Does your telescope have a name?

[ngcles]

Hi All,

Just a thought. I've never given any of my 'scopes a name, but I know several people do like to christen theirs with some sort of moniker.

Have you given your 'scope a name?

If so, what is its name and why?

If not, why not?

Just interested.


Best,

Les D

[lacad01]

Nah, not me. At the end of the day it's just bits of wood, metal and glass which collect light :)

[Enchilada]

Both my own telescopes are named "Willy." :D

[Glenhuon]

My 60mm is called "Tennerscope" as it cost me $10 from the tip recycling yard many years ago. The 80mm is "Rainmaker" as it poured for 6 weeks just after I finished building it. Not come up with a name for the 10" Dob yet (another find in a rubbish tip) although "Photon Recycler" appeals :)

Bill

[spacezebra]

Hi there

My LB 12" is called "Dennis"

My ED 80 is called "Carolyn"

My soon to arrive SDM 20" will be christened "Albert"

Cheers Petra d.

[AstralTraveller]

Not me but a friend built a large (by the standards of the day) dobs, painted it red and called it Antares.

You've made me realise something; we're selling the troopie we've had for 25 years and we don't even have a name for it. Probably just as well in a way, it is it's breaking our hearts to sell it. :( And, yep, we bought a newer troopie (which has more space for more scopes).:)

[JD2439975]

carrying the 10" outside I consider as "waltzing with the waterheater", so I guess the generic "waterheater" is it...so far.

[sheeny]

No, my scope doesn't have a name, but I used to name all my guitars (none of the guitars I have at present have a name though). Being a mass produced C8, and PST, I haven't named them, but I really appreciate names for custom made scopes - something that some one has put a lot of effort and thought into, that is special and unique deserves a name:thumbsup:.

Al.

[Peter Ward]

Yep. "Sir Costlaught"

[marki]

I call my LX200 R2D2 because it looks like the little droid out of SW when its all packed up standing on its base.

Mark

[stephenb]

Nice one.

"money pit"... oh wait, that's the hobby in general :rofl:

Les, I thought there may be more responses. I have noticed on Cloudy Nights that a lot of people there give names to their instruments.

[mick pinner]

my main scope is called ZIGGY (stardust).

[Jen]

i call mine "my baby" :D

[Paddy]

I have yet to come up with a name that does it justice!

[jjjnettie]

My first scope was a 60mm ebay scope I called it "the wobbletronic".
The 10" Dob was named "The Annie Jump Cannon".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annie_Jump_Cannon
My latest mount, the iOpron Mini Tower was christened "The Tower of Terror." The Strongman, Mike, called it that when I first got it and the name has stuck.
The Cube is "Astroboy" because it's blue and it's got a sticker of Astroboy on it.

[Rodstar]

My scope is fondly called "The Phalluscope" by my wife. She mutters something about overcompensation, or something like that... ;-]

I call it "The Mary Rose" after the famous ship in King Henry VIII's battle fleet. King Henry VIII spared no expense in the construction of his Mary Rose, and so it has been for me with mine! I like to think of setting sail each time I go observing, on a cosmic voyage of discovery. It seems particularly apt when I go voyaging through the constellations which were once collectively known as Argo Navis.

[Kevnool]

My 10"lightbridge is called Dorothy cause it looks like the thing with the onboard posdopler in the movie twister....lol.

The 16" is leaning towards Brutus...say no more.
Cheers Kev.

[GeoffW1]

Not sure about all this.:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

I refuse to confess anything myself, other than that I did give it a name or three when I was trying to get it in the car. :whistle:

Cheers

[AstralTraveller]

I'd always though it was some obscure form of weapon. I've heard short dobs referred to as cannons, so that was the connection I made. The real reason for the name is much nicer!

[leon]

Mine has a few choice names, depends how much it plays up each evening, :lol: it has never been christened officially. :whistle:


Leon :thumbsup:

[bones]

My wife gave my scope a name when I got it - "Celest."
It is after all a Celestron.

She asks me every now and then "Are you taking Celest out tonight?" She's jealous because I take Celest out more than her.:whistle:

[jjjnettie]

Annie's contribution to the science of Astronomy deserves the highest of recognition.
Can't imagine how hard it must have been back then, being a woman in this field of work.

[kinetic]

Rod,

after reading your thoughtful post I tried and tried to find an explanation
Bill Arnett wrote about an image he created probably a decade or so ago.
I could not find the text:sadeyes: but I found the image! (http://www.gly.bris.ac.uk/www/teach/virtrips/gifs/ThreeShips.jpg)
It is a wonderful image even though I think it is a composite.
Originally it was only two ships, he's added the third later if I
recall correctly.
It shows ships of exploration, ready to set sail on a voyage of
discovery. Your post made me recall that image.
I bet you can recall some beautiful voyages onboard Mary Rose.

Steve

[TrevorW]

Both my scopes are black

The 3" I call Winky

the 8" I call BBB

Cheers

[Glenhuon]

I remember one of the members in the ASSW called his 8" short focus reflector "Canetoad", cause it was short, squat and green :)

Bill

[Enchilada]

Just hope the telescope tube wasn't as ugly nor was as poisonous!! :lol:

[Wavytone]

Better call mine "Strop" (grotty) and "Delvene" - blonde, leggy and ... I leave the rest to your (filthy) imaginations... ;)

[Blue Skies]

I remember the Canetoad - and the goat suit! (say no more!)

My 8" dob is the Redback because I wanted it to be black and the place I moved into just as I was finishing it had a lot of redbacks in it, but I don't refer to it that often.

