Anyone into Astronomy?

Don Pablo · **Reply #90 on:** May 19, 2015, 11:42:03 PM

Thanks for the warm welcome.

I think I'll have some fun here.

I think that a small scope is good for a newbie like me to look at the moon with, because you see plenty of detail, and yet not so much that you feel overwhelmed.
I think this scope will keep me happy for a good few months.

Mercury · **Reply #91 on:** May 20, 2015, 01:54:00 AM

I bought my scope after a lot of deliberation and advice from some pretty knowledgeable folks. I'm thrilled with it, but I also find myself wanting a smaller scope for those nights when I don't have time to set up my 8" dob. I'm just making do with my binoculars for now.

SAK Guy · **Reply #92 on:** May 20, 2015, 09:48:10 PM

They are here....one of the supplied batteries is weaker. I'll be taking the batts out and storing them in bino bags anyway.

Don Pablo · **Reply #93 on:** May 20, 2015, 09:54:22 PM

Quote from: SAK Guy on May 20, 2015, 09:48:10 PM

They are here....one of the supplied batteries is weaker. I'll be taking the batts out and storing them in bino bags anyway.

What are you talking about?

Btw, your dancing banana seriously distracts me.

SAK Guy · **Reply #94 on:** May 20, 2015, 10:01:15 PM

Re: these earlier posts on night vision preserving red LED lights.

Quote from: SAK Guy on May 18, 2015, 04:52:20 PM

For my observing light had a Gerber Ultra red LED light but can't find it. Found 2 like new ones for 12.50 ea. on the bay. Will put one in each bino pack. My old one was an Ultra M (milspec) with a little dimmer output.

Quote from: SAK Guy on May 18, 2015, 07:12:01 PM

Cool! I just like those Ultras and have 6 or 8 of them scattered around here. Small and burns a long time on one AA. These will go into my two bino bags along with a 4 pack of AA's. I used to use one of those Issue GI angle head army lights with a red filter but it was completely unreliable....the contacts would foul just sitting around with no batts in them. I had to clean all the contacts before each use.

LOL, sorry about the banana!

Don Pablo · **Reply #95 on:** May 27, 2015, 04:19:52 PM

I'll be doing more astromony in June. Pity about the late sunset.

Mercury · **Reply #96 on:** May 27, 2015, 04:58:32 PM

Nothing but clouds lately. This weekend we had two tornadoes touch down near us, we were all in shelter mode for about two hours. My garage flooded twice. Maybe later in the week or next week I might get some clear skies!

Don Pablo · **Reply #97 on:** May 27, 2015, 05:02:55 PM

Ach, that makes our cloudy weather sound like paradise.

How do you bear that?

Mercury · **Reply #98 on:** May 27, 2015, 05:12:06 PM

Well, it's never like this here. Technically we live at the bottom of Tornado Alley, but I've only ever been through two tornadoes here, and the one that passed us this weekend pretty much hopped my area and landed north east of us, and hit a larger city in that direction. The second one was south of us and never came our way.

The first tornado I went through here was back in 2006 or 2007, and it wasn't that bad either. We usually just get really bad hail or really bad thunderstorms once a year. The rest of the year we can't buy a cool wet day.

As for weathering a tornado, it's simple. Get away from windows, stay on the lowest level of your house, hide in a central hallway or stairwell and cover yourself with a mattress. If you can't do that, sit down and stick your head between your knees, covering your head with your hands. If you have a centrally located bathroom it's advisable to get in the tub and cover yourself with a mattress. There is no getting away from a tornado if you don't have enough warning, so don't try. The only house I would leave no matter what would be a mobile home/trailer house. Those are certain death in a tornado.

SAK Guy · **Reply #99 on:** May 27, 2015, 05:57:57 PM

Quote from: Mercury on May 27, 2015, 05:12:06 PM

Well, it's never like this here. Technically we live at the bottom of Tornado Alley, but I've only ever been through two tornadoes here, and the one that passed us this weekend pretty much hopped my area and landed north east of us, and hit a larger city in that direction. The second one was south of us and never came our way.

The first tornado I went through here was back in 2006 or 2007, and it wasn't that bad either. We usually just get really bad hail or really bad thunderstorms once a year. The rest of the year we can't buy a cool wet day.

As for weathering a tornado, it's simple. Get away from windows, stay on the lowest level of your house, hide in a central hallway or stairwell and cover yourself with a mattress. If you can't do that, sit down and stick your head between your knees, covering your head with your hands. If you have a centrally located bathroom it's advisable to get in the tub and cover yourself with a mattress. There is no getting away from a tornado if you don't have enough warning, so don't try. The only house I would leave no matter what would be a mobile home/trailer house. Those are certain death in a tornado.

Yep....yep.

kkokkolis · **Reply #100 on:** May 27, 2015, 09:06:14 PM

We often see what natural disasters happen to this blessed great country of the US and feel that it is nice here in our small corner of the Earth, between the three continents of the Old World. Earthquakes at the ring of fire in the West coast, tornados on the Southeast, crime on the cities of the North East, heavy snow on the North and around the lakes, draught along the prairie, fires at the Rockies, a 10km wide asteroid that hit the south neighborhood and reset life on Earth (that was 65 million years ago but it happened) and in the middle of the subcontinent one of the biggest volcanos on Earth waiting to explode (Yellowstone, if that happens, buy buy North America and welcome nuclear winter to the rest of the world). After half a millenium of European settlement and it is still wild. This is also true for Australia and the ancient countries of Central and SouthEast Asia (add landslides and tsunamis here). But these things rarely happen in Europe at such a scale.There was the Santorini explosion that devastated the Minoan civilisation and the great earthquake and tsunami of Lisbon, but in the US we have disasters every year or so. At least you seem well prepared since actual casualties are relatively low each time.

