hello there

[skiver]

Hi to everyone at stargazerslounge, I'm a newbie here and would like to know if anyone has any experience of the stardust@home project ... Thanx.

[geppetto]

Hi there

Welcome aboard

Don't know about that project but look forward to

finding out 8)

[FLO]

Found this:

http://stardustathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/about.php

[skiver]

Hi guys, well i've just taken the initial test on their virtual microscope and i am now a registered searcher of stardust. It strikes me as one of the most boring, mind-numbing things i could be doing, but you never know, if i find any tracks in the gel i could be up their with Newton, Galilleo, Hubble, Armstrong et al. :D

[Greg]

I read about it in Sky@Night magazine....

Err..Dipped out of that one i'm afraid....Far too busy!!!

Anyway, welcome to the forum have fun here...Lots of friendly people and advice if needed...Look forward to your posts..

Greg

[tom.yates]

Welcome to SGL

[daz]

Welcome along skiver

[Jamie]

Hi Skiver and welcome to Stargazers

[MartinB]

Welcome to the forum Skiver. Do you observe the stars as well as hunt for their dust?

[skiver]

Thanx again for the warm welcome everyone.

I'm John, a little about me.....i'm 43(almost) and i am currently living in Poole, Dorset, i've been here about 2 years now.

I first touched on astronomy in the early eighties, when i would spot satellites,(naked eye) which for me then were a real novelty.

I grew up in Glasgow, but at 29 i moved to the Isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides. Here I discovered 'dark skies' and wow, that was it, I rapidly got hold of everything related to astronomy I could lay my hands on.(not an easy task stuck on a rock in the Atlantic, half-way to Iceland)

Unfortunately, (some might say) i have never been rich, so apart from a pair of 7x50 ex-Russian naval binoculars, (which a merchant-seaman uncle swapped for two pair of worn Wrangler jeans, outside a moscow theatre in the 1970's) i have been a naked-eye observer.

Although i have read lots, and have had some great naked-eye observations,mostly on the island, I have NEVER looked through a telescope of any kind or size in all that time. This, as i'm sure you can imagine is very frustrating when i know the glories that lie 'just beyond'.

I know the remedy there is to find a local club and get access to other enthusiasts scopes, but either fate or circumstance, has conspired to deny me this, so far.

So that's me, an enthusiastic pauper who dreams of moving back to the Hebrides, with a Meade 5 or 6 inch Apochromatic refractor.

I regularly dream of winning the lottery, but i've never bought a ticket in my life.

[daz]

John

The nearest AS to you is at Wimborne. I'd highly recommend popping along - especially on their observing nights!!

Contact Mr Jeffries on 01929 422961

(I have a SIL in Poole, next time we go down, I'll shout and we could meet up over a 'lemonade'??)

[skiver]

Thanx for the contact number Daz, i think i've heard of an observing site just north of Wimborne. I don't know yet what a SIL is, remember i'm a newbie here, not quite up on the shorthand yet. It seems a good place for advice and guidance . I was initially trying to find the correct forum for advice on buying a telescope online, eg - i used to work in the parcels industry and have seen how boxes are thrown around, not too good for the optics i would imagine.

p.s. i spotted two P :D :clouds1:ids on Friday

[daz]

We are more than happy to offer advice on how to spend your money - feel free to ask any time

Sorry about the shorthand - becomes 2nd nature after a while :oops: SIL = Sister In Law

[skiver]

Last time I saw my SIL , I could see :stars:

My brother lives in Perth, Western Australia. I've been over a couple of times.

At a relatives place just north of Adelaide I was fortunate enough to observe the two Magellanic Clouds, the Jewel Box etc. in dark skies. Finding the pole star for Astro-photography in southern latitudes must be a bit of a nightmare, not nearly as well pointed as Polaris ( not that i know much about telescope alignment ).

[GazOC]

I read about it in Sky@Night magazine....

Err..Dipped out of that one i'm afraid....Far too busy!!!

Same here, I had a peek but it didn't get any further.

[mark RD]

welcome