Re: Planet X: Alternative Explanation 2
danco@pebble.org wrote:
>
> On Thu, 30 Aug 2001 15:11:18 -0700, The Small Kahuna <person@company.com> wrote:
>
> > [One can never be sure with some of these postings on the difference
> > between a wild attempt at confusion and deep subtle sarcasm, but] I
> > *really* don't think you have a 200" anything.
>
> Yes, Bob does have a 200" refractor. I looked through it myself at
> the 2001 RTMC. It's a 200" FOCAL LENGTH refractor. It looks like
> a scope an English lord would have used two or three hundred years
> ago. It's also more portable than you'd think.
>
> - Dan
Oh. The old apples and oranges kind of thing. 200" long as opposed to
200" in diameter like the Mt Palomar reflector. I'm sure its a really
cool toy but not necessarily very good light gathering capability or
necessarily a good mount for a camera.
Based on the original thread [finding - or not - our Favorite New
Planet] the issue was light gathering not, um, length. I can go to Home
Depot and get an even longer telescope with a unity magnification (i.e.
a piece of pipe) but that won't necessarily help... :-)
The Small Kahuna