Mistaken Objective?

One early morning while it was still dark, several years ago
as I observed under the heavily light-polluted skies of Midtown
Memphis, I spotted Venus just beginning her course in the east.
I thought, "Hey, what a great time to get out the scope," said
scope being a Parks PRT-813 80mm refractor, made in Japan.

Of course, Venus is very bright no matter where one observes,
and I found myself watching her from 5 or so in the morning...

....until sometime after 10 as the Sun was well on its way across
the sky, too. Venus, by that time, appeared as a pale beige and
seemingly sandpapery orb. Fancy my having been able to track
her for all that time with that low-cost equatorial mounting.

As I was about to call it...a morning, our neighborhood's "village
idiot," I never knew his name, had begun a transit of his own, but
around my block instead. Little did he know that the telescope
and I were stealthily-positioned just to the side of the rear of
my brother's car which was parked parallel right next to
the sidewalk. As he passed he glanced over(village
idiots have inklings, too, it seems), saw me looking
through the telescope and then at him, and
paused momentarily only to stagger back
a few steps, but then continued on
without appreciably interrupting
the slightly stumbling rythym
of his stride.

Since that time, I've often wondered as to what must've been
going on in his head as he staggered backwardly upon observing
me in my own observance. The only conclusion I could ever
arrive at is that he must've thought that I was engaged in...

....peeping, as the neighborhood is quite close-knit, in at least
residential proximity, if not in their hearts.

Which begs the question, has anyone else been mistakenly
suspected?

Alan

Astro lore is rife with such occurances. Even been suspected of setting up
mortars to mortar military bases.

--
Bob May
Losing weight is easy! If you ever want to lose weight, eat and drink less.
Works evevery time it is tried!

We often have the state police show up during an observing
session....so often that I just assume they are coming....
to check out our rocket launchers.

During the Hale-Bopp apparition, it was for crowd control
and rocket launchers.
Tom W.

On Sun, 20 Jul 2003 12:11:38 -0400, bwhiting ...reflected:

We often have the state police show up during an observing
session....so often that I just assume they are coming....
to check out our rocket launchers.

During the Hale-Bopp apparition, it was for crowd control
and rocket launchers.
Tom W.

Are you serious?

Was it in the South?

8^)

Alan

On Sun, 20 Jul 2003 17:16:09 -0400, bwhiting ...reflected:

Yes, we have always treated the law similar to the border customs
officials....somewhere between God and a wild animal...just stay as you
are, don't make any quick movements, be contrite and humble, and its
also *not* a good time to be asking your fellow astronomer, "Hey did
you bring your 9 millimeter with you?

That's marvelous!

Well get it out, I need it".
Clear skies,
Tom W.

snip

Alan

In article NsCSa.22712$zy.7247@fed1read06,
"Jan Owen" wrote:

It's interesting to contemplate what the reaction might be if everyone,
when the cops arrived, grabbed the front of their Dobsonians, and swung
them around and down, and pointed them directly at the squad car...

On the other hand, of course, this might be met with a hail of bullets
from one of those folks afflicted with the Wyatt Earp syndrome, and a lack
of gray matter between their ears...


I know you're joking, of course. But think about it for a moment.
A cop wouldn't have to have 'Wyatt Earp Syndrome' and/or 'a lack of gray
matter.' He would only need to be ignorant of astronomy. Most people
would be frightened if a group of strangers pointed dobs menacingly at
them on a dark night. And if you have a gun, know how to use it, and
have taken an oath to serve and protect.....

Starry Skies,
Rich

BTW, I have a story SO GOOD that none of you would believe it. So, I
won't relate it and have to endure everyone's scorn..........

"Jan Owen" wrote in message
news:NsCSa.22712$zy.7247@fed1read06...
It's interesting to contemplate what the reaction might be if everyone,
when the cops arrived, grabbed the front of their Dobsonians, and swung
them around and down, and pointed them directly at the squad car...

On the other hand, of course, this might be met with a hail of bullets
from one of those folks afflicted with the Wyatt Earp syndrome, and a lack
of gray matter between their ears...

I actually had a similar situation occur about 20 years ago with a blue tube
Coulter
13.1" Dob I owned. I was observing near a fish hatchery in the small town
of
Mansfield, NJ. The scope was pointed relatively low towards the horizon at
M104,
which just happened to be in the direction of the road. All of a sudden a
car pulled
up and parked with its headlights pointed down the barrel of the scope,
about 300
feet from us. I motioned to it to lower the lights. Nothing happened.
After about
2 or 3 minutes, the car slowly moved towards us. Turned out to be one of
two
policemen on duty from the local force. He seemed very nervous as he got
out of
the car, then seemd releived after he found out it was a telescope.

We let him look at a variety of objects through the scope, and he radioed
the other
guy on duty to come on over. We then showed the other officer views through
the
scope.

Finally, the first policeman admited that he was vary scared when he first
saw us,
as he though that the scope was a rocket launcher, not a telescope. That is
why he
was so cautious about approaching us. Thankfully, he asked questions first,
and
didn't shoot. No joke, this really happened.

Thanks, Tom Davis

"Bob May" wrote in message ...
Astro lore is rife with such occurances. Even been suspected of setting up
mortars to mortar military bases.

During the first gulf war, (in the early 90's), three members of our
club set up a 20" Obsession at the Lake Hudson Dark Sky Preserve. It
had been raining the afternoon but the forecast was for clearing
around midnight. So they went and set up.

As one of the members told me, it started to clear up around
10-10:30pm. They were the only ones in the park, or so they thought.
They had just started to observe when all these red and blue lights
with sirens came out of nowhere.

The police, having braked hard and fast, emerged from their vehicles
with sidearms drawn: and ordering our three members to lay face down
on the ground.

Of course, our three members were confounded by the turn of events. I
understand it took a little over a half-hour to convince the police
that they were harmless. The telescope was NOT a cannon and that all
they wanted to do was observe the heavens.

After the police left, they decided that they had had enough
excitement for one night. It just amazed them at what had happened.

Francis

On Wed, 23 Jul 2003 12:20:18 GMT, "Hilton Evans" ...reflected:


"Alan W. Craft" wrote in message
.. .
As I was about to call it...a morning, our neighborhood's
"village
idiot,"

So, what in his history earned him his title?

Admittedly, I exhibit a cruel and unfeeling streak now and again.

Alan