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Hi All,
A very interesting thread.
I note the original subject was "Cooling the observatory", interesting.
However this does raise a few points that, I think, are not that well understood.
In the first instance, I believe, it is imperative to construct amateur observatories that very readily conduct heat. It is vitally important that the observatory structure, as best as is possible, follow the ambient temp. I think Kinetic "Steve" makes this point very well.
The more insulation that is used the greater the lag in the reaction of the structure to the rise and fall of ambient temp.
Obviously, during the day in hot weather, if direct sunlight can be shielded in some way, then it would be of some benefit. Also if there is abundant vegetation, garden, surrounding the observatory rather than concrete or other man made structures having varying thermal properties, then this would also help, especially early in the night.
In my opinion one of the best design features is maximizing the airflow through the observatory, but in a way that is adjustable. The whole idea of having an observatory is to provide shielding from the wind and extraneous light sources. Having the ability to have forced air circulation for a couple of hours prior to observing or especially very high res planetary imaging is a good thing.
I think thin metal cladding provides far and away the best thermal properties for an observatory, it may be hot during the day but as the ambient drops through the early hours of the morning, it will result in far less of a temperature differential between the ambient air and the structure.
Regards
Trevor
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