[Lvas] FW: NGC 404 Sketch

[roger ivester]

LVAS to all....You may enjoy this most interesting story regarding NGC 404 and especially if you remember the old Criterion Scopes of the Past.
 
Sorry about the previous e-mail I accidently hit the wrong address...
 
 
 
Dr. Lamm,   Now the story of NGC 404 is as following.  Gayle gave a presentation one night at at the Williams observatory for the CCAS and after the meeting, sitting backwards in a chair he told the story of Ted Komorowski. Jim, I hope you don't mind, but I wanted to include this e-mail reply to our group also...there may be a few that not aware of this information.  In Tom Lorenzin's 1000+ The Amateur Astronomer's Field Guide to Deep Sky Observing P-81. NGC 404 "Comet Komorowski" commemorates highly eccentric Ted Komorowski, a Charlotte, N.C., amateur who "discovered" the object and who found nothing plotted that near beta AND on Becvar's Atlas Coeli. Convinced of his claim to fame and immortality, he wired his discovery to the proper authorities and hopped from one foot to the other for days until the big needle returned by mail to puncture his dream... The story goes on...but in the end sentence's. Ted Komorowski is reported to have died a violet death by gunshot at the hands of his self-defending girlfriend. But that's a subject for another time. In "Celestial Harvest" by Jim Mullaney P-5 ... Beta AND/NCG 404 "Comet Komorowski". As the years have come and gone, Ted "seems" to have been elevated to a "cult hero" status. GWU is the owner of the famous scope that was used for the discovery. It is stored at the Williams Observatory. It has been completely refurbished by both Steve Davis and John Elmore.  This is a massive 12.5-inch reflector (a very, very rare scope) built by Criterion Manufacturing Company of West Hartford, Conn. This scope has an "extraordinary" mirror, and was recoated only 5 or so years ago. Steve Davis did a great job building a very secure shipping package for a safe to and from travel for this valuable mirror. The scope was originally mounted on one of the bell shaped pier Criterion mounts, again a very rare and sought after mount even today. Unfortunately the mount was/is too small and the scope has been since mounted onto a very heavy duty mount from a Meade DS-16. I think this mount was purchased from Van Abernathy and Gayle may have assisted in procuring and maybe did some machine work for the adaptation. I know that Gayle built the wedge for the 16-Meade dome scope.  I was fortunate as well as Dr. Dire to have owned a Criterion RV-6 which was a 6-inch F/8 reflector. A high quality scope for the time and was considered by many to be the  "workhorse" of astronomy for amateur's back in the 60's and even as late as the early to mid 70's. Dr. Dire told me only recently that he regretted getting rid of his RV-6, which are my sentiments also. Enjoy... Best regards, Roger Ivester         I can see how it might be possible for a man to look down upon the earth and be an atheist, but I cannot conceive how he could look up into the heavens and say there is no God.      Abraham Lincoln




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