My find for the day

A day off running. Tomorrow is a 60 minute cross training day, but I may be cross training helping John fix his pool. Shovelling sand counts as cross training right? :P I thought it was to be a "light" day for training, but John's got plans for my roof so I best make plans for his pool. :D

http://www.thousandoaksoptical.com/solar.html

The local Winnipeg branch of the RASC mail list was after some solar film to quickly put together a solar filter for a 6" scope this week-end. I am missing my own solar filter.

As one uses this film, one is supposed to check it in a dark room with a flash light to check that there are no breaches in the protective coatings that might blind you.

If one uses their scope in the day time to observe the sun frequently, one might become bored with the practise of checking the film ever observing session.

It was on such a day as this that I almost didn't check my filter for holes that might let the powerful light from the sun scorch my retina right out of my eye.

I had bought extra film when I originally purchased mine and so when I found that all my carefully stored "spare" film had the same type of damage, I was disappointed and a little scared. I'd read the literature that came with the film, but hadn't noticed an expiry date on any of it. So this summer I'm still without a solar filter.

Telescopes are a great thing, but please, please, please don't buy a "Trash Scope". Bad telescopes capture the imagination of the unsuspecting public year after year and it should be illegal. Buyer beware is not always so easy, especially with telescopes.

Start with binoculars. There are a gazillion and one things to look at in binocs. It'll help you to learn the sky and you'll either take to observing or you'll move along to some other interest and have binoculars for birds, and wildlife of all kinds as well as something to look at the moon when the spirit moves you.

The trick is to get them nailed down to a tripod. A simple board with some slots, some hook and eyelet type fabric and a 1/4" t-nut and you're pretty much home free. The Kingston RASC group had a wonderful barn door tracker that's fun if you're a little handy with wood too.