ATM Beyond the fan

["Chuck Hards" <chuckh@companionsystems.com>]

Has anyone tried attaching a Peltier heat-pump to the back of a mirror, or
an array of them?  The heat produced by the "hot" side could be pulled away
by a rear-mounted fan blowing backwards, straight out of the tube.  The
"cold" side can get SO cold that it may be able to cool a mirror much faster
than a fan alone.  It doesn't address immediate boundary-layer problems on
the mirror's face, a small fan may still be needed if you're in a hurry, but
it may shorten appreciably the total cool-down time required.  I can tell by
recent posts that some people still aren't convinced that active cooling is
good insurance.

You know, you could even use one in an opposite configuration to heat an
eyepiece, kind of a high-tech "eyepiece cozy".
(Sticking your tongue to the flagpole in winter is nothing compared to
getting your eyeball stuck on a Plossl......just eliminating the "brain
freeze" is a step in the right direction!)

Just an idea, perhaps more practical than a "levitating secondary"!

C'mon, Richard, let's hear it.  Dig into this one!

Chuck