Posts Made By: jess tauber

Hi. I've seen two types of binoviewers- one is the type like a binocular with a center column that lets you rotate the tubes for IPD adjustment, without it changing the length of the light paths. The other, which I've only seen with older microscope binoviewers (do they still make these?) has a fixed body and IPD is done by lateral slide focusing which also means the ep's must rise and fall to compensate for change in light path length.

Are there any advantages or disadvantages of one type over the other? I myself prefer the second, fixed-body type, and have wondered why they don't make them for telescopes. In addition, a variation of the theme might be great for binoscopes proper, if the prisms or mirrors are turned 180 and no beamsplitter. Reverse binoculars already use something like this, but I was thinking refractors- all the designs people are discussing here (and elsewhere I've seen) for refractor binoscopes miss the fixed body idea.

Anyway, I'd like to hear thoughts on the above if any of you feel like chiming in. Thanks much.

Jess Tauber

Ok, so my posts make 'Unusual Telescopes' look positively run of the mill.

How about a lens that can be cyclically moved to 'reflect' (if you'll pardon the obvious cognitive dissonance..) the differing placement of focus for the different colors- and moved FAST. Secondly, a cyclic chemical filter that utilizes a system of redox dyes to run through the same spectrum in synch with the motion of the lens, so that only the light that will come to focus at any one point on the lens movement cycle gets through to the eye.

Make the cycle so fast that the eye can't catch it.

So just for the sake of argument would this then constitute the experiential equivalent of a pure nonchromatic scope? Substitute a cyclically tuneable GRIN and motion is removed as a variable that can go worng (wave to Yul, all).

Jess Tauber

I cheated- they used to spell Korea Corea long ago. Anyway, check out http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4892008.stm

Apparently religious intolerance is a worldwide phenomenon- D'OH!

Jess Tauber

I just purchased (and haven't got yet) a vintage Kodak telephoto lens I want to play with to see what I can do with it astrowise. The original tube is gone, so its just the lens assembly with it iris. Glass is over 6 inches across- dunno if its an achromat or apo- F stops from 8 to 22, FL listed as 922mm, Type 1 telephoto lens 36 inch.

Is it useful to keep the iris in place, since it does keep some of the glass from being used? Does anyone have experience with converting these to scopes? Thanks.

Jess Tauber

Just you wait and see....

Jess Tauber

How come neither the Democrats nor the media seem to be noting that it isn't just Don Rumsfeld who is autocratic, intimidating, not listening substantively to his underlings, etc., but the whole bunch in charge in Washington- Bolton, Rice, Cheney, etc.? It is as if the gods of Olympus had descended on DC. Each with his/her own absolute fiefdom beneath, and only beholden to those above, who intervene in very limited fashion and only under the greatest duress, since those below are expected to know their place, duties, and loyalties. And the reward is absolute lock-step loyalty back from above. Right off the cliff.

It is corporate mindset gone mad....

Jess Tauber

And I meant it. How big would the objective have to be for full moonlight (say at nearest distance) to be able to spontaneously light paper on fire. Or Sirius?

These really are for me burning questions...

Jess Tauber

Just caught this amusing little snippet at the Huffington Post:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/20060416/cm_huffpost/019206

Feel free to release pent up evil spirits.

Jess Tauber

It was recently announced that the high-resolution infrared spectrograph PHOENIX on the Gemini South telescope used to observe the bipolar nebula surrounding Eta Carinae had delivered evidence that the brain of U.S. President George W Bush was in a tight and inward-spiralling orbit of the stellar remnant at the heart of the nebula.

According to Nathan Smith (University of Colorado), the mind of the President 'has been the subject of intense study for many years, though it has always been reluctant to divulge its innermost secrets'.

Analysis of the PHOENIX spectrum of the brain shows a very well-defined shell structure expanding ballistically at about 500 kilometers per second. A “thick,” warm inner dust shell traced by [Fe II] emission is surrounded by a cooler and denser outer shell that is traced by strong H2S emission.

Observations confirm that 'Even though the President's outer skin is remarkably thin it contains about 11 solar masses of gas and dust ejected over a period of less than six years.'

The spatio-kinematic structure of CH4 emission at the pinched face of the President helps explain the unusual and complex structures seen in other high-resolution images.

The result is of this and other recent events is that the current shape of the political landscape in the US is of two well-defined polar lobes outlined by an outer massive shell of gas and dust. Smith states that these Gemini/PHOENIX data indicate that most of the influence lost during the last years of the twentieth century was limited to the high latitudes of the US (blue states), with almost all of the creative energy escaping between 40 degrees and the Canadian border.

"The mass distribution in the nebula indicates that its shape is a direct result of an aspherical explosion from the electorate itself, instead of being pinched at the waist by the surrounding circumstantial material," said Smith.

Plans to retrieve the President's brain have been scrapped, since any such mission would divert resources away from the upcoming Moon/Mars missions.

Source: OPURS Newsfeeds

Ok so they got themselves a new press secretary from Fox no less- does this mean that the White House will henceforth be another 'No-Spin Zone'? Or did they pick the wrong commentator?

Jess Tauber