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Re: Astronomy labs



On Friday, 18th at 14:16:45 EST, Tina Fanetti enumerated some
astronomical observing considerations, among which:
Message-id: <0H4600NK3ZBB34@mailgate1.nau.edu>
Status: U
X-UIDL: PbBgVNHkIe429wE

1. We don't have planetarium software. I'm looking for a free
version.
2. I don't have the funding for a CCD/video imaging system.
3. As an undergraduate, I spent a great deal of time at the telescope
because
a) I'm a moron.
b) I didn't know what I was doing.

/snip/

At 03:11 PM 10/18/02, Vickie Frohne responded:
Tina, //
(1) You may already have some planetarium software without knowing it
...
search for "Planetarium Software" ...
http://www.seds.org/billa/astrosoftware.html which lists a lot of programs,
some free.

(2) Actually, I haven't used a CCD/telescope system either. I've just seen
them in the ads in Astronomy and Sky and Telescope. A basic system may not
be that expensive ///

(3) You are NOT a moron, and all these activities are excellent things to
do!
///
Vickie


In connection with item (3), I am reminded that my daughter called from
Memphis the other evening, sounding unusually cheerful.
When I asked, she explained that her husband, the minister, had been
'validating her opinions'.
I was not at all sure what 'validating' represents, in this context.
She explained it like this: there is sometimes a perceptible Venus vs
Mars issue where a woman who explains some incident of the day's
happenings, finds it especially welcome if her partner supports her
position,
and suggests that the right course of action was chosen, or that the feeling
in question was well-placed, or in brief, if the expressed personal responses
were supported. Georgina further explained, that a response which she
visualized as more Mars-aligned, was "trouble-shooting" i.e. "You could
have tried this, said that, done the other"...and so on.
This can be quite unwanted and so unwelcome, she claimed.

Armed with this new insight, I can propose that Vickie's item 3) was validating
Tina's position; nevertheless, in response to item 2) I will persist in a
modest
'trouble-shooting' excursion, which follows.

I recently received a fresh catalog from SuperCircuits, which is a CCD
camera vendor. Their PC164C camera is rated at 0.0003 lux b&w, taking
12V 100 mA, 2.5 X 1.2 X 1.2 inches, 1 yr warranty, without lens,
on offer for $130 They advert to an image of Saturn, and one of Jupiter
with a moon. They claim some deep sky objects can be seen in real-time.
The camera is hooked to a PC with the cables supplied.

Sincerely

Brian W.

Ref: SuperCircuits 1-800-335-9777 Texas. <http://www.supercircuits.com>
Brian Whatcott
Altus OK Eureka!

This posting is the position of the writer, not that of SUNY-BSC, NAU or the AAPT.