Re: (SNES) Sick transit gloria

[edward magowan <edward_magowan@yahoo.com>]

	I was thinking of you folks and wondering how the
transit was for you.  I rolled out at 4:15, having
packed the Ultima 9.25 and appurtenances the previous
evening after the requisite downpour.  We have a long
bluff on the west side of Escambia bay (the only
bluffs in Florida); I set up in the parking lot in
back of a Dairy Queen atop the bluff.  The weather had
cleared after midnight and morning was virtually
cloudless to the NE.  I got a sequence beginning with
the partially risen sun and Venus all the way through
4th contact.  The photos can be seen at
http://www.pbase.com\emagowan\transit - WARNING! -
large download for dialups.  One of them,
http://www.pbase.com/image/29982143 , was shown on the
local news that evening.  Neither I nor any of my
compatriots set up in different areas saw any
appreciable teardrop effect at 3rd contact  quite
surprising. (Quick!  contact Brian Marsden, someone
stole Venus atmosphere!)  Did any of you see it? 
(Not to open the wound, Les!)  Shortly after 4th
contact, the combination of direct sun and reflection
off the bay combined to create a solar oven effect -
hot as the midday sun (for us) this time of year.
	This was an unusually long and somewhat dry spring
for us, plenty of telescope time, though Id gladly
trade our views of Omega Centauri for your clear
summer skies.  Weve finally settled on a site for our
16 LX200.  We were weeks away from groundbreaking on
a site when we learned a light industrial park was
going in nearby; we quickly nixed that site.  We now
have an area on a former landfill, on a large open
site where the county has provided an area for the
local R/C airplane model club.  The land is scheduled
to be turned over to the county parks department soon;
all government types are enthusiastic about having an
observatory built.  About 270 degrees of good sky and
not too long a drive.  No major development is
expected for 10-15 years (he said, crossing his
fingers).  We have ~ $7,000 on hand and a matching
grant for additional $5,000 so things really look
promising.  Construction is planned to start in the
fall.  We might be able to start in summer but hey,
were a bunch of old guys, summer construction work is
suicide!  One of our members converted our split ring
/ English yoke 16 f/4.5 to Dobsonian mount, that will
be our take-to-the-dark-site scope.
	Im heading to Westerly next week but will be in
Albany for my nephews wedding on the 18th, you think
FDO will be open on the 25th?  Last time I was up, we
talked about new dSLRs introduced by Canon.  I picked
up a Digital Rebel and have been using it for
astrophotography when time and weather permitted. 
Some of the results are at
http://www.pbase.com\emagowan\astrophotography  . 
Gotta say I dont miss 30 minutes of guiding with
film!


Ed Magowan



	
		
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