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Cool Amalia, which website do you use to check the weather? I would like to use a site such as the one you use where you can check cloud formation.

Your red dobsonian is great (i noticed it on the galleries), it looks really nice, and i've never seen a scope that colour before - what maunfacturer is it?

Clear Skies

Alex

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Alex,

this is the site
http://www.meteoswiss.ch/en/Forecasts/Pictures/IndexPictures.shtml
but I am sure you will have one for your country. Have a look in the internet!

My dob is a GSO (Guang Sheng Optics, Taiwan) special edition with a pyrex mirror. I added some stuff as the DX-3 focuser, the heated eyepiece box, the weights.
They are sold in the USA as "Hardin".

I like the red colour!
In reality it looks even nicer (flash in the foto).

Amalia

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Jah, Jah. Now there's a happy camper! You may listen to music at this location because you feel safe. No need to keep your ears on for danger. Please do take a picture of your happy place! The thought of you dancing around upon discovery reminds me of my son. When we find something new, he dances around the yard, goes into the house, dances on the couch , shuffles around the living room, and comes back out to the yard. Happy, Happy, Happy. Love that feeling when he is happy.
John

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It is just natural to dance around when happy!


Don't know about the photo - start new work tomorrow - maybe in the weekend - can't take picture in the night, must wait until the morning - I will surely post one!

Dance with your son!

Amalia

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You're welcome, Amalia! I'm glad you found your averted sweet spot.. it's amazing how much more can be detected. [Anyone here with an ophthalmological education? I'd love to find out why one area is more sensitive.]

Btw, the best view I've ever had of NGC2024 was last winter using my 22x100 binoculars... big and beautiful.

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I'm glad you found your averted sweet spot.. it's amazing how much more can be detected. [Anyone here with an ophthalmological education? I'd love to find out why one area is more sensitive.]

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Hi Carol!

I mentioned averted vision to my eye doctor a while ago, and she seemed startled "How do you know this?", she wondered, as she confirmed it was real. Moving the eyepiece image away from the center of best focus means we're shifting that light from the cones of our eyes, which are good for color vision, to the rods, which are much more sensitive to light (luminance) but not color.

I asked her why looking slightly up and to the right of objects was the "sweet spot". She said that was true only for the right eye. Looking slightly to the left of an object (with the right eye) puts the image on top of the optic nerve, which is a blind spot in the eye.

You can find your optic nerve this way: shut one eye, and put up your index finger at arm’s length, and stare at your finger. Keep staring at this position, and then move your finger slowly to the outside (to the right for your right eye, to the left for your left eye) about 7 inches. Your averted perception of your finger will "drop out" for about the width of one finger

Check this link out for a great description of the eye. Be sure to study the chart plotting number of rods per mm^2 vs. Perimetric angle and the picture of the eye above it -- notice the blind spot?

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Gary


Collins I3 (Thin Film) Image Intensifying Eyepiece
Coronado Maxscope DS 90 <0.5A w/BF30
152 mm f/8 TMB/A&M Carbon Fiber APO; f/5 with 4" Borg ED Field Flattener/Reducer
20" Obsession/OMI Mirror/Servocat/Argo Navis
First Light for the 30" Obsession at BEOTS!

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I have been a "guest lecturer" in 3rd and 6th grade classes here in Los Angeles for several years (that's 8 and 11 year olds). The 3rd grade children are so full of enthusiasm and are a joy to talk to. Every question is allowed because they don't yet "self-edit" their remarks before they make them.
By the 6th grade, only a few in each class are still interested in science at all. Most students don't even look at the pictures or displays I bring, and the questions are fewer and indicate less enthusiasm for the subject matter. By that age, any interest in science and math is being discouraged by peer pressures ("only nerds are interested in science!") and teachers ("I don't know anything about science, so how can I teach it?") and budget cuts ("We don't have any money for any science experiments or displays.")
It's really very sad that in those 3 short years almost everyones' curiosity about the Universe has been crushed beneath the "heels of indifference".
It has been said the US is losing its science development to other nations. I believe it, for I have seen it first hand.

