Small Scopes

Q & A with an astronomer

2006-09-19T19:41:00.000-07:00

Well...did you ever wonder how a planetarium coordinator thinks? I just knew it! Here's the juicy detail:

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Choosing astronomy: "I'm not exactly sure how I latched onto the idea (in fourth grade), but I'd heard or seen something about Halley's comet … and I just got curious. … (I got) a small telescope for Christmas and I took it out and tried to find things like Saturn and Jupiter and things on the moon. By eighth grade, I'd decided what I wanted to do."
Planetarium redux: "Working at the planetarium (in college) I always thought in the back of my mind that this would be kind of a fun job to have. The director then … made it fun. It looked like he was having a good time. But I never really thought about it as 'I'm gonna go get my degree and come back and get his job.' "
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Flying bird photo competition

2006-09-19T19:15:00.000-07:00

Competitive photography from the Mail Tribune (Oregon):

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There were more entries than ever and photographers used film cameras, digital single lens reflexes, and one winner even used a digital "point and shoot" camera coupled to a spotting scope.

This technique, called "digiscoping," is becoming more and more common in the birding world.

But the top winner this year didn't use a digital camera as had many previous winners. He used his trusty Nikon F5 film camera.

The only trouble with having so many talented photographers is that the judges have to narrow it down to seven winners. Many photos that might have won in other contests had to be passed over. We would like to thank everyone who entered.

Third place from Wildbirds Unlimited goes to Howard Sands of Eagle Point for his shot of a male western bluebird. Howard says he took this wonderful photo with his Canon Powershot and a 20x Spacemaster spotting scope.
The third-place winner from The Northwest Nature Shop is Bob Hearth of Medford. His wonderful photo of a great egret was captured at Denman Wildlife Area near White City. Bob says he used a Canon F1 camera and a 500mm lens.
Second Place from Wildbirds Unlimited goes to Mike Dickenson of White City. This beautiful osprey shot was taken at Tou Velle State Park and Mike says he used a Canon 20D camera and a 75-300mm lens.
The second-place winner from The Northwest Nature Shop is Jim Higday of Medford. Jim's great photo of a northern saw-whet owl was taken in Eastern Oregon and Jim used a Kodak Z 740 camera.
First place from Wildbirds Unlimited goes to L. Dale Pickering of Medford. L. Dale's outstanding photo of our national bird was shot at Lower Klamath Lake. Bald eagles usually are difficult to approach but L. Dale did it with an Olympus C765UZ camera.
First place from The Northwest Nature Shop is awarded to Geanie Flanigan of Medford. Her superb shot of a great egret at J.J. Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge in Florida shows off her skill as a nature photographer. The exposure and composition are what makes a good photo great.
Finally, the grand prize awarded by Total Camera and Video was captured by Martin Livingston of White City. His remarkable shot of an Osprey capturing a fish is truly outstanding. This is a technically perfect and exciting nature photograph. The exposure, sharpness, and action are tops. And, this is truly the essence of this bird. Congratulations, Martin!
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Nikon UK: Spotting scopes with target finders

2006-08-13T09:22:00.000-07:00

Cameratown.com reports on new spotting scopes from Nikon (at least for the UK market):

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Thanks to the 65mm and 82mm objectives, both models produce clear, crisp, bright images, perfect for a range of activities. The light, compact design makes for easy portability and the added benefit of being waterproof makes them suitable (up to 2m for 5 minutes) for all conditions.
The RA III 65 WP series and the RAIII 82 WP series boast Target Sight, an attractive new feature which attaches to the main body to add flexibility. Target Sight enables sport optics enthusiasts to adjust the scope easily and efficiently. The new scopes also feature a bayonet mount, adding to a convenient user experience. Four new eyepieces are also to be introduced to compliment the new models, including a X3 zoom eyepiece (16-48/20-60x Zoom), a wide angle unit (30x/38xWide), another with a long eye relief (20x/25x LER), and a basic eyepiece (20x/25x).
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DIY Digiscoping mount

2006-08-13T09:19:00.000-07:00

While it isn't rocket science, here's some info on how to build your own camera to spotting scope bracket.

Maximizing potential or using a screwdriver to pound a nail?

2006-07-16T21:40:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure how to react to this story at Gizmodo, but I guess the value depends on the optical quailty of both devices.

If you really need some up-close-and-personal shots using a cellphone camera, Brando of Hong Kong offers its 6x telephoto attachment that works with certain Nokia 6000- and 7000- series cellphones.

The lens is held in place by a replacement battery door, and then you focus the lens using the view screen of the cellphone. If you think your cellphone camera shots look crappy now, wait until you try holding this still. Good luck. It's $19. – Charlie White

USB Web Cam With Telescope

2006-07-16T21:30:00.000-07:00

The title says it all:

If just peeping on your neighbors isn't enough, there's the USB Web Cam with Telescope from Brando. The telescoping feature probably isn't useful for regular webcam conferences unless you want to show the other side how great (or lousy) your pores are.
The scope has 7x magnification and can record at 30fps in 320x240 resolution. Perfect for incriminating evidence on what Mrs. Olsen's been doing to Mr. Sandoval's Petunias. – Jason Chen

Naive story on (lousy) digital camera binoculars

2006-07-16T21:14:00.000-07:00

I'm reporting on this story ONLY to rebut it! It presents the all-too-common initial enthusiasm about new products, when in reality they aren't all they should be.

Digital camera binoculars are convenient and let you take a photo of what you see, but the binoculars and camera are usually of poor quality. Furthermore, on the large majority of models the camera lens doesn't "see" through the binocular tubes. The net result will be a photo that's far worse than what you'd get from a high quality 10x or 12x zoom digital camera, and a binocular viewing experience that will pale in comparison with better products.

With optics you get what you pay for!

Wow! This is one of the coolest gadgets I’ve seen lately. Yet another case of ‘Why was this not invented already?’ It’s a pair of digital binoculars with a built in digital camera!

Perfect for when you are watching wildlife, now you can take a picture of the close up image and show other people of what you have seen. Gone are the days when you have to take a picture though a telescope!

Now for all those technical people out there, here are the specs. It has a 42mm quality objective, 8x magnifier and the viewing area is 112m x 912m. The light sensitivity is 27.6 and the focus is 5m – indefinite. The camera itself is a 2 Mega pixel camera with TFT display, SD card slot and a USB connection for your pc or notebook. If you understood all those details, you really are a gadget geek!

Because of the pop up LCD display screen, you wont have to squint into the binoculars whilst straining a muscle in your closed eyeball. The 8x magnifier will bring the object into perfect vision and then you just press and button and there you have it, a digital picture.

These digital camera binoculars won’t cost you the world either. This item only costs £109.95 which in my opinion is an absolute bargain and would make a great Christmas gift for the dad who has everything.

Not that I’m promoting spying on people, but that’s another use I could think of. Maybe it’s a good item for a private investigator! Whatever your use for this Binocular cam, it’s sure to open your eyes to a whole new world out there.

Binoc advice - Orlando Sentinal

2006-07-16T21:04:00.000-07:00

The Orlando Sentinal provides advice on choosing binoculars:

The expert: Mark Briskin, general manager, Top of the Rock Observation Deck at Rockefeller Center in New York. On a clear day you can (almost) see forever . . . stargaze, watch birds or just get a spectacular 360-degree unobstructed view.

The product: Binoculars.

What I want: Lightweight with anti-reflection coating, waterproof and/or anti-fog.

I must have: Binoculars that are hinged in the middle to allow adjustment for eye width. While some models may have both the right and left lens adjustment, they must at least have a right diopter -- meaning the right lens can be adjusted for your right eye independent of the central focus.

What I hate: Knowing that no matter what type you buy, it will not be the best for every use (bird-watching, sporting events, stargazing, etc.).

The savvy shopper: Know exactly your purpose for use. Understand any vision issues you or a family member has before you purchase -- if you wear glasses, you need 14-mm to 25-mm relief (distance between the eyepiece and your eye to see clear and complete images). Shop at a reputable dealer (camera shop or outdoor retail operation) that offers a return policy. Larger does not mean better.

My pick: You can go from $20 for young members of your family up to $500 or more for the homegrown astronomer. Design of the Swift-Optics Audubon 820 is based on criteria from some of the world's leading ornithologists. Equipped with a five-lens ocular system, multicoated optics and pop-and-lock eyecups for eyeglass-wearing comfort (about $300, Optics planet.com).

Next best thing: Pentax UCF-X 8X25 is a good general purpose binocular.

The Story of John Dobson

2006-06-17T10:02:00.000-07:00

John Dobson, famous the Dobsonian telescope style, had an enormous impact on amateur telescopes. His story is worth a read (with a photo of a classic Dobsonian scope from another site):

Dobson isn't a household name, nor is he one of those people you could describe "in a nutshell." He has been compared to Isaac Newton. Brett Campbell, in an article for the Wall Street Journal, called him "one of history's great popularizers of science."

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In 1956, Dobson built his first telescope, a two-inch 'scope made from scavanged parts. With it he could see the rings of Saturn, so he made another bigger one. Peering through it at the moon, he thought everyone should have the chance to see what he was seeing. Because Dobson was a monk and had no money, he had to make his telescopes with scraps and things that were given to him - old portholes and scrap wood, for example. He learned to grind his own lenses and make his own mirrors. His heavenly obsession, however, got him in trouble with his monastery, and eventually, in 1967, he was asked to leave.

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All the great big telescopes now on the planet are called Dobsonians," he said, although that's because the mount that is used on virtually every telescope today is a version of the mount that he invented. In 1978, Dobson was invited to speak at the Vedanta Society of Southern California. He now teaches a "Conceptual Cosmology" class each year there and has written several books on the subject. He has matched his peerings into deep space with deep thoughts about the nature of the universe, some of which turn astrophysics on its head. According to him, the question we should be asking is "Why do we have a universe at all?"

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Optics-shaped building #2

2006-06-17T09:35:00.000-07:00

As a follow-up to the recent post on giant binoculars, here's a building planned for China in the shape of a "giant square telescope." This seems like a bit of a stretch. Click through for various Chinese buildings in development.

