Rapt in Awe http://www.giveyoujoy.net/awe/blog/ A journal of my journey through this universe. en-us 2008-05-15T09:15:05-05:00 Saturn through a 66AT http://www.giveyoujoy.net/awe/blog/archives/2008/05/saturn_through.html The above image of Saturn - complete with Cassini Division (a difficult target now) and the shadow of the planet on the rings, was taken by Steen Weichel and sent to me today with the following note. I think... Observations Greg Stone 2008-05-15T09:15:05-05:00 Ethos vs Hyperion http://www.giveyoujoy.net/awe/blog/archives/2008/05/ethos_vs_hyperi.html Well, I've had a couple of reasonably clear mornings to begin to appreciate the Ethos. My conclusion: Put me on a lonely island with a dozen telescopes and one eyepiece and I want that eyepiece to be the 13mm Televue... Equipment Greg Stone 2008-05-07T05:46:04-05:00 The most important story of our life time . . . maybe http://www.giveyoujoy.net/awe/blog/archives/2008/05/the_most_import.html What's going on this month on Mars may, IMHO, prove to be the most important story of our lifetime. It's not getting the hype it deserves from the press, but that's no surprise. I've written about this before, but what... In the news Greg Stone 2008-05-06T02:12:00-05:00 Building an eyepiece strategy on exit pupil and 'Ethos' http://www.giveyoujoy.net/awe/blog/archives/2008/05/building_an_eye.html Well, not just exit pupil, but of the various numbers associated with eyepieces the exit pupil is a good way to set one limit. My new 'Ethos' arrived - the most expensive eyepiece I ever dreamed of purchasing -... Equipment Greg Stone 2008-05-03T09:50:24-05:00 Seeing Red! UX Draco http://www.giveyoujoy.net/awe/blog/archives/2008/05/seeing_red_ux_d.html May 1,2008 - 4 am - T5, S3 8-inch LX90 Take your average nuclear explosion, mix in a lot of carbon to absorb the blue light, and what you get is one unequivocally red star. The one I was looking... Observations Greg Stone 2008-05-01T07:51:18-05:00 Silence under the Stars: Connecting with the Universe http://www.giveyoujoy.net/awe/blog/archives/2008/04/silence_under_t.html "Silence under the Stars:Connecting with the Universe" is a new program of free, public observing at Driftway Observatory introduces two changes in the way we approach the universe. First, we will start each observing period with a period of... Public programs Greg Stone 2008-04-10T08:41:14-05:00 More observations with 120ST and "Contellation View" http://www.giveyoujoy.net/awe/blog/archives/2008/04/more_observatio.html April 3, 2008 - 3:15 am - 5:30 am - T4-5, S3 This was a wonderful, refreshing session, though cold got to my hands once ina while. What I did most of the time was play with the Orion... Equipment Greg Stone 2008-04-03T04:42:13-05:00 Winter wear http://www.giveyoujoy.net/awe/blog/archives/2008/04/winter_wear.html Notes to myself - At 32 and below I need chemical toe warmers and handwarmers to be comfortable, plus silk glove libers and heated vest. I need hat on top of balaclava plus scarf At 32 - 50 - Silk... Equipment Greg Stone 2008-04-03T04:37:54-05:00 First impressions - Orion Short Tube 120 refractor http://www.giveyoujoy.net/awe/blog/archives/2008/04/first_impressio.html April 2, 2008 - 4:20 am - 6:35 am - 43 degrees, very windy, transparency excellent, seeing average Good. I don't dare say a lot more, except in terms of specific observations and general principles, simply because I've come not... Equipment Greg Stone 2008-04-02T04:41:21-05:00 From Earth to the Virgo Cluster http://www.giveyoujoy.net/awe/blog/archives/2008/03/from_earth_to_t.html March 26, 2008 - 8-11:30 pm - T3-4/S3 In the space of a few hours, Jim, Donna, and I went from observing one of our closest space objects - the International Space Station and its cargo vessel, Jules Verne... Observations Greg Stone 2008-03-27T04:56:35-05:00 Jupiter in the branches of a fast-moving tree http://www.giveyoujoy.net/awe/blog/archives/2008/03/jupiter_in_the.html March 23/24 pm/am moonless/moonlight t4/3 s3 Jupiter, Europa, Io, Ganymede and Callisto - all playing a confused game of tag, tangled in the branches of a fast-moving tree - that was my main memory from two excellent observing sessions.... Observations Greg Stone 2008-03-24T05:13:11-05:00 Birds in flight - right through the Engagement Ring! http://www.giveyoujoy.net/awe/blog/archives/2008/03/birds_in_flight.html There was a full moon rising over my right shoulder, but I wanted to see if the 100ED could actually work on the parallelogram mount and in straight-through mode. It can. I had put the 30mm ClearVue in, so I... Observations Greg Stone 2008-03-22T03:07:10-05:00 Rules are made to be broken, right? http://www.giveyoujoy.net/awe/blog/archives/2008/03/rules_are_made.html The old saw is that "rules are made to be broken" and last night I enjoyed myself with a little piece of observing that broke every rule in the book. I report it here, simply because rules can become such... Observations Greg Stone 2008-03-21T04:53:07-05:00 Before our time. .. yet bright enough to see http://www.giveyoujoy.net/awe/blog/archives/2008/03/before_our_time.html A gamma ray burst coming from the direction of the constellation of Bootes started on its way to us some 7 bllion years ago and reached here a few nights ago in a suddens surge of light bright enough to... In the news Greg Stone 2008-03-21T04:43:50-05:00 The Cosmic Connection – selected excerpts http://www.giveyoujoy.net/awe/blog/archives/2008/03/the_cosmic_conn.html From: The Cosmic Connection, a brief talk by Greg Stone, Dartmouth, MA, March 20, 2008. I want to teach astronomy. Or maybe I should say preach astronomy – for the night sky, the dome of stars overhead, has become both... Teacher resources Greg Stone 2008-03-20T05:37:47-05:00