 of my broken LCD handheld games), and using a thick layer of interlocked pieces of polarized plastics, along with my dads very dark glasses he got from an eye doctor, I looked at the sun for the first time. My memory is vague, though, and I'm not sure if I saw sunspots or not. But I remember being very fascinated by doing that.

That video will seriously sell you on an Obsession, if you have the money (and hey, it's a free VCR tape). I've seen "10 scopes for the price of their 20" one. Granted, the 10" scopes have "goto" abilities, and stuff, but nah, I don't want that (as we've discussed before, it's more intimate to observe on your own, without automated stuff).

Byron · 2003-11-23 08:06:42

My husband and I saw a sunspot this late afternoon! From around 10:00 a.m. until shortly after sunset we had a dust and sandstorm. At 4:30 we ate at a restaurant, and upon exiting the restaurant the sand and dust was so thick you could look straight at the sun; most of its light was filtered out, though its disc could be seen quite well. I noticed a black speck against the disc. It was so windy and the speck was stationary (impossible for a tiny cloud to withstand that tempest)...I pointed it out to my husband: I told him to consider the sun's disc as a clock; the speck was at 11 o'clock, and closer to the edge than towards the sun's middle. He saw it too. There is currently a sunspot which is the size of Jupiter. This must be that sunspot; to be seen with the unaided eye -- well, that's large obviously. I looked at it for quite some time.
I'm betting this was a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence, with the combination of a sunspot that large and a storm thick enough to filter out the sun's brightness to that extent and allow non-instrumentation view. Wow.

Cindy, you're extremely lucky to be able to experience something like that :;): I'm wondering if it would be possible to see that huge sunspot right at sunset, as I am close to a lake where I can see the sun setting onto the direct horizon. Or maybe I could get a solar filter for my Astroscan (do they have such things??) Also, Cindy, did you wear shades as an added method of protection? I'm really hyper about eye safety...definately not something I want to take a chance with...

When I was a kid, I sorta did what Josh did with polarized filter sheets, when there was a partial solar eclipse over my area. Pretty cool to see a bite taken out of the sun by the Moon...lol. When I saw the near-total eclipse in '85 (it was technically an annular eclipse, but bordering upon totality), there was a guy with a 12" telescope at the park we went to, and he projected the image unto a white peice of cardboard, which was not only 100% safe, but enabled multiple people to view the eclipse concurrently. It looked like a black disc with a ring of diamonds around it (the peaks and valleys of the Moon, not quite covering up the sun...it was that close to being total...lol.)

But I've have yet to view sunspots...that's gotta be a wonder to see on the face of our Sun...

B

clark · 2003-11-23 11:49:36

I will agree to all you request Adrian, but I ask only a simple thing in return. Unfortunetly it's not something you can give me.

I will gladly confess to any transgression I have comitted, but not to one I have not. Perhaps this is a cultural difference. But where I come from, when you are accused of something you did not do, you scream long and loud declaring as such.

It would be easy to move on, to forget about all of this. I look forward to that moment. But I simply will not let this rest. I ask for the record to be set straight, because I simply didn't do what Cindy accuses me of.

Someone is playing a trick on her, and now I pay the price. I feel for her, but her situation should not end up condeming me.

Her accusations offend me, and her accusations have led to this. If I really did what she says, why would I keep pushing the issue? To what end?

I would also like to point out that the only time I can recall you having to take corrective action with me occured only after she said what she said. The only time you have had to threaten me is after she said what she said.

I would like this resolved, but I won't accept being accused of something I am not, or doing something I did not do.

Would you?

Palomar · 2003-11-23 12:32:32

Byron: "Cindy, you're extremely lucky to be able to experience something like that I'm wondering if it would be possible to see that huge sunspot right at sunset, as I am close to a lake where I can see the sun setting onto the direct horizon."

*Hi Byron. I don't think I'd try that without some sort of assistive filtering device.

Byron: "Or maybe I could get a solar filter for my Astroscan (do they have such things??)"

*I've not seen solar filters for Astroscan, such as the type the Orion line of telescopes has available for its telescopes. I have seen special eyepieces for sale (for telescopes in general), which allow for safe viewing of the sun; if I recall correctly, the going price was a whopping $700.00 or thereabouts.

Byron: "Also, Cindy, did you wear shades as an added method of protection? I'm really hyper about eye safety...definately not something I want to take a chance with..."

