Re: When lasers are outlawed etc...
I was just about to buy a green laser pointer when the Salt Lake incident happened last fall. Recall that I was going to try and aim my red laser at Ann House's house and see if she could see it from across the valley...now I sure am glad that there was an obstruction in the path. I waited a bit to see what the fallout from the airport incident might be, and was about to order one again when this latest story broke. Now I'm not going to get one at all, maybe for years. I realized that I haven't needed one for decades and don't need one now- it's just a trendy gimmick. Want to show someone a particular object? Put a simple tube or gunsight-style finder on your telescope and let folks look through that. Armillery spheres work great for this also; I had one as a kid, and it, along with a set of star charts, performed flawlessly in teaching myself the constellations. Both methods have the added advantage of demonstrating diurnal motion and the effect of latitude on sky orientation and the visibility of the southern sky, as well as using the celestial coordinate system of right ascension and declination if the telescope has an equatorial mount. Folks who make the effort to learn the sky the old-fashioned way will probably be the ones who stick with it the longest and reap the greatest benefits. It's also more FUN and INTERESTING, not a chore at all. Those who want instant gratification won't recall anything as soon as you turn off the laser; you're wasting your time in most instances. I also think that most owners will forget about the laser once the novelty wears off. On another point, I think the big difference between a laser and a searchlight, where the effect can be the same in this instance, is that the laser is easily concealed. __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? The all-new My Yahoo! - Get yours free! http://my.yahoo.com
Two more cents: I have found my green laser to be very useful for identifying objects in the night sky for attendees at our public star parties and for pointing out objects to friends at private star parties. Yes, we could get along without the lasers, but I find the use of a laser much less objectionable than using a bright flashlight with a tight beam, as many have done, to point out objects at public star parties. Asking 20 persons in a group to all look through the finder on a telescope to see where it is pointed is not very practical. The laser is also much easier than another method: "Go three fingers to your left - no, your other left - from that bright star over that way - no the other way - until you come to a not-so-bright star just above that tree - no, THAT tree..." I can't see any connection between the use of a laser and how well one learns or does not learn the nighttime sky. I use mine to help others learn the nighttime sky. Whether they want to pursue their interest further has always been up to them. Well, maybe that was worth only 1/2 cent. Kim Hyatt Architect 1849 East 1300 South Salt Lake City, Utah 84108 Tel: 801.581.0561 Mobile: 801.631.5228 kimharch@msn.com<mailto:kimharch@msn.com> serius est quam cogitas
My point in starting a variant of this thread wasn't to argue it rationally. Rationality doesn't matter in this case. What we have is a somewhat overwrought national panic which will be used by the press when it gets viewers. Congress will be urged to "Do Something" and it wouldn't surprise me in the least if they did. Americans have never been known for their rationality (just look in the White House ;-), so be prepared to watch this story run its course. We were all too willing to trample all over the Constitution with the Patriot Act, so get ready for more of the same.
Two more cents:
I have found my green laser to be very useful for identifying objects in the night sky for attendees at our public star parties and for pointing out objects to friends at private star parties. Yes, we could get along without the lasers, but I find the use of a laser much less objectionable than using a bright flashlight with a tight beam, as many have done, to point out objects at public star parties. Asking 20 persons in a group to all look through the finder on a telescope to see where it is pointed is not very practical. The laser is also much easier than another method: "Go three fingers to your left - no, your other left - from that bright star over that way - no the other way - until you come to a not-so-bright star just above that tree - no, THAT tree..." I can't see any connection between the use of a laser and how well one learns or does not learn the nighttime sky. I use mine to help others learn the nighttime sky. Whether they want to pursue their interest further has always been up to them.
Well, maybe that was worth only 1/2 cent.
Kim Hyatt Architect 1849 East 1300 South Salt Lake City, Utah 84108 Tel: 801.581.0561 Mobile: 801.631.5228 kimharch@msn.com<mailto:kimharch@msn.com>
serius est quam cogitas _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.utahastronomy.com
Frankly Michael, it might be better to leave your cheap shots at the President out of this forum. No, your comment did not only have to do with the Patriot act. I don't think Guy put any words in your mouth. His comments were on point. Read your own post. Siegfried ----- Original Message ----- From: "Michael Carnes" <moogiebird@earthlink.net> To: "Utah Astronomy" <utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Wednesday, January 05, 2005 9:11 PM Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Re: When lasers are outlawed etc...
My point in starting a variant of this thread wasn't to argue it rationally. Rationality doesn't matter in this case. What we have is a somewhat overwrought national panic which will be used by the press when it gets viewers. Congress will be urged to "Do Something" and it wouldn't surprise me in the least if they did. Americans have never been known for their rationality (just look in the White House ;-), so be prepared to watch this story run its course. We were all too willing to trample all over the Constitution with the Patriot Act, so get ready for more of the same.
Two more cents:
I have found my green laser to be very useful for identifying objects in the night sky for attendees at our public star parties and for pointing out objects to friends at private star parties. Yes, we could get along without the lasers, but I find the use of a laser much less objectionable than using a bright flashlight with a tight beam, as many have done, to point out objects at public star parties. Asking 20 persons in a group to all look through the finder on a telescope to see where it is pointed is not very practical. The laser is also much easier than another method: "Go three fingers to your left - no, your other left - from that bright star over that way - no the other way - until you come to a not-so-bright star just above that tree - no, THAT tree..." I can't see any connection between the use of a laser and how well one learns or does not learn the nighttime sky. I use mine to help others learn the nighttime sky. Whether they want to pursue their interest further has always been up to them.
Well, maybe that was worth only 1/2 cent.
Kim Hyatt Architect 1849 East 1300 South Salt Lake City, Utah 84108 Tel: 801.581.0561 Mobile: 801.631.5228 kimharch@msn.com<mailto:kimharch@msn.com>
serius est quam cogitas _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.utahastronomy.com
_______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.utahastronomy.com
I just reveived this in my email, good read. http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/article_1429_1.asp Bill/Solarman ----- Original Message ----- From: "Kim Hyatt" <kimharch@msn.com> To: "Utah Astronomy" <utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Wednesday, January 05, 2005 7:42 PM Subject: [Utah-astronomy] Re: When lasers are outlawed etc... Two more cents: I have found my green laser to be very useful for identifying objects in the night sky for attendees at our public star parties and for pointing out objects to friends at private star parties. Yes, we could get along without the lasers, but I find the use of a laser much less objectionable than using a bright flashlight with a tight beam, as many have done, to point out objects at public star parties. Asking 20 persons in a group to all look through the finder on a telescope to see where it is pointed is not very practical. The laser is also much easier than another method: "Go three fingers to your left - no, your other left - from that bright star over that way - no the other way - until you come to a not-so-bright star just above that tree - no, THAT tree..." I can't see any connection between the use of a laser and how well one learns or does not learn the nighttime sky. I use mine to help others learn the nighttime sky. Whether they want to pursue their interest further has always been up to them. Well, maybe that was worth only 1/2 cent. Kim Hyatt Architect 1849 East 1300 South Salt Lake City, Utah 84108 Tel: 801.581.0561 Mobile: 801.631.5228 kimharch@msn.com<mailto:kimharch@msn.com> serius est quam cogitas _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.utahastronomy.com -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.300 / Virus Database: 265.6.8 - Release Date: 1/3/2005 -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.300 / Virus Database: 265.6.9 - Release Date: 1/6/2005
participants (5)
-
Chuck Hards -
Kim Hyatt -
Michael Carnes -
Siegfried Jachmann -
william cowles