Mauri, All, It has been a while, but I just wanted to let all my astronomy friends know I am alive and well. I am still doing star parties, but in Kiribati I am under a sky I am only half familiar with. It's so weird to see the northern constellations upside down. I was hoping to list some links to photobucket so you could see some of what's happening here, but I haven't figured out how to do it, yet. Any help? Maybe this will work: http://s1373.photobucket.com/?postlogin=true Please let me know. The lunar eclipse earlier this month was spectacular. We are located very close to where the maximum eclipse happened at zenith. I was able to get some nice pics through my 80 mm Orion short tube with my cell phone. We missed out completely on the partial solar eclipse, but I have been showing students and teachers the amazing sunspot group. This is the first telescope that anyone on this high school campus has ever looked through!! I very quickly realized that 80 mm just isn't going to cut it for deep sky objects. I was the only one who could see M31 through the 80 mm. So I took the bull by the horns (with my wife's somewhat reluctant permission) and ordered an Orion XT8 from Australia. The price wasn't unreasonable, 450 AUS, but the shipping was another 720 AUD! I hope to have it together and ready for first light in a few days. I've been told it may well be the biggest telescope on the island of Tarawa. I have to melt some lead fishing sinkers to counterbalance the Telrad. (Sorry, Brent, but I didn't order it from you.) I will donate both telescopes to the school when I leave in a year and a half. It feels good to read of your astronomical doings and goings-on. It brings me just a little closer to home. Keep up the great work. Thanks, Elder Wayne Sumner