Pearls of Wisdom

[PSALM19.1 (Shaun)]

Hi,

In my two or so years of astronomy, I've learned some important things:

1. The colour, high def pictures of planets you see on the box aren't necessarily accurate for your own telescope; unless your scope is in orbit around the earth...
2. Dobsonian's are awesome
3. Dobsonian's are heavy
4. Old office swivel chairs are cheaper and just as effective as viewing platform seats
5. Venus isn't as boring to look at as I once thought
6. A full moon isn't TOTALLY useless to look at...
7. You can take some pretty cool photos with an I-phone 5 (or, your daughter can because her hands aren't nerve damaged)
8. "Mobile Observatory" is a very good App
9. Until it is at opposition, Mars is a waste of time to look at in an 8" Dob
10. In the Bible where it says that God "stretched out the heavens", it wasn't whistling dixie
11. You are never satisfied with the aperture of your scope...but it is better to be

[AG Hybrid (Adrian)]

In my 5 years in Astronomy. Mars has always been uninteresting. Whether in 4", 6" or 12". Just an orange ball with a hit of a white pole. I'm also satisfied with my 12" scope as the next meaningful upgrade is a 20"-22" and all the extra troubles and costs that entails.

[cometcatcher (Kevin)]

12. Mosquitoes suck!
13. Clouds (at night) suck!
14. It's always raining in Ferenginar. (I live on Ferenginar)
15. Getting older means that once the scope is set up, you're too tired to use it.
16. Falling asleep at the telescope hurts when you crack your head against it waking up.
17. The neighbours only put their megawatt security light on when the sky is clear.
18. Snakes like to sleep under / in telescopes.
19. You discover the focus is out after taking photos through the scope all night.
20. Meteor showers always happen the day before or after you are looking for them.
21. Comets always look to be several magnitudes fainter than their actual brightness.

[tilbrook@rbe.ne (Justin Tilbrook)]

Originally Posted by cometcatcher

12. Mosquitoes suck!
13. Clouds (at night) suck!
14. It's always raining in Ferenginar. (I live on Ferenginar)
15. Getting older means that once the scope is set up, you're too tired to use it.
16. Falling asleep at the telescope hurts when you crack your head against it waking up.
17. The neighbours only put their megawatt security light on when the sky is clear.
18. Snakes like to sleep under / in telescopes.
19. You discover the focus is out after taking photos through the scope all night.
20. Meteor showers always happen the day before or after you are looking for them.
21. Comets always look to be several magnitudes fainter than their actual brightness.

Ahhh being over 50..... fun isn't it

And who ever said 50 is the new 40 obviously wasn't 50!

Cheers,

Justin.

[SimmoW (SIMON)]

Good ones!

Photoshop editing time is equal to exposure time squared :-)

[Jon (Jonathan)]

Oh dear, what have you started :-)

23) telling the difference between an 1/8" Allen key and a 3/16" Allen key in the dark isn't easy
24) they aren't called "faint fuzzies" for nothing
25) Galaxies can be unimpressive at the eyepiece until you remember you are seeing with your own eye the light of 100 billion stars coming from 50 million years ago, at which point they become mind-blowing
26) if seeing is good, transparency won't be, and vice-versa
27) unlike most other things, the pleasure taken from looking at an object increases with the number of times you have seen it before
28) clouds are evil, malevolent creatures with high IQs, a deep sense of animal cunning, and a fierce hatred of astronomy

[OzStarGazer]

29) I am waiting for the invention of a filter that sees through evil clouds
30) I bought an insect repellant because when I watch I don't even notice mozzies and then I have red spots all over my legs
31) Clouds are in the habit of coming up just after I have finished setting up everything
32) I need a spaceship to see Mars properly
33) If astronomy is for nerds, I am happy to be one
34) Astronomy taught me self-discipline: no yelling on the balcony in the middle of the night when clouds come up

[acropolite (Phil)]

(35) The law of diminishing returns applies to Astronomy in the same manner as it does to HiFi. Spending 10x the amount on gear won't yield 10x the result.

[guggle (Michael)]

Originally Posted by jon

27) unlike most other things, the pleasure taken from looking at an object increases with the number of times you have seen it before

+1!!

[OzStarGazer]

Originally Posted by guggle

+1!!

Indeed... I had my scope for a very short time, but I have already watched in particular the moon and Jupiter soooo many times... and every time it just gives me so much pleasure to watch them.

[Tony_ (Tony)]

36) telescopes attract clouds.
37) the sky is clearest during a full moon
38) forecast "mostly clear" = mostly cloudy
39) you still look at the sky to see if it's clear - even though the weather map shows heavy clouds for hundreds of Kms.
40) my neighbors are nocturnal on weekends

[Jon (Jonathan)]

41) you will never, ever, be confident that you are pronouncing "Betelgeuse" correctly.

[OzStarGazer]

Originally Posted by OzStarGazer

Indeed... I had my scope for a very short time, but I have already watched in particular the moon and Jupiter soooo many times... and every time it just gives me so much pleasure to watch them.

And yesterday night it was particularly exciting!!! I used the polarizing filter for the first time to watch the moon and felt like jumping into the craters! They were so incredible clear. I also took the best photos so far.

[RobinClayton]

42) Astronomy is a great excuse for sleeping during the day.
43) Taking telescope to dark site is better than a bigger scope. Taking bigger scope to dark site is even better.
44) General public is often more impressed by big Dobsonian than an expensive Cassegrain.

[Amaranthus (Barry)]

45) Cloudy nights are for catch-up...

[brian nordstrom (As avatar)]

46) , every non- astronomer knows a refractor is a telescope .
Brian.

[linstar88 (Linda and Guy)]

Originally Posted by Jon

41) you will never, ever, be confident that you are pronouncing "Betelgeuse" correctly.

Saying Betelgeuse (Beetlejuice) 3 times does not invoke contact with the afterlife's freelance bio-exorcist
If it did it's doubtful clouds could be removed even for the low low price of your soul

sorry, it had to be said, just couldn't resist great movie btw

cheers Guy and Linda

[OzStarGazer]

47) Once you get into astronomy, you really get curious about the dark side of the moon.

[brian nordstrom (As avatar)]

and that one song on that classic album 'MONEY' .
Brian.

Originally Posted by OzStarGazer

47) Once you get into astronomy, you really get curious about the dark side of the moon.

[Astro_Bot]

Originally Posted by Jon

28) clouds are evil, malevolent creatures with high IQs, a deep sense of animal cunning, and a fierce hatred of astronomy

They often hunt in packs. You can see them, gathering on the horizon, waiting until there are enough to attack. Sometimes, though, a lone cloud will creep up so stealthily, that you'll see only a faint wisp and then it'll pounce out of thin air!