www.astrocafe.hk

I have been reading James O'Meara's book on observing the Messier Objects. Something caught my attention:

"I have spent considerable time peering at the region just inside the Great nebula's arcing western rim and searching for GOD - a series of dark nebulous swirls that spell out the word GOD in captial letters. Although I have seen portions of these letters I have yet to piece together the detail in a single strong view. This challange might be a bit too difficult or the 4 inch, but I strongly urge those with larger telescopes to look for GOD in the Orion Nebula"

Is it real? That is hard for me to believe it. Do anyone have a photo to prove it?

剛在自家天台用SBIG ST402及203APO拍的，GOD在哪裡?

I have this book. Can u tell me which paper? Sometime I wonder how can u be so engaged in visual observations.

willis 寫:I have this book. Can u tell me which paper? Sometime I wonder how can u be so engaged in visual observations.

It is on page 142. I am engaged more in visual probably because:

1. I don't like the long waiting time in photography, and dealing with just a few objects per night.
2. I like playing astronomy with students, and they don't like photography.
3. With an 18 inch, I feel that any observation is possible. I admit that if one only has a small scope, then photography is the only way to enjoy deep sky.
4. I don't like doing what most people do.
5. When doing visual, the feeling of having photons from a faraway object reaching my retina after thousands to millions of years is quite amazing. I feel a direct connection with that object.
6. The 3D feeling of nebula or globular clusters can seldom be captured by photography.

David 寫:1. I don't like the long waiting time in photography, and dealing with just a few objects per night.

with F3 astrograph, Paramount and either big enough chip or high QE chip, you can image 100 objects a night like certain research observatory.

David 寫:2. I like playing astronomy with students, and they don't like photography.

it's your role to inspire them get interested on something.

David 寫:3. With an 18 inch, I feel that any observation is possible. I admit that if one only has a small scope, then photography is the only way to enjoy deep sky.

The photo from 18" is more striking than you can see from eyepiece.

David 寫:4. I don't like doing what most people do.

agree, that's French.

David 寫:5. When doing visual, the feeling of having photons from a faraway object reaching my retina after thousands to millions of years is quite amazing. I feel a direct connection with that object.

The "feeling of...." is only a feeling anyway. I keep computer files or even print a hardcopy is solid.

David 寫:6. The 3D feeling of nebula or globular clusters can seldom be captured by photography.

Good photo will do.

anyway, I love observing with you, you do all the preparation, and by the time you annouced what's next you are going to observe and start hopping, I press the key on TheSky and my 8" APO slew to that, dead on.

社長 寫:I press the key on TheSky and my 8" APO slew to that, dead on.

And I reached that object quicker than you.

no, both of us are still standing on Earth. You may be a few centimeter taller than me, but don't really reach much closer to the object, hence not quicker by any sense

I posted the question on cloudynights and got some 'interesting' response......

http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/ ... ll/fpart/1

seems they are very sensitive with GOD....

Interesting topic~
I like this responce on CN: "DOG?"; It's just imagined.