The Ghosts of Telescopes

When telescopes are used at night for stargazing, it is important that the mirrors be at the same temperature as the night sky, to avoid warm air coming off the mirrors and that air distorting the image.  So when telescopes are left on the observing field during the day, they are covered with mylar film to reflect sunlight and keep the telescopes cool.  Of course, when a whole field of telescopes have these coverings they look like ghosts, to me.

I Won a Prize at Stellafane

I am stunned, and really pleased.  I wanted to display the telescope I built for observing sunspots, at Stellafane, but there was nothing really in particular about this scope and I had not ground and polished the lens.  But I wanted to show it to people so decided to enter it in the competition, under "Mechanical."  They gave me second prize in the "Special Category" as it's called.  I think they really liked that I was doing science with this telescope.  When it was on display, about a dozen people or so came by to look at it, and to ask detailed questions.  The people who were fascinated about the project were really impressed and wanted to take pictures of it. So that was fun.  I won a prize in mechanical design here, back in 1992, I think it was, for a telescope I built to take to Australia, that folded up on a board.

A Small Request

I received the following request from my friend Dean in Tucson:  "How 'bout showing some actual pictures of the star party or telescopes this year?  You always find interesting things on the way, but some of us would find the reason you are there interesting!"  He's right!  I don't think I ever show photographs of the telescope maker's conference!  So I will do that this year.  This is Ryan from down below Richmond, VA, and he is a professional telescope maker.  I spotted this beauty from 100 feet away!  Because of the single aluminum ring that acts as the cage - the "cage" holds the secondary mirror and the focuser for the eyepiece.  What's brilliant about this design is the low mirror box with the oversized bearings.  This is what I am planning to do when I get working on my 18" f/4.3 telescope.  Seeing Ryan's handiwork has inspired me to get back to my project!  That is the power of Stellafane!

Black-eyed Susans

Busy day today.  I was at the Hartness House Workshop, for a conference called "Sub-Arc-Second Spatial Resolution Imaging."  You all would have loved it!  The speakers were first rate and there was a great turn out.  Then we had dinner and the keynote address by someone from the U.S. Naval Observatory, and then I drove up to Breezy Hill where the convention is and where everyone set up their telescopes.  It was a nice clear night and I hated to drag myself away, but I have to get up in time for breakfast tomorrow, or starve...   :-)   So in the interest of expediency, I am posting another favorite photograph from yesterday.  This one is also from the Vermont Welcome Center.  I promise to post some photos from the convention in the next few days.  In the morning I head off to Mass MoCA, so I will be tempted to post something from that trip!  And, hey, this is not a bad photo!  I forgot to mention that I was interviewed by a local paper which is doing a story on Stellafane.  You can find the interview online, here: http://www.eagletimes.com/An_eclectic_club.html

Ghosts of Farmers Past

I stopped at the Vermont Welcome Center, which is right after you cross over the line between Massachusetts and Vermont.  Every year I come up with at least one photograph here, on the grounds surrounding the visitor's center.  I think I have seen these old farm implements before, but I don't remember that they had mowed around them, and mowed pathways so that you could get up close to them.  These are wonderful old rusted examples of early farm equipment.  I am almost positive that I remember seeing my grandfather Spencer on one of these hay rakes, pulled by a team of two horses as he raked up hay that had been cut and left to dry.  Seeing them all around the grounds got me thinking of all the farmers who used this equipment in the years before it ended up here. One of the lessons here is how many ways you can photograph a single object.  The middle image is only included because it is so abstract.  So which is your favorite? 

High Line Leftover

I was going through some of the stuff I shot on the High Line a while back, and found this shot that I never posted.  I saw this wall with the door in it, and just stood there shooting as people walked by.  This isn't perfect, but it is close to what I wanted, with our eyes going back and forth between the two couples, which I think makes it interesting. NOTE!  I am headed to Vermont for 5 days for the telescope makers conference.  If you don't see any new posts, it means I am off the grid, so no need to worry.

More Choices

Help me pick the better photograph, again, please.  I went over to the side garden, where Kathy's Zinnias are exploding.  A beautiful thing to see.  So I spent some time looking for an interesting composition.  Then after shooting some pictures with my regular Nikon lens, I went inside and got my "lensbaby."  It is essentially a magnifying glass mounted on a device that holds it in front of the camera and allows me to focus.  I have used it before, and the danger is that it may just seem like a cheap trick.  Which photograph do you like the best?