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The 990-foot China World Trade Center, in Beijing, will be the centerpiece of Beijing’s developing business district. The glass-and-steel tower very gradually steps back as it rises, looking a bit like a giant square telescope. Its facade is layered with a series of faceted vertical glass-and-metal fins, creating a texture that the firm says will look somewhat like a waterfall.

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Distinct homemade telescope

2006-06-10T10:32:00.000-07:00

Here's a story on a telescope constructed with surplus parts from Ebay:

This is a telescope constructed from the combination of a Russian "Tourist-FL" eyepiece which accepts M42 (a.k.a. Pentax/Universal) manual screw mount lenses a 2x teleconverter and a Russian Lytkarino 3M-5CA 8/500(f/8 500mm)Maksutov Catadioptric Lens.. I constructed it for less than $100 using surplus and parts obtained over eBay.

The resulting telescope has an 111x magnification with "right side up" imaging, without the teleconverter the magnification is 55x. The telescope is nearly free of abberations.

Given the extreme magnification it is necessary to mount a "red-dot" paintball gunsight on top to aim it.

I'm curious about the image quality for only $100 in costs.

Hard storage case: Info and vendors

2006-06-10T10:19:00.000-07:00

Here's a topic near and dear to many of my hobbies: hard waterproof storage cases. This article discusses the topic in the context of boating, but the considerations apply to many other situations. Don't miss the vendor list at the end:

Hard case, soft case, which to choose for that next raft, canoe, or kayak trip? Each has a place in the entourage, but a hard case is about serious protection and organization. Sometimes it's overkill and sometimes it just won't fit in the boat. When to use one, what type to use and why, are the questions we'll give consideration to here.
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20 Years of Digital Imaging

2006-06-05T19:38:00.000-07:00

A fascinating article in a professional imaging magazine describes many of the advances in imaging of the last 20 years. Digital cameras are the most relevant to this blog, but lots of this stuff is great! Click through for about 20 more photos.

Stargazing and the Solstice

2006-06-05T19:23:00.000-07:00

No, not THAT Solstice! Here's a roundup of things to see in the sky this June:

The first day of summer is called the summer solstice, and although we don’t use standing stones and priests (the priests were replaced by astronomers) any more to foretell its arrival we still use the sun.

Our planet is tilted 23 1/2 degrees to a point in space called the North Celestial Pole. It is this tilt that is responsible for the seasons since at one point of Earth’s orbit the northern hemisphere is facing towards the sun and on the opposite side of its orbit it’s facing away.

When we view the rising sun at this time from Connecticut, we see our star rising further to the north as we approach the summer solstice. Since the sun rises further to the north, it is higher in the sky. This results in more direct rays, which gives us longer daylight hours and warmer temperatures.

Astronomically, summer begins when the sun’s vertical ray strikes 23 1/2 degrees north of the equator. This imaginary line of latitude is called the Tropic of Cancer.
If you were at this location during the summer solstice, the sun would be directly overhead at noon.

Naked-eye June planets

Mercury, the innermost planet in the solar system, will make a rare appearance in the west about an hour before sunset.

On June 20, the tiny planet reaches its highest point in the sky (called greatest eastern elongation), and this is the time to look for it. If you do plan to observe Mercury, the sky must be clear, and you will need an unobstructed view of the western sky.

The red planet Mars is still visible in the west just after sunset. The planet will move through the constellation of Cancer this month and on June 15th will be located in the Beehive star cluster (also called M-44).

This event will be quite an interesting sight in binoculars since the Beehive is one of the most beautiful star clusters in the sky. This star cluster is called the “Beehive” since stargazers of long ago compared the dozens of tightly packed visible stars to a swarm of bees flying around a hive.

If you do have binoculars, check it out. It’s easy to find, and worth the effort.
The ringed planet Saturn is also visible in the west, and although it is slowly fading in the sky, it is still a prominent object and a grand sight in a telescope of any size.
Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system, will be located in the southern sky as soon as the sun sets, and excluding the moon, it will be the brightest object in the night sky.

On June 8, the moon will apparently pass close to Jupiter, and this will be a good time to locate the planet. Venus appears like a dazzling jewel in the eastern predawn sky and is located near the Pleiades star cluster, which is also known as the Seven Sisters.

The two together in the early morning make a wonderful sight when viewed with the naked eye or low-power, wide-angle binoculars.

June lunacy: the Strawberry Moon

Each full moon was given a name depending upon what was taking place at that time on the earth. The full moon in June was called the “Strawberry Moon” by the Algonquin Native Americans since the strawberry harvest took place only during this month.

The June moon was also called the “Rose Moon” by Europeans since June was a month when the roses began to bloom.

First Quarter Moon will take place on June 3 (this Saturday); Full Moon will be on June 11, Last Quarter June 18 and New Moon on June 25.

On June 22, the thin crescent moon will pass near the planet Venus in the early morning sky just before sunrise. This naked eye lunar-planetary alignment should be quite a beautiful sight. Don’t miss it!

Adventures in cheap digiscoping

2006-06-05T19:08:00.000-07:00

A news story outlines one man's story in digiscoping:

You have a camera that takes nice nature photos, but only if the birds are good enough to land directly in front of you.

You have a spotting scope that brings distant birds up close, but the only way to share the image later is to describe it.

I've recently been playing with a way to bring the two together — a bracket that turns my scope into a telephoto lens for a digital point-and-shoot camera.
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I have a Swift Searcher 60 mm scope with 20X and 40X eyepieces. It gives me a nice, close up view of distant animals. A local retailer told me the camera adapter for my Swift was not available, so I went to where those two words are never spoken — the Internet.

There I found the 841-PA Telemaster Telephoto Adapter. It was listed as fitting the Searcher, so with a credit card and a click of the mouse, it was mine.

Now here's the lesson about the value of dealing with a local retailer. The accommodating Web site neglected to tell me that a piece is needed to connect the 841-PA to the Searcher. Swift no longer makes that piece. It's not available.
Undeterred, I continued my quest. While attending the massive paddle sports sale Canoecopia in Madison, I happened upon the Eagle Optics booth and the Radian UNIVERSAL Digital Camera Adapter. For about $50, I entered the world of digiscoping.

The adapter clamps onto the eyepiece of my scope. The camera screws on by the hole normally used for a tripod. Fine-tuning adjustments move the camera up or down, left or right and in or out so it matches up perfectly with the eyehole.
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My digiscope setup did capture nice closeups of a downy woodpecker, northern oriole and indigo bunting.

Next, I spent an early morning in a farm field where sandhill cranes shake off their slumber with a leisurely walk and a light breakfast of grubs and corn stubble. The limitations of digiscoping quickly became even more apparent.

To get a clear shot, you need to focus through the scope, which has a very narrow depth of field, and then clamp on the camera. Sandhill cranes standing nearby become sandhill cranes in the distance by the time you accomplish this.

I did get better at focusing through the blurry, little camera viewing screen, but this setup definitely works best on subjects that don't move around much or for focusing on a spot and waiting for the wildlife to come to it.

My own story isn't much different (I'll do a separate post when I have the time). I bought a cheap 40mm Plossl for my Pentax scope to produce the lowest magnification (it improves the exit pupil and brightness of image). It works. I also got a $35 Orion camera bracket...but can produce better pictures by handholding the camera!

Back from vacation

2006-05-29T15:39:00.000-07:00

Not that many noticed or probably cared, but I've been on vacation for a few weeks. Now I'm back and will resume regular updates.

Will digital kill pay-per-view optics?

2006-05-29T15:36:00.000-07:00

Here's an interesting story about the development of electronic binocular systems to replace traditional (cruddy) public viewing systems:

Those creepy, potentially-diseased heavy metal binoculars that you find at tourist spots might be going the way of the Do Do. The Virtual Sightseeing system uses a similar concept but can overlay graphics and text on any scene. Who wouldn’t want to see the colonists giving the Indians smallpox in Colonial Williamsburg! Why not relive the wondrous evenings of the London Blitz while looking out over the Smoke!
The system contains an LCD touchscreen, an uninterruptible power supply, and a mini CPU. The camera actually includes a motorized zoom and is currently used at Pinhel Castle in Portugal.

The system is completely weatherproof and works with most currencies. You drop in a Euro or quarter and you get to view the terrain for a few minutes. There’s even a group viewing feature so you and the rest of the folks from your Everquest clan don’t all have crowd around one pair of binoculars. Not for sale to the public, but if you own a tourist trap, drop them a line.

Great for light gathering, but not so portable

2006-04-27T23:26:00.000-07:00

A story alerted me to this Santa Monica kitsch/art, with a photo from Wikipedia:

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The winner of the Pritzker Prize, architecture’s highest honor, Gehry has won international renown, but always he kept coming home to Los Angeles, where he launched his career with Victor Gruen Associates.

His contributions to Santa Monica and the surrounding areas include Santa Monica Place, the 25-year-old indoor mall Downtown, which has been slated for redevelopment, and the Chiat/Day Office on Main Street in Venice near the Santa Monica border. The building is graced by 45-foot tall-black binoculars designed by artist Claes Oldenburg.

Gehry’s style reflects a distinct Southern Californian flair, which can be traced back to the funky-coastal communities of Venice and Santa Monica he haunts. In his Pritzker acceptance speech in 1989, Gehry compared designing structures to creating sculptures or painting a picture.
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Peeping Mommy

2006-04-25T19:54:00.000-07:00

You never know what ordinary people will admit to doing:

For a couple hours the other day I was a voyeur. With a pair of binoculars, I could see right into the front door of two neighboring houses. This wasn't just idle curiosity. For one thing, they're both awfully noisey households. (Not nosey - that's me!) And another thing, I think they're hiding something or someone in there. I've noticed almost constant comings and goings. What are they up to - are they manufacturing and selling crack cocaine?

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Leica digital camera - spotting scope combo

2006-04-23T10:23:00.000-07:00

A story from Tech Digest describes the new Leica D-Lux 2 digital camera:

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Leica created the first 35mm camera - and it looks like they've gone back to their early days for this stylish and unfussy retro design. The camera itself features a 2.5-inch display with a high resolution,. which should give you a bright and sharp display when you're out and about. The D-Lux 2 is Leica’s first 8.4MP digital camera, providing the option to reproduce unlimited images in the 16:9 format. It also features a wide-angle 4x zoom lens.

