February 2023

Telescopes! Telescopes! And, more telescopes!

The past two weeks I have been ruled by telescopes. It all began with an email from the Astronomical League informing me that the 4.5-inch Orion StarBlast telescope that we won last summer from the Horkheimer Foundation was on its way. I have modified more than a dozen of these telescopes for local libraries, some donated by Skyscrapers, some only modified by us. As is my nature, I check my supplies and purchased the remaining materials needed to harden the telescope for the Woonsocket Harris Public Library, its destination. The telescope arrived and rested comfortably in my foyer.

Next, I was notified by the Coventry Public Library that the finder on one of their two Library Telescopes (which we maintain) was not working. Bob Janus “borrowed” the telescope and confirmed that the red-dot finder was not working. Aha! I will borrow the finder from the newly-arrived scope, and take it to Bob while I order a replacement, I thought. This adventure revealed, that while these telescopes were on backorder, Orion had changed the design of the finder and its attachment to the tube. Not only that, but they completely changed the mounting of the primary mirror and all of the fasteners modified for library telescopes. So much for my advance preparations. None of the hardware or tools I had readied were usable on the new design. More trips to the hardware store!

Lastly, I received an email from a gentleman who wanted to donate two Dobsonian telescopes. After consultation with the Trustees, we decided to accept his donations. Off to Seagrave I went to accept delivery of two like-new telescopes, a 6-inch and an 8-inch; and to deliver a new finder to Bob for the Coventry telescope.

All of this is to say that you have no excuse for not observing night sky objects through a telescope. In addition to the four permanently-mounted telescopes at Seagrave Memorial Observatory, Skyscrapers has a variety of portable telescopes that may be borrowed by our members. For members and non-members alike, thirteen (soon to be 14) RI libraries have telescopes available for loan, just like a book.

Please take advantage of these amazing resources. Stop by the observatory on an open night. Take a telescope home to try it out. Or, visit your local library. Help Skyscrapers achieve our objective “to educate the membership and general public on matters pertaining to astronomy”.

Clear skies!