saac

Just now, Marvin Jenkins said:

Sounds like a free pass to say that what ever I type in the quantum world could be true. Turns out that 87.23950% of my calculations are made up on the spot.

But in the quantum world they may well be correct.

A free pass - that is exactly it, until of course it is not!  

Jimmy Cliff  sang "let your yes be yes and your no be no man " - he was no quantum physicist . But man he could sing  

Jim

5 minutes ago, Marvin Jenkins said:

But you said 'NO' so how can anything that can't be, be any colour you like?

Marv

When you are in the quantum realm all possibilities are in play until they are not!

Jim

1 minute ago, Ouroboros said:

Don’t we all have quantum telescopes if certain interpretations of QM are correct?  The astronomical object doesn’t exist or rather exists in a superposition of states  until the observer at the eyepiece causes its wave function to collapse. 🙃

Well I'm always in two minds as to what to look at.  

Jim 

1 hour ago, skybadger said:

But the point is that it is discrete and distinct and not an analogue increment. So the the intent is that it is a 'step change' . Seems fair to me.

I'm not so sure that is the point that they are trying to make though.  "We have made a discrete improvement" - yeah way to go, hurrah !   

QUANTUM LEAP | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary

Jim 

32 minutes ago, Mr Spock said:

The solution to everything is to put the word 'quantum' in front of it 

Have you noticed though how it is often used incorrectly, particularly by politicians/marketing/media/journalist types.  We often hear that "this latest improvement represents a quantum leap in technology" .  That always makes me smile.  The origin of the term "quantum leap" in physics refers to the jump an electron takes when it travels from a lower energy state to a higher excited energy state (from one electron orbital level to another).  By definition, such movements are of course insanely small.  So your quantum leap in technological improvement is not exactly impressive  

Jim 

If quantum telescopes are possible will they come in bright red anodised finished?

Jim

3 minutes ago, Marvin Jenkins said:

That second paragraph seems to answer my initial question perfectly.

In effect the EP and Focuser gets the image sharp, the second optical path 'eyeball' does its bit.

However most EBs are flawed through short or long sight. Other stuff I don't understand including stronger eye, mis aligned eyes.

So to boil it down. I need to put up with my non existent outreach guests, not messing with  my focal position?

Marv

Hang a tag from your focuser with the message "virtual outreach guests please refrain from adjusting my focus".

Of  course you could overcome all of this by putting a camera on the scope and displaying the image to guests on either a laptop or phone screen.  Not the same experience I know but no need to adjust for multiple non existent outreach guests' focus requirements .  

Jim 

1 minute ago, Marvin Jenkins said:

Good info. I didn't know that. Thank you. Seems I need to take a course in ... The eyeball. So much I do not know obviously.

I like the idea of a course on the eyeball - sign me up too.  I must admit whenever I go for my annual check up at the optometrist I'm like a kid in a candy store asking questions about all the tests and all the equipment. It really is fascinating, as is anything to do with the human body, a remarkable machine. 

Jim 

8 minutes ago, Marvin Jenkins said:

Thank you for this but I my confusion is that spectacles in my mind, are for wearing for reading, driving, and even more distant vision correction.

I am still wondering why specs are needed at the EP when the Focuser is doing the work?

Marv

Spectacles are not just for reading (nearby) and distant correction. They can be if that is the prescription but they can also be for everything in between, it all very much depends on the prescription (corrective requirement).  It is also quite possible that a person with a particular corrective requirement will be unable to focus an image from an eyepiece. 

Remember too that the focuser is not focusing the image on the retina, rather it is presenting a focused image at the eyepiece focal plane. The eye of the observer still has to focus that image on their retina in order for it to be sharp. 

Jim 

2 minutes ago, Xilman said:

I invariably have to refocus.  I am myopic.

When I wear glasses then my daughter, non spectacle wearer, will not need to refocus or only minimal adjustment. If I remove my glasses and focus to suit my eyesight then on handing over my daughter will need to make a pretty noticeable focus adjustment. This makes sense as the point of glasses, corrective lenses, is in effective to provide the wearer close to 20:20 vision. 

Jim 

51 minutes ago, Marvin Jenkins said:

How does this work with a bino viewer! That's two eyes potentially not the same in the same skull 💀 

There tends to be a dioptre adjustment for each eye on a bino, this narrows the divergence between the eyes. Remember too that the image is interpreted in the brain and it will accommodate to form a single image. There also is usually a more dominant eye which the brain will preference. 

Jim 

23 hours ago, Marvin Jenkins said:

Interesting  to have your experience on hand. I live the life of a hermit so I have very little on hand to base observations/comparisons. 

I also would have thought that spectacle wearers were at a dis advantage having to look through an extra layer of glass.

Marv

I tend to remove my glasses when using any eyepiece be it telescope or microscope. I think it is entirely just a matter of preference as to what people do, what feels most comfortable. 

Jim 

Welcome Ben, you have found a lovely oasis of the internet here. 

Jim 

Nice image of the ring nebula, an object for some reason I have yet to observe.  I like the idea of single sub images too. Here's a single sub (4 min I think) I have of the Rosette taken with my Redcat setup, some quick processing in PI. I actually need to get round to processing the whole data run on this one, been lazy  

Jim 

That is a beautiful piece of well engineered astro happiness. Enjoy. 

Jim 

10 hours ago, Ags said:

Starlink is an example of a commercial opportunity that opened and initiated the most massive launch program of the space age.

I wonder how long it will be before we have the Golden Arches of McDonalds on the Moon. Do you want fries with your Big Mac Lunar Burger ?  

Jim 

25 minutes ago, Ags said:

 we could stop wasting money on things with truly zero or negative value, like sport, alcohol, cosmetics, gambling etc etc. Leave my rockets alone!

Yep, and we could easily replace the tax revenue generated by those activities with other sources to fund adventures in rocket land. Err, well maybe not  

Jim 

9 minutes ago, Grump Martian said:

I am beginning to feel that major problems with civilisation,wars etc may prevent this generation from continuing space exploration. If we survive, more advance technology will make it easier and safer to expand into the solar system sometime further into the future.

Is the situation today not that dissimilar to that in the 60s re wars and instability?  Once clear commercial opportunities open I think we will see some movement. 

Jim 

Maybe the clouds rolled in  

Jim

Beautiful image, well done. I haven't done any SHO imaging (processing) but from that image I'd say you have a really good command of it. 

Jim 

You might want to speak to Malcom , @malc c - he may be able to point you in the right direction. 

Jim 

1 hour ago, IB20 said:

 For me visual astronomy is about relaxation and de-stressing,

Not mutually exclusive with ownership of a big dob. The phrase "always paddle your own canoe" comes to mind   One of the great things about this "hobby" is it offers enough variety to challenge, stretch, frustrate in equal measure to personal preferences while keeping us all happy.  

Jim 

I don't think their days are numbered rather they are as they have always been more specialist rather than generalist telescope.  Apertures of 16 inch and above, no matter how well designed, will always require a certain amount of commitment due to handling and storage requirements.  They will always have their appeal to those who can.  

Jim 

Do you think the manufacturers of threaded bottom brackets know how they are doing their bit for the circular economy and sustainability? They deserve a medal - and therein lies another discussion, astro awards for accidental supporting companies to the astro cause  

Jim 

You won't do any harm to the mount by doing what you are suggesting. Just be mindful when lifting and moving it though as it will have an awkward balance to it. 

Jim