Do you keep a scope by a window?

A common site in movies, the proverbial small refractor mounted near a
window. This was probably more common when houses had big bay windows
out front than now that few do. People may remember a Questar ad
showing a Questar on a table near a window. Keeping a small scope
permanently mounted is also a way to avoid procrastination when it
comes to "Should I go out or not?" syndrome. A small apo, on a light
mount or tripod is certainly no struggle, even if someone is tired.

When a novice, I tried the idea of observing from a warm house through
a window. I quickly found out how useless it was to do it.

Matthew Ota


Rich wrote:
A common site in movies, the proverbial small refractor mounted near a
window. This was probably more common when houses had big bay windows
out front than now that few do. People may remember a Questar ad
showing a Questar on a table near a window. Keeping a small scope
permanently mounted is also a way to avoid procrastination when it
comes to "Should I go out or not?" syndrome. A small apo, on a light
mount or tripod is certainly no struggle, even if someone is tired.

Matthew Ota wrote:
When a novice, I tried the idea of observing from a warm house through
a window. I quickly found out how useless it was to do it.

Matthew Ota


It's more a terrestial, low power thing. I remember a guy named Peter
Sahula(sp?) in Sky & Tel who had a C14 and he'd put a layer of clear
mylar over his observatory opening to shield out the cold. Problem was
it gave double-images at higher powers.

Rich wrote:
A common site in movies, the proverbial small refractor mounted near a
window. This was probably more common when houses had big bay windows
out front than now that few do. People may remember a Questar ad
showing a Questar on a table near a window. Keeping a small scope
permanently mounted is also a way to avoid procrastination when it
comes to "Should I go out or not?" syndrome. A small apo, on a light
mount or tripod is certainly no struggle, even if someone is tired.

My Nexstar 114GT scope is kept by the front window of our ground floor
apartment, but not so I can look through that window. It's there because
it looks cool (wife's opinion). It's also a short distance from the
front door, so it's easy to pick it up and take to the courtyard outside
our apartment.

--
Pat O'Connell
[note munged EMail address]
Take nothing but pictures, Leave nothing but footprints,
Kill nothing but vandals...

A small scope looking straight through a glass isn't too bad. It's just
a plain parallel glass. For astro use with higher powers and looking
up, you're looking through the glass at an angle resulting in a lot
more distortion.

Alvan Clark

Rich wrote:
A common site in movies, the proverbial small refractor mounted near a
window. This was probably more common when houses had big bay windows
out front than now that few do. People may remember a Questar ad
showing a Questar on a table near a window. Keeping a small scope
permanently mounted is also a way to avoid procrastination when it
comes to "Should I go out or not?" syndrome. A small apo, on a light
mount or tripod is certainly no struggle, even if someone is tired.

Hi Rich:

I don't keep a scope at a window. Might be a mite too much temptation
for some in my urban environment. I do keep a couple of scopes by the
back door, however.

1. An Orion StarBlast. 5 seconds to trot into the yard and be observing
(cooldown given my environment and the small size of this scope is
rarely a big factor), so there's no reluctance to get it out on iffy
nights. At 4.5-inches, it can suprise even under _my_ skies. It will
also do "good enough" on Moon and planets.

2. A C8 on an EQ4 (and a JMB Solar filter for the scope). This '84 OTA
probably doesn't have the best optics I've ever seen in a C8, but she's
OK, and works when I need "more better gooder" than the StarBlast.

3. A pair of el cheapo 15x70 binoculars (Burgess used to sell them).
Like the StarBlast, these can surprise in my urban setting. Comet Swan
was beautiful in her salad days in these glasses.

By not insisting on setting up a big CAT or other "upscale" instrument,
I find I observe a lot more on "so-so/kinda tired/not much up" sorts of
nights. ;-)

Peace,
Rod Mollise
Author of:
Choosing and Using a Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope
and
The Urban Astronomer's Guide
http://skywatch.brainiac.com/astroland

Hi:

And yet, and yet, I found that binoculars or a Short Tube 80 provided
surprisingly good through-the-window views in the days of Hale-Bopp,
even given some hardly flat glass in this old house's windows.

BTW, love your refractors!

;-)

Peace,
Rod Mollise
Author of:
Choosing and Using a Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope
and
The Urban Astronomer's Guide
http://skywatch.brainiac.com/astroland

wrote:
A small scope looking straight through a glass isn't too bad. It's just
a plain parallel glass. For astro use with higher powers and looking
up, you're looking through the glass at an angle resulting in a lot
more distortion.

Alvan Clark

I not have a scope by the only window I can use (front sliding glass door of
my trailer) as my scopes are outside, BUT I do have two pairs of Bino's, my
10x50's and my 20x80's but there's noting within this trailer park to be
seen, I use'm to scan towards Edwards AFB or or a launchinging is going off,
towards VBAFB.


--
There are those who believe that life here, began out there, far across the
universe, with tribes of humans, who may have been the forefathers of the
Egyptians, or the Toltecs, or the Mayans. Some believe that they may yet be
brothers of man, who even now fight to survive, somewhere beyond the
heavens.


The Lone Sidewalk Astronomer of Rosamond
Telescope Buyers FAQ
http://home.inreach.com/starlord
Sidewalk Astronomy
www.sidewalkastronomy.info
The Church of Eternity
http://home.inreach.com/starlord/church/Eternity.html


"RMOLLISE" wrote in message
oups.com...

Rich wrote:
A common site in movies, the proverbial small refractor mounted near a
window.

HI Dennis:

Not even Lolita or Tanqueray?! ;-)

Seriously, I envy you living next to Edwards...must be pretty
interesting at times.

Peace,
Rod Mollise
Author of:
Choosing and Using a Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope
and
The Urban Astronomer's Guide
http://skywatch.brainiac.com/astroland

Starlord wrote:
I not have a scope by the only window I can use (front sliding glass door of
my trailer) as my scopes are outside, BUT I do have two pairs of Bino's, my
10x50's and my 20x80's but there's noting within this trailer park to be
seen

And yet, and yet, I found that binoculars or a Short Tube 80 provided
surprisingly good through-the-window views in the days of Hale-Bopp,
even given some hardly flat glass in this old house's windows.

I have a north-facing sliding glass door. A year or so ago i was up late
at night and put my Tele Vue 76 by the door and had a very nice view of
M81/M82 from inside. I was quite surprised just now nice the view was.

..Florian