I know it's been a long time since my last post. Believe it or not there have been any number of clear skies lately, and I have been observing a lot. I don't even know how I am going to handle the monthly reports, as there is now so much to report (over 100 objects). Even though I've been travelling 40 minutes each way to the club observatory every time, it's been really quiet around there. Of course being retired means I can get out there whenever I want, something my working friends can only dream of. Seldom are there other observers out with me. I use to be the only one some nights, listening to the coyotes howling and the cows mooing. However, for a while now I have had an observing buddy on my late night expeditions.
My wife Deborah has always been interested in the hobby, and for many years she sketched the objects at the eyepiece of the Edmund 8" for me. I did the written notes and she loaned me her artistic skills. But back in March we dusted off the old Astroscan (1982) and she began to use it on her own. The mirror was in bad shape, so we sent it back to Edmund Scientific and had it cleaned. We also bought Deb some new eyepieces, a tripod and a better finder. Just when she was really beginning to get enthused, she became seriously ill. No observing for five months (nor much of anything else, either). She began feeling better by the end of August, and got right back into using the 4 1/4" reflector again. In just over two nights she found 60 Messier objects with it! She was bit by the astronomy bug.
She became so interested that we decided to upgrade her scope. She is now the proud owner of a brand new Orion 6" Starblaster Intelliscope. It is a push-to just like my 12", and it really is a sweet little scope. It's main disadvantage is that being a Dobsonian f5, it is so small it must be placed on a table to use it. Fine for at home, or at a campground. But what to do out at Hallam Observatory? She decided on a small portable work bench, which cost less than $20 at the local hardware store. And guess what? It works perfectly!
Deb's new Orion Starblaster, atop
a portable work bench. It's a 6"
Dob, and it's a real worker.
Another view of the new scope.
My observing buddy with her new scope. What
an amazingly portable scope! My 12" and her 6"
fit in the VW, along with two tables and all our
books and maps.
I have looked through it at many objects, including double stars, Messier, NGC and others, and the views are fantastic. It was easy to assemble, though the push-to components take some patience and dexterity to piece together. We don't yet have the accuracy we want, but we are still refining things. It's easy to collimate, and it stays that way, too. So Deb is in 7th astronomy heaven right now, and eager to see all of the splendours of the galaxy and beyond. It's fun walking back and forth to each other's eyepiece to see what's there. Sounds like a fun marriage to me.
Mapman Mike
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