1242 replies to this topic

[MtnGoat]

In this unexpectedly decent 1957 movie about an alien machine which arrives on earth to suck it dry of all energy, the hero's girlfriend runs around the lab building looking for him, behind one set of doors is the 200" Hale scope at Palomar. This happens at 59 minutes. 

 

Fun movie...well done for it's time

 

 

Kronus (1957) Full Movie

Edited by MtnGoat, 05 February 2015 - 11:15 PM.

[madeline]

I don't know if this was reporting but in a Batman show which featured Zelda The Great their appears to be a Swift telescope that Batman and Robin are looking through.

 

Scroll down and there is a photo:

 

http://comicsallianc...elda-the-great/

[Terra Nova]

It sure does look like a Swift!

[Chevelle72]

Check out Science Fiction Theater episodes from the 50s on You Tube. There is always what appears to be a white-tube 60mm refractor on display in the opening "laboratory" sequence. Don't know what it was. I think there might have been a newtonian with a dark colored tube at times as well. Some of the other stuff in that sequence look cool too. Pretty good stories and was George McFly's favorite TV show.

Edited by Chevelle72, 18 February 2015 - 01:12 PM.

[Terra Nova]

I always loved SFT when I was a kid! That and One Step Beyond. Those two predate Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits, two other favorites of mine. And don't forget the original Adventures of Superman. Griffith Observatory is featured in several episodes.

[Chevelle72]

I always loved SFT when I was a kid! That and One Step Beyond. Those two predate Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits, two other favorites of mine. And don't forget the original Adventures of Superman. Griffith Observatory is featured in several episodes.

Oh yeah,  I watched it as a kid too although I was only 5 or 6  at that time. Still loved it along with One Step..., Twilight Zone, Superman reruns and anything else Sci-Fi or space-related in the late 50 early 60s.  My mom loved Sci Fi as well...guess thats where I got it. 

Edited by Chevelle72, 18 February 2015 - 03:11 PM.

[macdonjh]

I watched  "The Mechanic" last night starring Charles Bronson  ... a horribly bad movie, btw! In one scene where he's sitting in a car ... he pulls out a Questar 3.5 Standard Astronomical Model and props the drive base on the car's window sill. While trying to hold it steady ... which he completely fails to do .... he proceeds to spy on the "bad guys" by pretending to look through the scope's rear photo port and not through the attached eyepiece on the top! What a joke! At least this scene provided me with a few "giggles" ... the only reaction I had during the entire, boring movie!

Skyguy stole mine...

[starman876]

Down with Love (2003). This Renée Zellweger/Ewan McGregor spoof of the Rock Hudson – Doris Day films of yore prominently features a White Tube Celestron C10 (that, in the film, belongs to the “Tony Randall” character played by David Hyde Pierce). It’s even used to look at the sky!

 

this Utube clip shows the C10

 

https://www.youtube....h?v=8t7emeyE1t8

 

the C10 shown in the picture below is the very C10 that was used in the movie.

Attached Thumbnails

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Edited by starman876, 18 February 2015 - 11:08 PM.

[MtnGoat]

One Step Beyond has a little known 'lost' episode which ran once, instigated outrage, and was pulled to languish in obscurity until You Tube. Instead of a story, it has a documentary format and it concerns the search for ESP inducing compounds in Mexico, the nature of which should be obvious to any reader. In the second half, they have returned to the US with some of these compounds, all legal at the time, and the *host* partakes as a test subject, unintentional hilarity ensues prior to the ESP test.

 

"How will I know if it's working?"...."Oh, you'll know"

 

"Lie down before the side effects kick in"..."wait, uh, SIDE EFFECTS? What side effects!??".

 

"The colors...so intense, amazing, fantastic...I want to jump in!"

 

(not direct quotes, but my recollection of their nature)

 

The researchers are classic Scientists with a capital S, and the panel wrapup at the end features one guy clearly a bit gaga over the experience.

 

Very daring for a TV show in the 50's to do this. Interesting episode.

Edited by MtnGoat, 18 February 2015 - 08:05 PM.

[Littlegreenman]

Let's wake up this dormant thread, at least for one post. This morning at 1:00 AM, normal time for us astronomers to be awake, eh, Cozi TV showed the first colour* episode of The Avengers, the UK show with John Steed and Emma Peel. Although I think by then the show was made with a US TV deal in place, the first UK show to do that, and the content was tweaked a bit for the US market.

