Astronomical Events and Our Visitors
How far can you see? About 2,500,000 X 6,000,000,000,000 miles that is to the Adromeda Galaxy. It is also a very large object covering about 3 degrees of sky or about 1/2 of a fist on an extended arm.
UNSHIELDED LIGHT from Chattanooga, East Ridge, Rossville, and Ringgold has become so bad that it has made our large telescope almost useless even with new camera and filters. The over use of light is a waste of energy and causes greater air and water pollution. Of course waste cost more for us tax payers. There is a stupid idea that giving us 24 hour daylight will make us safe and more productive. This is how chicken farmers fool their chickens to lay more eggs! Really light at night just causes stress in chickens and humans, stress that shortens our lives. If you are not a chicken, find out what you can do to limit over use of light, click your mouse here.
The Brainerd United Methodist Church, located behind the observatory, has installed 3 MH 150 watt and 4 HPS 150 watt "security" lights. All these lights are shining into the sky and toward the observatory. The lights stay on all night, and talking to the church administrator has produced nothing. This only adds an insult to the injury from all the other disrespectful people that shine light into the sky around the observatory and who do not know how to use lighting properly. We place a telescope behind the observatory for the handicapped and those that can't climb our steps to the telescope. A 10 inch telescope was placed on the roof for real time video and student research. These lights have put a stop to these programs. Link to photos of lights click here
Bill Swafford is pictured here with a 10" Newtonian telescope. Bill is in good health and in better shape than most 20 and 30 year olds. Our families celebrated Independence Day. We all don different hats that Bill provided. You can't see my koon skin cap, but Bill is in his captain's cap. He celebrate his 84 birthday in August. Bill worked as a volunteer at the observatory when I was in charge in the 1970's. He also graduated from Central High in 1933 with my father-inlaw and also with my mentor and teacher, Allison Von Slagle.
The 10" telescope was salvaged by Bill's son, John. A church camp had thrown it away. Bill and I spent part of The 4TH cleaning and assembling the telescope. The tube is very interesting. it is made up of mahogany strips on brass rings. The focuser is helical but slides in a mechined aluminum slide and is held in by leaf springs. The secondary is on a brass rod mounted to the focuser. Not shown is the 4.25 RFT finder and a set of Brandon eyepieces.
The Observatory has a new real time ccd video camera for our telescopes. This will give those with handicaps ability to see real time images and not have to climb the stairs or focus the telescope. We also will be able to record all major astronomical events.
The Walker County Planetarium is closed.
The Sun is once more very active; there are many large sunspots on its surface. DO NOT look at the sun without an approved sun filter. Do Not use eyepiece filters that come with department store telescopes. They are not safe. For information on solar filters, read Sky and Telescope, Feb'98. Observatory info line is 622-5733.
Read more about Venus from a guy who has a Ph.D., Phil Plait, and who can write better than I.
Visitors:
Challenger Space Camp:
