OMG, Wagner looking at planets, what next? The moon?!?!??!!! AAAaahhh.
The world is stopping, the Big One is coming, the end of life as we know
it.
Doomed I tell you DOOMED..........
---------
Phil Chambers [ptchamb@No-Spam] (S.F. Bay Area - Calif. USA)
On Sun, 14 Sep 2003, Mark Wagner wrote:
>
> I set up my 10" f/5.7 scope in the backyard before doing the BBQ. Let is
> cool down nicely, tweaked the collimation. Ate dinner, fixed a coffee and
> went out back.
>
> Mars, of course.
>
> 20 Nagler, 72x. Steady with detail.
> 12 Nagler, 120x. Good detail. Rock steady.
> 7 Nagler, 207x. NIce detail. Holding up very well.
> Put in the 2x Barlow. 414x, more detail. I could do a drawing, the dark
> markings are so well defined. Very good seeing snaps to exquisite. Magic.
>
> I can't help but look at the foreign world and think of the first human,
> maybe one of my kid's friends, maybe your's, setting foot up there. Nobody
> has been there.
>
> I keep watching. Ochre, the color of those soft "peanut" shaped candies...
> circus peanuts. But with banana bad spots on it.
>
> I am amazed.
>
> The southern polar cap is doing a disappearing act. Magic. I can watch it
> through this weird collection of aluminum struts, rods and several pieces
> of glass.
>
> I'm telling you, it is magic. It is fun.
>
> I watch for a while more. Subtle features - a bay of orange in the dark
> river crossing the planet. Smaller dark pieces extending along parallel to
> the main feature. Faded dark on the limb and up toward the southern ice
> cap. Haze on the northern one.
>
> I'm so glad I set up the scope.
>
> I look around.
>
> Pegasus is up.
>
> At 414x I point at M15. Find it in, well, the finder - I can see it at
> 9x. Center it then in the eyepiece. It is there, dim. Handful of stars.
>
> I cup my hands around the eyepiece and look. Stars begin filling the
> field. Suddenly they are everywhere. The core is dense. The globular is
> beautiful. Stars are everywhere. No counting them
>
> From my celestial backyard to the halo of my galaxy in 10 seconds.
>
> It is magic.
>
> I hope some of you are out tonight. It is a fine night.
>
> Going back out to count features on Mars.
>
> There is something magical to this.
>
> Mark
>
>
>