James Paulson's roll off roof observatory at the Sunridge Observatory site, taken in the summer of 1986, housing a 10 inch f/5 Cave Astrola Newtonian reflector telescope



Tuesday, July 20, 2010

God's View

From the title of this you would think I am entering into the realm of religion.

I come from a time in science when we believed in it to describe and build our world. We knew that things measurable were important. We tapped these things to build ideas. I was around when IC chips came about, and they published diagrams and voltages in books. You knew how the insides worked. You built things with them. Some had fancy names, like Schmidt triggers. Duck.

Astronomy today is a new world filled with electronic toys and disconnected amateurs, plastic gears, mass produced glass, and the same sky. I love the fact that the sky remains the same in a world gone mad with TM's, IM's DMK's, QHY's, DSLR's, LXD's, UWO's and CGEMS.

Corporations can keep the acronyms, I will keep the sky, the heavens, god's handiwork, the celestial sphere, telescope making, digging in the references, red flashlights, optics companies, home lathes, smaller companies making larger parts, etc.

Now toss this in. Every newbie to this hobby reminds me of me 25 years ago. We see the same sky. Really what has changed?

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Changes

I've been very busy the past while taking care of other business and as a result have not had much time to post. I've spent no time with my telescope in months, but I am hoping to change that soon.

I now have a buyer for my Cave. I think someone is picking up a very fine instrument. I'm honestly glad I won't have the heartbreak of physically seeing it leave because I doubt I could part with it. But this is life. I'm losing an old friend. When I look on Cloudy Nights and see all the classic Cave restorations it just breaks my heart but at the same time it really shows me the love people have of these observatory quality instruments.

Half of the solar star road machine is departing as well in a few days. I've sold the slide in camper to pay some bills and I had to get some better transportation to replace my aging 85 Dodge with a 440 in it, so I chose a new car, a Kia Forte Koup. My scope will fit in it just fine so I can really get out and take in some star parties at 36 mpg. It has all the 12 volt plugs I need, and a moonroof to pass out cords to the scope, a place to hook up my laptop, things like that. I can sleep in it if I have to. Pack a tent, etc.

Change is entropic and natural in this universe. We may not witness it all, but it is constant, dynamic, entropic, measurable and imaginable.