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Dug out my 8" Dobsonian today.
#206356 05/01/08 01:35 AM
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Stayed home with Nathan today, as we did't have daycare. Since I was board, I dug out my 8" Dobsonian telescope I built back in my college days. Now that we live out on an acreage away from the city lights, I'm excited to see how this baby performs.

The primary 8" mirror was pretty dusty after sitting in the basement for years and years, even though I had it covered. So, had to give it a bath in luke warm distilled watter with a few drops of dove soap, followed by a rinse of distilled/90+% isop. alchohol. After dusting/cleaning off the main tube and stand, followed by collimating the primary/secondary mirrors, this baby is all ready to go.

I've even been reading up how you can modify certain webcams as they are a CCD board, to take multiple shots, followed by stacking them togethor using some freeware, to get unbelievable stills of the moon, planets, and nearby clusters, nebulae. Will research this some more.

Curious if any of you are into gazing at the heavens, it has been many many years since I've used my light cannon. \:\)


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Re: Dug out my 8" Dobsonian today.
SirQuack #206359 05/01/08 01:50 AM
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I took an astronomy class at univeristy and like to look up once in awhile, but I do not have a telescope, not much point in the city, but my father has one out at the lake. The moon is awesome through a telescope and it is pretty interesting to see(sort of) Mars and some of the other planets when they are in range.


Jason
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Re: Dug out my 8" Dobsonian today.
jakewash #206368 05/01/08 03:02 AM
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I've been out to the observatory in town and the one out north of town a few times over the past couple of years. I was so close to buying a big telescope a couple of years ago, but was told that I had "too many hobbies and too many toys"...


Farewell - June 4, 2020
Re: Dug out my 8" Dobsonian today.
nickbuol #206369 05/01/08 03:06 AM
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Well, Jacob and I just came in from the back yard as he has school tomorrow. Had a few clouds floating around here and there, and some light polution from nearby Des Moines and Norwalk. However, was able to get some pretty good views of Saturn and 2 moons. It was a little windy as well, so the scope was bouncing a little. Jacob was pretty excited, he could not believe we saw Saturn. \:\)

It is also very important for the mirror to get adjusted to the outside cooler temprature. We were out for about an hour, and it was much better near the end..


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Re: Dug out my 8" Dobsonian today.
SirQuack #206373 05/01/08 03:22 AM
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Goodness, I wasn't expecting the word "Dobsonian" to show up here.

I've been an amateur astronomer on and off for a long, long time now. Mostly "off" in the last year or so due to New England winter and work.

I'll be taking a short vacation in Arizona in June, and I'll be bringing my 4.5" short-focus reflector along. Really, really looking forward to that. My "big" scope is a commercial 6" dob.

Re: Dug out my 8" Dobsonian today.
SirQuack #206374 05/01/08 03:25 AM
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Sure Randy, as I mentioned before, my undergraduate degree, which is a B.S. in Chemistry, was originally intended to be pre-astronomy, but turned into pre-law. Viewing conditions in the city aren't that great and I don't have much time, but I still observe on occasion.

I'll add that I wonder how many guys seeing the thread title will be curious why you want to try an 8" sub, but'll take a look to read how the Dobsonian sounds.


-----------------------------------

Enjoy the music, not the equipment.


Re: Dug out my 8" Dobsonian today.
JohnK #206397 05/01/08 08:47 AM
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 Originally Posted By: JohnK
I'll add that I wonder how many guys seeing the thread title will be curious why you want to try an 8" sub, but'll take a look to read how the Dobsonian sounds.
Count me in as one.

But my foray into scope-types things ends at spotting scopes for shooting sports...

Saturn is usually 821 million miles away, but through this 36x scope, it appears as if it's only 22.8 million miles away... fantastic!

Bren R.

Re: Dug out my 8" Dobsonian today.
BrenR #206407 05/01/08 01:01 PM
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I tried to get my kids (both girls, so maybe that explains it) into just the occassional stargazing, but I think that they were disappointed when they looked through even some larger scopes and saturn was still about the size of a dime at the most. I think that they wanted it to look like they were orbiting the planet and it filled the eye piece.


Farewell - June 4, 2020
Re: Dug out my 8" Dobsonian today.
JohnK #206410 05/01/08 02:10 PM
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 Originally Posted By: JohnK

I'll add that I wonder how many guys seeing the thread title will be curious why you want to try an 8" sub, but'll take a look to read how the Dobsonian sounds.


My first thought as well...


-David
Re: Dug out my 8" Dobsonian today.
terzaghi #206426 05/01/08 04:00 PM
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My parents have an 8" Newtonian in the garage, but the mirror badly needs re-silvering. In fact, it badly needed re-silvering when I got it, so it's never been used. Went out with my Dad's 3" Newtonian a few times, mainly to star gazing parties with people with far, far more powerful scopes. I think there was one with a 25" Newtonian, and of course about 1000 with 10-15" Schmitt-Cassegrains. I was also going to go into astrophysics, but decided molecular biology would be easier.


Oops.


I am the Doctor, and THIS... is my SPOON!
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