[Lvas] 12 years ago

Thu Mar 12 19:29:10 PDT 2009

Fred,

Thanks for sharing the great photo. I remember reading about an article of how he just "stumbled" upon the comet with a 16-inch scope. Is this true? 

If you recall Robert Burnham Jr. of the Celestial Handbooks actually found his first comet the night he received a new 6 or 8-inch reflector OTA only. He did not have a mount and was using the railing of his porch to prop the scope up to observe...and there it was. This was pretty amazing. Especially considering that some people spent their entire life in a systematic scientific approach and never find a comet.

What kind of telescope was he using...maybe a Meade Starfinder? Was it a Dobsonian or an equatorial?

Regarding observer's such as Hale being unemployed: I was an Industrial Engineer for various industries and companies for over 32 years and found myself unemployed on several occasions as they would either close or go bankrupt.

As a matter of fact I have taken the last four and a half years off...due to my last company downsizing management. I do a variety of self employment things on my own, and am doing quite well. I do not miss all the stress and hassle of a 8 to 10 hour "working for the man" kinda thing. I was always under "incredible stress". Too many tight projects and expectations from the company owners and top management. I could never go back to that, and I have never been a good follower.   

I set my own schedule which allows me to live my life to the fullest. I consider myself fortunate indeed...not unemployed. I purchase my own health insurance through a HSA through Blue Cross Blue shield for only $200 per month. It is a $5,000 deductable with no drug card or doctors visit. My wife and I have always lived within our means.

My good friend and my MD (internist) always ride on his Wednesday afternoons off and I can work out with weights in my exercise room anytime I choose. I am also a certified road bike technician. I maintain bunches of high end road bikes as one of my many diverse occupations...of my home business.  

Stay healthy, be frugal, and you can live on less than you ever thought.

Roger   

    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

From: rayworth1969 at hotmail.com
To: lvas at lvlug.org
Date: Thu, 12 Mar 2009 20:37:08 -0500
Subject: Re: [Lvas] 12 years ago

Roger,

Wish I could draw like you! Outstanding drawings.

I met Hale in Oklahoma in 96 or 97. At the time he was unemployed. Even famous observers have their hard times!

Attached is a photo of him posing with me and my oldest granddaughter.

Fred

From: drivester at hotmail.com
To: lvas at lvlug.org
Date: Wed, 11 Mar 2009 00:20:10 +0000
Subject: [Lvas] 12 years ago

It's hard to believe that it has been 12 years since Hale-Bopp streaked across the overhead and northern sky.

I have attached a sketch from the night of March 16th 1997. I was using my 10-inch reflector with a 20mm UO Erfle and a 2.8x UO Klee barlow. Magnification was 160X with a FOV of 0.38° or 23 minutes of arc.

The sketch was made at 4:00 AM local EST. The temperature was 29°.

I was using high magnification to study the nucleus and coma. 

Using a small RF telescope at low power I measured a tail of over 5° 

I noted the coordinates at:    Right ascention: 23h 15m   Declination: +44° 30 minutes

Now that was a comet...

I also attached NGC 3226-3227 interacting galaxies.

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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