A reason to get up early

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jdaw1
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Re: A reason to get up early

Post by jdaw1 »

The BBC, in an article entitled [url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-25860454]Nearby supernova dazzles astronomers[/url], wrote:Image

An exploding star has been spotted in the night sky - the closest supernova to Earth that has been seen in decades.

The dramatic event happened 12 million light years away in Messier 82 - known as the cigar galaxy for its shape.

It was discovered by undergraduates during a telescope class at the University of London Observatory.

"One minute we're eating pizza then five minutes later we've helped to discover a supernova. I couldn't believe it," said student Tom Wright.

"It reminds me why I got interested in astronomy in the first place."
Other links: ucl.ac.uk; space.com.
The BBC almost wrote:The Official Astronomer to ThePortForum was not available for comment.
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DRT
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Re: A reason to get up early

Post by DRT »

According to my books the cigar galaxy is easily viewed through my new telescope. If the sky clears I will look for it and report back.
"The first duty of Port is to be red"
Ernest H. Cockburn
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jdaw1
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Re: A reason to get up early

Post by jdaw1 »

Presumably underground natural cellars are protected by brick and wet soil, but are ‘shed cellars’ safe from the scary super-explosion neutrino rays? Or do I really need eight light years of lead?
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DRT
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Re: A reason to get up early

Post by DRT »

If the light from the explosion that happened 12 million years ago has arrived here then so have the neutrino rays. If we are doomed we are already doomed. Enjoy the view.
"The first duty of Port is to be red"
Ernest H. Cockburn
PhilW
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Re: A reason to get up early

Post by PhilW »

DRT wrote:If we are doomed we are already doomed. Enjoy the view.
We are all already doomed. We are all going to die. Eventually. Don't Panic.
LGTrotter
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Re: A reason to get up early

Post by LGTrotter »

PhilW wrote:
DRT wrote:If we are doomed we are already doomed. Enjoy the view.
We are all already doomed. We are all going to die. Eventually. Don't Panic.
Indeed, the death rate remains steady at one per person.
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DRT
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Re: A reason to get up early

Post by DRT »

I think I found the galaxy, but the sky is too bright and too hazy to make out any detail :(
"The first duty of Port is to be red"
Ernest H. Cockburn
Glenn E.
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Re: A reason to get up early

Post by Glenn E. »

LGTrotter wrote:
PhilW wrote:
DRT wrote:If we are doomed we are already doomed. Enjoy the view.
We are all already doomed. We are all going to die. Eventually. Don't Panic.
Indeed, the death rate remains steady at one per person.
Higher, I think. Some people die, are revived, and then die again.
Glenn Elliott
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Alex Bridgeman
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Re: A reason to get up early

Post by Alex Bridgeman »

PhilW wrote:
DRT wrote:If we are doomed we are already doomed. Enjoy the view.
We are all already doomed. We are all going to die. Eventually. Don't Panic.
Does this mean that I should open my cellar doors and ask for help to drink everything?
Top Ports in 2023: Taylor 1896 Colheita, b. 2021. A perfect Port.

2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
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DRT
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Re: A reason to get up early

Post by DRT »

AHB wrote:
PhilW wrote:
DRT wrote:If we are doomed we are already doomed. Enjoy the view.
We are all already doomed. We are all going to die. Eventually. Don't Panic.
Does this mean that I should open my cellar doors and ask for help to drink everything?
No. It means you should contact someone in the American mid-west and ask them how to build a anti-apocalypse bunker. You then move your Port, Riedel glasses, guns, laptop, canned food and bottled water, fuel and family (note priority order) into the bunker. You will be fine.
"The first duty of Port is to be red"
Ernest H. Cockburn
LGTrotter
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Re: A reason to get up early

Post by LGTrotter »

AHB wrote:Does this mean that I should open my cellar doors and ask for help to drink everything?
Open one bottle of the 446 different ports you have (see pointless statistics) and we'll be there as soon as we can to help you clear up the stragglers. Incidentally I wonder what the practical limits on the number of ports at a tasting would be?
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DRT
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Re: A reason to get up early

Post by DRT »

The decision has been made.

Having spent a year with my 5" Skywatcher Heritage Dobsonian I experimented by purchasing the 8" Skywatcher Skyliner Dobsonian to see for myself whether or not size matters. It does.

I have done lots of research into what is available and what is ideal for my needs. The decision has been made and the order has been placed. At some point soon one of these will arrive at Chez T...


Celestron CPC 1100 GPS (XLT)
11 inch CPC.jpg
11 inch CPC.jpg (19.24 KiB) Viewed 4454 times
:nirvana:
"The first duty of Port is to be red"
Ernest H. Cockburn
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Re: A reason to get up early

Post by LGTrotter »

I am lost. I thought that with telescopes there was a limit on how many one could usefully own. Will this replace the other one you have been cheering to the rafters? Looks very nice though. Nothing so vulgar as a price I see.
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DRT
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Re: A reason to get up early

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LGTrotter wrote:I am lost. I thought that with telescopes there was a limit on how many one could usefully own. Will this replace the other one you have been cheering to the rafters?
An analogy that might explain the problem:

1. Owen buys a case of Fonseca 1985. He drinks two bottles and decides that he likes Fonseca 1985.

2. Owen buys a case of Fonseca 1970. He likes it more than 1985.

Question: Does Owen sell his remaining bottles of Fonseca 1985 or does he choose to use them at an appropriate time?

