Looking Back In Time

Who would not want to look back in time? Nobody - thats who.

I have the chance to grab my very own looking back in time device - for the everyday low price of only $1500. Now I had not planned on buying any such device. I have considered buying such a device, but just never got around to it.

There are many reasons for this. For one, I did not know exactly what device I wanted. There are so many out there. I had it narrowed down to something computer controled, and something at least 6 inches in diameter. I also wanted to spend LESS THAN $2,000.

These two requirements did narrow the pack down a little, but there was still a lot to think about. I kind of like refractors, but they are the most expensive for any given apature, large, and heavy. A 6 inch refractor with a decent tripod would push the limits of what I was looking to spend, and leave nothing in the budget for accessories. Reflectors offer the lowest cost for any given apature, but they are not as good for photography. Then there are the Catadioptrics. These feature somewhat complicated optics, but are a great choice.

Anyway, I can get this thing for $1500.

This is the Meade LX90. It is an 8 inch Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope with the Meade "Auto Star" computer thing. The scope will allign itself, tell me what is in the sky to look at, then point to it. I can operate it even while drinking.

And the seller is including some cool accessories. Like the equitorial wedge

and the focal place reducer

These two items are for long exposure photography. The wedge allows the scope to track the movement of stuff in the sky more accuratly, and the focal place reducer uses optics to shorten the tube, reducing power but at the same time making the field of view wider and also making the scope "faster" by a factor of .63. In photography terms, the scope goes from F/10 to F/6.8. which means exposure times are cut in half.

The cost of the same scope new is close to $2,000. The two accessories alone are close to $400. And the guy made a cool box to carry the whole thing in - that is worth at least another $50. The hard case they sell for the telescope is $250.

So the $1500 is actually a good deal. I am going to go look at the thing sometime this week.