Posts Made By: K. Michael Malolepszy

Gordon,

Congratulations on you retiring in such a *fun* way! 7 weeks in Utah under their dark sky sounds fabulous. I look forward to doing that someday too...

I 3rd the recommendation of Crossen & Tirions "Binocular Astronomy" book. It is one of my favorite astronomy reads of all time. Covers the science and history of astronomy from the perspective of someone who wants to know what it is that we're looking at in the night sky. Fun to read, too.

I find it well complemented by these:

An Intimate Look at the Night Sky by Chet Raymo (currently $5.99 at amazon.com) Paperback. Publisher: Walker & Company; Reprint edition (April 1, 2003) ISBN-10: 0802776701 ASIN: B000MTEWJE While not as comprehensive as some works, Raymo is a great writer who's work is a joy to read and this is a nice, small book to take on a trip or to the beach.

I'd suggest getting a recent Intro to Astronomy college textbook, or short of that, this book:

Unfolding our Universe (Hardcover)
by Iain Nicolson; Cambridge University Press

It's not exactly a textbook, but it does have the look of a college level intro to astronomy. Good illustrations that accompany decent explanations of the astrophysics involved with just about everything - planets to cosmology - that you're likely to talk about in outreach events. It and the Crossen book are what I reach for first when preparing my live planetarium shows.

Reviews (from Amazon's site):

Review
"...this new book, by Iain Nicolson, is in every way outstanding. It is written with immense skill, with excellent illustrations, and it is very well produced; the publishers have clearly taken the greatest care...Perhaps the strongest point about the book is that it will appeal to readers of all kinds. The beginner will have no difficulty in following it through, and the serious student will find it very useful indeed because it is so comprehensive and well-ordered...should be read by everyone who has an interest in astronomy." Journal of the British Astronomical Association

"...covers the entire field of current astronomical knowledge from our own Earth to the farthest galaxies. [The] book is an excellent guide for a student or anyone who has ever looked into the night sky with awe and wonder. There are plenty of photographs, diagrams, charts and tables to help illustrate Nicolson's clean, clear, no-nonsense prose." Ben Bova, Scripps-Howard News Service

"Unfolding the Universe is a richly illustrated introduction to astronomy that explores the cosmos without relying on complex mathematics." Dallas Morning News

"...presents an attractive and neatly organized look at the new astronomy...there is also an abundance of wonderful photos, sidebars and useful illustrations and charts to excite the imagination of a serious student of the skies." Camera

"...up-to-date, well illustrated and authoritative this book is an excellent introduction to modern astronomy and astrophysics. Its clear, informal style gives the reader a quantitative understanding of our Universe without resorting to unnecessary mathematics." Dr. Graham Woan, University of Glasgow

"...contians a vast amount of information, but is so beautifully written and illustrated that it will appeal at every level, from absolute beginners to serious students -- the best book of its kind that I have encountered for many years."/ s Patrick Moore, I^Mail on Sunday

"...excellent photographs and numerous color drawings...the large glossary is an added benefit. A lovely book with well-laid out pages and high printing quality. Highly recommended for general readers." CHOICE

"...a useful introduction to astronomy that I recommend for an advanced high school or introductory college astronomy class." Science Books & Films

Wow! Very Well done...

KMM

If you want the best view of planets, go with one that has a small central obstruction (25% or less). That will maximize contrast, which is essential for seeing Jovian cloud details or Martian surface features. It helps on deep sky, too.

K. Michael M.

Paulo martin said:

hello,

I have looking for a good Maksutov for double star and planets, some opinion or advice?

Thanks,

paulo

A lot of good lists here... I'd include:

The Pipe Nebula in large binoculars. First time I saw it, I stumbled across them accidently and recall letting out a distinct shout when I came across them...

http://www.eastbayastro.org/2001/0601/pipe01.jpg

Another not mentioned yet is M36/M38/NGC1907/NGC1912/NGC1931 in Auriga - all of which fit in my FOV in my 3 inch TV oracle with a 35 panoptic...wow..even better than pics like the ones at

http://www.astrosurf.com/re/m38_m36_sum_30min_log_20041109.jpg

http://ccarboni.home.att.net/M36_M38_NGC1907_et_al_In_Auriga.jpg

With a rich field refractor like that, these are other favorites of mine:

M44
M45
M42
Veil Nebula
Cygnus, Scutum, Sagitarrius Star clouds

In my 11 inch f/5.4 newtonian, I recently had some very impressive views of M6, M7... and the M81/M82, M97/M108 pairings, M31. In my 20 inch, M11, M24, M35, M42 are stunning..


K. Michael M.

Slow compared to what? Your car or the starship Enterprise?

Lee Spain said:

As cool as these Voyager spacecraft are and as much as they've given humanity, I've got to say: they are awfully darned slow.

According to NASA, "In about 40,000 years, Voyager 1 will drift within 1.6 light years (9.3 trillion miles) of AC+79 3888, a star in the constellation of Ophiucius. In some 296,000 years, Voyager 2 will pass 4.3 light years (25 trillion miles) from Sirius, the brightest star in the sky ."

http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/interstellar.html
http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/weekly-reports/index.htm

Amazingly little damage to the tiles that were of concern before reentry. Attached is a side by side of the damaged tile before and after rentry. Images from a USENET post.

On orbit image from:

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/shuttle/sts-118/hires/s118e06229.jpg

A screenshot from NASA TV streaming video just a little while ago, cameraman was walking under Endeavour on the runway:

http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/4043/holehu3.jpg


KMM

2001 - nothing else comes close IMHO.

KMM

Jack Bruneau said:

Anything beat Blade Runner?

As someone at a public star party might ask...

"...where do I look?"

I've read somewhere on USENET (sci.astro.amatuer) that the Nagler T5 series is designed with f/4-f/5 scopes while the T4 series is designed with slower (f/5 and above) in mind. Can anyone comfirm that?

In my f/5.4 11" dob, the 26mm Nagler T5 is great. I just got a Nagler 22mm T4 and it works pretty well in it too, as well as the 17mm Nagler T4. Haven't had a chance to try the 22 T4 in my f/4.5 16" yet, though... was wondering if I'll need a 20mm Nagler T5 for that... or use a paracorr.

K. Michael M.

My Televue Oracle III (76 mm f/7.4 triplet apochromatic refractor) is a joy to use. Too bad they don't make them anymore. I suppose a TV Pronto might be close in aperture, buy not color correction - the Oracle is a pretty nicely performing triplet. Small enough to get out the door with in 30 seconds, but good enough performance that I use it as my travel scope if I have really limited space. A joy to use for wide-field visual views of the Milky Way under dark skies.


K. Michael M.