Astronomy Journey Pt 3?
Michael Chapman
So the last few days for me and astronomy have been among my toughest yet. I haven’t been able to go out cause of the weather since astronomy in the park back in October. So finally Escalon got a few nights of clear (ish) skies so I decided to set my sights on my favorite part of the Fall and Winter Sky, Mars and Orion. Unlike the Summer sky with Andromeda, the fall and winter sky is definitely my favorite even as a kid because of unmistakable and easily identifiable constellation of Orion. From there I know to look up to see the seven sisters, look to my left on Orions Shoulder to See Betlegeuse, and then up a bit more to See Mars.
With this knowledge in mind I moved my telescope from the garage to the backyard, used the stellarium App to adjust my position so I wouldn’t be bothered by the 2 streetlights mere feet away and waited for the ripe time of 10pm. Mars as always is big and read and easily identifiable. Probably the only planet currently that if you asked me to point it out I wouldn’t have to think about it, Jupiter is coming in to a close second with that title. So I set my finder scope on Mars thinking this would be super super easy and:
There was nothing. Less then nothing, it looked like old school tv static. Undaunted at this point I readjust a few things and I finally see a ball of light in my viewfinder. However when I used the focus knobs…it didn’t resolve into that lovely red sphere, instead it was a blob of distorted light that resembled a donut. A little stressed out and a bit anxious that my brand new telescope that I’ve only got to take into the field once was somehow broken, I texted Bill, asked if I could call and proceeded to tell him the problem.
Bill initially was stumped as well, and asked if he could swing in the next day (Monday) later in the afternoon to take a look. I agreed but with the understanding that if I could learn how to collminate on my own to give him a call. (Spoiler alert, I didn’t figure it out) Fast Forward to yesterday Evening and I’m greeting Bill Litel outside my home. I lead him to the backyard and we waste almost no time getting to the business of learning how to collminate. Once that was done and I made sure I had asked questions to make sure I had a firm grasp on the subject, Bill plopped in an optic from his own case and that is when perhaps the most valuable lesson was learned.
I had been putting every single adapter on thinking I needed to. Bill quickly showed me that was not the case. We put the 1.25” adapter in, then the optic, pointed the scope to Jupiter and gave my mother her first ever view of the gas giant and the Galileans. I was a proud son in that moment. Bill showed her how to operate the telescope and my mother (fearless as she is) wasted no time getting in there and working it.
Then she asked about Saturn. At this point if Bill is reading this I’m sure he’s smiling, because what followed was a very visceral reaction on my part seeing that planet and its rings in the viewfinder for the first time. If it wasn’t polite company I’m pretty sure there would’ve been a few explicative of surprise mixed in. The short of it is: I got really overcome with emotion, literal chills in my body and I’m sure I said something like ‘oh holy crap wow’ then proceeded to glue my eyes to that viewfinder for several moments just taking it in.
From there we took a pitstop at The Andromeda Galaxy to show my mother the celestial object responsible for my love of this hobby, and it was fun to See the core again Nice and fuzzy and actually had some color to it. By then it was started to get Late, we all stood around and continued to talk for a while but after Bill left my mother turned to me and thanked me for a wonderful night. Which I have to turn around and give that thanks to Bill for driving to Escalon, teaching me how to Collminate (and not use every adapter in my box) for such a memorable if not impromptu tour of our solar system and beyond through my 8” Dob.
It was a true pleasure Bill and a night none of are soon to forget. Thank you very much.
Michael Chapman
T. 484-750-1011
Bill Litel
William E. Litel
Contract Vegetation Program Mgr.
ISA Certified Arborist WE-5486-A
TRAQ Certified, Calif. Cert. Nrsy. Pro. 2114
ACRT Pacific, LLC
Cell: 209-302-0095
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Sent: Tuesday, November 22, 2022 11:08:38 AM
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Subject: Astronomy Journey Pt 3?
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