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And here's a niche selling point - Bird watchers can pick up the new Leica digital adapter which connects the camera to a Leica Televid spotting scope to capture nature pictures at a long focal range.

Outsourcing hits outdoor gear

2006-04-16T17:52:00.000-07:00

It seems Bushnell acquired Michaels of Oregon and is sending the jobs overseas:

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Michaels of Oregon is a leading manufacturer of hunting, shooting and law enforcement accessories. The company is headquartered in Oregon City, Oregon and has a plant in Meridian. It produces brand names like Uncle Mike's and Hoppes.

According a press release, Michaels of Oregon was acquired by Bushnell last August. It did not mention if employees would be let go, but workers we talked to say their jobs will now go oversees.

"We were promised we would not be outsourced and go oversees, and of course that is obviously not what is happening. We were told that yesterday they are outsourcing our product, they are going overseas," said employee Shane Martin.

It's shocking news for more than 200 employees who would like to continue making the companies products in Idaho.
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I can't say this is much of a surprise, for Chinese and Russian products are coming in as a huge wave. I'm sad to see it happen but have no answers for the bigger issues.

Spotting scopes and shooting

2006-04-16T17:36:00.000-07:00

A story in the Dallas Star-Telegram discusses the use of spotting scopes in shooting matches:

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For each shooter, a spotter uses a scope to tell the shooter where the preceding shot hit.

"As far as I am concerned, the spotter is at least half of the match," Yager said. "When I was shooting rams [at 547 yards], I had to make as much as a three-minute correction because of the wind changes. The spotter reads the wind and the mirage and gives you corrections accordingly where you are hitting on the animal.

"There are flags out in front that the spotter uses and he reads the mirage through his spotting scope to see how the mirage is running. The mirage can make your target move around. All the shooter does is be able to see the target and squeeze the trigger. The spotter is the man who says what and when."
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Earning customer loyalty no matter the cost

2006-04-12T19:24:00.000-07:00

From AME Info Online:

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Carl Zeiss, the world's largest lens maker, made another type of offer to flood disaster victims in the eastern part of Germany. Carl Zeiss offered to replace any Zeiss equipment -- yes, any -- that had been damaged by the floods, even Mr. Smith's 80-year-old binoculars, no questions asked.

How would you say this influenced consumer perception of the brand?
Building brands is about so much more than controlling colors, fonts, the design of your Web site, and the language of your press releases. It encompasses everything that affects the emotional tie between your brand and its customers. All experience to date shows time and again the most effective way to build brands is to combine traditional communication channels with alternative forms of communication. The latter is exemplified in the Carl Zeiss story.

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No comment, but I'll keep it in mind!

Spotting Scopes: The new way to meet people

2006-04-07T18:37:00.000-07:00

A story about an eagle nest near a road shows what a little initiative can do:

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At times no one is watching the nest, but as soon as someone sets up a spotting scope, the looky-loos start lining up.
On March 26, Jack Seileman of San Diego was on a retreat in Mesa Grande with his men's club. He told his five buddies he was taking them on a “magical mystery tour.” So he drove out, set up a spotting scope, aimed it at the nest and told the men to get out of the vehicle and look through the lens. His only requirement was that each not tell the next what he saw.
One by one, they all looked. Mark Adams didn't tell Ed Maupin, and on down the line to James McKeen, James Yunker and finally Skeet Frazee.
Who needs the Discovery Channel when there's a live show like this?

Report on the eclipse

2006-04-04T20:48:00.000-07:00

Here's an awestruck report on the recent eclipse:

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Then my mind was brought back to the present by the cheers of my fellow onlookers. First contact had occurred at 11:20am. Right on time, I started taking my pictures - once every 5 minutes or so as to give me a good series of photos to show off to my friends back home, and to give me a good record of what really happened just in case I failed to witness a visual for myself.

The moon ever so slowly kept covering the sun, first one quarter, then half and then three quarters. I made sure to keep a cool head and do everything right, just as I had practiced in my mind so many times before. And then it started to happen. I noticed the sky started to turn a dark blue; the shadows on the ground were more vivid than I had ever seen before; the birds that I had noticed chirping were silent now; a little chill had filled the air as I put on my jacket.

I was so excited by that point that I could hardly stand it. I felt like I was in my own little zone. Even JoAnne, my non-astronomer partner, was getting exited. And then, just before totality, I heard someone yell out, " There is Venus!"

It was getting so dark out that you could actually see the planet Venus along with some of the other bright stars twinkling in the middle of the day. This is not normal, I was thinking to myself, even though I knew it was going to happen.

And then, like some supreme being had intervened, at 12:38 pm the sky turned black, the sun disappeared behind the moon, and this bright haze around the two combined bodies, known as the "suns corona," shined brightly like some hazy atmosphere.

I was just in awe. I know no other words to accurately describe the sight or how I was feeling. It was one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen, even if it was for only 3 minutes and 56 seconds.

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Birdwatching over the web

2006-04-04T20:36:00.000-07:00

From the Vancouver Sun:

When Doug Carrick retired to live on his secluded Hornby Island property, he had no idea that a pair of nesting bald eagles would bring the world into his backyard.

That happened last week when a website showing live video images from the eagles' nest brought the birds' every move onto computer screens around the world.

"It's captivating for everyone," said biologist David Hancock, who helped get the images on the web after seeing Carrick's videotapes from a camera he had set up in the nest.

"People are blown out of their mind to see the eagle at nest level."

Hancock said the website, which began operating March 27, has already had a big response: Bloggers have picked up on it, and there have been calls from Venezuela and the U.S. from people wondering about using similar technology to watch other birds.

The eagles are oblivious to the camera, making website visitors bystanders to the birds' daily routine.

The images show the birds interacting, changing places over the eggs, and the wind blowing through their feathers.
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Visit the live cam at: www.hancockhouse.com

Solar eclipse coming soon - for the lucky ones

2006-03-27T22:15:00.000-08:00

From USA Today:

Amateur and professional astronomers from around the world will soon be congregating in parts of Brazil, Africa, and western Asia, to view a total eclipse of the sun that will take place on Wednesday, March 29. Without a question of doubt, a total eclipse of the sun is one of the most spectacular natural sights that one can witness.

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Contrary to popular belief, a total eclipse of the sun is not a rare or unusual spectacle.

In fact, over the past 25 years there have been no fewer than sixteen total solar eclipses, an average of one roughly every 18 months. The regions from where the spectacular sight of a totally eclipsed sun can be seen, however, are strictly confined to a narrow track; the path that the dark central shadow of the moon (called the "umbra") traces out over the Earth's surface. That track may run for thousands of miles, yet may average less than a hundred miles in width. So while the dark lunar shadow might sweep over the Earth twice over a span of just three years, for a specific geographical location, the odds of lying directly in the path of that shadow is very small.

So, if you intend to wait for this, the greatest of celestial road shows to come to your hometown, your wait is likely to be (on average) about 400 years. That is why many dedicated eclipse watchers – sometimes referred to as "umbraphiles" – will literally chase total solar eclipses around the globe. All for the privilege of "basking in the moon's shadow" for a few precious minutes
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Pentax pumps precipitation proof products

2006-03-26T09:35:00.000-08:00

A press release reports:

(GOLDEN, CO) March 25, 2006...Nothing screams "take me with you" quite like the line of PENTAX Optio waterproof digital cameras. So, that is exactly what world-class surf champion Kelly Slater and his friends did when they convened recently for the second annual Kelly Slater Invitational (KSI) surfing event on the beautiful coast of Kona, Hawaii in February 2006.

Every year, KSI brings together pro surfers, Hollywood celebrities and musical guests for a weekend of surf, sand and sun. Equipped with PENTAX waterproof Optio W10 digital cameras, the official camera of the event, professional photographers and celebrities alike snapped images of the activities. With the capability to capture images up to five feet underwater for up to 30 minutes, the Optio W10 is the perfect camera for use in and around water.

...

Homemade telescopes

2006-03-26T09:29:00.000-08:00

An article at NCTimes.com discusses making your own telescope mirror:

Grinding and polishing a homemade telescope mirror takes a certain determination, especially when it's possible to buy telescope parts online or at a nearby specialty shop.

Carpenter Peter De Baan said it took him a year, working off and on, to make his first mirror.

The process consists of taking a glass disk and rubbing it by hand over the surface of a mold or "tool" covered with jewelers' polish. Periodically, the polisher adjusts his work by forming a test pattern with light reflected from the mirror.

Although the mirrors do reflect enough to check their shapes, it is not possible to see through them. They don't become silvery until the mirror-maker sends the finished glass off to a commercial service to be covered with aluminum.

De Baan hosts an informal mirror-making class that meets on Saturday mornings at his magnificently cluttered workshop in Escondido, close to Highway 78.

...

Sparking the interest of kids

2006-03-22T17:23:00.000-08:00

Normally I'm not a fan of McDonalds nor the hyper-commercial promotions of fast food companies, but here are some things that would have been a lot of fun for me at that age:

Among the Spy Gear gadgets (pictured above) being offered through the McDonald’s program are: The Agent Specs, stylish sunglasses that feature a yellow scope and red light for spotting distant clues in the dark; Spy Defender, a door trap that protects spy headquarters by launching discs to ward off intruders; Spy I.D., a retractable identification badge with decoder window that reveals a secret spy tongue twister; Spy Motion Sensor, an alarm unit with pulsing red light beam that triggers a warning sound when movement is detected; Spy Multi-View, a surveillance device that lets kids view suspects through red, green, or kaleidoscope vision; Spy Wire, a wrist cuff connected to a red finger-light that allows young agents to communicate by flashing secret codes; Spy Wrist Viewer, worn like a watch, it conceals a spring-loaded lid with magnifying lens and confidential 3-D cards; and the Global Spy Positioner, a GPS-themed tool used to track private paths on a hand-held screen (and comes with multiple maps depicting the fictional city featured in the Spy Gear Adventures book series recently launched by Simon & Schuster).

