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01-09-2010, 02:19 PM
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Galaxy hitchhiking guide
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: The Shire
Posts: 8,472
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Palomar Observatory happy snaps
Through a well connected friend I consider myself very fouturnate to have been given the "cook's tour" last week. Some happy snaps here:
http://www.atscope.com.au/BRO/galleyOS12.html
Caltech have improved their public outreach program significantly since I first visited this astronomy Mecca some 15 years ago.
If you are in Southern California and have a spare day, it's well worth the 3 hour drive from LA to the 200" as guided tours are also available to the public.
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01-09-2010, 02:23 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Western Australia
Posts: 8,277
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Thanks for sharing Pete
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01-09-2010, 02:50 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Wollongong
Posts: 3,819
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Very nice. 
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01-09-2010, 03:05 PM
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Galaxy hitchhiking guide
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: The Shire
Posts: 8,472
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Glad to share the experience.
Unfortunately I only had a happy snap camera
so had to mosaic a lot of the shots as its lens wasn't all that wide.
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01-09-2010, 03:15 PM
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Billions and Billions ...
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Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Quialigo, NSW
Posts: 3,143
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Thanks for sharing Peter - very cool. Must have been a big kick to get that close to some awesome history. I'd pay good money for a tour like that!
Cheers, Marcus
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01-09-2010, 03:18 PM
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Let there be night...
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Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Hobart, TAS
Posts: 7,639
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A wonderful experience. When my ex-wife Jenny and I were living in Calif a few years ago we used to camp underneath the dome in winter, as well as up the road at Mt San Jacinto. Jim Gunn himself (Caltech - first person to employ CCD technology on the 200" during the mid-80's) took us around on our own cook's tour in the mid 90's. I got to go up to the cage as well. Very, very neat.
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01-09-2010, 03:27 PM
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No More Infinities
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Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Townsville
Posts: 9,698
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Nice piccies 
Would've been fun going over the old scope and the rest of the facilities
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01-09-2010, 03:59 PM
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Galaxy hitchhiking guide
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: The Shire
Posts: 8,472
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Quote:
Originally Posted by renormalised
Would've been fun going over the old scope and the rest of the facilities |
It was indeed!
Despite it's age the 5.0 metre still holds up well, as it is reportedly extremely reliable when compared to ( much larger) Alt Az systems which are often troubled by computer glitches and the resulting downtime.
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01-09-2010, 06:36 PM
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ze frogginator
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Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Sydney
Posts: 22,079
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Wow! Lucky so and so. Green with envy. Very cool pictures and interesting read.
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01-09-2010, 07:57 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 942
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Love the top picture Peter. Thanks for sharing.
Terry
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01-09-2010, 08:53 PM
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Mostly harmless...
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Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Posts: 5,735
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Wow - how great would that be to get in there.
Thanks so much for sharing Peter
Wonder if there's a Losmandy G11000 being considered now.... 
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01-09-2010, 09:28 PM
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Galaxy hitchhiking guide
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: The Shire
Posts: 8,472
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RobF
Wow - how great would that be to get in there.
Thanks so much for sharing Peter
Wonder if there's a Losmandy G11000 being considered now.... |
Sorry, no new mounts from HGM. But you never know, Gemini is probably due for an update
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01-09-2010, 09:47 PM
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6EQUJ5
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Sydney
Posts: 3,663
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wow. what a buzz to tour Palomar
there are bigger telescopes today but for so many years it was Palomar and Jodrell Bank's Lovell in optical and radio respectively that ruled the roost
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01-09-2010, 10:13 PM
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Moving to Pandora
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Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Swan Hill
Posts: 7,102
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 wow wow i could stare at that for ages nice pics im soooo jealous Peter you lucky bugger
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01-09-2010, 10:37 PM
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Sandy Ridge Observatory
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Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Gippsland, VIC
Posts: 768
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Peter, thanks for posting those pics and captions. Nice to have contacts, and your tour could be topped only by getting a look through the eyepiece!
Chris
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01-09-2010, 11:07 PM
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Galaxy hitchhiking guide
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: The Shire
Posts: 8,472
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ChrisM
Peter, thanks for posting those pics and captions. Nice to have contacts, and your tour could be topped only by getting a look through the eyepiece!
Chris
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Actually this was discussed.
As far as I know this has not happened with the 200".....buuuttt... the 60" does occasionally get, believe it or not, an 80mm Tank sight eyepiece attached to it, which I'm told does clearly reveal colour in M42.
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01-09-2010, 11:19 PM
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Moving to Pandora
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Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Swan Hill
Posts: 7,102
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03-09-2010, 12:19 PM
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Support your local RFS
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Join Date: May 2006
Location: Wamboin NSW
Posts: 12,405
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Great pictures Pete.
I'd love to get there one day and see it for real.
Cheers
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03-09-2010, 12:46 PM
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ATMer and Saganist
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Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Adelaide S.A.
Posts: 2,293
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Thanks Pete for sharing.
The shot of you and Scott in front of the fork is fantastic.
So impressive! What a beautiful bit of engineering she is.
Steve
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