The episode was From Venus with Love. Several telescopes are part of the story line, staring off with nice refractor on a pedestal in a home observatory. There were a couple of other larger ones, and inside in one scene a Newt and what looked like a Zeiss or Unitron spotting scope on a mount. It all went by too fast. With and internet search** you could probably find it on-line.

 

Here is a link with some pics showing, alas, part of a scope:

 

http://thesuitsofjam...ingwear-in-red/

 

LGM

 

* That is the correct English spelling

[catboat]

. . . 

Here is a link with some pics showing, alas, part of a scope:

 

http://thesuitsofjam...ingwear-in-red/

 

LGM

 

 

Love the fez.  

[TCW]

I am not sure that truss tube scope in the Avengers episode is a real telescope. The forward end of the tube is smaller than the mirror end!  It looks like something that was put together by a prop man who had seen a professional scope once but had no understanding of how they worked.

[TCW]

Down with Love (2003). This Renée Zellweger/Ewan McGregor spoof of the Rock Hudson – Doris Day films of yore prominently features a White Tube Celestron C10 (that, in the film, belongs to the “Tony Randall” character played by David Hyde Pierce). It’s even used to look at the sky!

 

this Utube clip shows the C10

 

https://www.youtube....h?v=8t7emeyE1t8

 

the C10 shown in the picture below is the very C10 that was used in the movie.

There must be an interesting story behind your acquisition of that scope.  

[James_SD]

In the 1953 SciFi movie "It Came From Outer Space" Richard Carlson and Barbara Rush are using an old refractor on an AltAz mount when they see the spaceship crash in the desert.

 

The Griffith Observatory is also featured in the 1991 "The Rocketeer."

 

 

I seem to remember that the mount that the telescope is on in It Came From Outer Space is actually an eq. mount but it's not set up as such.

 

That seen always amazes me, he has the RA axis horizontal, the DEC axis with counterweight vertical and swings the whole thing around on the tripod head.

 

What I really like though is that weird star diagonal.  Looks like they used a tank periscope or something.  Returns the view to on axis with the main scope, but offset a few inches.  Maybe it was just an image erector?  Still it looks strange.

[*skyguy*]

 

In the 1953 SciFi movie "It Came From Outer Space" Richard Carlson and Barbara Rush are using an old refractor on an AltAz mount when they see the spaceship crash in the desert.

 

The Griffith Observatory is also featured in the 1991 "The Rocketeer."

 

 

I seem to remember that the mount that the telescope is on in It Came From Outer Space is actually an eq. mount but it's not set up as such.

 

That seen always amazes me, he has the RA axis horizontal, the DEC axis with counterweight vertical and swings the whole thing around on the tripod head.

 

What I really like though is that weird star diagonal.  Looks like they used a tank periscope or something.  Returns the view to on axis with the main scope, but offset a few inches.  Maybe it was just an image erector?  Still it looks strange.

 

 

Back in the "old" days (before APO's), refractor telescopes were usually in the f/15 - f/20 range ... long, long, long tubes! Long tubes would require larger mounts and taller tripods. Even then, pointing the scope at the zenith meant sitting ... or lying ... on the ground. In order to get a more comfortable view, enterprising amateurs would sometimes construct ... I'm not aware of any commercial versions ... a 110º or 120º star diagonal to replace the 90º one. That made viewing at the zenith much more enjoyable!

 

Here's a closeup shot of the star diagonal used on the "It Came from Outer Space" telescope.

 

https://www.dropbox....agonal.jpg?dl=0

[James_SD]

 

 

In the 1953 SciFi movie "It Came From Outer Space" Richard Carlson and Barbara Rush are using an old refractor on an AltAz mount when they see the spaceship crash in the desert.

 

The Griffith Observatory is also featured in the 1991 "The Rocketeer."

 

 

I seem to remember that the mount that the telescope is on in It Came From Outer Space is actually an eq. mount but it's not set up as such.

 

That seen always amazes me, he has the RA axis horizontal, the DEC axis with counterweight vertical and swings the whole thing around on the tripod head.

 

What I really like though is that weird star diagonal.  Looks like they used a tank periscope or something.  Returns the view to on axis with the main scope, but offset a few inches.  Maybe it was just an image erector?  Still it looks strange.

