Six weeks ago, I became the proud owner of an absolutely amazing telescope. It is a TRIPLET APO new beaut 100mm refractor, by the name of Esprit
Very heavy, lots of glass. It came beautifully wrapped in a very solid box with padlock holes and reinforced edges, mounting gear, finder scope, field flattener and lots of screw-on bits for EP's etc.
There was only one problem...... I live in Tassie and for the last 6 weeks the weather has been HORRID . The only clear nights I had, were full of full moons. I have been staring at my new scope, taking it out of the box, making up a connection for my HEQ5, then mounting it in the garage and hoping.... listening to the rain on the roof. Yesterday, I had had enough. I opened up the garage door, pointed the telescope horizontally in the general direction of distant hills, slipped a Delite 17.3mm EP into the holder and lined up the finder scope on a distant roof. I then performed an act that is the greatest desecration any self-respecting amateur astronomer could do..... I looked through the eyepiece and saw...there in the centre of the field of view, in perfect focus, with my first light, a bloomin' great STREET LAMP - and it was ON because the day was so dark..... What a disgrace
I felt so ashamed, I packed my treasure up and carried it back into the house. As I am typing this, there it is in its beaut box, not 3 feet away and I am still listening to the wind howling and the rain pouring... Well there is always tomorrow....
