Splendors in the Sky

Received this book as a Christmas present from my sister.



Splendors of the Universe is by Dickinson and Newton, published by Firefly.

It is a wonderful and inspiring book as I further consider astrophotography.

old news

My sister gave me a newspaper, the London Free Press, from Monday 21 July 1969. The front page reads (of course): "Man on the moon."

I'll have to protect this relic.

I have very faint memories of watching the news live on TV at the time.

HTML training

I deliver computer training. For my own courses, designed from the ground up, I like to have good sample files. For my HTML level 3 course, in which I discuss frames (whether you love 'em or hate 'em), I thought I'd do a "tour of the solar system." By clicking on the menu displayed in left pane, you'd pull up detailed info in a pane on the right.



I borrowed the planet images from the Views of the Solar System web site by Calvin Hamilton.

packing list

Found an old packing list, a list I used to remember items to pack for certain types of trips. I found the following under the "stargazing equipment" category.

telescope gear

• equatorial mount and counter weights
• tripod with strap
• stool
• main tube in case
• various accessories
• mini flashlight with fresh batteries
• dew cap

binoculars
detailed star charts
Observer's Handbook
Astronomy Data Book
planisphere
Red Shift print outs (inverted)
Procyon (in Psion)

Interesting stuff. I can't remember which Psion model I was using then. It could have still been a Series 3c although some time in '97 the Series 5 came out.

It is also noteworthy that I had the dew cap. Again, I cannot remember exactly when I bought it but it was my first accessory obtained to combat dew.

moon phases on Psion

Campbell asked me if there was a program for the Psion palmtop that would show the phase of the moon. He said he did not want to use Procyon. So I did a bit of searching and forwarded the choices to him.

handle broken

The handle on the telescope case trunk broke.

It wasn't a great handle. The hard plastic was uncomfortable when transporting the case over a long distance. Still, it was better than nothing. Without it, it takes two hands now to move the heavy trunk.

I could replace this is a handle made with something softer, more comfortable, padded.

Or maybe I should rig up a shoulder strap...

comet Hale-Bopp (Burlington)

I viewed the comet Hale-Bopp on Saturday and Sunday from north Burlington while visiting my parents! It was really good. And it won't be back for 4300 years... City viewing is possible. You must be ready around sunset to 8pm. Well suited to binoculars.



photo from Paul Markov's site

Set up the telescope in the Mt Nemo Conservation Area parking lot which generated a lot of interest with the other observers.