Re: Thursday Holiday TAAS Meeting
I like the idea of the old equipment exchange we've done in the past.? Maybe limit it to Amy's tripod cost and we should all be able to contribute.? Just kidding.? I don't care if you put a limit on equipment costs as long as it's in decent, usable condition.?
7 PM?? Can you make a reservation there? Honestly, I don't know.?
Weather permitting.? My FIAT is leaking antifreeze so it won't be a very late night for me.
John Sillasen?
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Re: Thursday Holiday TAAS Meeting
I don¡¯t mind meeting at Mr. G¡¯s but it¡¯s kind of late to think of gifts.?
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On Dec 16, 2024, at 1:26 PM, Mark Strollo via < mark@...> wrote:
Hi TAASers.
Hope all is well with everyone.?
I was hoping for another in-person meeting this week. ?Leslie suggested Mr. G¡¯s for a get-together. ?I don¡¯t know if we can get a quiet space there for a gathering. (Last time it was crowded.) I don¡¯t believe we have any business we need to handle, so it will be a social meeting. ?The club can afford some appetizers.?
Thoughts on an inexpensive ($15-$25) gift or equipment exchange.
Mark
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Thursday Holiday TAAS Meeting
Hi TAASers.
Hope all is well with everyone.?
I was hoping for another in-person meeting this week. ?Leslie suggested Mr. G¡¯s for a get-together. ?I don¡¯t know if we can get a quiet space there for a gathering. (Last time it was crowded.) I don¡¯t believe we have any business we need to handle, so it will be a social meeting. ?The club can afford some appetizers.?
Thoughts on an inexpensive ($15-$25) gift or equipment exchange.
Mark
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Wow! If you bought a Meade, Celestron, Skywatcher, Orion or Zhumell during an 18-year window:
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There¡¯s a $32m pot that I assume exists since claim filings are explained there. Must be pennies on the dollar, maybe pennies on some percentage of what anyone spent, ie ¡®the unfairly high price¡¯.
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But anyway I didn¡¯t see the topic out there yet unless I missed it¡what perspectives out there? Just or unjust?
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Alan Sheiness
Trail 53 Observatory, Lyme CT
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Fw: What¡¯s Up Webcast. Everything astronomy every Friday.
Cc: Sent: Fri, Dec 13, 2024 at 9:01 AM Subject: What¡¯s Up Webcast. Everything astronomy every Friday.
A Message from a Trusted Partner of Sky & Telescope
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Atilla Danko of the Clear Sky Clock has Passed Away
We counted on this guys work for many years. Looks like his wife will keep the CSC going.
Hope everyone can get outside during this spell of poor weather.?
Mark
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Thanks Gerry. It is really dim. I need to double/triple my time to get a really nice image. As soon as the nights clear up, I¡¯ll set back up. I don¡¯t get anything to the south from here, so no Orion until January when I get a honey hole for a few hours. I¡¯ve never done the Orion or Running Man nebulas. Last year was the Horsehead, so they are my targets this year.
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Lee,
Nicely done. These large dim nebulae are interesting. I don't recall seeing Sh2-240 with NV in H-Alpha, so it must be quite dim. Likely there is no way I could get enough exposure time from the sliver of sky visible from my back yard, even if the weather cooperated. :-(
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Not far to the SW in Orion is Lower's Nebula, Sh-2-261, and the mushroom shaped Sh2-254-258 complex that Mark, Deb and I "discovered" a couple of years ago, and named the Snowball Fight Nebulae.
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Gerry
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Lee,
Nicely done. These large dim nebulae are interesting. I don't recall seeing Sh2-240 with NV in H-Alpha, so it must be quite dim. Likely there is no way I could get enough exposure time from the sliver of sky visible from my back yard, even if the weather cooperated. :-(
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Not far to the SW in Orion is Lower's Nebula, Sh-2-261, and the mushroom shaped Sh2-254-258 complex that Mark, Deb and I "discovered" a couple of years ago, and named the Snowball Fight Nebulae.
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Gerry
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Limited Time Deal: Chasing New Horizons by Alan Stern is available for $2.99 on Kindle
This previously $60 hard cover book is now available for Kindle for a limited time for only $2.99! Alan Stern is the Principle Investigator for the New Horizons mission for the fly by of the Pluto system. He not only was the Keynote speaker at Stellafane in the pouring rain to a packed house with riverlets running through the Pavillion,? he also spoke to a packed auditorium at a NEAF.? I spoke with him afterwards at his book signing.? He said it was originally a 600 page book and the publisher wouldn't entertain the thought.? This book is now 316 pages and still packed with incredible details.?
In paperback it's selling at $16.74. The hardcover version is $32.20.
Again this is a limited time deal.? I never bought it at $60 and there was no digital version at the time.
Thought you all would like to know.
John Sillasen?