*I didn't have sunglasses at hand, no. Though the sunlight was greatly filtered by the dust/sandstorm, my eyes did hurt a bit after looking for maybe 30 seconds each time (about 4 times).

Byron: "When I saw the near-total eclipse in '85 (it was technically an annular eclipse, but bordering upon totality), there was a guy with a 12" telescope at the park we went to, and he projected the image unto a white peice of cardboard, which was not only 100% safe, but enabled multiple people to view the eclipse concurrently. It looked like a black disc with a ring of diamonds around it (the peaks and valleys of the Moon, not quite covering up the sun...it was that close to being total...lol.)."

*Yeah, projecting the image on cardboard is good. Speaking of the sun, there's a book I want to get my hands; it's an encyclopedia of the sun. I'd like to read more about the formation of sunspots, how the sun "works" precisely, etc.

Byron: "But I've have yet to view sunspots...that's gotta be a wonder to see on the face of our Sun..."

*The sunspot we saw last evening looked like a large-ish flake of black peppercorn (coarsely ground peppercorn) against a baseball. I'd love to see it magnified. Though it's an average and ordinary star, it's majestic to behold.

--Cindy

Adrian · 2003-11-23 12:35:55

Clark, it is not the 'transgression' that I am bothered about here, because I have absolutely no way of finding out whether it's your doing or not. But,

Someone is playing a trick on her, and now I pay the price. I feel for her, but her situation should not end up condeming me.
Her accusations offend me, and her accusations have led to this. If I really did what she says, why would I keep pushing the issue? To what end?

Her accusations, in private, have led you to post comments throughout this forum that attack Cindy and have absolutely nothing to do with the threads concerned? I don't see how this follows, unless you are incredibly immature.

I don't know whether you really are harassing Cindy, and even if you were, I wouldn't be able to stop you. But I can ask you, once again, to stop posting comments about it. You don't seem to realise that no-one actually cares about this apart from you, and in fact I would make the same threat of banning to anyone who consistently posts off-topic trolls in these forums.

I don't want another post from you questioning this, I want you to say that you will stop bugging Cindy, and act on that.

clark · 2003-11-23 12:41:25

drink hemlock? thanks.

Byron · 2003-11-23 13:22:51

*I didn't have sunglasses at hand, no. Though the sunlight was greatly filtered by the dust/sandstorm, my eyes did hurt a bit after looking for maybe 30 seconds each time (about 4 times).

Ouch! I never stare at the sun for more than 5-10 seconds at a time, even if it's heavily dimmed-down. That UV radiation is nasty stuff.

I'd like to find a place locally that sells polarized filters for binocolars...and look at the setting sun that way. Too bad there are no filters for the Astroscan...

But I'm going to have a safe look at that sunspot one way or another before it rotates out of view....

B

Palomar · 2003-11-23 14:11:09

*I didn't have sunglasses at hand, no. Though the sunlight was greatly filtered by the dust/sandstorm, my eyes did hurt a bit after looking for maybe 30 seconds each time (about 4 times).
Ouch! I never stare at the sun for more than 5-10 seconds at a time, even if it's heavily dimmed-down. That UV radiation is nasty stuff.
I'd like to find a place locally that sells polarized filters for binocolars...and look at the setting sun that way. Too bad there are no filters for the Astroscan...
But I'm going to have a safe look at that sunspot one way or another before it rotates out of view....
B

*I wish there were a filter made exclusively for the Astroscan. I'd definitely get one >pronto<, if there were.

I'm not willing to spend upwards of $700.00 for a special eyepiece, however. The Sunspotter would be nice to have, but you can only use it for the sun.

Hmmmm, the binocular option is one I will consider. Why didn't I think of that?

I hope you do get to see that sunspot; it's amazing to actually see one in real life, and not just a photo.

--Cindy

Adrian · 2003-11-23 16:55:16

You know what, Clark? I don't understand you. I'm not even asking you to apologise here, I'm asking you to stopping bugging Cindy. I don't see why this should be a particularly difficult thing for you to do.

Adrian · 2003-11-24 12:01:05

Okay, Clark has informed me that he has promised not to post any more inflammatory remarks about Cindy, so as far as I'm concerned, that's the end of the matter. I don't want to see anything more about this on these forums.

clark · 2003-11-24 12:12:10

bright shiny fuzzy happy hugs.

apropos of nothing.

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