Jim's Astro-Page

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I did not observe much in the next few years, but then I noted that Coulter mirrors were a real bargain, and in March 1984 my hexagonal 10" f/5.6 was unveiled. My observing got into high gear in 1988 and 89, and the Messier objects fell before me. Deeper projects beckoned, and my budget implied that mirror-making would be the best way to go beyond ten inches of aperture. I made a six-inch mirror from scratch, then a 14½, a very short 8-inch, long 10-inch, and finally the 22-inch f/4.25 monster. My easily-torqued back did not allow me to use it to its full potential, however, so after a few years I sold it. Sadly, my observing went into a tailspin as I s_l_o_w_l_y worked on a lightweight 13-inch mirror and telescope; in 2003 I shelved it, bought an old set of Coulter 17.5-inch optics, and saw the universe and especially Mars with a new instrument. Other current 'scopes include a stubby 8-inch RFT (home-made, about f/3.7!), the six-inch and 16×70mm binoculars with which I have seen 109 of the 110 Messier objects (M91 has thus far escaped me). The future conceivably includes a return to the 13", a thin 15-inch plate-glass blank, or the 8" f/8 I picked up at the 2003 Oregon Star Party.

On the public front, I was a board member of the Rose City Astronomers for several years in the early '90s. The RCA has assembled an observing program for the second four hundred Herschel objects, a fun task that I aided. I later served on the board of the Oregon Star Party committee, where I still play a minor role. In the early '90s I was an assistant at the Haggart Observatory south of Portland, where a 24-inch telescope and I shared the universe with many hundreds of people over the years.

Here in these pages are my thoughts or experiences on many topics. I have made and used several types of astronomical instruments, and enjoy passing on what I've learned here. [Most recently, I have learned the value of reading glasses for star maps - how times have changed!] I've seen several comets and dozens of minor planets besides the nine major planets. While I have Messier certificates for both telescopic and binocular acquisition, I have not kept my attention focused long enough to capture any Herschel awards.