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From: ugzannin@sunybcs.UUCP (Adrian Zannin)
Newsgroups: sci.astro
Subject: Re: Solar Filters (and telescope safety)
Message-ID: <1269@sunybcs.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 27-Oct-86 08:24:15 EST
Article-I.D.: sunybcs.1269
Posted: Mon Oct 27 08:24:15 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 29-Oct-86 04:04:35 EST
References: <332@alliant.UUCP> <2445@gitpyr.gatech.EDU>
Organization: SUNY/Buffalo Computer Science
Lines: 39

In article <2445@gitpyr.gatech.EDU>, cmpbsdb@gitpyr.gatech.EDU (Don Barry) writes:
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> If in doubt, don't do it.  Projections are always the safest way.  And
> *Never* use a filter material on the back of a telescope eyepiece, even
> those little filters that come with telescopes.  I have heard first-hand of
> one such filter that *exploded* after several minutes viewing, fortunately
> when no one was looking.  The heat in this area of the telescope is most intense.
[]
    Just to give you an idea of the care that should be taken with telescopes
even in just normal handling:

    About two months ago or so, we decided it was time to clean out the garage.
I had a little rinky-dink telescope out there that I still ocassionally used
to view the moon, but more to view the action on the other shore during the 
local hydroplane races, the lens covers lost a long time ago.  After most of
the work was done, I left.  When I came back, half the garage was charred and
it was all wet.  Heres what happened:

    After I left, my father was rearranging some of the stuff that we had moved
from the garage.  He needed to move the telescope, and since there was no 
convienient place to prop it up, he just set it up on its tripod just outside
the garage door.  However, the scope was aimed up onto the sky...and guess
what...after a while the sun *just happened* to move across the section of sky
where the telescope was pointed.  Yup, you guessed it.  It acted just like a
magnifying glass.  The other end of the scope was pointing down at some wood in
the garage...and...*POOF*...it all went up.  After the fire company left, the
fire investigator came over and he was stumped...he said he had never seen 
anything like it.  The total damage was about $2500 - $3000.  Kind of expensive
for just a little carelessness...

Kind of bizzare, isn't it?  People still don't believe me when I tell them...

-- 
     Adrian Zannin            --         SUNY at Buffalo Computer Science
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