conus
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 10/12/03
Posts: 2977
Loc: OC, Calif
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Finally got what I consider to be a good look at Jupiter, although, as new as I am at this, I don't have much basis for comparison. My first look at Jupiter the other night was a little disappointing. I'd read enough not to expect Hubble or CCD-like views, but all I saw was a white disk with two faint bands.
Tonight was different. At first, when it was still low in the sky, I saw pretty much the same as before, and this time the image kept shimmering. But whenever the shimmering would briefly stop I kept thinking I was getting brief glimpses of a little more detail than I'd seen the previous time. I decided to wait for a bit, left the scope in the yard and went inside for an hour or so. When I came back out the view was much steadier, and, after about twenty or thirty minutes of viewing, all of a sudden the shimmering stopped almost entirely and there it was. Not just a disk, but a planet with enough detail that it eventually looked three-dimensional. I saw four (possibly five) belts, and the longer I looked the more detail I saw in the two equatorial belts. I wasn't sure, but, once in a while I'd what looked like a very faint oblong patch on the left side of the southern equatorial belt. At first I wasn't sure if I was seeing the GRS, having never seen it before. After a while there wasn't any doubt. The longer I looked the clearer it became, and it was definitely a light shade of pink. Wow.
Can’t say how glad I am that I bought this scope. The only downside is that it’s beginning to appear that the spending won’t stop anytime soon. Am already thinking about laptops, ToUcams, CCD imagers, etc.
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Steve R.
12" Orion XTi
Fujinon 10x42
Oberwerk 12x60
My toUcam Images
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Here in the Southwestern U.S. we are blessed with a tremendous number of transparent night skies, but with the downside of a double-helping of poor seeing. Most of the time you're waiting for those few seconds out of each minute (or more) when the image stabilizes and the object is revealed in all its glory.
And, no question, it can be most difficult to put the brakes on spending more.
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jmoore
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 10/01/03
Posts: 1959
Loc: Beaufort, NC
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Hey Conus,
Sounds like your first experience may have been thwarted not just by Jupiter's position close to the horizon, but by scope cool-down time. As you've seen, you'll definitely get better views after you set your scope up and then wait a little while.
And hey, I think we can all empathize with the impulse astronomy spending. I can't even look at my credit card statement anymore!!
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Hardin 12"
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bierbelly
Postmaster
Reged: 01/23/04
Posts: 5434
Loc: Sterling, VA
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Quote:
And hey, I think we can all empathize with the impulse astronomy spending. I can't even look at my credit card statement anymore!!
It's worse when your hooked on both astronomy and riding motorcycles... 
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12" DSH
8" f/4 Vega MakNewt
6" MN66
TV85
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conus
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 10/12/03
Posts: 2977
Loc: OC, Calif
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So much for that. Heavy clouds over So. Cal. Looks like rain. But, as to the cool-down, I guess whenever it's clear I'll have to put out the scope as soon as I get home from work to give it time.
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Steve R.
12" Orion XTi
Fujinon 10x42
Oberwerk 12x60
My toUcam Images
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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[quoteIt's worse when your hooked on both astronomy and riding motorcycles...
Don't I know it, both street AND dirt. And if you're a gun owner as well...
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Scott Beith
SRF
Reged: 11/26/03
Posts: 33042
Loc: Gulfport, MS
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Astronomy, Street, and Guns.
Scott
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  Scott
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." -- Edmund Burke.
"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." -- George Orwell
"The measure of a man’s greatness is not determined by what he accomplishes for himself, but by what he accomplishes for others.” -- Some Bald Guy
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bierbelly
Postmaster
Reged: 01/23/04
Posts: 5434
Loc: Sterling, VA
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Quote:
Astronomy, Street, and Guns.
Scott
Well, at least I don't have the gun disease. But I do own a Corvette, which has needs too.
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12" DSH
8" f/4 Vega MakNewt
6" MN66
TV85
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rboe
Numbfinger
Reged: 03/16/02
Posts: 39690
Loc: Phx, AZ
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I've got woodworking (guns are on hiatus for the moment) bad. Lately I've been looking at upgrading tools, like a larger bandsaw, dewalt just came out with a bigger and better benchtop planer. Oh man it's bad. At least I can use them to make things for the astro side.
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Ron
NS11GPS
Pronto
16" dob
15X70 Obies
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Scott Beith
SRF
Reged: 11/26/03
Posts: 33042
Loc: Gulfport, MS
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My Harley seems to absorb money as fast as my telescopes. I am buying performance parts left and right for it.
Scott
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Scott
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." -- Edmund Burke.
"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." -- George Orwell
"The measure of a man’s greatness is not determined by what he accomplishes for himself, but by what he accomplishes for others.” -- Some Bald Guy
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bierbelly
Postmaster
Reged: 01/23/04
Posts: 5434
Loc: Sterling, VA
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Quote:
My Harley seems to absorb money as fast as my telescopes. I am buying performance parts left and right for it.
Scott
Whatcha got? I've got a '94 FLSTC.
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12" DSH
8" f/4 Vega MakNewt
6" MN66
TV85
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Victor Kennedy
Pooh-Bear
Reged: 05/22/03
Posts: 9837
Loc: Slovenia
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Quote:
Astronomy, Street, and Guns.
Scott
Women, Fire, and Dangerous Things.
George Lakoff
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To err is human; to moo is bovine.
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Rusty
Postmaster
Reged: 08/06/03
Posts: 16399
Loc: Brooker, FL
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Slow horses, fast women - the bane of us all.... 
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N11GPS Fastar
TOA-130S
MK66 Std
Vintage C5
Megrez II 80mm ED Triplet APO
SolarMax 40
NJP Temma II
Sirius EQ-G
ST8XE/CFW-8(LRGBHa)/AO-7/DF-2/STV Dlx/ST237a/350D (Unmodded)/Mallincam Color Hyper Plus/DSI III Color/DSI II Pro
Two not-spoiled Golden Retrievers - Maggie and Casey
Sometimes I think we're alone in the universe, and sometimes I think we're not. In either case the idea is quite staggering. - Arthur C. Clarke
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