Name for a Scope

[barx1963 (Malcolm)]

Now I have my 20" dob up and running very well. I think it is time to give it a name.
The SWMBO is of the opinion that cars are always named with female, so in our family we have Toni Toyota, Patty Pulsar, Heidi Hyundai etc etc.
As useful things like cars and telescopes tend to have female names I was thinking of a female name to name it.
My initial idea was Henrietta to honour Henrietta Leavitt but thought I might ask for others ideas. (and no I am not going with Debbie the Dob!!)

Malcolm

[mental4astro (Alexander)]

Hi Malcom,

Did the 20" have a name with its previous owner, or one from its maker like a model?

I aske this as one way to name it is as a derivative of its previous name. I called my 17.5" Odessius after its original configuration of "Odyssey II" as the model.

The only other scope I've named is my 8" f/4 dobbie, called F4. Any guess why???

Is there a particular line or curves in the scope you really like? Someone it reminds you of - you mentioned Henrietta. A woman that's had a major influence in your life, like a teacher?

Where I'm coming from is to give you different was to draw inspiration from to find a name. It's your baby...

[traveller (Bo)]

Did you name the dobbie Pamela Anderson, or was it another
Bo

[barx1963 (Malcolm)]

Alex
The Henrietta was after Henrietta Leavitt, who was a computer at the Harvard Observatory back in the early 20th Century and was instrumental in establishing the use of Cepheid variable in determining distances and which lead to Hubbles discoveries of the distances to galaxies and the eventual discovery of the expanding universe. This ultimately lead to the Big Bang Theory ( the actual theory, not the TV show!!)

As such she is a little known but very influential female in the development of our understanding of the Universe.

Malcolm

[Shano592 (Shane)]

What is the first thing you view(ed) through it?

[Screwdriverone (Chris)]

How about Caroline, as in, Caroline Herschel?

I will let you do the research on her, she did a LOT of astronomy for and with her brother William.....even discovered some comets....

Either that, or her middle name of Lucretia...?

I think Caroline is a pretty name, for what I assume is a pretty scope?

Cheers

Chris

[stephenb (Stephen)]

Originally Posted by Shano592

What is the first thing you view(ed) through it?

Good idea! As long as your first object wasn't NGC4755, because "Jewel" is taken.That'll be on SDM059.

[cybereye (Mario)]

How about "Bertha" as in "Big Bertha", the nickname given by the Allies to the big German cannons during WWI? They looked like dobs....

Cheers,
Mario

[TechnoViking (James)]

What about Mr Dobalina? from that funny 90's rap song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFqov8a9iL4

I know what you mean about naming things, my car is "Icky bod", and my motorcycle is "Ecky Thump" lol

[LewisM]

I call my Vixen FL102S fluorite refractor "Flo", for obvious reasons

Sometimes I just call it the best darned scope ever made... and I truly believe it too. Seems to make her perform better

[Steffen]

In what context would the name be used? Obviously not to address the scope itself Would you talk about it using the name?

A mate of mine has a boat he uses for fishing mostly, it's got a name painted on its hull but he never refers to it as anything other than "the boat".

My scopes are named "the Mak", "the Dob" and "the refractor"

Cheers
Steffen.

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

I'v always thought of a big dob as like an ice burg, big, bold and silent, what you see is only a few percent of what is seen in the eye piece under a dark sky. Not a girls name but in Eskimo Iceberg is "puktaaq"

Just an idea..?

Otherwise, how about Brunhilda = big and bold and boy, can she sing!

Mike

[astro_nutt]

In relation to the scope's light gathering abilty itself...what about
"The Photoneer 508"
Cheers!

[erick (Eric)]

Recently went to Auckland and was picked up by a guy with a van with "Da Van" painted on the side of it

Whatever you call it, it won't answer

What do you reckon, Malcolm - masculine or feminine? How about a photo to stimulate our thinking?