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Re: Dinner before RASC - both Janice and I IN!
Rob Robotham
Hmmm,
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Given that time will be on our side (compared to a Friday evening), fast food certainly isn't a requirement. Hmmm... good chinese restaurants in the area...I know a fairly good Thai restaurant (again at Alta Vista and Bank), and there is a Cathay something or other somewhere on St. Laurent I believe. But my impression of them (there used to be one around the corner) (well around the corner and down the street) was pretty average. There is a Hooters on St-L. (which my wife mentioned - incidentally her name is Chris so I'll stop using that term from now on - mentioned, though she isn't willing to stand behind it as a suggestion). There is also a Texas Steak Co. on St-L, though I recall not being impressed. There is a Robbie's Italian restaurant too - I've either been to it or to a Robbie's Spaghetti House (on Walkley) and it was pretty good. For chinese we tend to get take out (we're a little bit west of the museum's neighbourhood) from the Penan Wok on Bank (just south of the canal) which is generally pretty good... ummm, how many oafs are going to meet for dinner? And do any of them have problems with large, friendly (but not a jumper) dogs (just the one)? Or issues with eating from their laps (well, maybe plates could be found, but the plates would be on your knees - or we could use the dining room, but really take-out chinese doesn't seem appropriate somehow in the dining room)? And will Chris actually let me make the implied invite???? (Seriously, I would expect her to). And we are 5-10 minutes drive from the Museum, which isn't really close (or really far). And we do have control over music or video selections, though I'm not sure about putting in Life of Brian with the kids around...Apollo 13 perhaps? On the other hand, the Pizza Hut at Industrial and St.L bears little resemblance to *fast* food - others could debate about the "food" part but that's not what I'm getting at... I believe there is a Milano's in the area too. I guess on the opposite side of the museum from us, there is the Mandarin Ogilvie (which may have had some sort of issue with an inspection, or maybe it was just a reviewer a couple of years ago - but they certainly had a lot of loyal fans as well). Anyone else with thoughts? I realize it is monday (and after the time change and everything) so having thoughts may be a lot to ask, but look at all I've typed without the benefit of thoughts... Rob attilla.danko@... wrote: I'd like to avoid fast-food.BothShould be pick based on location, like near St-Laurent ave? |
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Re: Dinner before RASC - both Janice and I IN!
I'd like to avoid fast-food.
BothShould be pick based on location, like near St-Laurent ave? I'm not too familliar with the restaraunts in the neiborhood. I know of kelsy's and red lobster. Any good chineese restaurants in the area? -ad "un bucket pour Monsieur" |
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Re: Dinner before RASC
Wagner,Rick [CIS-ADS]
Unfortunately I will have to miss dinner again, as I do almost every month.
The leader of the SMARTScope software development team has decided, and most members agreed, that dinner before each RASC meeting is the ideal time to discuss progress and plan the way ahead. Normally on Friday nights it's my daughter's dance class that interferes, but I thought I might escape on a Saturday. Oh well... Rick |
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Re: Etch-a Sketch?
Attilla Danko
Hi Roland.
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Yes, I've been having some trouble with my cloud-movent sensing algorithm. I'm going to turn it off while I figure it out. Clear skies. ----- Original Message -----
From: <r.prevost@...> To: <OAFs@...> Sent: Sunday, April 01, 2001 7:07 PM Subject: [OAFs] Etch-a Sketch? Ho Sir Attilla! |
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Etch-a Sketch?
Ho Sir Attilla!
Um... I don't want to sound ungrateful or anything, but have your weather-prediction maps on the OAFs home page gotten more um ... "sophisticated" recently. What do these three colours mean again? Are you sure you haven't just found a way to interface an old red Etch-a-Sketch to an ATI computer graphics card? Looks mighty suspicious... ;-) Anyway, some kind of short Coles Notes "Weather-Map Squigglys Explanation for OAFs" would really be nice, if that were possible. Hope you are feeling better from the flu bug... NI! Sir Rol of Photon |
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Dinner before RASC - both Janice and I IN!
Dear (Starry Knights of) OAFs...
