I said in last nights post, that I knew what I wanted to write about Astronomy. There is nothing in this picture that’s is in anyway related to Astronomy. It was just nice to get out this morning after yesterdays rain.
There several moments in time when I realised I really enjoyed Astronomy. My Brother-in-law took the time to show me how to find the Plough. That is very likely to have been a starting point.
The second time occurred when I was walking between my sisters and my friends places following the line of the road I was walking along a huge fireball shot overhead, it was high, so I’m guessing that it didn’t come to ground. But, it was a long bright trail.
Then, there were the moon landings, but there is no doubt in me that my love of the subject was well established by then.
One of the first books I read from the grown up section of our library was the story of the building of Jodrell Bank. I had always wanted to visit Jodrell, that dream came true in 2011. It was lovely.
Over time, I’ve had a number of telescopes, I’ve got two at the moment. A 6 inch reflector and a three inch refractor. They have been up in the shed, I get them out occasionally. Not often enough, definitely. Fiddley to set up and use – I have three options;
- Get a telescope with a “Go-Too” mount, but I think it would have to be permanently mounted in a purpose built dome (not impossible, just impractical, and a bit expensive).
- Binoculars – but I want a sun lounger type chair that rotates, preferably by motor, with a good pair of bino’s on a cantilever mount. Mostly doable – the motor bit might be awkard, nowhere near as expensive as Option one, definitely achievable.
- The chair from Option Two, and the naked eye – with occasional optical support. I have a perfectly good chair, I have several pairs of binoculars, I even have a tripod mount (not cantilever, mind you) – All I really need for this are clear skies, and the enthusiasm to get out there!
For quite a while now, I have had a hankering to have duplicates of instruments used by the 16th century astronomer Tycho Brahe; https://www2.hao.ucar.edu/Education/FamousSolarPhysicists/tycho-brahes-observations-instruments
I can no more tell you why, or where this stuff comes from than fly.
Bills Posts 