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markgliderpilot
member
Reged: 09/01/08
Posts: 17
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I am really happy for two reasons. Firstly, I have finished my 8.5" homemade newtonian and secondly, I found a good dark sky site about 20 minutes up the road. It is on the edge of a large 20x10 mile military training area which is set in a rural area. Sometimes,the tanks and helicopters clatter past while I am keeping quiet in the public car park!!
Anyway, I gave it a good first light session over the weekend as opposed to checking correct focus distances etc). Wow, I could make out the two dust lanes in M31, some mottling in M33 (hints of spiral arms with averted imagination) and a clear Veil Nebula. Quite a change from observing from a town garden with a 4" refractor.
Wahoo, now to wait for Orion to rise at a decent hour and the spring galaxies to appear.
Mark
PS I'll have to ask the wife if we can move to the country.
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JayKSC
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 01/01/05
Posts: 978
Loc: Florida
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Seeing the dust lanes in M31 must be a fantastic experience! I have yet to have much time away from suburban or urban sky conditions, so haven't caught such features yet. Glad to read that you've found a good site so close to home.
- Jay
South Florida
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Refractor manic. 
My Sketches
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Brian Schmidt
super member
Reged: 01/25/09
Posts: 199
Loc: Roswell, GA
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Just wait until you turn that thing towards some of the globular clusters. I was observing some of them, including M2 and M30 from my dark sky location Sunday...
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Brian
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markgliderpilot
member
Reged: 09/01/08
Posts: 17
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Agreed, so many targets and so little time (weather, family, work etc). They say work gets in the way of a work-life balance!
Mark
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ebusinesstutor
sage
Reged: 07/01/09
Posts: 459
Loc: Nanaimo, BC, Canada
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Quote:
Agreed, so many targets and so little time (weather, family, work etc). They say work gets in the way of a work-life balance!
Mark
If only they would pay us $5,000 per Messier object, then we could give this hobby the attention it deserves! 
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Garland Coulson
Orion XT8i Dob & Celestron 80 ED on a Vixen Porta Mount Mini
Baader Hyperion 8-24mm Click Zoom & Siebert Observatory 36mm
Siebert Black Knight Binoviewers
SkyWatcher Observing Chair
Celestron Skymaster 15x70mm binos
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ebusinesstutor
sage
Reged: 07/01/09
Posts: 459
Loc: Nanaimo, BC, Canada
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Quote:
I am really happy for two reasons. Firstly, I have finished my 8.5" homemade newtonian and secondly, I found a good dark sky site about 20 minutes up the road. It is on the edge of a large 20x10 mile military training area which is set in a rural area. Sometimes,the tanks and helicopters clatter past while I am keeping quiet in the public car park!!
Anyway, I gave it a good first light session over the weekend as opposed to checking correct focus distances etc). Wow, I could make out the two dust lanes in M31, some mottling in M33 (hints of spiral arms with averted imagination) and a clear Veil Nebula. Quite a change from observing from a town garden with a 4" refractor.
Wahoo, now to wait for Orion to rise at a decent hour and the spring galaxies to appear.
Mark
PS I'll have to ask the wife if we can move to the country.
Hmm, a man on the edge of a military base at night with a powerful telescope and carefully not making any light.
Sounds like a spy to me!
You may be in the spotlight of one of those helicopters one night with a few guns pointed your way.
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Garland Coulson
Orion XT8i Dob & Celestron 80 ED on a Vixen Porta Mount Mini
Baader Hyperion 8-24mm Click Zoom & Siebert Observatory 36mm
Siebert Black Knight Binoviewers
SkyWatcher Observing Chair
Celestron Skymaster 15x70mm binos
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earthbot1
super member
Reged: 08/27/09
Posts: 170
Loc: Central Virginia
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Yeah...be careful with that!
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Nexstar 8
Meade/Celestron EPs
Bushnell 90mm Mak-Cass
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TFiebig
member
Reged: 07/29/09
Posts: 17
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There's probably not too many amateur astronomers with Dobsonian's in Afghanistan right now.
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starrancher
professor emeritus
Reged: 06/09/09
Posts: 580
Loc: Northern Arizona
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Quote:
There's probably not too many amateur astronomers with Dobsonian's in Afghanistan right now.
You are more than likely correct . I tend to think that rocket launchers would be more the norm .
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LXD75 AR5
LXD75 SN8
Series 4000 Plossls
Misc. other stuff
Fort Rock , Az .
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