Janice and I have had a chance to verify our schedules now, and find that we will be going to the RASC meeting next Saturday. So... we'd just love to join Rob, Frank, MikeZ, Richard and any other OAFs, any friends of OAFs (or anyone who's seen or heard a Photon and enjoyed it, for that matter) at dinner beforehand. Since this will be a Saturday, and not a Friday, perhaps we don't need to go to a "fast food" place like MacDonald's or Harvey's. Both suggestions of Lick's and Kelsey's sound good to us. I have to admit Rob's description of Lick's sounds interesting. If there are any other suggestions, let's hear them. Then, if we need to, we could set up a quick vote, maybe, and make a decision? Time of dinner ( 2 or 3 hours before RASC meeting? ) We're both looking forward to sharing dinner with you. Bring observing logbooks, photos, pictures of scopes, books, maps, articles, questions, whatever -- or not. Just be sure to bring yourselves! Looking forward to it! Photon Man (& Lady J) |
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Cubs cancelled - and other musings...
Just a note to say that this evening's ( Sat. March 31st ) observing
session at Conroy Pit with beavers and cubs has been cancelled due to the weather. So it goes... Thanks to everyone who offered to help out!! We both got home late from work last night, and so did not get the message re: possible friday nite dinner until around 8pm. It sounds like a great way for a "muddle of OAFs" to spend a cloudy evening. So maybe we can try for that again real soon. B.T.W.- I would like to bestow honorary OAF-hood (any OAF has the power) upon Mike Zeidler's wife, for coining the phrase "muddle of OAFs". This term, especially when applied to a dozen amateur astronomers, milling about in total darkness in Mike Wirths' observatory, is most apt! Photons for breakfast, Photons for lunch, Photons for dinnertime!... Rol ( & Jan ) P.S.- The Meaning of Life was on TV last nite. Janice and I watched and got to hear the "Galaxy Song" a couple of times. "Right... So, can we have your liver?" |
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Re: Dinner? Cloud Cursing? Pre-observing comestibles?
Sorry, I have another commitment tonight, but Rob's suggestion of a gathering of oafs (can't come up with any clever expression for that just now, but I'm sure someone will) pre-RASC next week sounds good to me.
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From: attilla.danko@... To: OAFs@... Sent: Friday, March 30, 2001 12:11 PM Subject: [OAFs] Dinner? Cloud Cursing? Pre-observing comestibles? Anyone feel like a communial cloud cursing seesion, with fellow oafs, at a restaurant tonight? Would Kanata or west end be a good location for most people? If so, Issacs is a has very good food (though, they are not cheap). It seems it may clear much later in the evening. (Or is that wishful thinking?) Yahoo! Groups Sponsor Paid Net2phone Advertisement - Click Here! Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service. |
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Re: Dinner? Cloud Cursing? Pre-observing comestibles?
My wife just provided the appropriate term, a muddle of OAFs, and I'm
up for a burger or something next Saturday. Lets set a time and place. Mike Z --- In OAFs@y..., "Frank Bayerl" <moxie@m...> wrote: Sorry, I have another commitment tonight, but Rob's suggestion of agathering of oafs (can't come up with any clever expression for that just now, but I'm sure someone will) pre-RASC next week sounds good to me. ----- Original Message -----cheap). Service. |
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Re: Dinner? Cloud Cursing? Pre-observing comestibles?
Richard Harding
I agree that a "gathering" before the next meeting is a great ideal! I will go where goes the group. BTW, I as well like Starry Knights. I have done a logo (uncommissioned!!) for the "Starry Knights of the OAFs". I digitized it but had trouble sending it. I will try again from work on Monday.
Eventual clear skies? Richard |
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Re: Dinner? Cloud Cursing? Pre-observing comestibles?
Rob Robotham
Alas (not to be confused with a lass), not myself tonight.