SAK Guy · **Reply #101 on:** May 27, 2015, 09:37:53 PM

In 35 years, we have had very few tornado warnings around here....this year, we have had 5 (all very close to us) in 1 month's time and 2x-3x times the bad weather than we usually have all year....something is different this year.

Don Pablo · **Reply #102 on:** May 27, 2015, 09:41:17 PM

Global warming?

Enjoy the sun while you can!

kkokkolis · **Reply #103 on:** May 27, 2015, 10:19:49 PM

We had exceptionally cloudy and rainy weather here too. At least we will not have drought, the Mediterranean nightmare. These circumstances made me favour terrestrial and microscopic obaervations over astronomical and that's why I post about my microscope and binoculars often. Birds fly under any weather.

Don Pablo · **Reply #104 on:** May 27, 2015, 11:39:04 PM

Nice.

So what sorts of birds do you get there?

SAK Guy · **Reply #105 on:** May 27, 2015, 11:46:16 PM

We've been watching Roadrunners this Spring....have a pair that nest in some of the pecan trees every year.

Mercury · **Reply #106 on:** May 28, 2015, 01:10:48 AM

Quote from: SAK Guy on May 27, 2015, 09:37:53 PM

In 35 years, we have had very few tornado warnings around here....this year, we have had 5 (all very close to us) in 1 month's time and 2x-3x times the bad weather than we usually have all year....something is different this year.

I agree, something is very different this year. I've never seen such weather here, at least, it's never lasted this long. I've had three solid weeks of cloudcover which is unheard of here.

I might take up birdwatching. At least I will be able to do that under the clouds!

Don Pablo · **Reply #107 on:** May 28, 2015, 09:29:12 AM

The pideons in the city are pretty tame...

kkokkolis · **Reply #108 on:** May 28, 2015, 11:05:02 AM

They are tame but we also have feral pigeons (with smaller head) and all of them have the basic bird behaviour, including interesting sexual dancing. The proximity and the fact they are not shy of humans make their observation easy, even with anaided eye. But at 6-10 meters with the Canon 18x50 they look glorious.
Around my house we have also many sparows and seagulls all year long and shallows during the hot months. Greece has many birds and migrating birds (Europe to Africa and back) twice a year. I've seen pink flamingos for example and many other birds, some of them I can't identify and some are known to me in their folk local names but I don't know English or Latin names. Having always binoculars with you gives you opportunity to see birds in the country and during travels, like the beautiful parrots in Barcelona and Madrid I saw recently.

I'm posting here the binoculars appilication graph I maked for reference.

Don Pablo · **Reply #109 on:** May 28, 2015, 11:26:40 AM

Pink Flamingos?
We only see those in the zoo up here.

One of the cutest birds over here are Wagtails.
Tiny things, with long legs for their size and a long tail.
They are a delight to watch, so active.

kkokkolis · **Reply #110 on:** May 28, 2015, 12:53:24 PM

Here's a list with Greek and Latin names. From Latin you can find your local language name.

http://www.ornithologiki.gr/page_list.php?lID=3&sp=yes&st=no&sf=yes&ss=yes

And here's a list of rare birds in Greece (English and Latin)

http://www.ornithologiki.gr/page_list.php?lID=4&sp=yes&st=no&sf=no&ss=no&loc=en

Don Pablo · **Reply #111 on:** May 28, 2015, 01:10:40 PM

Thanks, this is interesting.

SAK Guy · **Reply #112 on:** May 28, 2015, 04:13:50 PM

Stargazer award badge now available!!!!!!

http://forum.multitool.org/index.php?action=profile;area=requestAwards;a_id=62

Don Pablo · **Reply #113 on:** May 28, 2015, 04:35:13 PM

Hey look... There is a refracting scope on the badge.

Mercury · **Reply #114 on:** May 28, 2015, 06:58:40 PM

Awesome!!!

Hey kkokkolis, what would you recommend for a starter binocular for birding? I'm looking at a celestron 8x42 right now...

Mercury · **Reply #115 on:** May 28, 2015, 07:02:04 PM

I like that badge a lot more than the one I came up with. Very interesting.

kkokkolis · **Reply #116 on:** June 14, 2015, 02:09:45 PM

I had a good night yesterday, planetary but also deepsky from my light polluted balcony. Started with 6" Maksutov on Nexstar GOTO mount amd finished with 66 ED. How are you doing?

Mercury · **Reply #117 on:** June 14, 2015, 04:05:15 PM

Quote from: kkokkolis on June 14, 2015, 02:09:45 PM

I had a good night yesterday, planetary but also deepsky from my light polluted balcony. Started with 6" Maksutov on Nexstar GOTO mount amd finished with 66 ED. How are you doing?

Our rain showers are persisting here, and when we do have clear skies the timing isn't right for me to set up and observe. I will try to get some time in tomorrow night if the rain gods allow it!! For the most part it has rained for a month solid here.

kkokkolis · **Reply #118 on:** June 14, 2015, 04:08:43 PM

It's the new astronomy equipment curse. It will subside, until you buy something new, which you will.

Mercury · **Reply #119 on:** June 14, 2015, 04:44:12 PM

Quote from: kkokkolis on June 14, 2015, 04:08:43 PM

It's the new astronomy equipment curse. It will subside, until you buy something new, which you will.

For sure. It's just my luck to have this much rain in Central Texas too...

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