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SIDO

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Everything posted by SIDO

  1. Ultima Thule or Bust! Go Nasa!

  2. I think it is interesting that after the scuttling of the shuttle program the vacuum that resulted caused NASA to look for ways to compensate and do so as cost effective as possible, that change ushered in government contracts, tax subsidising and other lucrative incentives that sort of well blew things wide open for a then struggling private space industry. So indeed I think it is correct in some regards the shuttle program and it's demise where both a huge win for science. It is a good thing that private industry is becoming a stronger player as they tend to more consistantly develope, retain and advance technologies better than a government institution. The shuttle program was mothballed right after the last vehicle was manufactured as only the mission funding and maintence and upkeep were permitted by congress, so it was to say a disposable program from the beginning with production research and development ending at it's beginning. Private industry would have been more interested in staying in business and advancing the shuttle technologically wich is why I'm so elated about the current participation by said. Where would we be today with an advanced version of the shuttle along side rockets both landing and launching vertically? Would like to see us get there someday ?
  3. Watched a Pbs documentary on the shuttle program and according to that publication and NASA all the blueprints for the shuttle program have been lost to time so if indeed a new shuttle program where initiated it would be all new from the ground up and for that reason an extremely expensive undertaking, would love to see it's return though...Dumping it the biggest mistake NASA ever made in my opinion ?
  4. Coundown to the Ultimate flyby is in progress! Some of the most exciting tax dollars I spent so far...

  5. Really enjoying all the Comet 46p photos coming in, some awesome shots with the Pleiades...Indeed.

  6. Another new lightweight mount arrives tomorrow, Another manageable scope on the deck. Proggress!

  7. A single tube ring near the focuser would hold it nicely as these finders are light weight, the single tube ring could also be attatched upscope past the clamshell clamp for a more ergonomic function. Best of Luck, Freddie ?
  8. Thinking about the coming Eclipse on January 21st...

    1. David Smith

      David Smith

      Don't, the clouds will hear you :tongue2:

  9. The locking wheels for my dob arrived today, will be nice to get them installed and get on with building the heated dob closet in the garage. Just a heat lamp is needed now to dry up the frosts and dew when they occur and the closet will provide a dust free environment for drying and storage. Waiting for the bits for building the 80x400 6.65° field grab and go too, lots of packages incomming ?
  10. They have begun using the words "frigid" and "arctic blast"  here but still no clear skies ?

  11. House hunting for the first time in 25 years with an obsy site the #1 priorety this go round, thank goodness for google maps street view and online LP maps ?

    1. teoria_del_big_bang

      teoria_del_big_bang

      Good luck with that, not the most relaxing past time moving house (well certainly not in the UK anyway).

      I guess somewhere in the middle of nowhere would be ideal then eh?

      Steve

    2. SIDO

      SIDO

      Yes nowhere but not too far from somewhere or the perfect balance is a difficult search even with good tools, elevation, darkness, the proper zoning to allow the obsy build and of course then the wife has to like the house.

      Thanks I will need to be both shrewed and lucky to get this all just right, a 15' dome with a two foot skirt will house a 20" Stargate dob...I will post the build here at some point ?

    3. teoria_del_big_bang

      teoria_del_big_bang

      Sounds like a plan to me :thumbright:

  12. SIDO

    Earth's Moon

    Nice shot, things are coming along then...alot of patients required in this hobby even if you just doing visual ?
  13. Power trip job for a light pollution disliker like myself, very cool there are places on this sphere that regulate for our cause ?
  14. Need to get some wheels on my dob and get it to the garage, man I miss it...

    1. Alan White

      Alan White

      Why, does it need an oil change? ?

  15. Perpetual cloud and rain for 5 days and another 5 to go, stormy 2018 it was...is.

  16. 4300 megaparsecs, 81,700x1,000000 > 8.17e10 trillion miles...Wow.

  17. I am a bit stuck in the driveway now and my observing site is what most would consider a dark site but as good as this is years ago I would travel to darker sites which were only slightly darker as sites go and driving around in my car with a trunk load of gear for miles to be out in the stix and afield so to speak made everything seem darker than I think it may have been so back then for me a dark site was a place to go and gamble on the transparency, thermals, bugs, fog and cloud while acting seemingly like I was on holiday and at least knowing that the destination was dark and an awesome start to achieve the game changer needed to succeed a higher level of observation than I could have if I just stayed home and observed from there...but boy what a great and wonderful experience it was and truly some great adventures were logged. Just wanted to get that out there before moving on to answer the question or at least give my answer to it. I think when one first implies "Dark Site" he or she has concluded that ones current site is not dark enough and a dark site to this individual is any site darker than the current site and at least that much darker so to exceed observations at ones current site making it worth the extra effort and expense not to mention the time. For me there has never been any guarantee the Milky Way would even be visible as transparency varies even at a dark site as does thermal energy transfer, high thin cloud and fog so for me a dark site is just that, a place to go that is darker than my current site, a place where if the variables wind up in my favor the trip is made worthy, a good dark place to throw the dice and hope for the best.
  18. Taking for ganite the assumption of difficulty and jumping right in I found success once again....

  19. Best skies all summer this last week, I am so indulging myself it's just awesome ?

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