Image of the day

Captured by
Lawrence Parchman

Sculptor Galaxy (NGC 253)

About Astromart

My Account

New to Astromart?

Register an account...

Need Help?

Posts Made By: Doug Scobel

September 9, 2003 05:32 AM Forum: Solar System Observing

Mars 09-Sep-2003

Posted By Doug Scobel
Just got in from another observation and had to post it. I've never seen detail *INSIDE* Syrtis Major before!

Anyone else feel compelled to get out at every opportunity? I figure that it's going to be a long time before I can get observations like this again. Using S&T's Mars Profiler, the next opposition November 2005 the disk will get just over 20", and the next opposition after that it will be smaller yet. So I feel like I just HAVE to get out when I can.

Either that or I'm just addicted! grin

Regards,
Doug



September 12, 2003 02:49 PM Forum: Eyepieces

Problem with filter threads

Posted By Doug Scobel
I recently bought a Televue Radian eyepiece that has an apparent problem with the filter threads. None of my filters will thread on more than half a turn before binding. These filters work fine on all my other eyepieces, including three other Televue's. I called Televue and they didn't sound too accommodating, although I did not push them because my local dealer is replacing the eyepiece for me.

Has anyone else had a similar experience?

Thanks,
Doug

September 15, 2003 07:57 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Problem with filter threads

Posted By Doug Scobel
I posted this on the Eyepieces forum a few days ago but got no responses so I thought I'd try here.

I recently bought a Televue Radian (4mm) eyepiece that has an apparent problem with the filter threads. Some, but not all, of my filters will thread on no more than half a turn and then bind. These filters work fine on all my other eyepieces, including three other Televue's. I called Televue and they didn't sound too accommodating, although I did not push them because my local dealer promised to replace the eyepiece for me.

Well, the new eyepiece arrived at the dealer, so I brought one of my problematic filters with me and it does the same thing on the new eyepiece. Sounds like filter threads aren't as uniform eyepiece to eyepiece and filter to filter as I imagined.

The problem seems to be limited to my Orion color filters, although my Orion variable polarizer works OK.

Has anyone else had a similar experience?

Thanks,
Doug

September 16, 2003 09:30 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Re: 3rd Party Candidates.

Posted By Doug Scobel
A better questions is "What will it take to break people of the habit of posting messages to THE WRONG FORUM?????"

September 17, 2003 02:05 PM Forum: Solar System Observing

The Incredible Shrinking Polar Cap!

Posted By Doug Scobel
Observed Mars this morning. The seeing was really quite bad, but it would settle down just long enough for me to pull out some of the deatil. The SPC is nearly gone, just a sliver on the south limb. Not quite depicted correctly in the drawing, but you get the idea.

It may be past opposition, but it's still big - over 23 arc seconds - bigger than it will be in many years. It's not done yet!

Doug

September 30, 2003 05:02 AM Forum: Solar System Observing

Mars 30-Sep-2003

Posted By Doug Scobel
I finally got a chance to get out and observe Mars tonight. I started around 10:30 and was very disappointed with the lack of steadiness, 6/10 at best. Started sketching around 11:15 anyway, but then around 11:30 the air steadied up to maybe 8/10 and I was able to capture some finer details. The disk is "down" to just under 21", but there's still a lot of detail to be seen. Curiously, the SPC was much easier to see than my last observation on September 17. Anyone else notice that?

BTW, the scan came out much more contrasty than what I was seeing through the eyepiece.

Enjoy!
Doug Scobel

October 9, 2003 12:20 AM Forum: Solar System Observing

Saturn's ring tilt resource?

Posted By Doug Scobel
Does anyone know of a resource (online or otherwise) for determining the tilt of Saturn's rings to us? S&T in January said that this year they will be "about 27 degrees", but I would like something a little more precise than that.

Thanks,
Doug Scobel

October 15, 2003 05:01 PM Forum: Pictures of Me and My Telescope and........

Me and Mars Scope

Posted By Doug Scobel
Here's me with my new, homemade Mars scope, finished this July, just in time for the opposition. This is the scope I used for the Mars observations I made and posted to the Solar System Observing forum.

It is an 8-inch f/8. I made the primary mirror myself (thanks to Mark Harry and others for advice freely given in the Telescope Making forum), coated by Spectrum, and housed in a Novak cell. The 1.3" MA secondary is in a Novak holder, mounted in a 4 vane Novak spider, all in a 72 inch Sonotube, with plywood trim rings. I also added a blow-across cooling fan. The GEM is primitive, but very solid, made from 3" pipe fittings with nicely machined brass sleeve bearings. I can't take credit for the mounting, it was given to me when I was in my teens. But I did make the plywood cradle. All it really needs is an RA drive - at 400x objects don't stay in the FOV for long!

More close-ups to follow.

Doug Scobel

October 15, 2003 05:12 PM Forum: Solar System Observing

Mars scope

Posted By Doug Scobel
Some of you were asking about the scope I used for my Mars observations/sketches. I finally took some pics of it and posted them in the "Pictures of me and my telescope and..." forum. Check them out if you're interested.

Regards,
Doug Scobel

November 8, 2003 03:21 PM Forum: Solar System Observing

Re: Moon rises in the west?

Posted By Doug Scobel
I think what they were trying to say was "in the West, it will already be under way when the moon rises around sunset". Pour righting.

Doug Scobel

Funding Member

Sponsors


View all sponsors

Search