Rusted

A key on a quantum key ring might simultaneously open every door in the universe. Provided nobody was watching. 😏

Some general thoughts: A dome provide protection from cold breezes. It can be rotated away from the wind if there is a suitable object in that direction. Claustrophobia is not likely in a soaring dome. Not even a small one. Domes are limited to refractors and SCTs on a raised pier. The high walls would block the view for a Dob or low mounted Newtonian. Unless you rotate the walls as well and have the door open. A serious option for DIY. This form would need serious restraint at ground mounted, roller level. To stop it blowing away. A dome can protect you and the equipment in a second if a shower comes along. A roll-off roof is draughty and cold. It provides no shelter unless partially closed. invest in a down jacket if you don't have one. Get one if you have a dome too. A metal building will feel much colder than wood or plastic. You will radiate body heat to the cold metal surface. A dome is obvious as to its purpose. It may attract unwanted attention. It's colour becomes a major choice or a major problem. A shed with a moving roof probably goes unnoticed. A metal building will cool quickly after a sunny day. Both GRP and metal are prone to internal condensation. A small square is HUGE compared to small round or octagonal. For €5k you could build almost anything given a few manual skills. A DIY, plywood ROR could be put together for about 1/5th of that price. Leaving you funds for a better mounting. I am heavily biased towards domes and build everything myself. The dome, the supporting building, the mounting and the instruments. The major disadvantage of this is the sheer time involved. Designing, building and updating with gained experience. The hobby becomes equipment building rather than astronomy alone. If you live in an apartment where is this observatory to be placed? Do you have some private ground outside? Is it secure?

The ASI174MM is well respected and features in many successful solar imager's equipment list. Emphasis on the USB3 and large capacity internal SSDs for fast frame rates with the '174. Otherwise you will be constantly erasing old data to find room for the next batch. Samsung external T5s are not as fast as internal NVMe. [IME] Banding is not always the case with the '174. I bought a T2 tilter but don't need it. It all depends on the individual set-up.

I so wanted it to be for collection only, from Antarctica. 😏

I presume they have lost their conservation skills. Or the staff who once could. Do you awaken tomorrow's scientists with screens and big buttons? The children already have that at home and in their pockets. Education or entertainment? Choose one!

Thanks for sharing the Whipple Museum. The London Science Museum once felt like it hadn't changed since Victorian times. Countless exhibits in glass cases. It was truly amazing and absolutely wonderful!! Last time I went [30 years ago?] it was aimed at small children. Who like to watch "reality" on TV and push buttons. Never again!

Putting yourself "out there" can be valuable self-discipline to do more. Not least to avoid disappointing followers. The pressure to keep providing more content increases as views and viewers begins to build. Astronomy is a "narrow interest" subject unless one's "shining" personality becomes the entertainment in itself. Astrobiscuit? 😊 Providing videos on astronomical subjects is no guarantee of success. Nor even more than a modest following. Many of my own videos have a mere few hundred views after many years. Poor titling? Poor content? Who knows? I have deliberately avoided appearing in my own videos except for personal amusement. A nod to: "This week I has mostly.." There seems to be a trend for alarmist titles as click bait: "Don't buy this until you've clicked and subscribed!"

Did Dr Who ever go to the Moon?

Isn't the term TellyTubbies pre-Woke? 😊

Technological advancement demands a minimum degree of manual dexterity. Unless, that is, you can control another species with the required level of dexterity. Biological robots controlled by bovine mind control? Moo! Yes master!

At the risk of pedantry.. any civilization capable of space travel, would find the creation of their own cows a piffling trifle. FTL travel is so far beyond our own capabilities, that our only feature of interest, to FTL tourists, is our extreme backwardness. We are the deliberately un-contacted natives in the steaming, Milky Way jungle. In truth, "They," for all their advanced abilities, may not even be able to readily tell cows apart from humans. So similar is our cringing level of [expressed] intelligence and ingrained behaviours. 🙈🙉🙊

I didn't get where I am today by being abducted.

Exactly. Like moving to a clearer spot on a distorted window. One could test a larger optic with a planned series of movements of the optical flat. Or of the test objective around the smaller flat. Just as one can stitch together a larger picture from smaller areas of the whole image. [Like an imaging mosaic.]

One can eliminate some zoning on the optical flat by setting the flat off centre to the test objective. It does not make the zones go away, of course. It just shows them for what they are. So the objective, under test, is not blamed for the errors on the flat itself.

Should we now automatically demand a photographic DPAC test? With witness signatures on every lens cell? What about adding AI image handling? Let's throw in "typical seeing conditions." Why stop there? Simulation of aging eyesight? A smidgen of "visual acuity" or none at all? Decades of visual observing experience on similar objects? Or none of the above? DPAC RAW? Or DPAC Lite? Isn't this optical snobbery a sign of serious self doubt? Buyer's guilt? That the huge sums being asked for "premium optics" might just be a fancy sales pitch. But we have no real idea if it is a scam because we have no valid test to prove it.. yet? Can we trust our own eyes to measure to £kx tolerances? Has optics become Hifi? Where only subjective nuances of "golden eared reviewers" are the accepted measuring stick? Who here has the "golden eyes" worthy of testing our kit to be validated as "pukka?"

Optical flats can be tested under water with a monochromatic light source. I used a mercury monochromatic yellow light when making 3 x 8.75" Monax flats. Unfortunately I used a [freely donated] matching blank with a chip on the back. That was enough to twist the whole blank into being worthless for cold pressing polishing laps.

Steve, You are good at this. Aren't you?

Fascinating.

Superb results Nigella and a rare capture for your animation!

Nice!

Well done Nigella. Your FDs are excellent.

Nice set Steve.

Well done! Lots of fine detail! Remarkably good considering how low the sun is at this time of year.

Amazing scale and beautifully captured.

The danger is always that the H-alpha observer wants to share the fascinating solar details with their fellow astronomers. The larger aperture blocking filters and etalons are then an advantage despite the extra expense. Having to later "upgrade" to the larger aperture elements means you are having to buy them twice but the second set at a mark-up. Leaving you with unused kit which is only suitable for observing. Not really for optimum imaging. If, like some enthusiasts, you decide to follow the modification route to larger H-alpha telescopes then the larger elements win here too. I specified the R&P two speed focuser on my 60MT and can highly recommend it. I own two other larger, FT focusers and recognize the same qualities in the Lunt R&P focuser. The Lunt MT series allows you to easily dismantle the instrument. It is intended to be separated into modules. You can use the H-alpha components for H-alpha viewing and imaging. I opted to use a straight though blocking filter instead of the Lunt elbow. This was a personal choice because I already owned the 12mm straight through. Those buying a complete Lunt scope should probably choose the elbow blocking filter for far more comfortable viewing. With the MT you can remove the H-alpha components and use the instrument for normal astro viewing. Or even as a spotting scope. You have a small, heavy, high quality APO refractor. You can then add a front, solar filter and use it for white light solar viewing and imaging. Or add a Herschel wedge and enjoy white light viewing and imaging. The total expense is truly terrifying but will reward you endlessly. By allowing you to enjoy your unique hobby in daylight and the [usually] greater the warmth of the daytime. You can even take your compact, H-alpha scope on holiday. Where the sun is rumoured to shine all the time. Do some outreach and become the life and soul of the beach party.