Rusted

A patent requires a unique factor to become registered as an invention or breakthrough. 30 years ago I developed a linkage geometry. Which gave "girder" forks [for a mountain bike] 180mm/7" travel. A chat with a patents office advisor, on the phone, quickly ended any hope of my "cashing in" on my "invention."

Does household contents insurance cover the accidental dropping of an OTA? I remember in my youth making a so-called f3.8 "lenseless" Schmidt. Field stop at twice the focal length. Curved 35mm film holder at focus. I went on to parabolise the 8.5" mirror as a rich field for visual. Massive but lightweight, stressed skin, altazimuth fork mount and aluminium truss tube. It was displayed at the city reference library. I eventually sold it via the Exchange&Mart. An early form of eBay but printed on news paper.

Sorry. I don't drink and [pretend to] image.

Thought I'd do some solar imaging on a very rare sunny day. First I had to wait for my own chimney to move aside. 😧 Then the wireless keyboard stopped working. 😟 Then the monochrome imaging software screens went all pink and turquoise! 😭 Then the shadows of my own house roof intervened. 😱 Then dome shutter slides were sticking. 😫 Then I packed up and went back indoors to warm up. 😨 Some things were just never meant to be. 😄

Define "poor" in the context of your imaging skills Steve. Just look at that monstrous filament!

An even better set! Thanks for sharing.

Great set Nigella! It was well worth the wait.

Congratulations. Your observing chair is ingenious and very well thought out. I think I would have gone for a pair of quality mirrors [optical flats] for a compact, "look down" altaz set-up. Despite suffering from image reversal and inversion. Dewing of the mirrors would probably require heaters.

At that price I'd get one of my servants to look through them for me.

Slightly off topic, but: I have often considered using a camera and monitor to help to help me collimate. Though the Cheshire does not readily lend itself to fitting a camera at the peephole. DIY adapter? Walking back and forth between adjustments. Climbing and descending ladders every time. Is more a trial of memory, agility and balance than some innate skill at collimation. Seeing the changes I make "live" on a screen, from the objective end, would be a huge advantage.

Preferably side by side. Better binoculars offer a brighter, sharper image without any false colour. You have to see it to understand the difference. There is an immediate and obvious purity to quality optics. Without any softness, only central sharpness or distortion. Remember that this may only be true of top models! Those in the lower price ranges, even by a top name, may be dismal. Do not believe any reviews on YT. Certainly not US dealer's or US hunter's reviews. I bought accordingly. Then had to return them. As completely unworthy of the asking price. It was all complete and utter jingoistic hype/tripe. So finally I went to a bricks and mortar dealer. Where I tried selected models side by side on an outdoor target. Until I reached my price ceiling. There was no point in testing at any higher prices. Because I would be forever dissatisfied.

There has never been a better time, in all of human history, to read conflicting reviews online. There was a time you could trust word of mouth recommendation. Then "they" invented corrupt influencers, paid for reviews and "personality" advertising. Opinions can now be bought and sold, like filthy rich slaves, in/on The Markets. Which unnamed Asian factory is not without sin? When it comes to sticking designer labels. On shoddy, slave-assembled products. For "household names."

Any species, advanced enough to be capable of interstellar flight, would have solved this problem. Interstellar flight is not Moon rockets on steroids. It is a quantum leap in science, technology, materials, energy, wealth and biology.

What they [all] said. 8x42 roof prism is the best compromise. Plenty of light, compact and lightweight. I have lots of old porro-prism binoculars and almost none are still aligned. My 8x42 roof prism binoculars are lightweight and go everywhere with me. They have never shown the slightest hint of misalignment. Despite years and miles of walking, cycling and scrambling through forests. My Zeiss porro-prism 10x50s went out of alignment in one day! The shop refused to replace them because they said I had dropped them. How can you prove you haven't?

Thank you Mandy. It is rarely one can have two such distant objects in the same field of view. Albeit one much closer than the other. Particularly when subjected to high magnification from using a very long, effective focal length. A shorter focal length would have a much deeper field of view. Notwithstanding the extreme distance to both objects. Where two distant objects are in separate fields of view one would naturally tweak the focus just to check best focus. Thereby losing the reference point from the first [sharply focused] object.

Excellent capture. Just curious: Did you notice any difference in focus between the planet and lunar limb?

We had the first proper sunshine in ages yesterday. I was away from home until it was far too late. The two storey dome was already in deep shadow from my own house. 😭

Thanks for sharing. My sky is the same colour as your Sun. But darker! 😭

Wouldn't that stunt its growth into a real refractor?

Would these processes not tend to produce more Borgs? Rather than fluffy little puppies. Or T.Rex. The list of potential threats to all forms of life grows longer by the day. And may often [inevitably] be "Their" last. Give our own preoccupation [innate obsession] with appearance and status: I must say that our mothers-in-law are highly unlikely to allow "anything else" as a suitable partner. Even if "They" do come in peace.

Your image shows truly remarkable depth of field. The [allegedly] fictitious "round object" is as sharp as the ISS in the foreground. 😎 The only thing missing from your artwork is a space walker. Perhaps next time?

As the lady commands:

Will I get banned for suggesting the sun no longer exists? 😭

I don't want to seem picky about orientation but... Hope this helps?

Lots of nice detail Steve. Despite the parking problems. I've forgotten what the sun looks like. 😭