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Well, Don,

I read your post before sleeping yesterday evening - and had to put it aside, because I had planned to teach two lessons of astronomy for 12 - 13 years old... Reading your post was not really encouraging!

My father (a very experienced teacher on all levels from 7 - 16 years old) phoned me this afternoon, to ask how things went, and we talked about your post.
He thinks this has a lot do with teaching in town.
But there is another aspect: Here we don't call this "science". In the first six classes it is called "Mensch und Umwelt" (kind of: human and environment).
He told me his astronomy lessons failed once in a class (in town), when he tried to teach it too technically (with a computer showing the orbits of the planets).


This morning I improvised. My material were some copies about the solar system. I knew I had to start near the kids. So after telling them we were talking about astronomy ("We have aaaaalready heard of this befoooore"...), I started explaning the difference between an eye and a small binocular. Kind of making them think: "I could try that, too!" Gathering light. Went on to the telescope. Told about my observing. Just telling, about cold and discoveries etc.

Then a move: Where are we? "On Earth" - What is next to us? ("Saturn!" ) What is a planet, a moon, a sun? What is the difference?
Then I wrote a simple definition of these three on the blackboard, always asking them.

Where does the universe (space) start?
Is the universe in your left nostril, Michelle? (name of a girl)
Giggles "No...".
In your right nostril then?
etc.
-> We are a part of the universe.

Going out to the corridor, showing earth gravity by letting fall a bancnote (money is always interesting - they will never forget 100 francs falling...)
Swinging a (smaller) pupil around me: gravity against centrifugal force.

Then: There are other planets around other suns - how do we know? Swinging around another pupil, holding his hand (when they are smaller, I let them fly around me) asking the others: Watch my head: moving or not?
Moving a little bit - so this is how we discover stars with planets! The star is shaking because of the planets gravity.

Then reading about earth and moon.
Then reading and very simple explaining about distances.
The speed of water coming out of a hose, the speed of sound (a teacher (standing at the finishing line) starting a 100m-race by a movement, not by a sound).

Then speed of light:
God goes to bed and puts off his little bed light, the sun - 8.3 minutes later the people on Earth are confused about darkness...

Moon mission having a problem.

Mars mission having a problem: "Earth, we got a problem!"
3 min later on earth
- Oh, they got a problem! "Mars from Earth. We are listening!"
3 min later, mars
"We have a hole in in the wall!"
3 min later, earth
"Use some tape!"
Laughing.
Same with longest distance earth to mars - and 20 minutes for comunications at speed of light... (!)

Two lessons already over - and kids who like me now - they told the other teacher!
It was more like a fairy tale than about science.

Here we talk about teaching in concentrical circles - starting close to the world they are used to.

My father is my pupil in astronomy - but this astronomy-teaching we developed together (well, most of it by him), by telling our experiences. Keeping the best ideas. Since summer I teached the same stuff in three classes - never the same, but always similar. Following their questions and coming back to the copies.

Next is a movie about the solar system. Maybe half of it - if they really are interested, then the whole movie.
Then a model of Sun (a football), Earth (2mm head of a color-needle) and Jupiter (a marble), walking the distance.
Where is the next star at this scale? (name of town)

After: What is most common (most often around) in the universe?

Do you know, Don? Tell me!

Amalia

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That's a short report.
Glad you can get your scope out. The weather has been awful here every night but one for the last month. Keep the reports coming. I wish more people would write about what they see. Maybe one day I'll write a report. As slow as I type it would take me hours!

Roger

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My other reports took me up to six hours - but it was fun to experience all this again at home!

Why not trying?

To type I use the "Eagle - Method":
Circle around above the keyboard - once you find the right character - hurry down!

Slow but effective!

Amalia

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If that was a short observation report I wonder what a long one would be like. I love your excitement about the stars and love of life (I can tell). It’s contagious!

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Willie,
well, it was intended as a short one - and it is shorter than the other three.

Thank you for your nice words! Let us know about your discoveries!

Amalia

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