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Re: Fw: Announcing Meade/Coronado/Orion Asset Liquidation:Optronic-Holding-Corp ¨C Think Onyx
Can¡¯t help but wonder if some of these assets are actually goods in for repair, ie, not Meade¡¯s to sell in the first place. I¡¯ve only ever heard how the phones and websites went unanswered from day one. I presume that at any given moment, Meade had repairs in progress, but maybe not? Maybe they had consciously cleared out the repair work and not taken any more in knowing the shutdown was coming?
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Alan Sheiness
Trail 53 Observatory, Lyme CT
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Fw: Announcing Meade/Coronado/Orion Asset Liquidation:Optronic-Holding-Corp ¨C Think Onyx
Hope the formatting comes out properly,? I inadvertently sent this from an address not in the TAAS Groups.io. So, I forwarded it to this address and forwarded it to the TAAS.? This way you know it came from me at least.?
Think I would rather read about the shortest day than legalese and asset disposition.? It is what it is, I suppose.?
John Sillasen?
The above is the formal announcement for the company engaged in selling off the assets of Optronic - the overall owner of Meade telescopes,? Orion and Coronado.?
If you wish to be the owner of these assets - as a Company,? not as a buyer of a product,? this is your chance or not.? Then again, I really feel for those who have one of these assets in need of service. Worse are those who already sent in there product and were awaiting a repair.? Honestly, I have no idea what their status may be.
Sad day. If you are the owner of one of these brands, keep them clean and well maintained.? They should last you a lifetime if you treat them well.?
The only place I know of that does professional service and repair for older product is Anthony Costanza's The Astronomy Shoppe. He in conjunction with Gary Hand, have a world of knowledge and service of these instruments.? The Astronomy Shoppe is well known for Unitron and Questar service too.? The location I know is in Plaistow, New Hampshire. Next time I see Anthony or his son, Michael,? I'll ask about this Florida location.?
John Sillasen?
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Thanks, George. I was driving south from VT an hour ago and was thinking it was about time for your annual reminder.? Mark?
On Tue, Dec 3, 2024 at 8:59 PM, GEORGE BLAHUN < ks1u@...> wrote: This Saturday, December 7, 2024 is the earliest sunset of the year. The figures for Hartford, CT have the sun setting at 4:20:01 pm EST. It will set about one second later on the 8th of December and by December 15th it will set at 4:21:15pm EST. On January 1, 2025 the sunset will occur at 4:31:41 PM EST. Of course, we¡¯ll keep losing daylight on the early part of the day until the Solstice on December 21st. It¡¯s hard to believe it¡¯s here already.
George
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This Saturday, December 7, 2024 is the earliest sunset of the year. The figures for Hartford, CT have the sun setting at 4:20:01 pm EST. It will set about one second later on the 8th of December and by December 15th it will set at 4:21:15pm EST. On January 1, 2025 the sunset will occur at 4:31:41 PM EST. Of course, we¡¯ll keep losing daylight on the early part of the day until the Solstice on December 21st. It¡¯s hard to believe it¡¯s here already.
George
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Photo combined_changed_L1_clone_clone_clone_changed_s1_clone.jpg uploaded
#photo-notice
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Re: The Astronomer's Headlamp
Amy, forgot to mention that the head strap is packaged so that adding it to the Headlamp is actually optional.? You may still use the lamp with its various luminance settings and the adjustment to have the lamp point down and away from straight out without it being attached to the strap. Thought that may encourage you even more. John Sillasen
On Fri, Nov 22, 2024 at 6:57 AM, Amy S (Astrodog) via groups.io <glpmacgeek@...> wrote: Will definitely check that out. Not necessarily to use as a headlamp but just as a red light. Mine is too bright even at its lowest setting. Sorry I didn¡¯t join you last night. I had pt on my knee yesterday and my knee was inflamed and very painful. Sitting is the worst activity. I hope I¡¯m able to get to the next one! Amy On Nov 22, 2024, at 12:09?AM, John A. Sillasen via groups.io <jasillasen@...> wrote:
? At tonight's TAAS meeting during the Show & Tell section,? I shared a new ALL RED LED Headlamp that I purchased and am putting through it's paces. Deb asked me to share the link after the meeting for the TAAS membership.?Turns out, I wasn't the only one who thought this was a great idea - one where you don't have to worry about accidentally turning on a white light then blowing out your night vision, let alone everyone around you. Gerry also bought one when it came out. They were out of stock when I ordered it so I am just getting to using it now. Gerry told us he has not had to recharge it at all since he got it!
It's from Highpoint Scientific in New Jersey and is their store brand, Apertura. The model is the Ember, the Astronomers Headlamp. This is a Red LED Headlamp only.? No white lamp is included!
The unit is self contained with a rechargeable Lithium Ion battery.
It also contains 4 levels of red light illumination. Brightness from now where did that Allen Wrench go all the way down to reading star charts and still being able to see the stars without impacting your night vision.
It's Currently $24.95 @ Highpoint Scientific,? down from.$29.95 & comes with Free shipping & a one year warranty.?
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Check it out for yourself.?
John Sillasen?
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Lee P.
Mark Strollo
Alan Sheiness