LGTrotter wrote:Looks very nice though.
{smugness}
LGTrotter wrote:Nothing so vulgar as a price I see.
Nothing to see here. Please move along.
"The first duty of Port is to be red"
Ernest H. Cockburn
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Re: A reason to get up early

Post by LGTrotter »

Looked up the price. In the above analogy you have just bought a case of 48 Fonseca after the first two bottles of 85. And you've been drinking bin 27 up til now.

Good work.
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DRT
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Re: A reason to get up early

Post by DRT »

LGTrotter wrote:I thought that with telescopes there was a limit on how many one could usefully own.
More seriously, they do have different uses. "Dobs" (Dobsonian) telescopes provide a great "price-to-aperture" ratio. More aperture means more light hitting the optics of the scope so images are bigger and brighter. Other types of scope provide other qualities that Dobs cannot, but the price per inch of aperture is much greater.

I will now have three scopes. The small one will be rarely used but would be great to take somewhere in the back of the car to someone who is interested in seeing Jupiter and its moons for the first (and probably only) time or to whip out if I have five minutes to look at the moon. The 8-incher will be great if I have half an hour to spare for a quick browse around known objects. The CPC will be for when I want to spend time with it finding new things to look at or taking pictures or videos of what I am observing. Hopefully I will be able to share some of that here.
"The first duty of Port is to be red"
Ernest H. Cockburn
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DRT
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Re: A reason to get up early

Post by DRT »

LGTrotter wrote:Looked up the price. In the above analogy you have just bought a case of 48 Fonseca after the first two bottles of 85. And you've been drinking bin 27 up til now.

Good work.
I sincerely hope that your interpretation of the analogy is correct.
"The first duty of Port is to be red"
Ernest H. Cockburn
LGTrotter
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Re: A reason to get up early

Post by LGTrotter »

DRT wrote: "Dobs" (Dobsonian) telescopes provide a great "price-to-aperture" ratio. More aperture means more light hitting the optics of the scope so images are bigger and brighter. Other types of scope provide other qualities that Dobs cannot.
What other qualities could be more important than light gathering? Surely the size of the optics is the sine qua non here. I can't imagine that looking through the back of it is an advantage.
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DRT
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Re: A reason to get up early

Post by DRT »

LGTrotter wrote:
DRT wrote: "Dobs" (Dobsonian) telescopes provide a great "price-to-aperture" ratio. More aperture means more light hitting the optics of the scope so images are bigger and brighter. Other types of scope provide other qualities that Dobs cannot.
What other qualities could be more important than light gathering? Surely the size of the optics is the sine qua non here. I can't imagine that looking through the back of it is an advantage.
Is a double-magnum of Sandeman Vau 2000 better than a half bottle of Cockburn 1908?

There are a few different types of telescope, each with particular features that make it better or worse for particular uses.

The largest difference between a Dobsonian and most of the others is that a Dob only has mirrors whilst others have lenses to correct and enhance the image. Lenses cost lots of money, especially good ones. Another difference that adds ££££ is whether or not the telescope contains electronic gizmos to find and track objects across the sky. My Dob needs manual adjustment every few seconds and relies on me to point it in the correct place. The CPC will find what I want to look at and then keep it in the viewer for as long as I want to look at it.
"The first duty of Port is to be red"
Ernest H. Cockburn
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jdaw1
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Re: A reason to get up early

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DRT
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Re: A reason to get up early

Post by DRT »

If only it were that simple :(
"The first duty of Port is to be red"
Ernest H. Cockburn
LGTrotter
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Re: A reason to get up early

Post by LGTrotter »

I notice the newest joiner of :tpf: has the nom de plume 'planetary'. New perspectives on the heavens perchance? Or are they merely 'calling occupants' as Karen Carpenter sings.
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DRT
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Re: A reason to get up early

Post by DRT »

Interesting. I have the same user name here and on a couple of astro forums. My avatar is the same on all three.

Perhaps the Klingons have followed me here using their cloaking device? :shock:
"The first duty of Port is to be red"
Ernest H. Cockburn
LGTrotter
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Re: A reason to get up early

Post by LGTrotter »

DRT wrote:Interesting. I have the same user name here and on a couple of astro forums. My avatar is the same on all three.

Perhaps the Klingons have followed me here using their cloaking device? :shock:
It's definitely The Borg.
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Re: A reason to get up early

Post by Glenn E. »

LGTrotter wrote:
DRT wrote:Interesting. I have the same user name here and on a couple of astro forums. My avatar is the same on all three.

Perhaps the Klingons have followed me here using their cloaking device? :shock:
It's definitely The Borg.
Resistance is futile. You will drink Port.
Glenn Elliott
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