And now for some thing different Old Scopes

[Baron von Richthofen (Vaclav)]

And now for some thing different Old Scopes
What is the oldest scope that still works but no necessary in use I mean the Big ones
I love those old scopes there's something about them

[AstralTraveller (David)]

It partly depends on how you define 'still works'. The 100" Hooker scope is still doing research but only after a major upgrade.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Wilson_Observatory

The great Birr Reflector (aka The Leviathan of Parsonstown) is operational but only after a complete rebuild, including new mirror, tube and drive. (BTW a few years ago it wasn't operating due to a problem with the drive, but I imagine that is fixed now.)

http://www.birrcastle.com/#

It is also interesting to spot deliberate?? mistake at

http://labbey.com/Telescopes/Parsontown.html

A useful list of old scopes is at

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...s_historically

[ngcles]

Hi Vaclav, Dave & all,

One day, before I die, I have promised myself a night of visual observing on the 60" Hale Telescope which, when built in 1909 was the largest in the world and is still operational.

It is located on Mt Wilson near Pasadena. The 60" is open for public viewing and use. It is the largest telescope in the world that the public can access.

A half-night's observing is $900 USD, a full night double that. Get five of your friends together (you'd want to do it with friends anyway) and that's only $300 USD each for a whole night in heaven (thank goodness it isn't sited in Melbourne, you'd have to pay for 10 cloudy nights before you'd get a clear hour).

With that sort of aperture and resolution (Mt Wilson generally has very good to excellent seeing) just imagine what the brighter PNe would look like at say x1200 !!!

Here's an observing report from one such night:

http://10minuteastronomy.wordpress.c...ort-mt-wilson/

Or, perhaps the jet in M87, or ...


Best,

Les D

[citivolus (Ric)]

Not necessarily the "oldest", but the oldest big scope that I have personally seen, the 36" refractor at Lick is missed in those wikipedia articles. It was completed around 1888, and still sees use today. It is truly a behemoth refractor, at 25,000 lbs.

Check out the shot of the eq mount for it!