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On the other hand the RASC meeting is next Saturday, and I was wondering if there was going to be a collection of oafs pre-meeting? I would invite people over for a BBQ, but unless the weather really turns around I'm afraid that would be premature. Maybe next meeting... If we want to do the hamburger thing, may I recommend Licks at Bank and AltaVista (best burgers you pay someone for - maybe you can make better but for a fast food place...), otherwise Kelsey's or somewhere else? Rob P.S. OAFs is a fine name, but really Starry Kaa-Nigg-Its would have had some potential... (Sorry my brain is mush, that's the only Python reference I could come up with on short notice) attilla.danko@... wrote: Anyone feel like a communial cloud cursing seesion, |
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Dinner? Cloud Cursing? Pre-observing comestibles?
Anyone feel like a communial cloud cursing seesion,
with fellow oafs, at a restaurant tonight? Would Kanata or west end be a good location for most people? If so, Issacs is a has very good food (though, they are not cheap). It seems it may clear much later in the evening. (Or is that wishful thinking?) |
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Re: Larger Solar Spot...
Wagner,Rick [CIS-ADS]
Light from the sun works the same way as light from a nebula - it just
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happens to be at the other extreme of the range of brightness we astronomers have to deal with. Let's compare a 6x30 finder with naked eye - let's assume a 5mm pupil (the solar astronomer's will be smaller than this, the stellar astronomer's probably larger). The 30mm aperture of the finder is 6 times larger in diameter or 36 times the area of the naked eye pupil. It therefore accepts 36 times as much light. However, when using the telescope the image of the sun on the retina will also be 6 times larger in diameter or 36 times the area of the image when observing naked eye. So 36 times as much light spread over 36 times as much area gives the same intensity per unit area. What if we reduce the magnification of the scope to say 3x? Then the exit pupil of the scope will be 10mm so 1/4 of the light coming from the scope will be blocked from entering the eye by the pupil and we end up with the same intensity. Finally - the welding filters are designed for use with arc-welding which generates copious amounts of UV and IR. They are guaranteed safe naked eye. And, of course, the UV and IR are both affected the same way as visual light as far as aperture and magnification goes. Therefore if a filter is safe for naked eye viewing it will also be safe in front of any scope. Note that all this works the same for nebulae. A nebula can never have a higher intensity of light on the retina than when observing naked eye. So why does the telescope help? By increasing the size of the nebula at the same intensity the eye/brain combo is able to better detect the photons arriving over a larger area - they don't ignore it as noise. For more detail check out, for example, Mel Bartel's web pages on optimal visual magnification - . All this doesn't work for stars though. A star is essentially a point object so it doesn't look any bigger in a 60x300 telescope than a 6x30 so it does get much brighter in the larger scope. Rick -----Original Message-----
From: Bruce McGlashan [mailto:mcglashanb2@...] Sent: Thursday, 29 March 2001 22:13 To: OAFs@... Subject: Re: [OAFs] Larger Solar Spot... Thanks. I was not really concerned with the visible light, but with the UV. I guess what I was concerned about was whether the glass is as efficient at blocking UV as it is at blocking visible light. It could be minimally acceptable in the UV band for naked-eye observation, but magnification would put it over the safe limit. See what I mean? {pardon the pun} |
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Re: Larger Solar Spot...
