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What are your favorite lunar features and why?

Discussion in 'Observing Celestial Objects' started by BillP, Dec 7, 2017.

What are your favorite lunar features and why?

Started by BillP on Dec 7, 2017 at 8:17 PM

23 Replies 4356 Views 1 Likes

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  1. CrazyPanda

    CrazyPanda Member

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    Was there any actual data to back up the claim in 18.5.2.5, or is that just conjecture on their part?

    I can see some logic if we're comparing a 200" scope to a 10" scope, but the chance that a 4" scope will out-perform a 20" scope seems so exceedingly remote, that it doesn't really track.

    Moreover, anyone who has lived under the jet stream knows full well that the "module size" is often significantly smaller than the target you're viewing, and aperture cannot change that fact. Aim at Jupiter and back off the focus a tiny bit, and you can literally see the air currents racing in front of the planet, and these air currents are considerably smaller than the planetary disc, and are moving so quickly the notion of "alignment" is not applicable.
     
  2. Scopejunkie

    Scopejunkie Well-Known Member

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    As I stated: "this is where some of the logic came from." Saying that "Thoughts from scientists that is 55 years old, is well, mostly funny" is an odd reaction to me. I posted this as an example to show where some of the information like this (air cells, seeing, etc) came from. Anyone who has read this handbook knows that this military handbook is not about scientific thoughts. It is based on optical science written by optical scientists. If the handbook disagrees with your opinion this does not make the handbook wrong or funny.

    In my personal astronomy experience
    , my small telescopes do not out perform my large telescope as long as the large telescope is well collimated and cooled near ambient temps (has great optics). On nights of average seeing, where my large telescope could not perform its best, I have found it always equal or better to my small telescopes (seeing limited) and during brief moments of steadiness, that can sometimes happen, will always exceed the smaller telescope when it comes to the moon and planets. My current C-14 vs my 5" refractor are a good example of this.

    As I also stated, my post was not intended to start a verbal telescope performance war. The handbook is scientific information. I'm hoping someone can benefit from the chapter that I shared.
     
  3. Mak the Night

    Mak the Night Well-Known Member

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    Screenshot 2018-04-30 at 19.22.08.png
    It all probably started here lol.
     
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  4. BillP

    BillP Well-Known Member

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    That is just too funny! Air mass is NEVER homogeneous vertically! Any pilot knows that, including the USAF!
     

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