Posts Made By: Joseph Babendreier

I have very little practical experience but I've been reading a lot on eyepieces lately. There seems to be an overall ranking (in descending order):

1) Televue Ethos

2) Televue Nagler

3) Baader Hyperion

4) All the rest

Is this an exaggeration?

Clear skies dusk to dawn
Joe

I joined Astromart last December. Some one gave me the $12 I needed to register as a Christmas present. Since then I have asked many questions that must be typical of newbies--about collimating a Dobsonian and choosing the right eyepieces. Those questions have all been answered with a wonderful outpouring of willingness to share. (Thanks!!!)

And now my main point:

Being a Catholic priest from a very religious Catholic family--I am the oldest of 15 children and I attended high school in a Benedictine Abbey--I have spent most of my life DEEP into the world of religion. I certainly did not join Astromart to discuss religion. And yet, I could not help but notice, with a sense of awe, that the Religion Forum (and it’s attendant sisters-in-law, like the one created for those banned from the Religion Forum) are chock full of posts almost every day.

I have not done a rigorous statistical analysis, but I’m willing to bet a brand new Televue eyepiece on a wager claiming that the Religion Forum has more total posts in the past six months than any other. And if I’m wrong (and I lose that EP, which I don’t have anyway), I can’t be wrong by much.

It must mean something about our ultimate longings. It must mean that we are all looking for some kind of galaxy inside.

Some of us have a cosy little irregular galaxy lurking inside, like one of the Magellanic Clouds. Some of us have a galaxy whose light is entirely blocked by intervening dust clouds. Some of us have a monster elliptical sprawling out chaotically in all directions. Some have a ring galaxy displaying a peculiar beauty that only God himself might explain. Some of us a have tidy bar-shape spiral with two elegant arms glittering with blue giants and white dwarfs. And some of us have a high-red-shift Seyfert that is bursting with gamma rays while slipping further away from sight with every passing day.

I know this might sound like a Sunday Sermon. Well, given my “line of work” I guess I can’t help it. But I wanted to say it all the same. And I would add only this.

It wasn’t so long ago when we were not even sure that galaxies existed. Don’t be surprised that something similar happens in your individual life.

You may have no idea what God has created within you—how beautiful it is and how unlike anything else he has created. An island universe! It is there where you will find the secret of your existence. To use the words Jesus Christ spoke 2000 years ago:

“The coming of the kingdom of God does not admit of observation and there will be no one to say, ‘Look here! Look there!’ For, you must know, the kingdom of God is within you.” (Lk 17:20-21)

Peace,
(Father) Joe

I found the following description of Vesta quite interesting:

http://www.thunderbolts.info/tpod/2011/arch11/110704vesta.htm

The Dawn spacecraft is set to begin its orbit of the asteroid this month.

Cleers,
Joe

I bought a Nagler 13mm (used). There is no indication anywhere on the EP itself which says "Type". Does that mean it is a "Type 1"?

Cleers,
Joe

Does anybody know the outcome of the budget debate for the Webb telescope?

Cleers,
Joe

1. For some reason, Cartes du Ciel does not have any listing for M77. Have others experienced this also?

2. Does the Cartes du Ciel program give magnitudes for stars? I know there is feature called "object list" (which lists the mag of objects). But stars do not appear on that list.

3. In the Cartes du Ciel program, there is a notation in the upper left hand corner listing location / date / time (EAT) / Mag:6.5 / FOV: +45. I know how to adjust the FOV and several other features. How does one adjust the magnitude? I noticed that it changes automatically when clicking on the "less stars" icon, showing Mag:5.5, Mag:5.0, etc. But in the opposite direction, after reaching 6.5, it doesn't increase even though more stars appear on the screen after clicking the "more stars" icon.

Cleers,
Joe

The January 1993 issue of AStronomy magazine (p.28) features a ATM reflector with an elliptical secondary off-center and a 6" primary with extreme tilt, aimed at the secondary. The secondary, of course, reflects to a normal focuser with EP.

This "titled component" design eliminates the central obstruction, boosting contrast and resolution.

The guy who built the scope was Craig Englehorn.

Has anybody ever heard more about such a design?

Cleers,
Joe

I have viewed M57 several times at dark sites in the past month.

The other night, I had the distinct impression I was looking at two rings superimposed on each other, both rather fuzzy. (I was using a 10" dob with a 9mm Plossl.)

Is this what you see?

Cleers,
Joe

I am contemplating the possibility of buying a 4mm EP (since 9mm is my highest power).

If you had to choose between a Zhumell 4mm and a GSO Super Plossl 4mm (both brand new for about $35 on eBay), which would you go for? Or are they pretty much the same?

That's about my budget for anything for a telescope for the next few months.

Cleers,
Joe

Take care of those kids!!!

I'm sure they'll love looking at the stars as much as you do.

Sorry I'm a little short on advice about EPs.

Cleers,
Joe