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Main
Date: 03 Aug 2007 19:45:14
From: MikeW
Subject: Astro Cruising
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My wife and I have booked a solar eclipse cruise for our 25th wedding
anniversary in 2009. In addition to the eclipse, there will be
nightly lectures and star gazing. Having never taken such an
excursion before, I am looking for recommendations for the type of
equipment to bring. I am planning to bring binoculars and I'd like to
bring a Coronado PST, but I suspect the ship will be moving too much
for any tripod mounted scope to be used effectively. My interest is
more in observation than photography. Helpful suggestions would be
appreciated.
Mike
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Date: 05 Aug 2007 20:23:17
From: MikeW
Subject: Re: Astro Cruising
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On Aug 4, 7:43 pm, "MiKe2" <i...@nospam.ca > wrote:
> Dude..I'm going to the Canadian Arctic for the Aug 1st '08 total eclipse.
>
> "MikeW" <mikewob...@hughes.net> wrote in message
>
> news:1186195514.366551.133780@w3g2000hsg.googlegroups.com...
>
>
>
> > My wife and I have booked a solar eclipse cruise for our 25th wedding
> > anniversary in 2009. In addition to the eclipse, there will be
> > nightly lectures and star gazing. Having never taken such an
> > excursion before, I am looking for recommendations for the type of
> > equipment to bring. I am planning to bring binoculars and I'd like to
> > bring a Coronado PST, but I suspect the ship will be moving too much
> > for any tripod mounted scope to be used effectively. My interest is
> > more in observation than photography. Helpful suggestions would be
> > appreciated.
>
> > Mike- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -
George, Rod,
Thanks for the replies. I'll take binoculars with solar filters.
MiKe2,
I hope your Arctic trip is fruitful. Here's hoping for clear skies!
MikeW
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Date: 05 Aug 2007 00:43:16
From: MiKe2
Subject: Re: Astro Cruising
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Dude..I'm going to the Canadian Arctic for the Aug 1st '08 total eclipse.
"MikeW" <mikewobser@hughes.net > wrote in message
news:1186195514.366551.133780@w3g2000hsg.googlegroups.com...
> My wife and I have booked a solar eclipse cruise for our 25th wedding
> anniversary in 2009. In addition to the eclipse, there will be
> nightly lectures and star gazing. Having never taken such an
> excursion before, I am looking for recommendations for the type of
> equipment to bring. I am planning to bring binoculars and I'd like to
> bring a Coronado PST, but I suspect the ship will be moving too much
> for any tripod mounted scope to be used effectively. My interest is
> more in observation than photography. Helpful suggestions would be
> appreciated.
>
> Mike
>
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Date: 04 Aug 2007 08:20:59
From: RMOLLISE
Subject: Re: Astro Cruising
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On Aug 3, 9:45 pm, MikeW <mikewob...@hughes.net > wrote:
> My wife and I have booked a solar eclipse cruise for our 25th wedding
> anniversary in 2009. In addition to the eclipse, there will be
> nightly lectures and star gazing. Having never taken such an
> excursion before, I am looking for recommendations for the type of
> equipment to bring. I am planning to bring binoculars and I'd like to
> bring a Coronado PST, but I suspect the ship will be moving too much
> for any tripod mounted scope to be used effectively. My interest is
> more in observation than photography. Helpful suggestions would be
> appreciated.
>
> Mike
Hi:
You suspect right. Stick with binoculars, perhaps with a set of white
light Solar filters to go with them.
Unk Rod
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Date: 04 Aug 2007 10:51:30
From: George
Subject: Re: Astro Cruising
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MikeW wrote:
> My wife and I have booked a solar eclipse cruise for our 25th wedding
> anniversary in 2009. In addition to the eclipse, there will be
> nightly lectures and star gazing. Having never taken such an
> excursion before, I am looking for recommendations for the type of
> equipment to bring. I am planning to bring binoculars and I'd like to
> bring a Coronado PST, but I suspect the ship will be moving too much
> for any tripod mounted scope to be used effectively. My interest is
> more in observation than photography. Helpful suggestions would be
> appreciated.
>
> Mike
>
PROBLEM: lights everywhere on most cruise ships as well as movement.
They may cut some out for a special Astro cruise but on regular cruises
an Astro lecture came with lights to the frustratation of all.
Best, binoculars and perhaps 66-80mm scope, low power.
On a 12day,NYC-Grenada-NYC cruise it was cloudy every nignt except for
briefly near NYC. Recently, NJ-Bermuda-NJ, same. On both occasions I
had a small, 77mmAcro-Borg,20x and 8x44 Bino.
I will do a NY-Bermuda-NY next month and try again, but most likely will
only use scope on land at a beach. I also have a Televue-85, a far
superior scope, but heavier and much heavier mounting. A TV-66 with
light mounting would be great.
On previous cruises I always had Bino and found some corner to see some
stars, shielding some of light with hooded sweatshirt and post. Again,
low power and you can always use bino for viewing sights as well. I
would NOT bring a PST. The ship will be still for eclipse (if visable)
and a PST is just extra baggage (I travel with minimum baggage - under
the seat!).
I and others have complained to captains about light pollution but
lawyers and drunks get in the way.
Perhaps if you have a balcony the lights might not bother you as much -
I once did, but mostly cloudy. Another time on ship near Greece the
front top did not have too many lights but scope was impossible.
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