Back from vacation

2006-03-22T17:21:00.000-08:00

We took a brief trip and are now back...updates to resume!

Thanks, Google!

2006-03-13T18:12:00.000-08:00

Today I tried Google Mars, and while it can't keep my attention as long as Google Earth, it's quite entertaining for a few minutes. I liked their search logo today so much (telescope theme) that I put it on the bottom of Smallscopes--permanent for now.

Binoculars defined for the...myopic?

2006-03-13T18:02:00.000-08:00

Presented for your amusement, or education if you really, really don't know much about binoculars, is this introductory piece:

Binoculars
Binoculars are actually two telescopes placed side by side so a viewer can see through them with both eyes. Unlike monoculars which is one small telescope and can only been seen through using one eye. The advantages of using binoculars over monoculars are:
1. Both eyes can see comfortably through both lenses with having to squint one eye to see.
2. Binoculars provide three dimensional images that have more depth. Two views are drawn together to make one total picture and allow the viewer to see things at some distances up close and personal.
3. Binoculars are just more comfortable to look through and hold steady because both hands are usually used.
...

Hidden in plain sight

2006-03-12T10:53:00.000-08:00

Remember that it's possible to find things to observe in unexpected places:

Gotham is a vertical city. We go up, and up, and up. So many of our buildings go up so high that we've learned to just not see them. It's gotten to the point where our buildings are so tall that many New Yorkers, especially the transplants (yeah, you heard me), think it's not "cool" to look up! Which is patently retarded since there is some crazy ass shit hidden up in them there buildings.

Stargazing leads to murder!!!

2006-03-08T18:57:00.000-08:00

Here's a freak case from Canada, where a minor dispute turned ugly:

...

Crown prosecutor Dave King said Gill stabbed Garavellos out of anger as a result of disparaging remarks made earlier by the victim, and that Gill knew the stabbing would either kill Garavellos or seriously harm him.

Court heard the confrontation started when Garavellos — who was driving with his friend Steve Medeiros — shouted something like, "Hey you guys looking at the stars, you f---ing geeks" at Gill and two friends as they took turns looking through a telescope from the side of the road.

No surprise that road rage gets out of hand.

Free webhosting for optics topics

2006-03-08T18:51:00.000-08:00

A press release tells the story:

Woodland Hills Camera and Telescope, today announced that it is offering free web hosting to individuals and organizations promoting astronomy, birding, photography and general optics in their new 'Hosting Grant' program.

"Our 'Hosting Grant' program is aimed at individuals, organizations or clubs who are developing educational information to those topics of interest to our customer base. Its our way of promoting and thanking those people who promote the activities that promote us," said Tom Stamm, Director of Hosting Grant program.

"We will host the sites from our own Linex server and will include email, database and programming services. We have seven websites already up from our pilot program and now feel ready to allow general applications for Hosting Grants," Stamm continued.

What is it?

2006-03-08T18:46:00.000-08:00

From North Carolina. Click through to read some guesses!

Nature watching at the Salton Sea

2006-03-04T10:08:00.000-08:00

A story on the Salton Sea discusses what there is to see and its interesting history:

The Salton Sea shimmers in the sun, brown foam and white bubbles skimming its surface. At 367 square miles, the inland lake is the largest in California and offers more than its share of natural beauty.
A recent field trip sponsored by the San Bernardino County Museum and led by its director Bob McKernan proved to be a stellar day of education, bird-watching and lake looking up close and personal.
We set out from the museum at the early hour of 7 a.m., many of us still rubbing the sleep from our eyes. But the two-hour drive to the sea, located southeast of Indio, gave our two vanloads of passengers a chance to catch a few winks and fortify ourselves for the day¹s activities.
Along the way, McKernan, a trained biologist, pointed out the local mountain ranges in between which the Salton Sea nestles and explained the lake¹s importance as a vital link for migratory waterfowl and shore birds along the Pacific Flyway.
...
He pointed out the shoreline markings of an ancient lake, known as Lake Cahuilla, on the rocks above the current sea. In 1853, a geologist surveying the area for a transcontinental railroad found these watermarks and other evidence pointing to a pre-existing body of water in what was then a dry basin. Indigenous peoples told him that a large lake filled with fish and birds had filled the valley before a cataclysmic flood drove them from their homes.
"Lake Cahuilla was filled with fresh water for thousands of years, but started drying up about 400 years ago," McKernan said. The sink area lay dry for many years until the current Salton Sea was created by accident. In 1904, a temporary levee along the Colorado River was breached, filling the Salton basin with flood waters. Water continued to flow into the area until 1907. The name Salton Sea, derived from the high saline content of the lake, was first used in 1905, researchers say.

Negative impact of light pollution

2006-03-04T09:56:00.000-08:00

Another story discusses the negative impacts of light pollution on stargazing, energy waste, and providing false security:

Galileo, with his 40-power telescope, could see stars that a 100-power telescope could only make out as a blur.
"He didn't have any light pollution," said Anthony Goodyear, an astronomy teacher at Parkside High and director of the school's planetarium. "He didn't have to worry about street lights."
...
There is a common misconception about lighting, said Bob Gent, vice president of the board of directors for the International Dark-Sky Association.
There is nothing to be afraid of when it's dark.
"Why do we want to turn night into day?" he asked. "We need to preserve the beauty of the night."
Bright lights are sometimes used to deter criminals and make the roads easier to navigate. People believe the more light there is, the safer they will be, Gent said.
But, Gent said, they're wrong.
Instead, bright lights cause more harm than good.
...
Not only is much of the light pollution wasteful in terms of energy but often times the lights reach a point of being too bright.
"It makes the darker areas darker," she said. "It makes the surrounding areas less safe."
Crime isn't the only issue. Driver safety is also a concern.
"Some of the lighting along the street is so bright it attracts the eyes," she said. "That's the opposite of what you want. You want people's eyes on the roads."

As much as I'd like to have darker skies sometimes (there's a terrible street lamp just outside), I just don't see society getting right of nighttime lighting anytime soon. The reality is that just a tiny fraction of society cares about watching the sky, and even they only do it occasionally.

Laser pointers work for stars too

2006-03-01T19:00:00.000-08:00

Apparently laser pointers provide guidance for computerized telescopes. Too bad they add optical light pollution.

Saturn cheer in late winter

2006-02-26T21:13:00.000-08:00

It's easy to be a cheerleader for Saturn:

...
Saturn live in a telescope eyepiece always impresses, no matter how many times you’ve seen it.

I’ve had folks who see Saturn for the first time sneak around to the end of my telescope thinking there must be some sort of viewer present there with a slide or videotape of Saturn’s image. They can’t believe the yellowish ball completely encircled by a large flat ring can be an actual object.

But that live image is real. Enough so that it’s hooked generations on amateur astronomy as a hobby. I’ve also heard from folks who say the ringed planet made them decide to bag the hobby, and this sometimes came after they had bought an expensive telescope. “After seeing Saturn, nothing else quite measured up,” they said.
...

Click through for additional info.

Bed & Breakfast focused on wildlife watching

2006-02-23T18:40:00.000-08:00

Now, for something 1/2 hour from Tako John, a B&B that provides binoculars to guests for the wonderful wildlife watching nearby. Don't expect to see any stars in the soupy fog belt of Moss Landing, maybe not even stuff 30 feet away. Also, don't expect a refined settlement, or much urban development, without driving 15-30 minutes. Elkhorn Slough is there for wildlife, there's fishing, a harbor, a large beach, a huge (ugly) power plant, and tourist restaurants.

For much of the past month between storms, Monterey Bay has looked something like Hawaii: azure water, foaming white surf, warm skies and views to forever.
Whatever the weather, it would be hard to beat a hideaway at the Captain's Inn, a place that is still off the mainstream radar. It's a bed and breakfast in Moss Landing that opened three years ago, and it's not only a prime spot to hide out for a day or two but also a great launch point for adventure.
There's probably no other place like this anywhere. Much of the Captain's Inn has been renovated to look like a ship. Most of the rooms are in a separate structure with shore views.
You get the fluffy comforter and pillow treatment, but each room has an outdoors theme, like boating or fishing. Some of the beds are actually made from small boats.
Binoculars are provided with each room, the better to view sea otters, harbor seals and dozens of species of marine birds and waterfowl at Elkhorn Slough and the connected Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve.
This is also one of the best places in California to rent a kayak, and outstanding walking tours and overlooks are available within a short drive.

Artsy folks discover night vision

2006-02-23T18:32:00.000-08:00

Creativity shows no bounds, dancers in the dark with viewers wearing night vision goggles:

...
Big Brother merges with dance in "Dark Room," an aptly titled installation commissioned by Western Bridge art gallery and performed by the Crispin Spaeth Dance Group.

For 25 minutes, Spaeth asks her dancers to voluntarily give up their sight.

When the lights go out, the plunge into darkness is complete.

All they have is each other as they clutch hands, torsos and legs, using their bodies as their GPS.

Meanwhile, the audience surrounds them, 20 Peeping Toms armed with night-vision goggles trained on the five dancers and their nocturnal unrest.
...

This is open to loads of bad jokes.

Not a small scope...

2006-02-22T17:58:00.000-08:00

This is just too big to pass up:

A French astronomer has plans for a giant "hypertelescope" that could take pictures of forests and oceans on planets orbiting other suns.
The massive Exo-Earth Imager, measuring over 60 miles across, would be large enough to spot a green patch the size of the Amazon on an alien world 10 light years away.
Dr Antoine Labeyrie, from the Observatory of Haute-Provence in southern France, is already testing the idea with a much smaller experimental telescope

Sky & Telescope Magazine Sold!

2006-02-22T17:34:00.000-08:00

Big (bad?) news out, which isn't much of a surprise considering how many paper magazines can't give themselves away these days. As much as I hate to see things like this happen, I'm much happier in a web world than the dead tree world.

The Sky & Telescope Is Falling
As if the gutting of NASA's science programs weren't enough, astronomy aficionados have just taken another gunshot in the chest: Sky & Telescope magazine has been sold and, although the announcement doesn't mention it, a quarter of the staff has been laid off.

