What's the biggest legal telescope you are allowed to own?

[coldlegs]

I seem to recall a law that said it was illegal for an Australian citizen to own a telescope bigger than I think it was 36 inches so we couldn't look at all the yank spy satellites. Does that law still exist?
Just curious.

Cheers
Stephen

[KenGee]

Stephen there is no such law.

[coldlegs]

Ken
Pretty sure there used to be. It was related to the cold war between the USA and Russia. Almost nobody could have afforded that size anyway so it didn't worry the average astronomer but now days things are a lot cheaper but you would still have to be rich to build one bigger than 36".
Cheers
Stephen

[Steffen]

Well, given the puppet theatre that we call parliamentary democracy and the general lack of accountability in public office there is really no way of knowing whether or not we have secret laws and secret courts like they have in the U.S. of A, until some insider summons the courage to become a whistleblower.

That said, 36 inches seems like an arbitrary threshold. We can see some satellites naked-eye, and others not at all. Who's to say that the ones we're not supposed to see become visible in 36" or larger telescopes?

Cheers
Steffen.

[sheeny]

Back in the 80's there were amateurs running image intensifiers (and long focal lengths) on C8s collecting video footage of satellites - and that was from America.

I suspect the "law" is an urban myth. You don't need anything like that aperture to see or get images of satellites.

Al.

[AstralTraveller]

Well, there is the SWMBO law. It varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.

[glend]

Perhaps the detailed required to determine which are space based weapons platforms onlycomes with large apeture.

And re the other interpretation, which I believe to be more relevant than the first; it will depend on the size of your wifes shoe collection. There must be a formula for telescope apeture/shoe space. I was kicked out of the walk in closet early on in my marriage, now I have a shed for all scope related activities

[gary]

Older observers will remember the Space Surveillance Act of 1965.

When not admiring Queens (http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/02/06/1075854066586.html?from=storyrhs), Menzies made it his personal mission to
fight anything that might aid or abet the communists.

Thus the restriction on aperture to avoid scrutinizing the US Corona
spy satellites.

The Corona's themselves were fitted with Zeiss 12" f/5 triplet lenses on
Itek cameras which easily outperformed the low-cost Kellner eyepieces
most amateurs were using to try and look back at them.

As is the nature of legislation in Australia, when it came time to enacting
it, each state opted for a different maximum allowable aperture. Most
settled on their own existing rail gauges. In NSW that was 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in,
in Queensland, 3 ft 6 in, whereas the Victorians, always feeling the need
to overcompensate due to their less transparent skies, opted for a generous
5 ft 3 in.

In NSW, policing of amateur telescope aperture was put in the
hands of Fisheries, since they already owned their own tape measures.

As usual, in the Northern Territory and ACT, it was a case of anything goes
and amateurs were allowed to use as big an aperture as they desired and
to freely purchase fireworks. This lack of aperture restriction, plus the
bonus of a cracker night, was the main reason ANU decided on Mt Stromlo.

When Whitlam was swept to power in 1972, he and Lance Barnard
held 27 portfolios during their first two weeks before a full cabinet could
be determined. According to Wookiepedia (http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Wookiee), together they passed an
amazing amount of legislation, including a repeal of the Space Surveillance
Act thus ending the restriction on aperture, shortly before passing
the legislation to bring the troops back from Vietnam.

Footnote.
The above will be no doubt be crawled by Google search robots and enter
the annal of Internet facts by day's end.

[GeoffW1]

LOL, marvellous Gary :thumbsup:

[MrB]

And of the oft forgotten state Western Australia?
I would guess as is usual they were forgotten from the act too, so like NT and ACT, no aperture limit?

[LewisM]

And so Gary's TIC (Tongue in Cheek) story starts to become the Urban Myth :)

Not sundown yet...

[AstralTraveller]

As of now, if you google " Space Surveillance Act of 1965" this thread is the 4th hit.

[rustigsmed]

No.1 now :lol:
nice work gary!!!

[gary]

Thanks David!

It is good to see life imitating art (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_imitating_art).

In fact we just made it to No.1 (see screen capture below).

Now if we mention the phrase "Space Surveillance Act of 1965" and the keyword
"Hansard (http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Hansard/Hansreps_2011)", the Googlebots will no doubt do their work,
link the two search terms and the Act will be as good as gospel. :lol:

[AstralTraveller]

Yes, well we know what sort of artist you are! And very good at it. :P

[gary]

Thank you David,

That one colour from the palette also applies very fast to the canvas and has dried
and possibly even been baked on hard already. See image below.

A treasure for future Internet archaeologists to one day uncover.

[cometcatcher]

Some councils have limits on parabolic dish sizes in certain posh areas, so if you were into radio astronomy it could be a problem.

[sheeny]

Gold!:rofl:

Do you like to play the game "Balderdash", Gary? I do.

Al.
Al.

[koputai]

Sounds like one for the tinfoil hat brigade.

Cheers,
Jason.

[MrB]

My favourite game of the 80's!
Tho I suspect you mean a different game ;)

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ylZ1R4y726A

[sheeny]

Yes, Balderdash is a "board game" where you score points for making stuff up and convincing the other player's its real. Good fun. ;)

Al.

[seeker372011]

Simply ...brilliant

[Starless]

Gary,
Fantastic work! !:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Are you a member of "The Legion Of Dynamic Discord"?

If not you should be.;)

[wavelandscott]

What a fun thread contribution Gary! Well Done!

[Octane]

Gary, I've said it before, and, I'll say it again -- I love your posts. :)

H

[Starlite]

The Australian Defence Force has 2 or more 14" Meade Cass's to keep a detailed log on space junk and satellite positions, they just beat me in purchasing the last one by a few days from a Sydney dealer,decided to go with a 20" Obsession instead. J

[multiweb]

Depends how much water you want to collect. Still pissing down in Sydney...