Slug horror!

[AlexM]

Just checked my explorer 130 to find a small slug has spent it's last days leaving a trail across my primary mirror! The dessicated remains of the villan fell out when I removed the backplate from the scope.

A - Has anyone else suffered from this kind of mishap?

and

B - Should I wash the mirror?!

[Cornelius Varley]

A. no

B. Yes... carefully. There are a few threads on cleaning mirrors on the forum and also a few videos on youtube on the subject.

Peter

[themos]

A: yes

B: I lived with it for more than a year. It does wash off.

[TheThing]

I always like Andy's Shot Glass for instructions on doing stuff. He has a little on line book about cleaning mirrors .

[ollypenrice]

I have just dismantled a wasps' nest from my guidescpe lens. It was at the level of a 'starter home' I am glad to say and did not house anyone intent on stinging me. Serves me right for having lost the cap...

I got a grasshopper inside an SCT once and after it died I tried to flip it out by jerking the scope upside down in the fork mount. I expected to be there for days doing this flip but incredibly it came out first time.

Olly

[lguise]

Back in 2003 I was staying at a certain residential astronomy centre in a warmer climate and using a skeleton tube dob. Late at night observing Mars suddenly the telescope started shaking and Mars disappeared......looking down I was horrified to see that a small kitten had climbed in and was trying to stop itself sliding off the primary mirror!

Linton

[AlexM]

I always like Andy's Shot Glass for instructions on doing stuff. He has a little on line book about cleaning mirrors .

Great link. Added it to bookmarks. Nice one!

[Moonshane]

Back in 2003 I was staying at a certain residential astronomy centre in a warmer climate and using a skeleton tube dob. Late at night observing Mars suddenly the telescope started shaking and Mars disappeared......looking down I was horrified to see that a small kitten had climbed in and was trying to stop itself sliding off the primary mirror!

Linton

perhaps it thought that you were using a Schmidtt Cattigrain?

[AlexM]

perhaps it thought that you were using a Schmidtt Cattigrain?

Shameless, but that one cracked me up.

[Moonshane]

couldn't resist. I am legendary at work for my rubbish jokes.