Sky & Tel is an institution -- the closest thing astronomy has to a magazine of record. I've known staffers there for over a decade and can say that, on topics ranging from DIY telescope building to Mars landers, they have a depth of knowledge and experience which simply can't be beat. They're the sort of people who'll go to an evening lecture and then stay up half the night writing about it, and rewriting, and rewriting -- until they find the best way to explain the subject to the interested layperson. People subscribe to the magazine their whole lives; they are not mere consumers but members of a community. I hope the survivors of this purge can keep things going. The world would be a much poorer place without it.

I don't know the details of Sky & Tel's travails, but presumably declining advertising revenues have something to do with it. Magazines in general, and science magazines in particular, also have to struggle with the tragedy of the Internet commons. Sky & Tel, like us, puts material on the web for free, which undermines our own business. None of us gets rich working at a magazine; we do it because we love science and want to help others understand it, too. How long that will last, if nobody can make a living at it, is unclear.

Digibinocing!

2006-02-20T18:11:00.000-08:00

One person seems to have reinvented digiscoping with a pair of binoculars:

As I was sitting at my desk, I noticed a crow sitting on my neighbours' house roof. The distance is about 20-30 meters. I know there's no way I could capture a shot of a crow with my 3x zoom Canon, so I took my old binoculars and placed it in front of the camera lens. After doing this I had to set my camera to macro mode, to get AF to focus correctly. Though, I had some troubles holding my binoculars still, if I would like to test more, I think I have to work out a tripod for binoculars, too.

The article has 3 large pics after the link. In my experience sometimes handheld shots are sharper than a more complex mount--details about my personal experiences digiscoping to come...when I have the time...

'Extinct' bird roundup

2006-02-19T13:14:00.000-08:00

A fascinating article on the potential rediscovery of the Ivory Billed Woodpecker discusses several other rediscovered birds:

Flying miracles

More supposedly extinct birds that have startled ornithologists

Berlepsch's six-wired bird of paradise (Parotia berlepschi) This species, previously only known from a few examples collected in the 19th century, made a dramatic reappearance in Papua New Guinea late last year.

Edward's pheasant (Lophura edwardsi) After last being seen in central Vietnam in 1928, it survived several wars and the scrutiny of half a dozen French expeditions before reappearing in 1998.

Indian forest owlet (Athene blewitti) If there was a prize for hiding from biologists, twitchers, collectors and tourists, this diminutive bird would surely win. In 1996, it was rediscovered after 113 years in hiding.

Chinese crested tern (Thalasseus bernsteini) Thought to have become extinct when specimen hunters killed 21 of them in 1938, four pairs popped up in 2001 on Taiwan's Matsu Island. It's hoped the presence of 18,000 troops and a missile base at its breeding ground will deter collectors this time around.
Aleutian Canada Goose (Branta canadensis leucopareia) In 1967, numbering fewer than 500, these birds were declared to be endangered. They then disappeared completely for 25 years but subsequently made a dramatic comeback, and now number some 40,000 animals.

Annual Great Backyard Bird Count this weekend

2006-02-17T17:38:00.000-08:00

Announcement:

Bird watchers are dusting off their binoculars in anticipation of this weekend. More than 52,000 people are expected to take part in the annual Audubon Society Great Backyard Bird Count.

Volunteer watchers counted a record-breaking 613 species in 2005. This year, the information they collect could help scientists see how birds were affected by the recent hurricanes.

Camera Museum in South Africa (off topic)

2006-02-16T17:26:00.000-08:00

An article by Lucille Davis on the City of Johannesburg website provides details about what seems to be one of the best photography museums in the world:

...
The museum has one of the world's best collections of photographic records and documents and, of course, cameras.

Donation
It was begun with a donation from amateur photographer and sometime Joburg mayor, Dr Arthur Bensusan, in 1968. He donated his entire 30-year collection: 400 antique cameras, 5 000 photographs and 2 000 photographic books, some of which date back to 1860.
In November 1968 Bensusan told the Rand Daily Mail newspaper, "The museum will illustrate the history of photography and the history of South Africa as seen through the eye of the camera."

A number of these cameras are on display at the museum, making for a fascinating study. Part of Bensusan's original collection is a camera belonging to British statesman Winston Churchill, and perhaps the first official war photograph – one taken in 1854 of a Crimean War scene. Also in the collection are several spy cameras from the 1800s, made to look like watches, books and binoculars.

Besides collecting photography books, the museum continues to collect cuttings, pamphlets and journals, and has made some valuable additions to its wonderful collection.

First negative
The acquisition in 1970 of the first negative ever made is the most special of these. It was taken by the inventor of photography, William Fox Talbot, in 1835, with the help of a camera obscura.
The negative, several centimetres in size, is of the oriel window of Lacock Abbey in England. The City bought it for R860, according to The Star of October 1970, acquiring it from Bensusan. There are only three other such negatives in the world – two in Britain and one in Russia.
...

Backyard observatories

2006-02-13T18:27:00.000-08:00

An article in the Arizona Daily Sun describes some amazing backyard observatories. If only I didn't live in a mushy soup of ocean dampness...

Technology, Telescopes and Everything

2006-02-13T18:22:00.000-08:00

The Desert Sun of Palm Springs discusses the application of computer technology to telescopes:

"Regular old dumb stuff is getting smart and connected.
You can buy a backyard telescope loaded with global positioning satellite (GPS) technology so it can point out which stars you're viewing. At one university, each parking meter has a chip and antenna so you can call it with your cell phone and buy more time.
And then there are the touch-screen sewing machines that can download images to embroider, gas station pumps that run Microsoft Windows, and shipping crates that can call their owners for help if they're lost.
A lot of technology companies focus on making computers more powerful and Internet connections faster. But a major trend is pushing in another direction - toward getting cheap computer chips and limited networking capabilities into products that never used to have such technology. It lets companies turn commodity products into premium products that cost more and stand out in the marketplace.
The trend is analogous to the electrification of products 100 years ago, when inventors found ways to use that technology to change everyday items. Hand-turned drills became power drills. Ice boxes became refrigerators. The same thing is happening now, but with computer chips and tiny radio transmitters.
And there's a fascinating twist this time: When you add information and communications to a product, it doesn't just improve that product - it allows that product to become part of a network. Which means those products can talk to other products, or to Web sites, or to you through your cell phone or PC - creating layer upon layer of new possibilities.
"It opens up innovation to all new things no one ever thought of," says Irving Wladawsky-Berger, in charge of IBM's technical strategy.
"There's an interesting pattern now - everything is an accessory to everything else," notes Mick McManus, CEO of Maya Design.
The parking meters, for instance, are at the University of California, Santa Barbara. IBM devised the system and will try to sell it to other campuses and cities. In the near future, a "smart," networked parking meter might be able to talk to all the other parking meters in the neighborhood and feed that information to a Web site. That way, as you drive to an area looking for a place to park, your cell phone could tap the parking Web site and display a map showing open spaces.
Such a level of integration isn't here yet.
Still, the movement toward smart stuff keeps picking up steam. Companies are moving in that direction. A survey by research firm Aberdeen Group found that more than half of executives plan to pump more money into radio frequency identification (RFID) projects in the next 12 to 24 months."

Life is what you make it...

2006-02-11T09:19:00.000-08:00

A story from Manchester Online (UK) illustrates that some people are entrhalled by any wildlife:

One woman even spent five hours sitting in her back garden watching though binoculars, waiting for it to move. But what she and her neighbours didn't realise was that their rare visitor was, in fact, plastic and put there to scare other birds away.

It brings to mind the many times that hunters have "identified" other hunters as deer.

Competitive Birding

2006-02-09T18:09:00.000-08:00

From the Christian Science Monitor:

Birders keep lists. It's in their nature.

They keep lists of the total number of species catalogued in a lifetime. They keep North American lists. State lists. Neighborhood lists. Day lists. They keep "man powered" lists of the birds they've seen while on foot or bike. Some even keep lists of the species they've spotted mating.

To the uninitiated, it can be difficult to fathom the allure of bird-watching: It seems sleepy, a solitary hobby for retirees with too much time on their hands. But for a few, at least on certain days, bird-watching becomes a competitive sport - albeit one contested over an unusually large playing field.
...

It'll be interesting to see if this turns into a trend.

Digital camera and optics sales trends (Canada)

2006-02-07T19:26:00.000-08:00

There's an interesting press release out today on digital camera and optics sales in Canada. To make a long story short, digital cameras are crushing film cameras at a rapid pace. Binoculars and spotting scopes continue to plug along.

Wildlife watching in Yellowstone

2006-02-05T09:35:00.000-08:00

A report from the San Francisco Chronicle discusses wildlife watching in Yellowstone National Park:

The wolves were at our door -- almost literally.
They killed a big bull elk on the steps of the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel dining room the night before we arrived. Now, as we crunched across the frozen parking lot in the predawn darkness, we could hear their not-so-distant howls.
Afraid? Enthralled was more like it. This is what we'd come for. Since their reintroduction here 11 years ago, Yellowstone National Park has become the premier venue in North America -- possibly in all the world -- for viewing wild wolves. To wildlife enthusiasts, they're a bigger attraction than Old Faithful.
It's possible to see them most times of the year, but winter is best -- especially February through April. (January is usually too cold). The wolves are more active during the day, their dark gray coats stand out against the white snow, and they follow their prey from the high country down to valley bottoms more easily accessible to humans.
Winter is also when Yellowstone is at its most beguiling. The geysers are more sharply etched as they erupt into the biting-cold air. The hot, sulfurous clouds billowing out of fumaroles and mud pots gain dramatic definition. Bison, their shaggy beards coated with snow, snort steam as they use their enormous heads as snowplows.

Free online astronomy course!

2006-02-02T19:04:00.000-08:00

The Planetary Society reports on a free 13 week astronomy course sponsored by California State University at Dominguez Hills.

"...The course, part of Cal State Dominguez Hills Young Scholar Distance Learning Program, will place a strong emphasis on planetary science, covering all the major bodies in our solar system, as well as stars, galaxies, the origins and evolution of the solar system and universe, and the possibility of life on worlds other than Earth. The first class on February 6 will begin with "Tour of the Solar System."

