What goes "Tap, Tap, Tap, Tap, Splat, Splat, Splat, Splat"?

[thunderchildobs]

On Saturday afternoon when getting ready to observe, I was moving the scope around and heard a plasticy tapping sound coming from the Dec housing on my LX200. That cannot be a good sign.

I first thought and a small screw might have came loose.

I partly removed the Dec housing cover and saw a small white ball bearing.
Strange I thought, I do not ever remembering seeing that before.
I continued to remove the housing, but the housing cover split and I saw 4 ball bearings falling to the concrete. Where on earth did these things come from and what is broken.

I waited for the sound of ball bearings bouncing around on the observatory floor, but instead I heard "Splat, Splat, Splat, Splat".

I took a very close look at the ball bearing on the floor and saw a tiny eye starring back at me!! The ball bearings were actually small eggs of a lizard, I guess a geko that had made its home in the Dec housing.

Brendan

[leon]

Thats so weird but I can see how this could come about, I to have some very large huntsman spiders living in my Observatory, they really don't do any harm but I suppose they could squeeze in between some working parts of the mount.

Leon

[thunderchildobs]

Oops. It should have been the dec housing.
The dec housing is suprisingly open on the tube side.

Brendan

[Ric]

Wow, how weird is that but nature does have a way of making the best of things.

[Night Owl]

I once knew a bloke who took off in a plane from Dubbo I think, got 20 minutes out and engine died. In the landing he hit a tree and was killed. What caused it was a wasp had made a nest in the fuel tank breather line. So as the fuel pump pumped the fuel out of the tank, it eventually created a vacuum in the fuel tank, till it could pump no more fuel.

[Phil]

I have heaps of then living in my observatory They keep the spider and insects away. Have seen some little baby's running around to.
Phil

[h0ughy]

well Brendan with the cloud cover you guys have had its no wonder - its been sitting idle for ages. Good luck with the Zoo - or is this a new Jurassic park ;)

[jjjnettie]

Gee Brendan, how bizzare.