Comments on: Galileoscope update

By: KFromCanada

KFromCanada — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 02:14:25 +0000

I’m really excited about this, and I’m very VERY understanding about the volunteer aspect. However, I also empathize with those who are frustrated or concerned. I’m quite worried right now as my order showed me that my credit card didn’t work (no reason why it shouldn’t, except that I’m from Canada so maybe it’s their international issues again?) AND it gave me an order number and a receipt…. sooo… I don’t know if I have an order or not? Did everyone’s payments go through on their credit cards right away if they did work? I e-mailed them but I’m not anticipating an answer any time soon, from what I’ve been reading. If it was just my personal order I could handle getting two by accident, but it’s a group order for 25 and I can’t really swallow double the charges and shipping for that… For the same reasons I don’t really want to find out the order DIDN’T go through and have everyone miss out.

By: Robert Carnegie

Robert Carnegie — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 13:51:05 +0000

This is what bugged me – old news but in reruns – in [The West Wing] plot line about an ISS air supply problem (leak) and maybe launching the secret military space shuttle to rescue the crew, thus revealing that the secret military shuttle exists. Zillions of AMATEURS can see space shuttle launches. They can see the ISS. I’ve seen cute amateur images of ISS with the (real) shuttle docked. There -are- U.S. military space launches (duh) and they are secret, but if you only point a ’scope up in the sky, you can see where the thing is going to, maybe not why.

Likewise the Moon landings, except that maybe you do need national government funding to track a Moon capsule in the 1960s. But a lot of people watching, some unfriendly, with sensitive equipment, could and would have told the world if the mission wasn’t really happening. Unless they were ALL IN ON IT. But getting men to the Moon was easy compared to getting that kind of cooperation – unless you believe that the UNITED NaTIONS is run by HYPNOTIC SPACE LIZARDS who CONTROL WORLD LEADERS. (I don’t. Really I don’t. I hope I got away with it, planted a seed of thought… Really. No. But, keep up the good work, Sirs.)

By: The Mad LOLScientist, FCD

The Mad LOLScientist, FCD — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 03:06:03 +0000

Thanks, hale_bopp! Can’t wait to get my hot little hands on one of these puppies!

By: hale_bopp

hale_bopp — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 22:03:47 +0000

The Galileoscope team just sent an email to the people who have ordered. The good news is that they are still on schedule to ship in late April. The email answers a few questions about why some people didn’t get email confirmations. The email is posted on their website at https://www.galileoscope.org/gs/content/important-notice-our-customers

I am one of the people who has been testing prototypes as they become available. The optics are good. I was pleasantly surprised how easy the rings of Saturn are, even at 25x and almost edge on.

By: WJM

WJM — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 18:04:58 +0000

I already see an extended structure! Point of light, schmoint of light.

By: The Mad LOLScientist, FCD

The Mad LOLScientist, FCD — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 17:30:48 +0000

Oops – than anything. So much for proofreading. :-\

By: The Mad LOLScientist, FCD

The Mad LOLScientist, FCD — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 17:28:08 +0000

ROFLmeow! Lugosi is win teh Innert00bz 2dai! =^..^=

IIRC, Galileo was under house arrest for quite a while, but it was more because he made fun of the Pope that anything. The man did have an @$$ full of attitude.

@David D – I agree, Galileo’s Daughter is a terrific book.

I’ll bet the Galileoscope folks have been absolutely SLAMMED with orders. They already have my $15 – I figure it will get here when it gets here. (My BFF says, “Why do you need one? There’s no windows around here to look into!”) The weather’s too lousy here to see anything anyway this time of year… I’m still waiting for a chance to see the ISS in all its glory. Now with more solar-panel-y goodness! It’s supposed to pass almost straight over us (estimated mag -2.4 – w00t!) on Monday evening. In the mean time – big green hairy amoeba on the radar, heading this way. Hope it quits raining before then… we’ll see.