RE: [APML]: Luck and Hard Work

[Mike Thenhaus <MikeT@7thlevel.com>]

I agree with Mark's comments. David Levy is a world class amateur
astronomer who has spent countless hours at the eyepiece and at the
camera. I think that with all percieved astronomical dicoveries, i.e.
the purported nova, etc... must be met with inital pessimism. Only
observations by very experienced observers and close scrutiny by
existing knowledge can eliminate the pessimism. If David Levy made
comments to the fact that the nova was a false alarm, don't be
surprised. He was just being the scientific pessimist that I believe all
well disiplined scientists should be. When David Levy discovers a comet,
does he immediately announce his discovery to the world? I think not.

Michael "The Edge" Thenhaus
miket@7thlevel.com
(972) 498-8114


> ----------
> From:         mark.kaye@sympatico.ca[SMTP:mark.kaye@sympatico.ca]
> Sent:         Wednesday, February 25, 1998 7:18 AM
> To:   astro-photo@nightsky.com
> Subject:      [APML]: Luck and Hard Work
> 
> 
> >Just because Mr. Levy was *lucky* enough to be in the right place and
> >the right time to be associated with Mrs. Shoemaker's discovery of
> the
> >comet that slammed into Jupiter does not always make what he says
> 
>    David Levy is very lucky?  If thousands upon thousands of hours
> spent at 
> the eyepiece learning the night sky is luck, yes David is lucky.
>    David is an observer.  Through and through, David is an observer
> who works 
> hard at his vocation.  Luck is only a minor player in David's success.
>    If you have followed the story of the discovery of the comet that
> crashed 
> into Jupiter, you would know that David was the one who wanted to keep
> 
> photographing, despite the lousy conditions.  The rest of the team
> wanted to 
> pack it in for the night.  David kept on going using some slightly
> spoiled 
> film, something that they thought would not be wasted on the less than
> 
> stellar conditions on that particular evening.
>    Perseverance and hard work pays dividends.  Do not belittle it by
> calling 
> it luck.
>    Clear skies!
>                MK
> 
> http://www3.sympatico.ca/mark.kaye/
>