Search found 504 matches
- Sun Feb 25, 2024 9:34 am
- Forum: MAS Electronic Media & Book Group
- Topic: Clair de Lune (Moonlight)
- Replies: 9
- Views: 5026
Re: Clair de Lune (Moonlight)
How long will it be before the Moon is defaced forever by bulldozers? The current enthusiasm for lunar exploitation worries me. The Moon is a beautiful record of billions of years of Solar System history. It is utterly unlike the Earth, whose surface is constantly churned up by violent geology, weat...
- Mon Jan 08, 2024 9:35 am
- Forum: General Astronomy
- Topic: Universe Today article on Valts restoring scope rescued from the U of M
- Replies: 5
- Views: 2406
Re: Universe Today article on Valts restoring scope rescued from the U of M
Wow, what an impressive project! I'd love to try out that scope some time. Maybe some special MAS event could be arranged.
- Fri Dec 01, 2023 8:12 am
- Forum: General Astronomy
- Topic: Bad SAT question and Sidereal time
- Replies: 1
- Views: 1993
Re: Bad SAT question and Sidereal time
Wow, that was tricky! When I thought about it some more, I thought the correct answer was 2! Also wrong!
- Sat Nov 25, 2023 7:40 am
- Forum: Beginners SIG
- Topic: Second Night Out - Dark Sky and Freezing to Death
- Replies: 4
- Views: 1940
Re: Second Night Out - Dark Sky and Freezing to Death
I pretty much forget about stargazing during the winter except to tinker with my equipment. I've occasionally tried to observe down to zero degrees Fahrenheit but it's impossible to keep my fingers warm and the eyepiece free of frost. I try to dress for 30 or 40 degrees colder than the predicted tem...
- Sun Oct 15, 2023 7:14 am
- Forum: General Astronomy
- Topic: The largest optical telescope that will ever be built?
- Replies: 2
- Views: 1853
Re: The largest optical telescope that will ever be built?
This is a really fascinating video for anyone who likes giant telescopes. His argument that the ELT is the largest optical telescope that will ever be built reminds me that the same was said about the 200-inch Palomar after it was built. He argues that advances in computers will soon make it possibl...
- Wed Sep 27, 2023 7:13 am
- Forum: General Astronomy
- Topic: Restoring & Maintaining a 125-Year-Old Telescope
- Replies: 3
- Views: 2381
Re: Restoring & Maintaining a 125-Year-Old Telescope
Fascinating article and videos! I'm so glad to see that this priceless piece of history is being restored.
- Sat Jul 29, 2023 7:04 am
- Forum: General Astronomy
- Topic: The Size of Space
- Replies: 2
- Views: 5136
Re: The Size of Space
I love it! To take this a giant step further, according to a paper published several years ago, the radius of the entire universe is AT LEAST 250 times what is visible, based on the absence of visible curvature. My guess is that the universe is infinite, since this eliminates an arbitrary constant f...
- Mon Jul 10, 2023 7:21 am
- Forum: Beginners SIG
- Topic: Telescope Winter Use
- Replies: 7
- Views: 6940
Re: Telescope Winter Use
If possible, I'd recommend keeping your equipment in an unheated structure (garage, shed, observatory, vehicle). Over the years I've usually kept my equipment in a garage and have had little trouble with condensation or temperature changes. Good AI detection, Deane! The post by "emma999" e...
- Wed Apr 26, 2023 12:08 pm
- Forum: General Astronomy
- Topic: Eclipse Tomorrow!
- Replies: 7
- Views: 7066
Re: Eclipse Tomorrow!
FANTASTIC, Dick! What a great report!! Speaking of Eta Car, I went to a presentation at the UofM on Monday. Director of the Vatican Observatory, Br. Guy Consolmagno, S.J., was talking about the joys of star gazing. I asked him, "What was your best night ever at a telescope?" Here was his ...
- Thu Apr 20, 2023 7:29 pm
- Forum: General Astronomy
- Topic: Eclipse Tomorrow!
- Replies: 7
- Views: 7066
Re: Eclipse Tomorrow!
My wife Helen and I are on an eclipse cruise promoted by Sky & Telescope and Insight Cruises. We saw the eclipse and it was SPECTACULAR! The prominences were enormous. No image could do justice to it. The weather off Exmouth was perfect. We also saw the beautiful thumbnail moonrise, and also hop...
- Mon Jan 23, 2023 7:27 am
- Forum: Beginners SIG
- Topic: Galaxy/Nebula Eyepiece for 10" f4.7 Dob
- Replies: 13
- Views: 8983
Re: Galaxy/Nebula Eyepiece for 10" f4.7 Dob
I agree with everything Steve said and would add a few comments. My most used eyepieces are ones with a Field Stop of around 40 millimeters or more. These give you the largest possible field of view in a 2" focuser. TeleVue shows the Field Stop in their specifications but most other brands do n...
- Wed Jan 18, 2023 7:02 am
- Forum: General Astronomy
- Topic: Bizarre looking supernova remnant
- Replies: 0
- Views: 7052
Bizarre looking supernova remnant
How often do you see an astro object that looks totally unlike anything else? Check out this object that is believed to be formed by an intense wind from a rare type of white dwarf created in a supernova 800 years ago. The image was created not by a space telescope, but by a mere 2.4 meter earth bas...
