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M27 - Dumbell Nebula

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Posts Made By: Alan French

January 31, 2009 07:08 PM Forum: Birding Optics and Photos

Spotted Towhee

Posted By Alan French
Augie,

Very nice! We generally enjoy an Eastern Towhee rooting around under the feeders and nearby bushes in the spring and fall, and I always enjoy the visit.

I think a Spotted Towhee would make quite an impression around here (upstate NY)!

Clear skies, Alan

February 3, 2009 05:25 PM Forum: Eyepieces

27mm Panoptic

Posted By Alan French
When this happens, I suspect it is often "curiosity got the better of me." I wonder how many people actually admit to this when they call TeleVue? "Take it apart? No, absolutely not. My three year old did it." wink

Clear skies, Alan

February 11, 2009 12:29 AM Forum: Refractors

Should I sell my AP Traveler and buy a SV 105" Apo?

Posted By Alan French
I'd say if you have to ask others for opinions, then no, don't sell it. If you were really comfortable with the idea, I think you'd just have done it.

Just my two cents worth and worth every penny.

Clear skies, Alan

February 11, 2009 11:32 PM Forum: Reflectors

Long Focus Dob of a Slightly Different Flavor

Posted By Alan French
One more view.

Clear skies, Alan

March 4, 2009 09:26 PM Forum: Solar System Observing

Saturns quadruple transit?

Posted By Alan French
Christopher Go was an obvious candidate, but I see he was clouded out. He mentions Hubble took photos which will be available in a few weeks. Stay tuned.

Conditions at Winter Star Party were marginal with clouds and poor seeing, and I heard no reports of anyone spotting even Titan. Folks farther west had a better chance with Saturn higher and the skies darker longer.

Clear skies, Alan

March 15, 2009 02:23 PM Forum: Telescope Making

source for good newtonian spiders and secondary ho

Posted By Alan French
I like the spiders and secondary holders from Protostar.
http://www.fpi-protostar.com/

Clear skies, Alan

March 16, 2009 02:20 AM Forum: After Dark

Discovery Launch Tonight

Posted By Alan French
Was able to see the last minute or so of powered flight from here in upstate New York (outside of Schenectady). Low in the south to southeast looking like a flickering orange coma.

Clear skies, Alan
Sunday, March 15

March 23, 2009 01:45 PM Forum: Telescope Making

Source for setting circles

Posted By Alan French
As long as you're making your own mount, I'd consider making the setting circles. Find a copy of Neale Howard's "Standard Handbook for Telescope Making" for a good idea on how to make them fairly easily. You can make them nice and large too.

Clear skies, Alan

March 23, 2009 03:46 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

The color of Saturn

Posted By Alan French
Some years ago, when Saturn and Jupiter were both well placed int he evening skies, I spent several nights with Sue's 14.5" f/6 Newtonian. I used it with a 6.5" off-axis mask and at full aperture, comparing views using the same eyepiece.

The color rendition on both planets was far better at full aperture, with both more vivid and more varied colors.

At WSP long ago, a gentleman with a Tak was claiming the slightly more yellowish view of Jupiter was the "correct" rendition of the planet. I noticed that the AP apochromats and the Newtonians did not reveal great Jove as having such a yellowish tint.

Clear skies, Alan

BTW, although the 14.5" was certainly seeing limited at full aperture, the view was never inferior to the view with the off-axis mask, and there were moments when more detail was visible without the mask.


March 23, 2009 03:54 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

The color of Saturn

Posted By Alan French
Most people know that seeing all that a telescope can show takes time and experience behind the eyepiece. In his "A Portfolio of Lunar Drawings," author Harold Hill makes some comments that suggest that experience with a particular aperture may make us accustomed to working at a certain brightness level, and that such training may make us less effective when using other apertures and working at different brightness levels.

Perhaps our aperture comparisons are somewhat biased by our experience and the instrument we use most often. And maybe we are better off concentrating our observing efforts with one instrument, at least when it comes to the finest lunar and planetary detail.

Clear skies, Alan

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