Astronomy Darwin Award

jjjnettie (Jeanette) · #1 07-06-2012, 02:34 PM

Who would one leave a scope set up outside without at least a dust cap on. AND he was warned by friends previously about the possible dangers.

http://www.azcentral.com/community/s...fire-abrk.html

leon · #2 07-06-2012, 02:39 PM

Some people are just plain Dumb, what a waste of a fine instrument.

Leon

Allan_L (Allan) · #3 07-06-2012, 02:39 PM

Good one JJJ

No one here would ever do anything like that, right?

Omaroo (Chris Malikoff) · #4 07-06-2012, 02:39 PM

Nincompoop... LOL

Lucky he didn't lose the entire house I guess.

AstralTraveller (David) · #5 07-06-2012, 02:42 PM

Yes quite silly - to say the least. As it says though, he isn't the only one to get caught. The photo below is from an IIS thread a few years ago where a big dobs was outside to cool down for the night. Instead it heated somewhat. Can't find the original thread but I did keep the picture.

GrahamL · #6 07-06-2012, 05:06 PM

My first visit to astrofest and admiring the big dobs in the afternoon sun
Couldn't quite fathom what I was seeing , this large impressive scopes
mirror was juat about to get a kiss from the setting sun, pointed, right at it actually , torn between not to touch anothers scope yet pretty sure something way bad was about to happen, I asked somone near bye come and look at this , needless to say the scope got moved.

So it does happen from time to time I guess.

btw.. no names need be mentioned but the scope was a 20" sdm..
black in colour

danielsun · #7 07-06-2012, 05:15 PM

What a dill!!! Lucky it was only the roof and also that no-one was killed during an afternoon nap!

jjjnettie (Jeanette) · #8 07-06-2012, 05:24 PM

I'm sure a fair few of us have had our share of close calls and the occasional minor disaster.
It's a case of lesson learned one hopes.

Baddad (Marty) · #9 07-06-2012, 05:35 PM

14" scope concentrates approximately 500watts to the focal point.
Any flammable material will ignite instantly. Its like a high powered laser.

Cheers

stephenb (Stephen) · #10 07-06-2012, 05:37 PM

That corrector plate needs cleaning

Exfso (Peter) · #11 07-06-2012, 06:08 PM

The guy who did that is nothing but a mental midget I reckon.

MrB (Simon) · #12 07-06-2012, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Baddad

14" scope concentrates approximately 500watts to the focal point.
Any flammable material will ignite instantly. Its like a high powered laser.

Cheers

I work it out to approx 30W, still a lot though in a small spot!

TrevorW · #13 07-06-2012, 07:09 PM

I'll admit that I cooked a DLSR once the same way pointing at the sun accidently while setting up a nights shoot, should have left the dust cover on

Stardrifter_WA · #14 07-06-2012, 07:26 PM

This happens more than you think, particularly with houses on the ocean front. I know of one instance, in Perth, where a spotting scope, with the cap off, was left in the window and it set the curtains caught on fire.

I don't think people are dumb, just not something most people would give much thought about. We can all make mistakes, although I wouldn't make that mistake.