Posts Made By: Maurice Clark

Hi all,

I have to get a 10" mirror re-aluminized. Can anyone give me contact details/web addresses of any place that does this?

Thanks in advance.

Maurice

Hi all.

I have to try and clean a 100+ year old 10" clark refractor. Since the lens is air-spaced I am reluctant to do it with detergent/propanol in case some of the liquid seeps between the lens elements.

I believe that there is a solution that can be sprayed onto a lens and then peeled off, taking dirt with it. Anyone know how good/safe this stuff is? Also, if it is suitable, where can it be obtained. I am in central Pennsylvania.

The lens is uncoated. (not counting dust, grime etc! :-()

Thanks in advance.

Maurice

Hi everyone,

Recently had a look at timelapse movies of the Messenger spacecraft being constructed. They are quite ammusing as well as interesting, especially the guys working at the computers. I wish I could type that fast!!

Cheers

Maurice

http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/webcam/dailymovies.html

Hi everyone,

I am looking at getting a motorised focuser for my C-14, but I am wanting one that can be controled by computer. Does anyone have any suggestions/recomendations as to a good one to get?

Thanks

Maurice

Hi everyone,

This email just came over the amastro mailing list. Hopefully the @@##$$%%*&*&& will be caught and the scope returned to its owner! It must hurt!

Might also be worth keeping an eye out on all second-hand scope sites.

Maurice

A StarMaster 30" telescope w/ an Argo Navis DSC and a White 17' Haulmark "V" nose, tandem wheel trailer which has a ramp rear door and a 36" side door on the right. Items were taken from my residence in Albuquerque, New Mexico in the early morning on Thursday, 13 November, 2003. Also included in the trailer was a Craftsman brand tool cabinet that contained hand tools of approximately $1500 value, and two 10 ft Tripod ladders (Louisville red fiberglass and Tallman aluminum).

Any information on the whereabouts of these items would be greatly appreciated. Please contact the Albuquerque Police Department.

Hi all,

Some time back the question was asked about comet Encke's visibility. It is very well placed for viewing now and quite bright. (as far as comets go!) However it is very large and diffuse, so low magnification is best for viewing it.

Here is an image I managed to get last weekend before the clouds rolled in. It is processed to show the central condensation of the comet and approximates a high magnification view of the comet.

2 minute exposure, 8" f/6.3 LX200 and ST-9E

Cheers

Maurice

Hi everyone,

While searching for something on the web, I came across a page of astronomy humour. Some of it is very good! Here is one section entitled: "You know you're a Deep Sky person when...."

1. ... you consider the moon a major annoyance.
2. ... you consider Jupiter 'light pollution'.
3. ... you spend most of your time looking at or for objects you can barely see.
4. ... your favorite objects are objects you can barely see.
5. ... you enjoy looking at faint fuzzies with the smallest possible aperture.
6. ... you enjoy looking at faint fuzzies with the largest possible aperture.
7. ... you like to choose objects that are easier to imagine than to see.
8. ... your observing schedule demands that you search for objects in twighlight.
9. ... you keep thinking that if only the stars would go away, it might really get dark.
10. ... you wonder how your favorite objects missed getting included in the New General Catalog or the Index Catalog.
11. ... you're not sure that anything in this solar system counts as astronomy any more.
12. ... you're amazed that anyone needs artificial light to read charts.
13. ... you could do a Messier Marathon from memory, if you still bothered with Messier objects.
14. ... you can read all the NGC abbreviated visual descriptions without using the key, but you have to be careful not to cheat by just remembering what things look like.
15. ... you view a major earthquake as an opportunity for a close-in dark-sky star party.
16. ... you welcome (and have even considered instigating) power cuts, but only if they occur on clear moonless nights.

Go to http://www.open.hr/space/space/jokes.phtml to read the rest of them.

Maurice

I just saw a great photo of the recent eclipse on APOD.

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap031208.html

Reminds me of observing in Minnesota!!!!

Maurice

A friend in Singapore sent me this last night. I thought that some of you might get a laugh or two over it!

Cheers,

Maurice

Newspaper headlines in the year 2035

Ozone created by electric cars now killing millions in the seventh largest country in the world, California.
White minorities still trying to have English recognized as California's third language.
Spotted Owl plague threatens northwestern United States crops & livestock.
Baby conceived naturally.... Scientists stumped.
Last remaining Fundamentalist Muslim dies in the American Territory of the Middle East (formerly known as Iran, Afghanistan, Syria, and Lebanon.)
Iraq still closed off; physicists estimate it will take at least ten more years before radioactivity decreases to safe levels.
Castro finally dies at age 112; Cuban cigars can now be imported legally, but President Chelsea Clinton has banned all smoking.
George Z. Bush says he will run for President in 2036.
Postal Service raises price of first class stamp to $17.89 and reduces mail delivery to Wednesday only.
35 year study: Diet and Exercise is the key to weight loss.
Massachusetts executes last remaining conservative.
Supreme Court rules punishment of criminals violates their civil rights.
Average height of NBA players now nine feet, seven inches.
New federal law requires that all nail clippers, screw-drivers, fly swatters, and rolled up newspapers must be registered by January 2036.
Congress authorizes direct deposit of illegal political contributions to campaign accounts.
Capital Hill intern indicted for refusing to have sex with congressman.
IRS sets lowest tax rate at 75%.
Florida Democrats still don't know how to use a voting machine.

Hi everyone,

Finally had some clear skies and managed to take a few test images with my C-14/TITAN/ST-9 combo. This one is M33 and is a combination of 2 10 minute images. The C-14 was used with a focal reducer to give a focal ratio of about f/7.

Dark subtracted and initial processing with CCDSoft and then touched up with Photoshop using curves and levels, and a light unsharp mask.

Enjoy

Maurice