Total Solar Eclipse 2008 - Russia

Stupid question Anthony,
why bother with such an expensive mount for an eclipse?,

The problem is totality and where I need a complete set of exposures from 1/2000 to 4 (or seconds so as to produce the stunning butterfly-like eclipsed sun with corona. If it wasn't for the latter exposures (4 or 8 seconds), I could go "cheaper".

I did something similar for last year's total eclipse where I hauled my car across the mediterranean just because I need the Losmandy G-11 (to mate my AP160 onto).

Oh anthony i meant so long that it would be hard to bring with me! :lol: I know its a great little scope! I have one and the optics are so crisp!

Oh anthony i meant so long that it would be hard to bring with me! :lol: I know its a great little scope! I have one and the optics are so crisp!

How about a very well padded duffel bag?

I suppose! The mount retracts to quite a small size! Solar filter required!

How about a camping setup? Seriously.

We will get Seanie to keep an eye out for the Russian bears. In fact we can make a sacrifice .... Seanie!

....hmmm...the bears would not be a problem... for camping you would need to go out the city into the country... I would not sleep in a tent there unless I have an armed guard with me... this might sound dramatic, but is very much the truth...

but as somebody else said before in this post, try to contact the Novosibirsk State University, you might be able to arrange something with their physics/astronomy department.

www.nsu.ru/english/

by the way , they also make telescopes in Novosibirsk

www.telescopes.ru/

but as somebody else said before in this post, try to contact the Novosibirsk State University, you might be able to arrange something with their physics/astronomy department.

www.nsu.ru/english/

A local amateur did just that and found extremely attractive rates. I do not remember the actual figures.

by the way , they also make telescopes in Novosibirsk

www.telescopes.ru/

You can pick up a dirt-cheap high-quality 14" RC in Novosibirsk and it is something which crossed my mind as well.