Other names I've come across: the Purple People Eater, the Downpipe, the Howitzer and the Binosaur! (but I've not been lucky enough to view through the latter. :sadeyes: ) And one called Bruce, because it is a blue Meade SCT - true blue, you see, so it needed a true blue name!

[Jen]

:lol::lol::lol:

[wavelandscott]

Interesting thread!

Maybe I am just a boring and unimaginative person (off topic for this thread :P) but, I've never named a telescope.

I have named other innanimate objects in the past (car, golf club, baseball bat) just not a telescope.

I call them by what they are listed in my signature as seen below...

I guess I have just not been inspired to a particular name for any of them...At least not yet!

[Barrykgerdes]

I have given my telescope some names "unrepeatable on this forum". especially when it stops tracking because I knocked the power off!

Barry

[ngcles]

Hi All,

Well I'm finally persuaded (after having had it for 6 years) that my 18" 'scope needs a name and I've thought long and hard about it overnight.

I've a friend with a 20" who calls his 'scope the "Total Perspective Vortex" (see Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy).

I'm a bit of a fan of Greek mythology as it applies to astronomy, so I went looking for something apt there to name the scope after and have settled on this which I think fits nicely given the size of the 'scope and the nature of its most frequent observing targets:The Argus Panoptes.

The Argus (there was only ever one) was Hera's (Juno) faithful servant: an all-seeing, never sleeping, (in some versions) giant watchman.

You can read a brief account here on Wiki:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argus_Panoptes

It just seems to fit.


Best,

Les D

[wavelandscott]

Well Done and Congratulations!

I like the story and the "fitting" name. May your Argus Panoptes keep watch on clear dark skies and never sleep...

Cheers,

[Glenhuon]

Phil still has the Downpipe I think. Never saw the Binosaur completed, was still a work in progress when I left for over east. Would be an awesome instrument to have a look through.

Bill

[MrB]

I like it!

Never named my scope, tho if I had to I'd probably call it 'Dusty'......

[multiweb]

I call them names alright when they don't track properly :whistle: Otherwise no. I spent so much time with my C11 lately pre and post mods that my wife got jealous and did give it a name "big john". So if I need something she'll turn around and say "go and ask big john". Is that good or bad? :lol:

[Enchilada]

:lol::lol:

[pgc hunter]

I don't name my scopes, but perhaps the title "Backbreaker" would be appropriate for my 12", while the 10" can be "backbreaker Jr"...


let me guess......the linguistic form of the rude finger in Eta Carina? :rofl:

[AlexN]

I named most of my scopes...
The 6" f/8 achro was "The Big Honkin Refractor", Name given to it by its previous owner, seemed fitting enough!
The 8" newt was "the light bucket".
The Megrez 102ED was "old yella", because it was yellow
the ZS66 was "mini-scope".. obvious reasons.
The C11 was "The beast".. again, obvious reasons...

As for the 8" RC... Well.. I can't say I've named it yet... I considered "yee who is so hard to collimate." but its a bit long... :)

I'll get around to naming the RC...

The one I never named was the ST80, i figured it was just a guide scope... it doesnt need a name...

[AdrianF]

Yes my scopes have names but nothing i will repeat here, too many delicate ears. They only have names when i have to carry them down stairs into the yard.

Adrian

[firstlight]

My 10 inch, which is not in service at present (and unless I get a life, may not return to service in the near future), is named "Cedalion"

Cedalion is the name of the metalsmith that Orion carried on his shoulder when he was blinded by King Oenopion and guided Orion to be healed.

I was always under the impression that Cedalion was a cyclops that carried Orion (although a quick check on the net does not agree) and it seemed an appropriate name at the time, a one-eyed giant who gave sight to the blind.

Sad I guess... but what do you expect from a guy who names his children after stars?

[space oddity]

My scopes do not have names, but the rather large box that the 10 inch LX200 lives in is named "the coffin". My largest meteorite has the nickname "the beast" (19 1/2 pound Campo del Cielo) although the wife calls it" a bloody rock". The beast resides at work for all to admire.... and avoid the aforementioned insults from the wife:P

[Rodstar]

Great image Steve - love it. And yes - the sights from my "ship" always leave me with me ever increasing wonderlust. :thumbsup:

[scopemankit]

Our 14" dob at the Cederberg observatory is called Bertha.

The name came from a German tourist in 1997, who on seeing the telescope for the first time said, "It looks just like our rail mounted weapon from the first world war! Big Bertha" - the name stuck!

Since then, I have built a 12" dob called Bertie and our old 7" imaging scope was called the Humble Telescope.

[Ric]

At the moment with all this cloud and rain hanging around I've named my scope "Dust collector" because thats all its doing in the corner of the room.

Cheers

[RB]

When I got my LX200 12" I named it "Principia".

My Orion ST80 guidescope is "Jiminy Cricket" - you know.....'Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide'.

Haven't named the others yet.

:)

[Screwdriverone]

Hi Les and everyone,

As listed in my signature, the Flex dob is called R2, because he looks like R2-D2 when collapsed.

The Blur-a-scope 5 incher therefore became R1 as he was the first scope I bought. I shouldnt really call it Blur a scope, its not that bad, needs a dust off though, havent had it out (or R2 for that matter) for a long time because of the "drought" we are having here in Sydney. Seems the only time it clears up is when the FULL MOON IS OUT!!!!! aaaaaaarrrrgggghhhh! :)

Cheers

Chris

[DavidU]

My two scopes are Rain Maker 1 and Rain Maker 2.
I live in Melbourne.