Patrick's pictures are at: http://www.trilobyte.net/paw/slas/BIGSCOPEC.HTML Quoting Jim Stitley <sitf2000@yahoo.com>:
What if the f ratio of the new scope?
Can't wait to see it sometime. We have quite a club here in Utah to be able to being such a gift to the group and the community! Great Job guys and gals! Thanks for all your dedication to make this a one of a kind club in the country. Patrick - Have you posted any pictures yet? Haven't seen any. Thanks, Jim Stitley
Siegfried Jachmann <ziggy943@xmission.com> wrote: This is a milestone.
Congrats to all that have participated and contributed. We have raised the bar.
A correction to Patrick's note. Several people also thought they saw color on the interior edges of the Orion nebula.
There is no shake or wobble to the scope. The image of Saturn just sat there still and steady. We wondered if a scope this size, atthat location would be useable as a planetary scope --- oh yes!
You'all are gonna love it.
Not knowing if we would run into probles with supporting the mirror or alignment, we wondered if we could count on doing the dedication on Astronomy Day, April 16th. Wonder no more. We have a Grand Slam here. We hit the lottery. We won the Super Bowl.
Somebody else pointed out... just seeing it, wow, what a sight. Yeah.
Siegfried
----- Original Message ----- From: "Patrick Wiggins"
To: "Utah Astronomy" Sent: Thursday, February 03, 2005 11:40 PM Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Tonights star party...
I find myself in complete agreement with Guy in his email assessment of the star party at SPOC tonight. Bruce and Steve, you done good. Real good!
Looking through the Big Scope at Saturn had me thinking back to the first time I ever looked through a "real" telescope. I was 8 and I was amazed at the site of Saturn. It was that view that turned my interest in the sky into a lifelong passion.
I can't help but wonder how many kids' astronomical interest will be ignited this spring by views of Saturn through the Big Scope.
Tonight's views of the Ringed World were incredible.
Cassini (the gap, not the spacecraft) was a cinch. Looked like a black thread laying on the rings.
More satellites than I've ever seen and the detail on the planet itself was amazing.
And all this with the seeing not all that great, less than terrific eyepieces and Saturn fairly low in the sky. I can only imagine what it will look like with good seeing and top of the line eyepieces.
As for M-42, Siegfried actually thought he saw color in the nebulosity. While others did not see that we all agreed the swirls and festoons and at least 6 stars in the Trapezium were terrific.
I think I have a new love in my life... :-)
Patrick
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