Astromart

August 7, 2008 11:19 AM Forum: Global Warming - REAL or NOT

Re: Global Dimming

Jim Babcock said "We all know the basics like filling our tires with air; we are not stupid and such statements enforce beliefs that those who make them are elitist jerks to ignore."

Well, Jim, you know it, and I know it, but...

[COLOR="Blue"]"Fully 27 percent of passenger cars on U.S. roadways are driven with one or more substantially under-inflated tires, according to a major survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Moreover, 32 percent of light trucks (including sport utility vehicles, vans and pickup trucks) are driven with one or more substantially under-inflated tires, according to the first study of its kind to be conducted by the government in two decades."[/COLOR]

It doesn't hurt to remind everyone else does it?

August 11, 2008 01:55 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

The Large Magellanic Cloud

Posted By Steve Mathis

Now that is a spectacular image! Great work! One of these days, I've got to get down there!

Steve

August 12, 2008 11:37 AM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Solar System

Moon via cell phone camera

Posted By Steve Mathis

MacGyver, is that you?

August 31, 2008 04:40 PM Forum: Meade

Crosshair not in focus

Posted By Steve Mathis

There probably is a way to focus the crosshairs independently from the eyepiece/objective system.

I have a (cheap) Meade straight-through 6x30 finder, and the crosshairs can be focused. On my little finder, the eyepiece will unscrew from the body. The inside of the eyepiece body is internally threaded, and the crosshairs are mounted in a matching, externally threaded cylinder. This threaded "crosshair cylinder" can be turned, moving the crosshairs relative to the eyepiece lens. This allows you to focus the crosshairs while the eyepiece is removed from the finder. Once the crosshairs are in focus, the eyepiece is threaded back onto the body of the finder. Then the finder can be focused by adjusting the objective lens, if necessary. Moving the crosshairs to get them in focus should have no effect on the focus of the eyepiece/objective system. Let me know if this helps....

Steve

September 2, 2008 05:21 PM Forum: Digital SLR AstroPhotography

M16

Posted By Steve Mathis

Nice work, I'd say! I think the color looks very natural, particularly the image on the first link. Those of us using unmodified cameras are not going to get the knock-your-eyes-out reds of a modified camera, but the framing, sharpness and detail you captured still makes for a nice image.

I am living vicariously through other folk's imaging success...check out my CSC for tomorrow!

September 3, 2008 11:39 AM Forum: Digital SLR AstroPhotography

My first image shooting RAWS

Posted By Steve Mathis

Joe, very nice! Black background, good color. Good job!

September 5, 2008 04:18 PM Forum: Politics

Ancillary Considerations

Posted By Steve Mathis

A very insightful post! The desire to punish the GOP is very real, but do you think a loss this time will really steer the party back toward the center? That would require that they accept that they are going in the wrong direction...

September 5, 2008 06:07 PM Forum: Politics