"Seeing in the Dark"

Started by okieav8r, 09/19/2007 09:31PM
Posted 09/19/2007 09:31PM Opening Post
Hey y'all, don't forget "Seeing In The Dark" tonight on PBS! My DVR is set.

Oklahoma State University--The University of Oklahoma!--GO POKES!! GO STATE!!
Posted 09/20/2007 01:24AM #1
Just watched it. Great program! I even ordered a DVD video right after the program ended smile .

Paul
Posted 09/20/2007 05:05AM #2
Enjoyed it. Couldn't help thinking how much it reminded me of a Ken Burns 'Civil War' episode. The music, history and diary approach. Well done. smile

Dave

Posted 09/20/2007 09:47PM #3
Saw the program last night. In both the regular def and high def version. There is no comparison. If you know someone that recorded it in high def it is definitely worth viewing in that format.
Posted 09/21/2007 05:27AM #4
I give a thumbs up on this show. Timothy Ferris had only one hour to show as many aspects of the hobby of amateur astronomy as could be done. It was NOT made for amateur astronomers, it is about exposing or promoting amateur astronomy to the lay public. There is only one professional astronomer shown in the program, and it was in the context of showing the collaboration of professional and amateur astronomers.

Our little hobby has been shown to the mainstream public, at least the mainstream public which chooses to watch enlightening programs on PBS instead of "reality" shows and celebrity drivel on the commercial channels.

The Los Angeles PBS affiliate KCET chose to show the documentary in Prime Time, at 8 p.m. Other PBS affiliates are showing it at other less optimum time slots.

Matthew Ota


Posted 10/12/2007 02:07PM #5
Well, my local PBS station finally aired the program and, while I thought that it was fairly good overall, there were certainly some things that could have been better addressed. It would not have hurt in the least if Timothy Ferris had presented a disclaimer as the show started that most of the images of celestial objects that were portrayed simply can not be seen as such through an eyepiece. I was particularly annoyed when a shot of the Cone Nebula was displayed.

I really enjoyed the scenes from Stellafane, since I was present when some of them were filmed. I was, however, rather amused when, during a discussion of my friend John Vogt's 32" ATM Dob, Ferris said that with a telescope that large some of the brighter stars can be seen even during the daylight. Golly Gee Wow! Won't a 6" or even smaller aperture do that too? wink

Dave Mitsky

Chance favors the prepared mind.

De gustibus non est disputandum.