[CMAS] Success in Caribou Maine!

Wed Apr 2 19:31:51 EDT 2025

Well it's a ways off...#1 furnish Foss Hill

Josh, will you be home this weekend?  I will be in Augusta mid-day
Saturday, and can swing by Foss with the Mount for a first check before
final welding....Walk out to the building if muddy?

On Wed, Apr 2, 2025 at 6:47 PM Joshua Zukerman <hawk82 at gmail.com> wrote:

> Truss tube would be nice. Light weight, easy to disassemble and transport.
> Can use cloth as a shroud around the truss tube. I'm for it. But am not
> much of a builder.
>
> On Wed, Apr 2, 2025, 6:26 PM Colin Caissie <cscmachinedesign at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> Oh I've got teflon blocks, sheet and rod.
>>
>> I'd say that the club should submit ideas by researching dobs on the
>> internet and propose ideas...  I just gave the basics, re: focal length and
>> mirror size...I had Berry's book on dobs but sold it.
>>
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Apr 2, 2025 at 6:06 PM Linwood Arsenault <satillite1965 at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Do you have any Teflon pieces
>>> Do we have who is real good with wood like a cabinet maker
>>> Maybe you are all I could do is cut square pieces and screw them to an
>>> aluminum frame.
>>> I think hobby lobby may have something we could use for deck bearings
>>> and lowes I've seen large wooden disc.
>>> We'll get some ideas going soon.
>>>
>>> On Wed, Apr 2, 2025, 5:28 PM Colin Caissie <cscmachinedesign at gmail.com>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> I'm thinking that we could make it a truss tube thing with all the
>>>> titanium tubing we still have.
>>>> It's f/4.8 or 70.8" focal length...about an inch shorter than the
>>>> Brower mirror.  1.5" thick good Pyrex, 4" secondary is a bit oversized, but
>>>> standard.
>>>>
>>>> I also think building a Poncet Equatorial platform would be great.  We
>>>> have some DC motors...like 1 RPM that would be perfect.
>>>>
>>>> I have some fancy Mahogany plywood from the Hodgdon shipyard....scrap
>>>> from the $50 million yacht
>>>> The mirror box could be welded up aluminum, and the base too.  I've got
>>>> a half ton of aluminum....
>>>> We've got it all.  It would make it to star parties if we make it smart
>>>> and light....which we will....better than the old tub we used to lug around.
>>>>
>>>> Got any good designs?
>>>>
>>>> On Wed, Apr 2, 2025 at 11:04 AM Linwood Arsenault <
>>>> satillite1965 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Colin whenever I get straightened oround over here with everything
>>>>> brass scope, chicken coop, spring clean up, surgery if I get one. I would
>>>>> like to help with the new 16" portable dob that mirror looks awesome I
>>>>> think like the Brower 16" great job
>>>>>
>>>>> On Sun, Mar 30, 2025, 8:26 AM Colin Caissie <
>>>>> cscmachinedesign at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> It'a big clockwork.  Solar-lunar eclipse pairs are the law.  14 days
>>>>>> after/prior.
>>>>>> My mind is back in Mexico 2024...climbing volcanoes, lying in a
>>>>>> Durango orchard during totality.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> c
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On Sat, Mar 29, 2025 at 11:51 PM Joshua Zukerman <hawk82 at gmail.com>
>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Well done. I wondered if anyone from the club or associated clubs
>>>>>>> drove up to Caribou to check it out. How fun to think almost a year after
>>>>>>> the total eclipse that the partial came. And the Lunar eclipse (which we
>>>>>>> were clouded out for) a couple weeks ago.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On Sat, Mar 29, 2025, 11:29 PM Dwight M. Lanpher CMAS <
>>>>>>> groupcmas at lanpherassociates.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Hello All,
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Northern Maine came through again with this year’s partial solar
>>>>>>>> eclipse. A special feature of this year’s partial was the “Devils Horns”.
>>>>>>>> At the eastern U.S. border, the coincidental timing of sunrise, results
>>>>>>>> with moon midway crossing the sun forming a crescent at the bottom of the
>>>>>>>> sun. At the moment that the sun rises above the horizon, the two points of
>>>>>>>> the crescent peak above the horizon forming the “Devil’s Horns”. That was
>>>>>>>> something that I wanted to see.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I was planning to observe the eclipse from the eastern shore of Mt.
>>>>>>>> Desert Island on a section of the Park Loop Road called Ocean Drive. That
>>>>>>>> should have provided a perfect eastern horizon. Unfortunately, like almost
>>>>>>>> all other areas in New England, clouds were going to obscure the eclipse.
>>>>>>>> However, Caribou in far Northern Maine was predicted to have clear skies
>>>>>>>> (see attached) and 85% obscuration of the sun. After a little research
>>>>>>>> online with Google Maps and Street View, I found a location on a farm in
>>>>>>>> Limestone with an open horizon to the east. So Terri-Ann Anderson and I
>>>>>>>> made a last minute decision and drove the 200+ miles to Caribou last night.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> We got up at 5 AM and proceeded out to 12 Sawyer Road
>>>>>>>> <https://www.google.com/maps/search/12+Sawyer+Road?entry=gmail&source=g>
>>>>>>>> in Limestone, ME. We arrived at 5:45 and it was 15°F with a light breeze of
>>>>>>>> 5 to 10 MPH.  Shortly after our arrival, a farmer drove in and Terri-Ann
