for those interested in sketching and or historical observing

[Brian W (Brian)]

Hi the following link will take those interested to an article by Holden on the Horseshoe (swan / omega) nebula. Incredible sketches and explanations of how the sketches were made.
Brian


http://books.google.com/books?id=DyI...rschel&f=false

[Suzy]

Yes! Thankyou for that link Brian!
I'm starting out with something easy first- the Ring Nebula, but the weather hasn't been good the last couple of weeks. I hope to do it and post it in the Sept. Obs challenge thread. I have been learning some tips from there as well.
Brian, you should post a sketch for Sept. obs. challenge!

[Brian W (Brian)]

trust me I shouldn't.
B

[Suzy]

Brian, some of us (me included) are having a go for the first time, so you will be in good company. Think about having a go (please?). Trust me, I think you should .

[Brian W (Brian)]

I could give a 'village' yes but that would just mean no so yes Suzy I'll consider it. BUT until I finish my observatory so that I have desk, light and pad all in their proper places it is probably not going to happen.

I am really really really clumsy and searching for a dropped pencil is such an aggravation!
Brian

[sly (John)]

Brian, thanks for sharing this link!
Very interesting!

[Steffen]

Fascinating, and some fantastic sketches. All those people were cheating, of course - velvet darks skies every night…

Cheers
Steffen.

[Brian W (Brian)]

Actually the skies might not have been velvety black. I live in the Philippines and when 90 million people cook with wet fuel or charcoal the skies are more like mud than velvet.

H2 talks of amazingly bad nights in S.A..

If you read any Sherlock Holmes story they always mention the yellow atmosphere of London.

Granted they skies were undoubtedly better then than now in most cases but the scopes were also worse. H2's 20 feet reflector needed a ground crew to move it and had at the best 66% reflectivity.

Brian

[mental4astro (Alexander)]

Brian, thanks so very much for the link. Fascinating reading, for sure.

I found it interesting that the method suggested in drawing development very closely follows the way I go about mine. The main difference being the use of a reticle.

I've toyed with the idea of making a grid reticle for my eyepieces, after making a simple cross-hair reticle for a couple of cheap eyepieces used in finders. This article has rekinddled my interest in persueing this.

Should at least make for an interesting exercise in futility, .

[Brian W (Brian)]

messing about in small boats or with telescopes is much more worthwhile than almost anything!