Wagner,Rick [CIS-ADS]
Well, I got mine in a little welding supply shop in Cold Lake Alberta but
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I'm sure there are closer places than that. It was actually a nation-wide chain called Acklands and I believe they are in Ottawa as well. Rick -----Original Message-----
From: r.prevost@... [mailto:r.prevost@...] Sent: Thursday, 29 March 2001 17:48 To: OAFs@... Subject: [OAFs] Re: Larger Solar Spot... --- In OAFs@y..., "Wagner,Rick [CIS-ADS]" <rick.wagner@e...> wrote: Sure it's safe. I have a 2x4" welder's glass which I use in frontI'm glad to know that. Better safe than sorry. You explanation makes sense -- the light is already at a safe level before entering your binoculars. Thanks Rick! Where does on get welder's glass anyway? Rol Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to |
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TO Bruce re: collimation
Hi Bruce,
Here's something that happened to me not long after I got my SCT8"... If ever you defocus a star for the purposes of star testing, using, for example, a 10mm eyepiece, you may not see a perfect star pattern. It took me a while to notice what "heat plumes" look like. I know you may think you let your scope cool down, but if ever you get a pattern that forms a kind of a "V" shape, with the point of the "V" being close to the center of your "out of focus star" and the two arms of the "V" being at the outer edges of your "out of focus star", there's a good chance you may have a heat plume going on. How would you know? Try the following: Make sure that with the diagonoal in, your eyepiece is pointing skyward ( straight up ). If from this angle, the view of the out of focus star in your eyepiece shows the two arms of the "V" pointing visually up ( heat rises ), you probably have a heat plume. No amount of collimation can fix that. However, as you fiddle with collimation, it seems to improve a bit ( as it is cooling). Note that your body heat can "reheat" your scope a bit, and cause such a plume. That happenned to me a few times before it clicked that in cold conditions, I had to be careful about where I place my body, so as not to transfer heat to the tube. Also, temperatures are changing alot between day and night, so unless the temperature is stable for an hour or two, you have no guarantee that one hour cooling or even two hour cooling will work. Two hours "at the same temperature" should cool it though. Anyway, such a pattern could be some kind of optical aberration, I guess, but at first impression, it sure sounds alot like a heat plume to me. I hope that's the case, as that's not much of a problem. Best of luck with your new scope! Roland |
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Re: Larger Solar Spot...
Bruce McGlashan
Thanks. I was not really concerned with the visible light, but with the UV.
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I guess what I was concerned about was whether the glass is as efficient at blocking UV as it is at blocking visible light. It could be minimally acceptable in the UV band for naked-eye observation, but magnification would put it over the safe limit. See what I mean? {pardon the pun} -----Original Message-----
From: Wagner,Rick [CIS-ADS] <rick.wagner@...> To: 'OAFs@...' <OAFs@...> Date: March 29, 2001 08:35 Subject: RE: [OAFs] Larger Solar Spot... Sure it's safe. I have a 2x4" welder's glass which I use in front of my |
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Re: Larger Solar Spot...
Richard Harding
Hi Bruce!
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I have read many threads about people using welder's glass in the front of binoculars for viewing solar events. I have often heard the warning to make sure that the glass is SECURELY fastened to prevent it falling off or shifting to let some light in. However, I have never heard of a UV danger (ie. a concentration of UV light). I suggest that if you are concerned, that you buy a piece of Bader filter material (quite cheap I think) and use that with your finder scope and binos. This is obviously safe, as people are spending hours at the eyepiece of telescopes with Bader filters looking at the sun at far higher magnifications than you are talking about, without reported problems. Just my two cents worth! Richard Return-Path: <sentto-2911285-245-985922045-rharding=iosphere.net@...> |
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Re: Mike: Cadets are interested......
Richard Harding
Hi di ho neighbours!!
I would love to come. However, Judith will be back home for the long weekend.......sooooo we'll have to see! Richard Sir, your sheep are all in the trees!! Ah yes....they're nesting. Like birds?? Ar..Exactly!! It is my belief that these sheep are labouring under the misapprhension that they're birds. Witness their attempts to fly from tree to tree.....notice they do not so much fly as plummet!! BAAAAAAAA......THUD!! |
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Re: Mike: Cadets are interested......(reply)
--- In OAFs@y..., "Mike Wirths" <mwirths@s...> wrote:
Hi Jean,conflict with any other event?Mike, I've advised the Squadron that the 14th is our GO date...of course we'll be crossing our fingers for good weather and the final Go-NoGO decision will be yours to make....I'm guessing the cellular network will be humming on the 14th! Again, I can't thank you enough for this....the kids are sparked right up as are the 4 members of the staff interested in going... Jean |
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Re: Larger Solar Spot...
Bruce McGlashan
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-----Original Message-----
From: r.prevost@... <r.prevost@...> To: OAFs@... <OAFs@...> Date: March 29, 2001 17:48 Subject: [OAFs] Re: Larger Solar Spot... [snip]
I bought mine at Messer at 1750 Woodward Drive. It was #14, and it measures about 4x6". |
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