Kn4fty

Thanks Peter. I'm glad to be back. Ready to hit the sky running again. I've missed it and missed the folks here.

After a couple years with hardly any observing due to work and an injury, I'm finally back at the EP.  Been hard not spending time out at night. Also glad to be back at my favorite forum! Lookkng forward to refreshing the memory and learning more from y'all. 

Rob

KN4FTY 

Don't know where the "lol" came from. I did type that. I might love my MAK 90, but I hate this phone.

Rob

LolGo for the MAK 90. It will not be a disappointment. Even if you had a bigger scope, you might still find yourself grabbing the 90, even at home. I love my MAK 90! 

Rob

On 26/08/2020 at 23:39, Pryce said:

Oh! Thats super interesting!  Mind dropping some links? 

Sure! One of my favorites is Astronomy Cast,

http://www.astronomycast.com/

They have a huge archive of past shows.

Another favorite is Richard Pogge from Ohio State University. I dont have a link for his podcast lectures, but they've been on every podcast app I've used. These are his actual college lectures that he records for his students.

Rob

On 15/08/2020 at 17:58, Pryce said:

No worries! Only good intentions, so I completely understand!😁 

Besides, when I did bootcamp, the cityboys had to be taught how to dress properly for winter😂 So we have those non-viking types as well 😅

 

I consideree bringing music myself, but I fear the screen will disturb my vision too much!

I like to listen to various astronomy podcast. I usually pick a podcast discussion that matches my targets for the night.

Rob

Try knocking out some of the Lunar 100. Always a good time!

Rob

Was looking at my first day covers a few minutes ago and came across this. I had forgotten I had it. Sad thing is, it's a recent addition. Oh how the mind goes as we age!

😂😂😂😂

Rob

On 27/01/2020 at 11:48, rwilkey said:

Hi Rob,I realise its been some time since you posted but I have only just found your article. Here's a picture of a Sikhote Alin find, and the one I own, weighs 116g (around 1/4 pound)

Very nice! That's a good size chunk! 

Thanks for posting!

I still want to get a few more pieces of this.

Rob

5 hours ago, Philip R said:

I think the former USSR & Eastern Bloc countries were very prolific in producing astronomy and space related themes to their stamps. I have two mini-sheets, (images below)... 

<---1999      <---1986

...and also included in the following link...

 

I had completely forgotten about that series of post! Thanks for the reminder!

Rob

As an astronomer and a stamp collector, this topic is right up my alley! Ive never heard of that book , but heading to Amazon now to look for it! Thanks!

Rob

Just now, Ships and Stars said:

I went to print some and of course no ink, lol, I'll print off a batch asap. Good idea on these Rob!

Before I found these, my notes were a mess and no hint of organization! 😂😂😂😂

Rob

On 23/10/2019 at 04:12, Ships and Stars said:

I just modded an 8.5" x 11" format Astro observation sheet (Rix 2012) to A4. Haven't printed any off yet but set up in powerpoint as A4 slides and exported as jpeg. Might need to be scaled up but should work.

I've got those sheets too and love them!

Rob

I log every session. Periodically I read through my log book and its like being at the EP again that night. Unfortunately I can't remember the web addy I found them at. But if you google "astronomy logbook sheets" and go to images, you can find them.

Rob

I think it was from the higher initial breakup before the lower explosion. I've seen a couple like it. It is different than the usual shrapnel specimens, plus its not been polished like many to get the shiny black appearance. It was one of many the observatory was selling.

Rob

There are amateur radio net groups out there that do astronomy. They will wire their telescopes and computers to the radio. Then they all view the same thing and discuss it in real time. The net control can control all the scopes at once. Very cool set up!

Rob

David, I would definitely be interested if I wasn't across the pond. I'm also an amateur radio operator. Astronomy was one of the things that got me interested in radio. There are astronomy nets on VHF and HF. I think you've got a good idea about an astronomy program there at the shacks!

Rob

Howdy Ford and welcome to the lounge! This where I'm usually at if I can't do active observing.

Rob

So many WOW moments. But I guess my greatest WOW moment was the total eclipse here in 2017. I was absolutely amazed. Just beautiful!! Everything going dark with stars and planets popping out. Totally unforgettable! Can't hardly wait for the next nearby one in 2024!

Rob

Took me over twenty years to get a goto mount and then only because it was a real steal. But even now I still prefer my old equatorial mount. If im in a real hurry, and only planning maybe a five minute session, then I might grab the goto. But thats not often. I really enjoy using equatorials.

Rob

Keep the scope and learn to do everything manually. Its worth the effort. 

Rob

My 10x50s are super cheap and still give amazing views. There are times when I prefer the binos over any of my scopes. Expect some gorgeous wide field views. You'll see more than you'd think possible. Enjoy the exploration!

And remember to keep looking up!

Rob

To me a serious telescope is the one that actually gets used on a regular basis. 

Rob

7 hours ago, Debo said:

Hi Rob, here's my example of Sikote-Alin, it's a nice lump of twisted jagged iron shrapnel and is very heavy.

 

Very nice!  Mines pretty heavy too. A lot heavier than I expected. I want to get a couple more pieces of it.

Rob

Very interesting articles. Thanks for posting. Next time I'm at the observatory, I'm gonna obtain some more meteorites. I've always wanted to collect them, but most are way out of my price range.

Rob