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LVAS all<BR>
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This is forwarded e-mail that I sent yesteday to our local group and others in the SE region.<BR>
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Regarding the attached pictures. The observatory houses a 16-inch Meade LX200, and the first person beside the scope is one of two Astronomy and Physics Professors at GWU located here in Boiling Springs NC. The second picture is me...wearing a sports jacket.<BR>
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The pictures of a mount in storage is the orginal Criterian mount that was far too small, and the scope at current is mounted on a 1980's Meade DS-16 mount. It has 75 pounds of counterweights on the deck shaft which is 1.5-inches. <BR>
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Note: Ted came to fame when he thought that he had discovered a new comet which turned out to be NGC 404, a.k.a "Komorowski's Comet". <BR><BR>The story,<BR>
<BR>It's been many years since Gayle Riggsbee a member of the Charlotte Amateurs came to a meeting at the Williams Observatory and told the story of Ted Komorowski. This was actually not Gayle's featured presentation but was an informal talk afterwards. <BR> <BR>As the years have come and gone my interest in Ted Komorowski has grown...wanting to know more about this seemingly ''eccentric" guy of the 60's. There are several reasons...one being that he seemed to be far ahead of most amateur's during that era. Another reason for my interest is that his name is listed in at least three very popular astronomy books. Those books are 1000+ <FONT face="Courier New"><EM>The Amateur Astronomers Field Guide to Deep Sky Observing </EM></FONT>by Tom Lorenzin, <FONT face="Courier New"><EM>Celestial</EM></FONT> <FONT face="Courier New"><EM>Harvest </EM></FONT>by Jim Mullaney, and <FONT face="Courier New"><EM>Deep-Sky Wonders </EM></FONT>with Walter Scott Houston. This is actually selections and commentary by Stephen O'Mera, published in 1999 by Sky Publishing Corporation. Walter Scott Houston had a featured column called Deep-Sky Wonder's in S&T that lasted from 1946 to 1994. WSH died in 1993. He had quite a few column's completed before his death. Many amateur's, including myself learned about deep-sky observing from those monthly column's.<BR> <BR>Apparently Ted had a correspondence with WSH during the 60's and maybe beyond. As most of us are aware Ted was killed by a gunshot. I do not know the year of his death nor how old he was. Seems that Ted never had a job and was a proffessional backyard observer. Pretty cool. <BR> <BR>Quote from <FONT face="Courier New"><EM>Deep-Sky Wonders</EM></FONT>....James O'Meara.<BR>Page 7; IC 434, but no Horsehead, was seen with a 2.4-inch refractor by Larry Krumenaker in New Jersey, with a 12-inch f/6.5 reflector by Ted Komorowski in North Carolina, and with 6-inch f/8 telescopes by Stephen Barhart in Ohio and Mark Grunwald in Indiana. However, other observers were more successful.<BR> <BR>The third primary reason for my interest in this guy named Komorowski is that Gardner-Webb University owns the famous "Komorowski Comet" telescope right here in Boiling Springs, N.C. which is less than two miles from my house.<BR> <BR>The scope's new home for the past many years has been the Williams Observatory on campus of GWU. I have known of this scope for the past 18 years.<BR> <BR>This scope has been completely refurbished by Cleveland County Astronomical Society member's Steve Davis, and John Elmore. According to CCAS member Bob Eskridge, this mirror has tested to better than 1/10 wave...and has been called by some as an "extraordinary mirror". <BR> <BR>See this fabulous "observatory" quality scope...<BR>
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It is my sincere hope that some of you will find this story interesting and rewarding.<BR>
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Fred, since you are used to using much larger 16-inch scopes this would make you a very nice smaller, but not necessarily lighter scope. You would need at least a couple others to take it to your dark site.i<BR> <BR>Enjoy and best regards, Roger Ivester <BR><BR><FONT face=Verdana size=4></FONT> <BR> <BR><FONT face=Verdana><EM><STRONG> </STRONG></EM></FONT><BR><BR><BR><BR>
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