Star Watcher Observatory

Page 1

(May 29-Jun 19, 2004)

Page 2

(Jul 3-Jul 23, 2004)

Page 3

(Jul 29-Sep 4, 2004)

Page 4

(Nov 11, 2004-June 23, 2005)

Page 5

(July 28, 2008-present)

November 11, 2004. The observatory has been in regular use, while I continue to fine-tune the design. Recently, I've installed trim along the bottom of the fence sections in an effort to give a more finished appearance. I also expect to add trim along the top as well as framing each corner.

Today: the gate, which was simply made from a piece of stockade fence matching the fence that surrounds the deck. You can see one of my dogs, Teddy, inspecting (but thankfully, not christening) my work.

A sad postscript to this photo. Teddy died in April 2008. We miss him, and our other dogs who went before him -- Tiffany, Taffy, and Amy -- very much.

Tiffany

Taffy

Amy

Teddy

January 22, 2005. One problem with a roll-away observatory is that, since the shelter rolls off the telescope, there has to be a gap between it and the deck. Rain and snow can get in there pretty easily, and since the shelter isn't much bigger than the telescope itself, the mount's base can get pelted. That's why when the telescope is stored, I always surround the rocker with two thin sheets of pressboard.

To help seal out the weather, pieces of 3/8-inch plywood were added around the inside bottom of the shelter's frame, in effect shrinking the gap between it and the deck to about a pencil diameter.

June 23, 2005. Although the observatory was in regular use throughout the winter, changes were slow to happen this year. Some additional few cosmetic touches have recently been added to the set-up to make it a little more appealing.

With light pollution an ever-present problem, the interior walls of the observatory's fence have also been painted flat black in an attempt to dampen reflections (click thumbnail below).