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Date: 13 Sep 2007 01:25:59
From: Florian
Subject: Walking the dog under the Milky Way
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I'm always pleased this time of year to still be able to see the Milky Way
while outside in the evening. It's not bright, and does take a bit of
effort to detect, but the Milky Way is still visible from my neighborhood.
Sadly, i doubt this will last much longer. There is a new shopping center
going in a quarter mile SW and a new BMW car dealership being built about a
half mile to the SE. A year from now if i can still see the Milky Way from
home i'll be surprised... and very pleased! I'll let you all know.
°Florian
Palm Springs, Calif.
http://www.stargazing.com/
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Date: 13 Sep 2007 03:50:40
From: Florian
Subject: Re: Walking the dog under the Milky Way
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I took this image a few minutes ago to illustrate what the Milky Way looks
like from my home...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fboyd/1369751074/
°Florian
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Date: 13 Sep 2007 08:14:14
From: AM
Subject: Re: Walking the dog under the Milky Way
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Florian wrote:
> I took this image a few minutes ago to illustrate what the Milky Way looks
> like from my home...
>
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/fboyd/1369751074/
>
>
> °Florian
>
I hate you ;-)
I have to drive 40+ mi to get just what you see,
(ok it is better 40mi away) and it's painful watching
the night sky recede as fast as it has been. I was
lucky to have mag 5.5 skies (zenith mostly) last night.
Seeing on the pickering scale would be around a
a 6 or 7 max. It only got better as the night wore on.
I actually went out with the DS 10 no computer and
no charts and had a blast just pointing it at usual
DSO's and such. Only stayed about two hours, but saw
at least 15 - 20 of the regular show, and I cant
remember having an easier time finding things.
GOTO motors (coffee grinders) were going off on both
sides of me, yet it made me feel even more happy. I was
finding these DSO's by memory only.
I just got the DS 10 a week ago, and already have
had it out four times 8-) Putting a new focuser on this
thing is going to/getting to be a PITA, but once
done, I cant wait for the 2deg views !
(JMI EV2nM, but the EP is right at 6" off the tube !!)
Anyone who has experience at mounting a new focuser on a
Meade DS or Starfinder series I would appericate hearing
from you please.
After having used SCT's all my life, (25+ years)
I feel like I just got into astronomy all over again
with a rich field scope. It's that much of a difference.
--
AM
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Date: 14 Sep 2007 08:58:24
From: Margo Schulter
Subject: Re: Walking the dog under the Milky Way
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AM <sctuser@comcast.net > wrote:
>
> I just got the DS 10 a week ago, and already have
> had it out four times 8-) Putting a new focuser on this
> thing is going to/getting to be a PITA, but once
> done, I cant wait for the 2deg views !
Please let me say that 2deg views are lots of fun even
in the friendly light-polluted urban skies (around 3.5
naked eye limiting magnitude) that I deal with.
Most appreciatively,
Margo Schulter
mschulter@calweb.com
Lat. 38.566 Long. -121.430
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Date: 14 Sep 2007 08:51:42
From: AM
Subject: Re: Walking the dog under the Milky Way
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Margo Schulter wrote:
> AM <sctuser@comcast.net> wrote:
>> I just got the DS 10 a week ago, and already have
>> had it out four times 8-) Putting a new focuser on this
>> thing is going to/getting to be a PITA, but once
>> done, I cant wait for the 2deg views !
>
> Please let me say that 2deg views are lots of fun even
> in the friendly light-polluted urban skies (around 3.5
> naked eye limiting magnitude) that I deal with.
>
> Most appreciatively,
>
> Margo Schulter
> mschulter@calweb.com
> Lat. 38.566 Long. -121.430
>
I have mag 3.5 skies at home also. This is also
less than 8mi from Wash DC. It's a 45 mi drive
for mag 5.5, four hour drive for mag 6.5.
Being east of the Mississippi, the dewmidity gets
real bad at times too...
Still waiting on JMI to send me my focuser,
draw tubes, and extension tube. On the good
ole DS 10, a 1 1/4 EP is six inches away from
the OTA when at focus, and 2" one is slightly
further out still. I thought this kinda silly
at first, but the focus distance is set up
for prime focus photography. Just rather than
moving the primary forward, they pushed the
secondary down and away from the focuser...
But even with a 32mm 1 1/4 EP, the FOV is still
1.5 degrees. Still far more than I am used to.
Also thinking about a set of Parallax tube rings.
(be nice to put this OTA on my G 11)
--
AM
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