Observing Report 07/19/03
Equipment: Heep ('umble 4.5" DS Newtonian on EQ mount, 900mm, f/8), 16x50 bino's
Eyepeices: 20mm, 10mm, 6.7mm Meade Plossls
Location: Port Stanley, Ont. (approx. 44n, 79w)
Time: 0130 - 0700 UT
=======================================================
Yes, I know ... I'm late again, but I just haven't had a chance to sit down and type this out.
Was down at my friend's farm again for another observing session. He is the president of our local astronomy club, and the farm is located south of London, Ont. on Lake Erie, across from Cleveland, Ohio. The skies there are not to be missed, perhaps the darkest I've seen. I drove down with my wife and daughter on the afternoon of Saturday, July 19, and arrived around 7:00 local (2300 UT).
After dinner and a walk, we returned to find a van parked in my friend's lane. It turned out to be a friend of his from the London RASC. He was tinkering with something that looked like a wood Dob mount. In fact it was a custom binoviewer base. Actually, I think binoviewer is the wrong term. It looked like a dob, but there were two OTA's and two EP's. It was actually a huge pair of 6" binoculars, made out of birch. I think he said the focal length was f11 or something, but I don't really remember. He had set it up once before, but couldn't get it collimated properly. So we watched in anticipation as he deciphered the three pages of instructions for setting up the scope/binoculars/whatever. We then waited for the sky to darken so he could do a star test.
This part of an evening's observing is one of my favourites. In the evening, watching the sky darken, and the stars appear one by one. First Arcturus. Then Vega. Then Altair. Then Spica. Then Antares and Deneb. The handle of the Dipper. Eventually, the sky was filled with dozens of tiny points of light.
After a successful star test (on Mizar, showing separation wide enough to drive a truck through), we got out a few beer and toasted a successful first light. I had the opportunity to view several objects through this wonderful instrument, and the views were stunning.
(cont'd in next post)
Equipment: Heep ('umble 4.5" DS Newtonian on EQ mount, 900mm, f/8), 16x50 bino's
Eyepeices: 20mm, 10mm, 6.7mm Meade Plossls
Location: Port Stanley, Ont. (approx. 44n, 79w)
Time: 0130 - 0700 UT
=======================================================
Yes, I know ... I'm late again, but I just haven't had a chance to sit down and type this out.
Was down at my friend's farm again for another observing session. He is the president of our local astronomy club, and the farm is located south of London, Ont. on Lake Erie, across from Cleveland, Ohio. The skies there are not to be missed, perhaps the darkest I've seen. I drove down with my wife and daughter on the afternoon of Saturday, July 19, and arrived around 7:00 local (2300 UT).
After dinner and a walk, we returned to find a van parked in my friend's lane. It turned out to be a friend of his from the London RASC. He was tinkering with something that looked like a wood Dob mount. In fact it was a custom binoviewer base. Actually, I think binoviewer is the wrong term. It looked like a dob, but there were two OTA's and two EP's. It was actually a huge pair of 6" binoculars, made out of birch. I think he said the focal length was f11 or something, but I don't really remember. He had set it up once before, but couldn't get it collimated properly. So we watched in anticipation as he deciphered the three pages of instructions for setting up the scope/binoculars/whatever. We then waited for the sky to darken so he could do a star test.
This part of an evening's observing is one of my favourites. In the evening, watching the sky darken, and the stars appear one by one. First Arcturus. Then Vega. Then Altair. Then Spica. Then Antares and Deneb. The handle of the Dipper. Eventually, the sky was filled with dozens of tiny points of light.
After a successful star test (on Mizar, showing separation wide enough to drive a truck through), we got out a few beer and toasted a successful first light. I had the opportunity to view several objects through this wonderful instrument, and the views were stunning.
(cont'd in next post)
