I Hate M57

I hate that tiny little ring of smoke ... There I said it!

Mean Mr Mustard wrote:
I hate that tiny little ring of smoke ... There I said it!

Tiny? It's about a light year across making it a trillion times larger
than Disneyworld and getting bigger all the time!

Get a larger scope.

Randy

Mean Mr Mustard wrote:
I hate that tiny little ring of smoke ... There I said it!

Guess what? It doesn't like you either. ;-)

It is actually one of my favorite objects and usually impresses
non-astronomer folks when I show it to them in my 10 inch dob.


"Mean Mr Mustard" wrote in message
oups.com...
I hate that tiny little ring of smoke ... There I said it!

I hate that tiny little ring of smoke ... There I said it!
======================================

I do sort of understand your reasoning, and thoughts Mr Mustard, it's an
elusive little bugger to find sometimes!

When I first seen pictures years ago of M-57 in Lyra, I thought "Oh man,
that is cool". Of course these photos I speak of were probably film
emulsions taken through Mount Wilson's Reflector.

The first time I personally seen M-57, was through a then new (1968)
Edmund 4" F-15 Refractor that I borrowed one summer from my High School
in Wisconsin.

Yes, through repeated star hopping on the Edmund non-driven EQ Mount,
and referring to the somwhat lacking star charts I had back then, I
found it!

Yes, although small, and I suppose one could say a disappointment after
seeing the no doubt hours long photgraphs, still it had that eerie
presence just floating in space amongst a field of little jewels
(Stars), and was an object that mesmerized me, and still does.
Especially when one becomes to learn what it is, and when it was said to
happen.

Of course back then with the 4" Edmund Achromat, with it's now lowly,
but then considered good Kellner, and Ramsden Eyepieces, I wanted more!

This was one of the heavenly objects that made me want more. More
aperture, darker skies, better eyepieces, better charts-atlas, and on,
and on.

Fast forwarding 30 years to a Star party at Astrofest 2002, and it's
pretty amazing how far we have come, with technology, better scopes, the
CCD.

I'm crouched over, right next to Roland Christen, with his beautiful AP
10" Mak on his 1200GTO Mount right in front of him, SBIG Cam, and Laptop
on his tabletop right out in the field amongst 800 other observers in
light polluted Kankakee, Ill skies.

He's pulling up images on the fly of M-57 effortlessly, which were
absolutely amazing, especially considering we're not camped out on some
remote mountaintop somewhere reaping the benefit, and advantage of
pristine dark skies.

They rivaled the pictures I saw 30 years earlier in books though the
massive Mt Wilson reflector, and that's what I find quite amazing.

The Central Star of M-57 was easily within the grasp of this Scope/Cam
combo, and in fact we were seeing the more elusive Galaxy that is
positioned not very far from M-57.

Evertime I see M-57, many times I flash back to the simpler, younger
times of my life, thoughts reflect back to that old, skinny $347 High
School Edmund Refractor, and the first time I seen this object standing
out there alone that one cool Wisconsin summer's eve. Ahh memories.
Mark D.

"I hate that ring", said Mean Mr. Mustard.
I wonder why? Is he feeling flustered?
Did he try to locate it without success?
Or is his 'scope so small, that it doesn't impress?
Whatever the reason, and he didn't elaborate
I don't think the Ring nebula's something to hate.
In fact I'd say, it's quite a sight
A true celestial summer delight.
Though I've never seen its central star
(It's too faint, since the Ring's so far)
I think anyone with optics that are sanitary
Will think it one of the finest nebulae planetary.
Even 'Mij Adyaw' said he likes the Ring,
And he's a Min-lovin', conservative ding-a-ling!

Thus spake Mean Mr Mustard:

I hate that tiny little ring of smoke ... There I said it!


How dare you demean the Ring Thing, the Great Cosmic Cheerio, the
Tire in the Lyre, the Diaphanous Donut, the Holey Smoke, the
Luminiferous Lifesaver, the Heavenly Halo, the Beauteous Bagel o'
the Night! Blasphemers such as you deserve nothing better than
M40.

--
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Mark Gingrich San Leandro, California

Randy Roy wrote:
Mean Mr Mustard wrote:
I hate that tiny little ring of smoke ... There I said it!

Tiny? It's about a light year across making it a trillion times larger
than Disneyworld and getting bigger all the time!

Is Disneyworld six miles across?

Well, yes, if you just consider the theme parks, which is afterall what
most people consider to be Disneyworld. Another way of looking at M57's
size is it is about 150 trillion times larger than Graceland give or
take a hunk a hunk o' burning love.

Randy

"Mean Mr Mustard" wrote in message oups.com...
I hate that tiny little ring of smoke ...

These days it's believed to be more of a
little cylinder of plasma.

--

Hilton Evans
---------------------------------------------------------------
Lon -71° 04' 35.3"
Lat +42° 11' 06.7"
---------------------------------------------------------------
Webcam Astroimaging
http://mysite.verizon.net/hiltonevan...troimaging.htm
---------------------------------------------------------------
ChemPen Chemical Structure Software
http://www.chempensoftware.com