How has volcanism shaped our world and other planets? What are the effects of the solar wind? Why do the gas giants have ring systems? Each lesson will offer new topics and new insights, including how to gain "eyes-on" experience by doing night sky observations that are possible without the aid of a telescope. Experts from around the country will join Betts via videoconference and phone to describe their research and to take questions from students via phone and e-mail.

While students at Cal State Dominguez Hills who take the class for credit will be required to complete assignments and take exams, everyone interested in astronomy is encouraged to tune in for the sheer fun of learning -- no homework required! The class will be webcast from 3:00-4:00 PM PST and will air simultaneously on cable stations in southern California. Classes can be seen on channel 36 on cable television in the City of Los Angeles, Channel 6 in the South Bay, City View Channel 16 in Santa Monica, and Channel 64 in Pasadena. Television viewers will be given a toll-free number they can use to speak with the instructor during the live broadcast. After each lesson airs, it will be archived on the web site for the duration of the course (February 6- May 10, 2006)."

What to do with the new Christmas optics

2006-02-02T18:50:00.000-08:00

A story from the UK discusses what to do with that new telescope/spotting scope/binoculars. Topics include the moon and planets. Click through for additional links.

2006 Hunting Optics Roundup

2006-01-30T18:06:00.000-08:00

Interested in hunting or stealthy animal observation? This story rounds up new products for 2006. Camo is a cool look in any case.

Bushnell Binocs: Cheesy or Not?

2006-01-30T17:59:00.000-08:00

A story in the Dallas Morning News about free bank gifts claims the gifts are still a hit in attracting new customers:

Mr. Gresham's company designs customer-incentive and loyalty programs for banks. Like it or not, free gifts are a big part of those programs.

"We're not claiming this is more important than convenience and customer service, but it's the minimum you have to do to even compete," he said. "If you don't offer those things, you don't have a chance of retaining customers."

Free gifts even beat out cash in attracting customers, he said.

"What the consumers tell us is that cash was vaporware," Mr. Gresham said. "There's no association back to the bank with that cash.

"We use the gift as the tipping point to call them to action. There's a greed factor to every person, and getting something for nothing creates a call to action. There's a trophy value associated with a physical item that's given."

Mr. Gresham's company doesn't deal in cheesy items. We're talking Pyrex Portables, Bushnell binoculars and Mikasa crystal picture frames.

Call me strange, but most Bushnell products are pretty cheesy to me. I'd much rather have the cash!

Thralow: sites for every sight

2006-01-30T17:46:00.000-08:00

A press release reports that Thralow, Inc. has recently purchased www.spottingscopes.com, to go along with www.binoculars.com, www.telescopes.com and several others. It seems they've hit on a formula that works.

Advice for beginning stargazers

2006-01-29T11:05:00.000-08:00

The Community Press Online provides advice for beginning stargazers:

You can see enough stars with your naked eye or a good pair of binoculars, says Sandra Ferguson, speaker at the Brown Bag Lunch on January 18.

“Get binoculars,” she recommends. “They are far better than a telescope. Telescopes have a smaller field of vision. If you don’t recognize where you are looking, it is hard to find things. Telescopes can be very expensive.”

She uses a 7 x 50 binoculars which is a standard lens and makes objects appear seven times closer, similar to a birdwatcher’s pair. Sandra is a member of the Royal Astronomical Society, Belleville chapter, and has been studying the stars and teaching astronomy in schools for 30 years.

She had a couple of tips for novice star gazers. First get a star chart that shows the constellations for that time of year. Next get a piece of red cellophane to put over your flashlight so you can read the star chart while outside at night. “The red doesn’t bother your eyes,” she says.

...

Saturn brightest for 2006

2006-01-27T22:21:00.000-08:00

From CNN International:

January 27 marks the night that Saturn arrives at opposition to the sun; rising in the east as the sun sets, peaking high in the south at midnight and setting in the west at sunrise.
Without question Saturn's famous rings make it the telescopic showpiece of the night sky. In small telescopes, they always surprise observers, both novice and veteran alike, with their striking beauty. Any telescope magnifying more than 30-power will show them quite well.

Great for anyone, any scope.

Finally! A practical portable optics stand!?

2006-01-26T18:25:00.000-08:00

This tripod walking stick has potential! It may solve the age-old problem of having something both portable and useful. The extreme length of the neck will surely make it less stable than a true tripod, but hey, if you don't have to constantly keep a hand on it like a monopod. On the other hand, I hope it doesn't provide a false sense of security and result in expensive accidents with the slightest breeze or bump.

It's $139.99 from Trek-Tech.

350 Pound Binoculars!

2006-01-25T18:23:00.000-08:00

One amateur astronomer built his own observatory, and...a set of 8" diameter 350 pound binoculars?!?!?

Connors said he also attended conventions and joined the Kanawha Valley Astronomical Society. He wanted his own telescope, but when he learned it would cost about $4,000 to build one, he decided to use his combination of skills to construct his own.
He bought a lens from the society and built his first telescope, an 8-inch, F-6 refractor in a graphite tube on an equatorial mount.
He then built two more telescopes and turned them into a set of 350-pound binoculars with two 6-inch, F-15 refractors.

...

He loved using the binoculars and sharing his love for stargazing with others. However, it took an hour and 20 minutes to set them up. He figured the answer to eliminating the cumbersome task would be to build his own observatory.

A lame parade float, no matter your political views

2006-01-25T18:11:00.000-08:00

News that the Minutemen border patrol organization has been rejected for participation in the Laguna Beach Patriots' Day Parade:

The Minuteman Project, co-founded by Gilchrist, uses volunteer civilians to patrol the U.S.-Mexico border for illegal immigrants. Gilchrist ran unsuccessfully for the 48th congressional district last year and has suggested he may challenge Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for re-election.

The organization proposed a float bearing dancers who would perform a choreographed act with binoculars and folding chairs to imitate border patrollers and another group of actors in Revolutionary War costumes, Gilchrist said Monday during a telephone interview. About 400 civilian volunteers would follow the float on foot, he said.

It brings back memories of Rob Lowe signing with Snow White at the 1989 Academy Awards. Lame.

Urban 'bird' watching in Singapore

2006-01-23T17:40:00.000-08:00

This story details one use for binoculars. No comment.

"...I'm referring to this guy in Woodlands who was questioned by the police recently because he paraded naked before his window and an offended woman living in the opposite block called the cops.
True, he was more than just naked. According to news reports, he was, ah, sexually 'relieving' himself in full public view.

What's wrong with the guy? Why couldn't he have done that in the toilet or in front of the computer like the rest of the male population?

Of course, I don't know what's wrong with the neighbour either. See, in the old days when policemen wore shorts, one would intentionally look into your neighbours' window hoping to catch a glimpse of some action, with the lights off and a pair of binoculars.

In those days, nobody complained about seeing naked bodies. In fact, it was pretty much a bonus.

Of course, I never did anything like that. I was never rich enough to own a pair of binoculars powerful enough."

It's better when you don't need binoculars

2006-01-20T21:08:00.000-08:00

A story about visiting the Galapagos islands makes a very good point:

"Visiting nine islands in seven days, my fellow Polaris passengers and I got the point that this is a Mother Nature hotspot. With all the animals we viewed, I was surprised I found the birds among the most appealing. Being able to walk up to hundreds of them at close range made bird watching far more interesting than that thing with binoculars."

If only the scenery were always so cooperative.

Mini digital camera or binoculars in disguise?

2006-01-18T18:19:00.000-08:00

Stuff Magazine raises an interesting point: small digital cameras can function as makeshift binoculars (or, more properly, a monocular). The obvious drawback is that extended viewing will suck your batteries dry and result in missed photos, but as the technology progresses it should become a viable option.

Changing the scenery

2006-01-18T18:10:00.000-08:00

A fascinating article in the Chinook Observer sketches the history of a rapidly changing coastline.

Basic Concept: In the past 150 years, the Willapa Entrance has changed dramatically. Charts and topographic maps of 150 years ago show a long spit arching down to the southeast from Cape Shoalwater into the entrance, and the main channel near present day Leadbetter Point. Successive charts map the shift of the main channel northward over the next 150 years. During those decades, Cape Shoalwater disappeared into the surf and Leadbetter Point built up out of the surf and extended northward. This situation is not unique to this or any other coastline, and serves as a severe reminder of the fragility of coastal lands built of sand. Similar stories could be told for Grays Harbor and Columbia Entrances; see Komar for several such tales on the Oregon Coast.
...

Lightsmith: affordable video imaging system

2006-01-16T18:10:00.000-08:00

The Lightsmith video platform promises big big things for only $199.99. In essence, it adapts your own camcorder for video capture, and can be adapted to telescopes or microscopes.

"The concept is simple. Any camcorder can be positioned above the Lightsmith platform using the flexible camera arm. Our patent pending reversible camera mount lets the user capture video images right side up and from any angle desired. Powered by the camcorder's AC power supply, images of amazing resolution can be displayed on a TV, an LCD projector, or a computer. Unlike other visual presenters, hours of presentations can be easily captured to tape or DVD for later editing or review. And by taking advantage of a camcorder’s fold-out LCD screen to see what is being displayed, a Lightsmith can always be operated facing the students. Can you tell that a teacher designed this?"

It received a rave review from thejournal.com. After outlining many typical uses and new discoveries, the article concludes:

"I've always loved camcorders, but I'm still amazed at how this familiar tool has been transformed in our classrooms. Our district is now using more than 30 Lightsmith Video Platforms with either Digital 8 or DV camcorders, and new ideas just keep coming. And with a Lightsmith Video Platform at only $200, and digital camcorders running about $350, it's the best presentation technology bargain we've seen."

Seems like it has potential for almost any optics application.

