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Ryus
sage
Reged: 01/23/08
Posts: 200
Loc: Near Washington DC, Northern V...
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Re: Funny Public Outreach Questions
04/04/08 01:08 AM
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I'm sitting outside in the day using my PST and have two neighbors (each on a separate occasion) stop to ask what I'm looking at. I told the first the sun. They flipped and would not shut up about the risks of going blind. I explained that this scope dims the light so I won't go blind. In the end I had to pull a solar observing book out of my supply bag to convince them that I was safe.
Not wanting to go through that again a week later I say "I'm looking at just what's out."
They stopped to think of something smart to say and finally pick something to say to my evasion.
They told me "That I once had a friend with a scope bigger then your's."
I thinking bigger then a PST, really? Never would have guess that.
Instead of saying that, I say "Oh! You must mean one of those white ones!"
They say "Yep, they had three of them!"
They go on and on about a million times magnification. That when I stopped listening but they went on...
Well then the conversation ended I go to look back through my PST and next thing I know I'm leaping in shock of them screeming "What type of Idiot astronomer are you!?! You can't look at the sun!"
Even with my heart racing at the unexpectedness of it, I was laughing by apparently being "Saved" by my hero. Then I had to explain it to them too, it ended with me pulling out the same book followed by a "can I look"?
From then on I just say "Here have a look and see." (I did have to Idiot "proof" my set up before I did that).
Upon thinking about it I'm glad that both of them knew that looking at the sun is dangerous.
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Clear skies,
Jonathan
Started amateur astronomy summer 2005.
8x30, 8.5x44, 7x50, & 9x63 (main) binoculars.
5.1" reflector; Coronado PST; &
4" refractor (with optional Solar Filter) (use all equally).
Currently planning on bigger scope (5"-6" refractor, 10" Dob (most likely), or 8" SCT (second most likely)).
Eyepieces: Meade 5000 UWA, Meade 4000 Plossls, TBM Planetary, and CEMAX for PST.
Barlow: TeleVue Powermate 2.5x, CEMAX 2x, and Meade #126 2x.
And a Binoviewer.
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