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Author Topic: Hello from the worlds largest single telescope!  (Read 5190 times)

Offline sam

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Hello from the worlds largest single telescope!
« on: November 17, 2009, 23:05 »
Oh yes I'm in Puerto Rico and just wanted to show off really... I'm at the Arecibo Observatory (you might know it from such films as Goldeneye...) I'm being put in charge of the telescope (as a trainee) tonight... what could go wrong  :dunno:
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Offline Clive

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Re: Hello from the worlds largest single telescope!
« Reply #1 on: November 17, 2009, 23:17 »
The immortal words "Take me to your Leader" springs to mind.   ;D

Offline Simon

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Re: Hello from the worlds largest single telescope!
« Reply #2 on: November 17, 2009, 23:37 »
Should we start praying?  ;D
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Offline sam

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Re: Hello from the worlds largest single telescope!
« Reply #3 on: November 18, 2009, 02:34 »
 >:(
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Offline sam

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Re: Hello from the worlds largest single telescope!
« Reply #4 on: November 18, 2009, 02:48 »
oh here is my first pic... http://www.flickr.com/photos/starrydude/4112846879/

I'm getting to go up to the receiver later in the week  :woot:
- sam | @starrydude --

Offline Simon

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Re: Hello from the worlds largest single telescope!
« Reply #5 on: November 18, 2009, 09:56 »
That must be really exciting, Sam.  Bet you're glad you went now!  :thumb:
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Offline sam

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Re: Hello from the worlds largest single telescope!
« Reply #6 on: November 18, 2009, 10:38 »
yeah, mostly
- sam | @starrydude --

Offline Rik

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Re: Hello from the worlds largest single telescope!
« Reply #7 on: November 18, 2009, 10:40 »
oh here is my first pic... http://www.flickr.com/photos/starrydude/4112846879/

I'm getting to go up to the receiver later in the week  :woot:

Makes me think of War of the Worlds, Sam. :)
Slainthe!

Rik

Offline Simon

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Re: Hello from the worlds largest single telescope!
« Reply #8 on: November 18, 2009, 11:09 »
Sandra was wondering where one of her satellite dishes had gone.  ;D
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Offline Clive

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Re: Hello from the worlds largest single telescope!
« Reply #9 on: November 18, 2009, 12:25 »
Good for you Sam!  I think you will be making a lot of people very jealous by being able to work with all these iconic instruments.  It will do your career the power of good!  If you need someone to make the tea you can always contact me.   8-)

Offline sam

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Re: Hello from the worlds largest single telescope!
« Reply #10 on: November 18, 2009, 16:17 »
what you'll send the boy over from the cruise ship?  :)x

I can't moan really in my short career I've used or visited all the big radio observatories apart from those ones in Australia.. just gotta get someone to offer me that permanent gig at a UK University...
- sam | @starrydude --

Offline Clive

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Re: Hello from the worlds largest single telescope!
« Reply #11 on: November 18, 2009, 16:54 »
Yes, it would be nice to study the sky from Australia.  All those southern circumpolar constellations!  But you must have seen reasonably far south from India and now Puerto Rica.  The farthest south I've been is northern Venezuela which is nowhere far enough! 

Offline GillE

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Re: Hello from the worlds largest single telescope!
« Reply #12 on: November 18, 2009, 18:00 »
The sky is very clear in the Falkland Islands.  In fact, coming back to Britain felt like entering a fog.  You don't realise how badly polluted the industrialised world is until you have been somewhere like that.
There is no opinion, however absurd, which men will not readily embrace as soon as they can be brought to the conviction that it is readily adopted.

(Schopenhauer, Die Kunst Recht zu Behalten)

Offline Clive

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Re: Hello from the worlds largest single telescope!
« Reply #13 on: November 18, 2009, 19:02 »
Can't get much farther south than that without hitting Antarctica Gill!  It must have been a joy to see the Magellanic Clouds against the backdrop of the southern stars.  Were you taking part in the Falklands War Gill? 

Offline GillE

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Re: Hello from the worlds largest single telescope!
« Reply #14 on: November 18, 2009, 20:15 »
No, thank goodness.  I arrived a few years after hostilities ceased.  It's a hard climate, though; I remember standing on top of Mount Kent in a 200mph wind.  However, I did manage to go swimming off Saunders Island which has some spectacular scenery and wildlife.  I wasn't supposed to, but how often do you get the chance to swim with porpoises and penguins?
There is no opinion, however absurd, which men will not readily embrace as soon as they can be brought to the conviction that it is readily adopted.

(Schopenhauer, Die Kunst Recht zu Behalten)


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