 

 

Back in the "old" days (before APO's), refractor telescopes were usually in the f/15 - f/20 range ... long, long, long tubes! Long tubes would require larger mounts and taller tripods. Even then, pointing the scope at the zenith meant sitting ... or lying ... on the ground. In order to get a more comfortable view, enterprising amateurs would sometimes construct ... I'm not aware of any commercial versions ... a 110º or 120º star diagonal to replace the 90º one. That made viewing at the zenith much more enjoyable!

 

Here's a closeup shot of the star diagonal used on the "It Came from Outer Space" telescope.

 

https://www.dropbox....agonal.jpg?dl=0

 

Interesting, but not what is contained in my memory (which I know lies to me now and then).  Guess I will have to watch the movie again next time it is on to clarify this for myself.

[TCW]

About half way through the movie Harper, a classic 60mm refractor makes an appearance in the back ground. Not sure of the make though.

[Terra Nova]

Interesting detail Skyguy! I have watched "It Came From Outer Space" many times and never noticed that. Thanks.

Edited by terraclarke, 05 November 2015 - 08:32 AM.

[starman876]

 

Down with Love (2003). This Renée Zellweger/Ewan McGregor spoof of the Rock Hudson – Doris Day films of yore prominently features a White Tube Celestron C10 (that, in the film, belongs to the “Tony Randall” character played by David Hyde Pierce). It’s even used to look at the sky!

 

this Utube clip shows the C10

 

https://www.youtube....h?v=8t7emeyE1t8

 

the C10 shown in the picture below is the very C10 that was used in the movie.

There must be an interesting story behind your acquisition of that scope.  

 

There was.  Someone else has the scope now.  

[Terra Nova]

I did not notice that you and your memento of Renee had parted ways. C'est la vie!

[starman876]

 

I did not notice that you and your memento of Renee had parted ways. C'est la vie!

 Yes, my Down With Love scope has been passed on. I did not use it much and it was a lot of scope to move around. I do not have a garage so I have to carry everything outside to use. Makes sure I stay in some good shape to lift these heavy scopes. Remodeling the kitchen has made it seem like the scopes have gotten lighter :-)

[James_SD]

 

 

 

In the 1953 SciFi movie "It Came From Outer Space" Richard Carlson and Barbara Rush are using an old refractor on an AltAz mount when they see the spaceship crash in the desert.

 

The Griffith Observatory is also featured in the 1991 "The Rocketeer."

 

 

I seem to remember that the mount that the telescope is on in It Came From Outer Space is actually an eq. mount but it's not set up as such.

 

That seen always amazes me, he has the RA axis horizontal, the DEC axis with counterweight vertical and swings the whole thing around on the tripod head.

 

What I really like though is that weird star diagonal.  Looks like they used a tank periscope or something.  Returns the view to on axis with the main scope, but offset a few inches.  Maybe it was just an image erector?  Still it looks strange.

 

 

Back in the "old" days (before APO's), refractor telescopes were usually in the f/15 - f/20 range ... long, long, long tubes! Long tubes would require larger mounts and taller tripods. Even then, pointing the scope at the zenith meant sitting ... or lying ... on the ground. In order to get a more comfortable view, enterprising amateurs would sometimes construct ... I'm not aware of any commercial versions ... a 110º or 120º star diagonal to replace the 90º one. That made viewing at the zenith much more enjoyable!

 

Here's a closeup shot of the star diagonal used on the "It Came from Outer Space" telescope.

 

https://www.dropbox....agonal.jpg?dl=0

 

Interesting, but not what is contained in my memory (which I know lies to me now and then).  Guess I will have to watch the movie again next time it is on to clarify this for myself.

 

Starman:

 

My memory only half lied to me.  The link doesn't seem to work anymore, but seeing the movie again, it did look like that (like a 110 degree viewer) except that they looked into it along the same axis as the main scope (my memory was good here).  Obviously conclusion is that nobody on the set knew anything about telescopes.

[AstroPhys]

And now, for something completely different.

Billie Murray in Scrooged with a nice Swift at his office:  https://app.box.com/...vtw1bc9nkcbgwf2

Edited by AstroPhys, 25 December 2015 - 03:14 PM.

[CHASLX200]

I remember a C14 in Close encounters.

[JoeinWV]

I'm sure not a classic, but nonetheless  Mr. Happer's big reflector in Local Hero.