I have not added an entry to my blog for almost 18 months. I will do a better job posting for everyone.

I've been completing one Astronomical League Observing Program after another. The latest one being the Alternate Constellations Observing Program. This program included some thought exercises. I had trouble with one because it was to advance the North Celestial Pole 13,000 year and make Vega the NCP. I created a small ball into a celestial sphere, plotting stars on it as they are now but then having the sky rotate around Vega.

I had difficulty imaging this foreign looking sky and only after much coaching from the programs' coordinator did I finally understand this new looking sky and could complete the thought exercises.

The next Observing Programs I will tackle is the Spectroscopy and Lunar Evolution. I am making a sewing needle solar spectrum generator. I purchased spectral glasses and will try to get a picture of the solar spectra this weekend. As for the Lunar Evolution program, New Moon is soon and the first observations is on the surface of a 3-day old moon. I'll get my first sketches then.

I've always wanted a larger telescope. I had friends who sold their 16-inch telescopes to others when I had previously expressed a desire to purchase their telescope if they ever sold it. Well, a couple of Saturdays ago, the Denver Astronomical Society had an auction and I bought a 16-inch telescope. I get to pick it up next week. It is still a functional telescope and I am hoping the optics are good. I want to use it for observational astronomy. It will also be more portable and take less time to setup in the fiend than my current telescope does.

I plan to change the traditional solid tubed telescope into a truss-style Dobsonian telescope. I plan to make it so I can easily get it in and out of my Prius.

Everyone take care and be safe.