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June 2009
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Wednesday, 17 June 2009 21:14
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The concrete pier, of itself will only do so much, mostly because it will be flush with the ground of the observatory. If I planned on using Dobsonian mounted reflectors, then I'd be all set. However, I plan on mounting my Orion Atlas EQ-G, which will need to be lifted 3-4 feet above the ground.
To achieve this I plan on getting a metal pier, most likely this one, which will be bolted to the concrete pier, and in turn will have the Orion Atlas EQ-G bolted to it.
The metal pier is a little on the expensive side, so I'm going to see if there are any local metal fabricators who could build it for cheaper. I've already purchased the plans from Sky Shed to make things easier for any fabricators to proivde an estimate.
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Tuesday, 16 June 2009 21:23
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"Astronomy is not just about observing, it's an experience, a life style but more than that it is a collection of priceless memories."
I don't know who said this, but I know i've found it on a number of websites. This initial statement, is alsmost always followed by:
So how long have you been into astronomy? Take a quiet moment and reflect back over your observing career. Do you remember the excitement of your very first telescope?, the first time you seen the glorious rings of Saturn?, and what about those spectacular aurora displays, meteor showers, fireballs, great comet, or that naked eye sunspot as the Sun set into the murky western sky late at the end of a gorgeous summer evening?. Better yet did you keep a written record of your observations?
I think these two statements really consisely describe the need for a log book. Not only do we not always exactly remember things that we've done and seen exactly as they occurred, but sometimes we can't even recall those same memories.
Thus is born the need for a log book. Read more
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Tuesday, 16 June 2009 19:25
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I don't really know what part of an observatory is truly the heart of the facility, but I'm pretty sure the telescope should be considered the top contender. OK. So maybe not the best example. How about if I said, that the telescope is like a tree's leaves, in that it is effectively the center of the photo-synthetic process. Think about it, a tree cannot survive without it's leaves (or in the case of coniferous trees; it's needles). The same is effectively true for an observatory, in that it cannot survive without a telescope. So if that would mean that the pier, is really not that different from a tree's trunk, and the trees roots, not that much different than the counter-sink. So I bet you're thinking I'm going to mount the telescope on a tree! Afraid Not. I've done lots of research on the subject, reviewed many forums, had a chat with a local contractor, and spoken with some members of the RASC Winnipeg Centre, and I've learned the following:
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The pier needs to be built such that it is equally as deep as the winter frost line
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The pier needs to be build such that it resists vibration
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The pier needs to be built so that sway is minimized
To meet these needs, I've come up with the following design:
This design is pretty simple. The "box" at the bottom is really just a solid chunk of concrete, with embedded rebar for reinforcement. The box will be roughly somewhere between 27 and 43 cubic feet, and will be positioned such that the very bottom is approximately 9.0 - 9.5 feet below grade. The reson for this positioning is that a local contractor indicated that the frost line in the region is rougly 8.0 feet below grade (or 6.0 feet in heavy trees). Therefore, by position the "box" half-above and half-below the frost line, I should be able to limit the amount of ground heave during the spring thaw.
The "tube" on top, which in this scale is roughly 7 feet tall, would be positioned flush with the ground surface. More than likely the tube will be 9 feet tall, resulting in 2 feet of the pillar exposed above grade.
All told, if the concrete box is 27 cubic feet, then it will weigh roughly 2000 Kilos, whereas with 43 cubic feet it will weigh roughly 3000 kilos. The concrete in the "tube", assuming a 12-inch diameter, will weigh roughly 500 kilos.
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Monday, 15 June 2009 20:23
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I should have posted this last fall, but I got so busy bringing the new RASC Winnipeg Centre and 100 Hours of Astronomy websites online that I just didn't want to make the time. Now that I've got my new site up and running, and no longer spending 8 hours per day at work, and another 4 hours per day on these websites, I have more time to work on mine.
Anyways, long story short, I went out and bought a bunch of supplies to build an 8-foot by 8-foot deck. The purpose of this deck was two-fold. If I built an enclosed observatory (as I plan to do), what size would work. Secondly, by building a smaller deck, I could (with some assistance), move the deck around to find the best locaton to place my observatory.
The good news is that I like the location that I placed the deck, and have decided to make this location the home of my observatory. Now that it's nice outside, I'm plan to get pictures of the current site. Read more
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