- Fri Jan 06, 2023 6:24 am
- Forum: General Astronomy
- Topic: Sony Star sphere
- Replies: 2
- Views: 5191
Re: Sony Star sphere
He briefly mentioned a "fascinating space" option. Maybe this means that you can point the camera at the stars. With the small aperture, it probably wouldn't do any better than a telescope on Earth.
- Thu Nov 24, 2022 8:07 am
- Forum: MAS Electronic Media & Book Group
- Topic: Astro Tourism in Minnesota
- Replies: 6
- Views: 5334
Re: Astro Tourism in Minnesota
Reality intruded at the very end, when they admitted that they were clouded out! Hey guys, this is Minnesota, not Nevada!
- Tue Sep 27, 2022 7:09 am
- Forum: General Astronomy
- Topic: Bill Volna article
- Replies: 8
- Views: 6683
Re: Bill Volna article
Wonderful article! I thoroughly enjoyed my visits with the ATM group to his shop. His presentations at MAS meetings were my all-time favorite meetings, especially the one where he recounted his struggles with trying to build a 73-inch telescope. During the most recent transit of Mercury, my wife Hel...
- Tue Aug 30, 2022 8:33 am
- Forum: General Astronomy
- Topic: Merritt Reservoir State Park - Nebraska
- Replies: 4
- Views: 5212
Re: Merritt Reservoir State Park - Nebraska
Excellent news! It makes me think that my membership in IDA is doing some good. Thanks for being pro-active about this.
- Mon Jul 04, 2022 7:14 am
- Forum: Beginners SIG
- Topic: Good places to skygaze in the Twin Cities?
- Replies: 8
- Views: 7092
Re: Good places to skygaze in the Twin Cities?
I've used the "skyview" area, a hilltop in French Regional Park in Plymouth. It's heavily light polluted but has an excellent view of the sky. For somewhat less light pollution, you could try 100th street near Hwy. 95 in Cottage Grove, an unpaved road through farm fields with very little t...
- Sat Jul 02, 2022 9:52 am
- Forum: General Astronomy
- Topic: Mars Orbiter Instrument Still Running on Windows 98
- Replies: 4
- Views: 4374
Re: Mars Orbiter Instrument Still Running on Windows 98
Space agencies are extremely cautious about upgrading software, since there is always a possibility of introducing new bugs that are worse than the original deficiencies. The software for the Space Shuttle had bugs, but it was decided to live with them rather than introduce possibly fatal errors in ...
- Thu Jun 30, 2022 2:14 pm
- Forum: General Astronomy
- Topic: World's First Liquid Mirror Telescope Goes Live
- Replies: 2
- Views: 4061
Re: World's First Liquid Mirror Telescope Goes Live
There have been several experiments with liquid mirrors. The Large Zenith Telescope in Canada had a 6-meter mercury mirror but was not useful for astronomy because of poor weather. Maybe the Moon would be a good site for a liquid mirror.
- Sat May 14, 2022 9:43 am
- Forum: General Astronomy
- Topic: LPI Virtual Presentation: The Journey of the JWST (5/12, 7:00 pm CDT)
- Replies: 2
- Views: 1321
Re: LPI Virtual Presentation: The Journey of the JWST (5/12, 7:00 pm CDT)
Thanks for the heads-up on this, Ron. I enjoyed the presentation even though I already knew most of what was presented. I don't think I've ever heard an hour-long talk where the word "actually" was in every sentence. At least she didn't start every sentence with "so," as do many ...
- Thu May 12, 2022 7:52 am
- Forum: General Astronomy
- Topic: Forest Fire Season Has Started
- Replies: 1
- Views: 1110
Re: Forest Fire Season Has Started
Ugh! Last year the smoke ruined the Nebraska Star Party for me. I wonder if eventually enough trees will burn to reduce the fire seasons.
- Thu Apr 28, 2022 8:15 am
- Forum: General Astronomy
- Topic: No More Incandescents
- Replies: 12
- Views: 2224
Re: No More Incandescents
We often use incandescents as heaters, not for their light. LEDs make poor heaters. I hope these convenient and cheap heat sources are not completely eliminated.
- Sat Mar 19, 2022 6:34 am
- Forum: General Astronomy
- Topic: Sunshine Protection Act
- Replies: 11
- Views: 2594
Re: Sunshine Protection Act
I too wish it was standard, not daylight saving, that was being made permanent. Regarding Dick's progressive adjustment, there is an added complication for anyone who needs to make international calls. As an example, the lab I used to work in had a sister lab in Sweden. When making calls to our Swe...
- Fri Mar 18, 2022 6:29 am
- Forum: General Astronomy
- Topic: Sunshine Protection Act
- Replies: 11
- Views: 2594
Re: Sunshine Protection Act
I wrote an article, which was published in last Friday's (3/11/22) Star Tribune, advocating a new clock standard that would eliminate the need for Daylight Saving Time. The new clocks would run slightly faster in the spring and slightly slower in the fall so that sunrise would be at the same time ye...
- Sat Feb 19, 2022 1:15 pm
- Forum: General Astronomy
- Topic: First image from the JWST!!
- Replies: 29
- Views: 8344
Re: First image from the JWST!!
So the Webb is just like my Newtonians. The secondary mirror always gets coldest and dewy/frosty, putting an end to my observing session.