Imported elk and tourism

2006-01-15T10:34:00.000-08:00

A story from Kentucky discusses the impact of importing elk on tourism and wildlife watching:

When the idea of reintroducing elk into the Eastern Kentucky mountains was little more than a wistful dream floating around the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources' Game Farm headquarters, one of the potential byproducts foreseen was a boost in tourism.
After all, wildlife watching is big business, and elk are among the rock stars of the animal world.
According to a 2001 survey conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1.36 million Kentuckians spend about $6 million annually watching, feeding and photographing various critters. Nationwide the numbers are a staggering 66.1 million people spending $38.4 billion.
With a little help from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, the project literally hit the ground running in 1997 when seven elk were released. During the next five years hundreds more were transplanted from various Western states.
Today Kentucky boasts the largest free-ranging herd east of the Mississippi River, with about 5,500 elk. Hunting opportunities are expanding -- 200 tags will be offered through a quota draw this year -- and the big animals are free to roam across a 16-county restoration zone. Elk-related complaints have been few.
The animals' impact on tourism has been difficult to gauge, according to Parks Department spokesman Doug Bennett, but elk watchers are standing in line to get on the bus.
"Our trips nearly always fill up," said Trinity Shepherd, the naturalist at Jenny Wiley State Resort Park near Prestonsburg. "We could take twice as many as we have room for. Probably more than that."
Jenny Wiley has six elk tours scheduled now through early March. If you want to go, Shepherd suggests making reservations early.
"Definitely," he said. "The sooner the better."
The park tours have access to a slice of elk range most people don't get to see. The van trips go to the Starfire area in Perry County, which is part of an active mining operation that is otherwise off-limits to the public aside from a handful of limited-entry permits for the fall elk hunt.
"The location we go to is the spot where elk were first reintroduced," Jenny Wiley park manager Scott Ringham said. "Nearly every trip we have is sold out."
...

Hunting without the hunting

2006-01-14T09:00:00.000-08:00

A story in the Princeton Packet sketches the bird calling and watching experience of a hunter, without the hunting. This seems to bring together people who may not normally associate, such as bird watchers and hunters:

The job of participants is literally to hide, behind cedars and bayberry, within river birch. The job of the ranger is to imitate the calls of wild ducks, using different hand-carved calls, which are among hunters' most prized tools. These slender instruments, chilled by onshore winds, can sound high and panicky at first, then deepen. Each whittled call creates a different sound. One signals "food here!," another, which sportsmen call "the hook," induces fowl to hook back in for a second look.
Mr. Harley's tools are working decoys and calls. They are not the artistic version, made for show, and frequently sold for thousands of dollars.
"Decoys have to persuade," the ranger instructs. "Those ducks are smart — it's life and death." Duck shapes of plastic or foam are precisely weighted so as to bob convincingly on the water. "Every time I put out a spread, it's fresh (different)," he said. Fellow fowl-watchers, tucked behind shrubs and downed trees, "make use of natural cover — nothing man-made. I call them 'hides', not blinds."
Piedad Bernikow, an attorney whose wildlife photography has been published "all over the world," took her first duck-hike with Ranger Harley early this month.
Ms. Bernikow is a regular preserve visitor because she finds nature "gorgeous — and this place 'a little bit of heaven.'" What she most enjoyed about her hike, "apart from when the ranger fell in the water," was that "he led us on 'a trail not taken.'"

Simulating bad optics

2006-01-12T18:05:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time I worked in the video game industry. I'm torn between amazement at what's possible, and wondering why gamers don't just go outside once in a while:

"The graphics are excellent, with explosive sound. It might seem silly, but just watching the tank shells explode — the way they kick up the desert sand and shred the other side’s machines — was fun to see. When the player looks through his character’s binoculars, the lenses are scuffed and scratched from previous hard use."

In The Sims you can 1) clean the house, 2) sleep, and 3) use the restroom. It's one of the biggest hits of the last 10 years, and a pretty good summary of why I no longer work in that field.

Satellite Gazing

2006-01-12T17:40:00.000-08:00

USA Today has a story on satellite gazing:

"People are surprised," says Pinizzotto. "They ask, 'What night can I see a satellite?' No, it's 'How many satellites can I see on any given night?' "

Pinizzotto logged 40 one summer evening from a lawn chair in Maine. The dean of science and engineering at Merrimack College here, he's also an avid satellite observer, one in a subset of skygazers who like their astronomy with an earthbound twist.

Part bird-watchers, part train-spotters, these people know their star charts. But they are as likely to rhapsodize about a sighting of the International Space Station, XM Radio's geostationary duo (dubbed "Rock" and "Roll"), or an iridium flare (a flash of reflected sunlight from a communications satellite) as they are to gush about a glimpse of Saturn's rings.

This game is as old as Sputnik, and it can often be played from any dark spot with the unaided eye. (Warning: It's hard to stop.) But participants' skills have improved along with sky-tracking software and good, inexpensive telescopes and mounts.

I've tried to do this informally for years, sky permitting. The most common thing people say is "Are you sure that's not an airplane?" Well, no I'm not sure, not always...

Upper size limit for Small Scopes?

2006-01-11T18:04:00.000-08:00

This story from UPI describes a discovery with a "small" 0.9 meter telescope:

"The astronomers used the Exoplanet Tracker on the special 0.9-meter Coude feed system within the National Science Foundation's 2.1-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory near Tucson, Ariz.

The new planet is the most distant ever found using the Doppler technique with a telescope mirror less than 1 meter in size. There are hundreds of such telescopes worldwide, compared with just a handful of the larger telescopes more commonly used in planet finding, researchers said."

I'm impressed by the feat, but my definition of small means scopes that can be carried by a single individual, and generally with one hand.

Amazing archery

2006-01-11T17:56:00.000-08:00

Here's an amazing story on archery by a blind woman:

Janice, like the rest of the field, shoots 120 arrows — 40 rounds of three, or "ends" in archery parlance — over 9 hours in two days during the weekend. A perfect score is 1,200, meaning 120 10s. The best in this tournament is 1,140.
Janice scores 435.
"Last year I shot 478. I'm disappointed because I wanted to beat last year's score. And, since I have nobody else to compete against, I compete against myself."
Asked if she beat anybody, she says, "I may have beaten one of the 6-year-olds. I doubt that I beat many people, but I don't care."
Her mother adds, "She does her personal best, and that's where it is right now."
Walth is on a two-fold mission: improve her score to the point she's challenging the lower level of "sighted" archers; and, above all, promote the sport among the blind.

Eyepiece Comparison: Premium Zoom vs. $8.95 Cheapie

2006-01-10T20:09:00.000-08:00

Here's an eyepiece comparison between an apple and an orange, but interesting nonetheless.

As discussed in earlier posts, my Pentax 65mm scope is often packaged and sold with the Pentax XF Zoom eyepiece. The XF Zoom is sold at a premium price (roughly $250 street), and generally receives solid evaluations. Now, a match-up with the extreme opposite in price. Adorama.com is selling the Celestron 10mm SMA (Super Modified Achromatic) eyepiece for $8.95 plus shipping. This makes it essentially the cheapest 1.25" eyepiece on the market.

I purchased the Celestron SMA thinking it would serve as a "poor quality benchmark" to counterbalance the XF Zoom as a "high quality benchmark," but things didn't turn out exactly as I expected.

The XF Zoom results in 20x to 60x power in the Pentax 65mm scope, and the fixed power SMA falls right in the middle at 39x. Here's a comparison of the two:

Field of View

XF Zoom: Feels fairly wide at all magnifications, it's easy to find objects at 20x.
SMA: Relatively narrow and tight, requires substantial hunting to find a target.

Image Clarity

XF Zoom: Sharp at 20x with slight chromatic fringing, remains sharp through 40x. Gets progressively worse beyond 40x and resolves less detail at 60x than 40x.
SMA: Very sharp, minimal color fringing, resolves slightly greater detail than the XF Zoom at any magnification. Stars and lights are round and well defined.

Eye Relief

XF Zoom: Good 15mm relief at 20x makes it comfortable for basic scanning. It shrinks to 11mm at 60x, which feels as if the eyepiece is declining in performance. Actually it's pretty decent unless you wear glasses. The fancy screw up cover allows precise eye positioning.
SMA: Terrible eye relief. It's an eyelash tickler. The cheap rubber eyecup folds down for a little more room.

Apparent Brightness

XF Zoom: Very bright at 20x and still quite usable in low-light at 60x. It creates an unnaturally bright image in some situations.
SMA: Not as bright as the XF Zoom at low magnification, but always usable.

Comments and Conclusions

XF Zoom: I greatly prefer this eyepiece for locating objects and casual browsing that involves near and far objects. The zoom feature is often worth the lack of clarity at high magnification.
SMA: This stomps the zoom for extended viewing of stationary targets. The narrow field of view makes it less than ideal for general use.

Tako John Revealed

2006-01-10T18:18:00.000-08:00

Tako John with the view of the white sands and Pebble Beach at Carmel-By-The-Sea

Here's my picture. It was taken on a day trip from the sea. I'd love visit the beach more often but it's murder on my skin.

Web optics sales up

2006-01-10T17:56:00.000-08:00

A financial report on the company that owns Telescopes.com and Binoculars.com, Thralow Inc., mentions $20 million in revenue and 57% growth over 2004 for the company overall.

More on the Celestron SkyScout

2006-01-10T17:42:00.000-08:00

CNet UK also has a story on the Celestron SkyScout, and includes the photo shown above. As always, a picture is worth 1,000 words. This GPS sky monocular looks quite portable and versatile--it may have non-astronomy applications such as hiking, surveying, etc. The price is reported as $399, which seems about right to me.

Honoring those who made digiscoping possible

2006-01-08T10:22:00.000-08:00

The inventors of the Charge Coupled Device (CCD) have received the $500,000 Charles Stark Draper Prize. Without the CCD there'd be no video cameras, no digital cameras, and no digiscoping. It's hard to overstate the huge impact of CCDs on modern life.

The utmost in convenience...and dorkiness

2006-01-07T15:43:00.000-08:00

Sportbinox has a product that should sell well to drunken insominacs who watch infomercials and need a gift for unfortunate relatives. These binoculars marry what looks like a a welding mask headband with a pair of rudimentary binoculars, and a radio on some models.

This concept is by no means new--they've sold head band magnifiers for decades--but I'll pass on this one.

