With the widespread smoke that many areas have been subjected to, it is timely to discuss how we can keep our optical equipment clean. Obviously, uncapped scopes left in observatories, local or remote, are likely to need cleaning. Even if you cap scopes, smoke can still seep in. The wise approach is to, hopefully, have brought the scopes inside a residence, and stored in a room which can be protected from smoke. Be aware that smoke is likely to be depositing abrasive ash particles on the optical surfaces. Air born resins and combustion products may have also been deposited on those surfaces, which may require flushing with solutions which can break down these deposits.
What steps are you taking to protect your valuable scopes, cameras, etc?
