iapa

To expand on the topic title, I understand the whole phrase now reads 'curiosity called the cat, satisfaction brought it back' So, we can mitigate by the level of satisfaction our purchase(s) bring.

I was thinking about you plan for steps and was wondering if you could have a draw out design where you can slide the steps in and out from under the observation floor and hinge down to ground level. That could then be 'hidden' as part of the existing wood work?

Wonder if dark energy would help as it is apparently the reason galaxies are ming away from each other

I seem to remember the some exo-planets were not orbiting stellar masses, so, that would be a significant mass to collide with a fractional 'c' speeds. Edit: e.g.. PSO J318.5−22

70days @ 9.81ms-2 should get you to 0.2c, and about 1200 AU distant. Pluto is c40AU. So, lets assume Mars @ 1.5AU Earth is 1 AU, so, if we assume a straight line path to Mars' solar orbit we need to cover 0.5AU, so halve that distance for acceleration/deceleration, and if my math is right s=0.5at^2 2s=at^2 2s/a=t^2 t = sqrt(2s/a) t=sqrt(2AU/9.81) our distance is 0.25 AU, so t=sqrt(2 * (0.25*1.5*10^11)/9.81) t= 1.5 days So, mars orbit in 3 days. Propulsion? NASA's SRB get to 3G in 8 seconds, but burn out after 2 minutes. Throttle those back, and add a few more and it could be done.

It's posing some the same issues I just did OK, leaving interstellar traffic out for the time being, it still seems that we need something to 'protect' the forward facing surfaces, even for journeys to the Jovian satellites. I expect that means massively dense materials, and more power required to overcome inertia, force fields or something like graphene?. c.f. Theodore Sturgeon's story ‘It Was Nothing—Really!’, inventor find perorated paper never tears on the perforations and concluded the holes are stronger. Force fields would probably be electromagnetic in nature, weak, strong and gravitation forces won't cut it. So, electro-osmotic drive, with electo-magnetic shielding. Job done Except the former needs improved nanotube manufacture, could maybe do that on a space station on near zero g? But could get as much thrust as you need, the paper suggested >90% efficiency. The latter may well depend on CERN producing more exotic particles, or is dark matter a possibility - if anyone knew what it was

I've read that one somewhere Didn't Niven also use that plot his 'Tales of Known Space' works. Edit: A E Van Vogt's short story "Far Centaurus"

I just read a brief article on elctroosmosis through nanotubes where an electrolyte is accelerated through the non tube procuing thrust, the more nano-tubs in the array, the greater the thrust.

generation ships for further outbound travel, and/or hibernation? The drive isn't as much of a problem then, though by the time the destination is reached a faster method will have been developed. I personally like the idea of reducing inertia. For any improved drive system there would need to be consideration to the increased effect of friction, and also high velocity impacts. Could we get to speeds where individual atoms would have a noticeable effect on impact?

Most operating systems allow for creating their own wifi network. Which OS are you using on your laptop?

It is interesting to read this thread to see how people convince themselves that they have not really spent as much as they have

I have a number of FITS files that I would like to extract exposure date/time from and add to the file name. Has anyone seen/got/written something to do this? I took a large number of images with the ASIAir before I realised you can change the file names to include date/time

My SLT mount (SLT130 newtonian) was found to be way too light to take the OTA for imaging tho'. I've always used the BM without a dew shield, on the basis I believe focus is unchanged when dew shield fitted. Are you locking focuser enough? I focus on anything I can see, do polar alignment - or if using ASiair, plate solve to get current orientation - add dew shield and redo balance and PA.

I just hope people do not stop buying FLO's stock. Buy new kit, sell old.

when I totalled the larger cost items, I fell down. On regaining consciousness I worked out that in the 7 years it was only 11 quid a day. <wiped sweat from brow>

how did you guess? I really should start going through what I don't use/need and get rid/donate to causes.

I'm just under 30K, that is over some 7 years, just on cameras, OTAs, mounts and correctors. Not added in the likes of ASI/Pegasus controllers, power, EAFs etc. Problem is there's still stuff not been out the box yet. Time to hit for sale sections

Does it not come with a tool to fit? Mine has.

I've not placed mine yet, but, my first thought was to attach to the focuser itself.

I have several nights of this target - unguided AVX, Esprit ED80+field correcter, ASI294MC-Pro, no filters. From one night, I have: 20 x 10mS dark flats & flats 235 x 60s lights 136 x 1.0mS bias 30 x 60s darks To my eyes the images look OK, not much stretch in the corners, stars quite sharp. Just my processing skills are so bad I cannot get anything out of it. Is this data actually useable? More specifically, many anon get something out of it? This is rotated c 90˚ integration.tifintegration.xisf

found ONE image, date/time 201512312339

I've never seen one naked eye, but, the constant nagging at the insistence of the Targeting Project Manager* , I set up a camera and lens in the relevant direction and managed to get some images and create a short video. *Said PM was under influence of several drams of 25yo Highland Park as it was around midnight Hogmanay,New Year's day.

I found this https://www.facebook.com/groups/zwoasimount/posts/1172414870231240/

eyesight, I mis read 1960s and 1980s - time for new glasses, and sleep