>>>>>>>> explained that we were there to observe the eclipse, to which he gave
>>>>>>>> permission to continue our strange mission in the dark and cold.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Based solely on a predicted corrected compass bearing and a
>>>>>>>> correlation with general lightening of the horizon we picked two spots
>>>>>>>> separated by a couple hundred feet. While there was a grove of trees
>>>>>>>> slightly to the northeast, I was thinking that at least one of us should
>>>>>>>> get a good view.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Terri-Ann was operating her Vaonis Hestia which adds 25X
>>>>>>>> magnification to an iPhone 12. She had successfully used it to get a number
>>>>>>>> of excellent photos at last year’s Total Solar Eclipse 50 miles further
>>>>>>>> south in Houlton, ME (see attached.)  Evening on April 6, 2024, that day
>>>>>>>> was a  balmy 55°. During her initial setup in Limestone, her phone
>>>>>>>> malfunctioned due to the cold and she had to return to the car to thaw it
>>>>>>>> out… the iPhone had balked at the 15°F temperature.  I had brought my
>>>>>>>> Stellina that had served me well at last year’s Total Solar Eclipse in
>>>>>>>> Houlton.  I had also brought a couple of chemical Hand Warmer packs that I
>>>>>>>> used to keep my iPhone from freezing.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> The problem was this: we only had a compass reading to determine
>>>>>>>> the location where the sun would rise. I aimed my Stellina at that location
>>>>>>>> as best I could and waited for the sun to start to clear the horizon.
>>>>>>>> Predicted Sunrise was between 6:15 and 6:17 from a couple different
>>>>>>>> sources. The first rays of the sun appeared at 6:21. It appeared that the
>>>>>>>> open potato field (see attached) that we were looking across had a slight
>>>>>>>> upward slope that raised the horizon and had delayed the arrival of
>>>>>>>> sunrise. Clearly, this was late in the eclipse and the moon had mostly
>>>>>>>> crossed the sun at that time, effectively tilting the crescent so that only
>>>>>>>> one horn was above the horizon. With the intensity of the sun being limited
>>>>>>>> to only a few arc minutes squared of area, this seemingly
>>>>>>>> increased the glare of the sun. I was impressed with the apparent
>>>>>>>> brilliance of the tiny exposed beam.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Of course, my pre-aiming of Stellina was off  and I quickly tried
>>>>>>>> to realign the scope’s azimuth and then used *Singularity’s* solar
>>>>>>>> initialization routine to attempt tracking of the sun. Stellina failed to
>>>>>>>> acquire the sun. It was likely my fault, either by not accurately leveling
>>>>>>>> the scope; but most likely incorrectly adjusting the azimuth alignment. The
>>>>>>>> normal method is to align the scope with the sun by letting the two slits
>>>>>>>> in the main body of the instrument between the yoke and OTA cast a shadow
>>>>>>>> on the ground with the two slits of light showing. Since this was dawn, the
>>>>>>>> shadow was directed horizontally and not on the ground.  I should have
>>>>>>>> brough a piece of white cardboard to hold up behind Stellina. Just trying
>>>>>>>> to position the scope visually was not close enough. To be honest, with
>>>>>>>> everything happening exactly at dawn, I didn’t really give this much chance
>>>>>>>> of being a success; but, I figured there was a 0% chance of success if I
>>>>>>>> didn’t at least try.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Meanwhile, Terri-Ann got her iPhone thawed out and was giving
>>>>>>>> Hestia another go. Since Hestia is designed to be manually tracked, it was
>>>>>>>> a much better choice for this eclipse. She was able to save the day with
>>>>>>>> some pictures after her phone was thawed, a little after sunrise (see
>>>>>>>> attached). You’ll please excuse the focus, under the best of conditions,
>>>>>>>> getting Hestia focused is a challenge. At 15°F and with a slight wind of 5
>>>>>>>> to 10 MPH I’m amazed that she able to adjust it at all.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> The skies were perfectly clear this morning. So we did get to view
>>>>>>>> the eclipse visually with eclipse glasses and got a few pictures, so I’m
>>>>>>>> going to call the trip a success.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> ---Dwight
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> -- Celebrating the starlit skies of Maine & New England --
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Dwight M. Lanpher, *Club Liaison*
>>>>>>>> P.O. Box 472, 1 Summit Road
>>>>>>>> <https://www.google.com/maps/search/1+Summit+Road+Northeast+Harbor,+ME+04662?entry=gmail&source=g>
>>>>>>>> Northeast Harbor, ME 04662
>>>>>>>> <https://www.google.com/maps/search/1+Summit+Road+Northeast+Harbor,+ME+04662?entry=gmail&source=g>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Member:  Dark Sky Maine
>>>>>>>> DarkSky International (formerly: International Dark Sky Association)
>>>>>>>> Illuminating Engineering Society, Member Emeritus
>>>>>>>> Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, Life Member
>>>>>>>> Member:  AAS, ASNNE, ATMoB, BSIA, CMAS, DEAA, GAAC, NHAS, NSAAC,
>>>>>>>> PVSG, SMA, TVS
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> "Good friends are like stars. Although you may not see them you
>>>>>>>> know they're always there." -Christy Evans
>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>>>>
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>>>>>
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