Celestron Sky Scout at CES: GoTo to go

2006-01-07T14:31:00.000-08:00

CNN Internation has a list of new products creating a buzz at the CES show in Las Vegas. This unit not only tells you where you are, but also what you are looking at.

"...It's about the size of a pair of binoculars, but it only has one viewing lens. On the side is a digital readout, and inside, it packs an impressive amount of technology, including GPS and the ability to calculate the angle at which you're pointing it at the sky.
You see, if you point the SkyScout skyward -- indoors or out -- it will tell you precisely what's above you with the click of a button. It can also guide you to the night's celestial highlights with a series of arrows inside the lenses. For example, if you want to know where Mars is in the sky, just hold it up, and red arrows that blink as you move the SkyScout across the horizon will find it.
This may even fall under the somewhat rare "e" category for gadgets, as in educational. It's expected to ship in early spring for about $399."

Review: Bogen/Manfrotto 3021 Pro Tripod Legs

2006-01-06T21:17:00.000-08:00

I've found Bogen/Manfrotto tripods to be probably the most widely recommended brand for "above department store" quality. All it takes is a 10 second look through a 60x scope on a $50 tripod to know that something just isn't right. Manfrotto tripods are not nearly as expensive as Gitzo products and others, and hit the sweet spot of price and performance.

The the 3021 Pro tripod is a light-to-medium duty aluminum model that has a few more features than a basic Manfrotto tripod. Many products in the line are quite similar and it takes extremely careful inspection to tell them apart. They all look alike! The 3021 Pro retails for $150 to $165 (without a head), and is widely available.

Features:

Legs lock at multiple angles -- for extra stability or near-ground use
Extra height for tall users, use without extending the center column, etc.
Quick release leg locks
Slide adjust center column (no gearing)
The center column can be removed and mounted horizontally for vertical/macro shots
The bottom of the center column can be detached for weight savings or near-ground use
Soft padding on 2 legs for comfort and warmth
Bubble level

Pros:

Meaty construction - a machine
Dramatically more stable than a cheap tripod
Legs open to the first angle stop (i.e. typical uses) extremely fast

Cons:

Heavy
Stiff legs may be difficult to use for some
Leg catches can pinch fingers
Irritating ratttle in the top end cap when adjusting the center column

Conclusions:

Fantastic performance versus department store tripods
Recommended, as long as you don't plan to hike with it!

Brave snowy owls heading south

2006-01-06T21:00:00.000-08:00

KARE 11 TV in Minneapolis reports on snowy owls at bit farther south than normal.

Brave birds, these owls:

"Shortly after the birders left, the owl stretched its massive five-foot wings and took flight. It flapped three times then rode the ground effect, gliding for what seemed an impossibly long time just above the earth before landing.

Twenty seconds later, it flew again. This time it landed atop a runway direction sign. And a crow, looking like a sparrow next to the snowy owl, began to harass the larger bird. It flew at it, landed and postured close to the owl and then dive bombed.

The owl didn't seem bothered. Nor did it appear at all ruffled when a Champion Air 727 taxied within 50 feet of the bird.

It sat there, magnificent, as if it were Ruler of the Universe."

They've also been spotted in Oregon:

"They go in cycles," Gleason says. "Every few years big numbers of them start moving farther south. Some of the old literature says that as the lemming population increases up north, so do the snowy owls. Then as the lemming population crashes, they move south."

Recommendations for mid-priced optics ($250-$750)

2006-01-06T20:59:00.000-08:00

An article in TheNewsTribune recommends Steiner binocs, a Bushnell Browning spotter, and a Fujinon spotter with a Bogen (Manfrotto) tripod. These wouldn't be my choices--except the tripod--but so be it.

Best Binoculars of 2005 - Three views

2006-01-02T14:37:00.000-08:00

Field and Stream magazine has posted best of the year lists in several categories. The best binocular category includes pretty safe choices, with top-end products ($1,000 to $1,400) from Bushnell, Leupold, and Zeiss.

The Zeiss Victory declares victory once again at Popular Science.

Outdoor Life picks the "value" $543 Alpen Apex binocs instead--at least for archery.

Happy New Year! 2006 Guide to the Planets

2006-01-01T10:09:00.000-08:00

MSNBC outlines the opportunies for viewing the planets in 2006.

The price of professional-grade night vision

2006-01-01T09:38:00.000-08:00

A story outlines homeland security measures in rural areas and small towns:

"In a county where volunteer fire departments occasionally raffle firearms to raise funds, recent acquisitions such as the HazMat truck would likely have been impossible without outside funding. The truck comes complete with a mobile weather station, night vision binoculars that cost $3,878.98 each and a camera that relays back everything a firefighter sees on scene."

Interesting facts, regardless of your political persuasion.

Leica: Send me that photo quick!

2006-01-01T09:20:00.000-08:00

Leave it to Leica to introduce a flexible and first-rate digiscoping adapter that's compatible with their first-rate scopes but marketed for camera phones! For some reason I think this system will be more popular with private detectives than bird watchers.

Does it show you the stars or take you to them?

2005-12-31T22:32:00.000-08:00

A story at the Seattle Weekly side rounds up telescope holiday gifts and stargazing. The telescope above is surely not very good optically, but at least you wouldn't have to admit it was a telescope. Just tell visitors it's a model rocket and put a firecracker under it.

Witty designers, eh?

Digiscoping: The DIY Attitude

2005-12-31T12:02:00.000-08:00

Here's what I love about digiscoping, with a little creativity you can get good results without breaking the bank.

When time permits, I'll do a DIY roundup.

Oh Venus

2005-12-31T11:36:00.000-08:00

Should you look toward the sky this January, here's a report on what you'll see. Venus is particularly recommended, and I can attest to it. Last week it was a fantastic crescent mini-moon at 60x with my Pentax scope. On top of that, Venus is so bright that it's impossible to miss with the naked eye.

Follow up: Venus is once again recommended.

The photo potential of "small" scopes

2005-12-31T11:20:00.000-08:00

This site has great photos taken with "Small" telescopes. Their definition of small means 8" and 11" reflectors, so they aren't exactly small. Still, the photos are encouraging because the task is famously difficult. Take a look.

Cheap and decent night vision?

2005-12-30T17:20:00.000-08:00

In this case I hope the announcement is half true, because low-end night vision equipment has been very weak. Night Owl Optics claims to have left the others behind.

Kowa to release invisible binoculars

2005-12-30T17:16:00.000-08:00

Kowa has announced a line of camouflage binocs, with all the requisite puns. The prices range from $260 to $620, so the quality should be quite decent.

Read more here.

"Do not buy a cheap telescope"

2005-12-30T17:06:00.000-08:00

Here's some advice for first time telescope buyers, from the Cleveland Plain Dealer .

"There are a lot of bad telescopes out there that come in a box and claim some impressive-sounding power," said Stan Seeberg, an amateur astronomer and founder of the Vancouver Sidewalk Astronomers. "Sometimes the boxes are worth more than the products."

Jim Todd, planetarium director at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, agrees.

"I cannot emphasize enough: Do not buy a cheap telescope," he said.

When asked what to get, Todd finds out what prospective buyers want to do with a telescope and how much they have to spend. He often discovers that "what someone really wants is a fancy living-room decoration and not so much a good stargazing instrument."

NASCAR and bird conservation!?!

2005-12-30T09:46:00.000-08:00

From Audobon.org, a story on making pragmatic progress in conservation:

"...[Conservationist] Cecere still appears to have found a way to span the political spectrum. “I can connect with the military folks who are proud to be American and are some of our biggest financial supporters,” he says. “I can connect with the Harley riders who view the eagle as a symbol of freedom and independence, and on a spiritual level with Native Americans. I can connect with animal lovers, environmentalists, and with hunters. The bald eagle is a flagship, a prime example of what can be done if the American people are united in a common conservation cause.”

More money goes into those pay-per-view scopes than I imagined.

"Dollywood surveys indicate that a quarter of the park's 2 million annual visitors go to the eagle sanctuary, making it the site's top attraction after those honoring Parton herself. The sanctuary's viewing scopes bring in about $6,000 in change to the foundation."

Winter birdwatching in Japan

2005-12-30T09:40:00.000-08:00

The Daily Yomuri OnLine provides advice on winter watching, and what you might see:

"In the bare oaks and elms of the countryside woodlands, look for mixed flocks of various species of tit. These birds are small--sparrow-sized or even tinier--but are very active. They flit from branch to branch in a seemingly never-ending search for food. Their omnivorous fare includes spiders and insect larva, as well as various seeds and fruits.

Tits (genus Parus) are familiar birds all over the world, with more than 50 species. In the United States they are commonly referred to as chickadees, and here in Japan they are called kara.

Japan is home to five species of tit. One of these, the marsh tit (hashibutogara), lives only in Hokkaido, but the other four species--the willow tit (ko-gara), coal tit (higara), great tit (shijukara) and varied tit (yamagara)--can be seen all over the country. During the breeding season, each pair establishes and aggressively defends a territory around their nest. During the winter months, however, the birds band together and forage in small flocks. Often several species of tit, as well as other types of birds, can be seen traveling and feeding together."

Bird survey on Martha's Vineyard

2005-12-30T09:31:00.000-08:00

From the December 29 The Martha's Vineyard Times:

"The Martha's Vineyard Christmas Bird Count (CBC) is being conducted today, the final Thursday of 2005. If you happened to pick up the paper before quitting time and glanced at this column, it may help the explain several groups of people you may have encountered, all bundled up and using binoculars and carrying spotting scopes. Forgive them at this season if they were parked less than perfectly; they probably spotted a bird in a treetop and wanted to keep an eye on it as they departed the vehicle. Those were some of the participants in today's attempt to count every single bird of every species on the Island."

The story continues...these people are passionate!

"The CBC is a 24-hour day, so should people be foolish enough they could begin birding at midnight, attempting to locate nocturnal owls by sound. Typically on the Vineyard CBC, up to a dozen observers do go owling — but not starting at midnight. A 4 am wake-up is sufficient punishment to provide for plenty of time to stumble around in the freezing darkness trying to hear above the wind in the trees."