Help: 14"+ Scope in Townsville needed for a few hours

AstroJunk (Jonathan) · #1 17-09-2009, 07:51 PM

Hey All.

I have been contacted by a pro astronomer in the US who plans to travel to Townsville to observe (with any luck) an occultation by a KBO on the 9th of October.

To save having to ship a scope out, does any one have or know of a 14" celestron or meade SCT or similar that he could make use of for a few hours.

Kudos for being involved in a major international project will be your main reward

Many thanks in advance...

Liz · #2 17-09-2009, 08:20 PM

Hey Jonathon .... alas noone is our club has one of those, most of us have Dobs, one guy has a 10" Meade SCT.
I think there maybe one at the Uni but hasnt been used for quite awhile, Carl (renormalised) may have further info there.

AstroJunk (Jonathan) · #3 17-09-2009, 09:46 PM

Thanks Liz, fingers crossed something will turn up...

AstroJunk (Jonathan) · #4 23-09-2009, 10:19 PM

Gratuitous (and first and last) bump.

Looks like there is an aperture deficit in Townsville

renormalised (Carl) · #5 25-09-2009, 02:54 PM

There is a 14" Celestron at Uni, but right now it's not usable as far as I know. I have an 8" Meade and there is another 10" Meade in town. Not much by the way of goto's of a decent size up here as not many peeps can afford one!!!. Apart from mine, the other one and the Uni, I don't think there's too many up here!!. What I could do is give you the email address of the Centre and they might be able to arrange something.

Here it is.... Astronomy@jcu.edu.au

Pass that onto the person in question and they can go from there.

You could also ring the Director of the Centre for Astronomy, Dr Andrew Walsh, on this number... (International: +61 7 4781 6437) and speak to him directly.

AstroJunk (Jonathan) · #6 25-09-2009, 10:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by renormalised

Not much by the way of goto's of a decent size up here as not many peeps can afford one.

No excuse - sell your soul

Thanks for the lead

AstroJunk (Jonathan) · #7 09-10-2009, 02:31 PM

HELLLP!!!!

Ok, our man from the States has arrived in good time for the event tonight and brought and across a 10" scope to do the job.

At least with his own scope, he has had a chance to calibrate the settings for recording the event.

UNFORTUNATLY, the airline saw fit to send the scope to Singapore

Liz, or anyone who knows the whereabouts of the local 10", can you PM me a phone number of someone in Townsville that I can beg off...

Thanks as ever!

Liz · #8 10-10-2009, 05:15 AM

Oh noooooooo!! What the

I am only reading this at 0400 hrs (at work) - I will PM a phone number for you, and will try and ring him when I get home this am.
Good luck!!!
Other members have 12" Dobs, and one has a 10" motorised Skywatcher. ...oops.. edit .... the occultation was 9/10 so too late : (

AstroJunk (Jonathan) · #9 10-10-2009, 09:46 AM

Thanks Liz,

It was an entertaining evening, and two splendid fellows came to the rescue - I'm sure that that you will get to hear the adventures along the line

I don't know how they got on yet - I observed a miss from here.