ATM - Mirror dust and washing it off

["Charles Hovatter" <charleshovatter@acelink.net>]

Harold Frohlichl

>I just had first light on a 14 in Dob --Sky Optical mirror purchased
in
>985  --Beautiful image but

Hi Harold,

Stop right there!   Beautiful image!  - Let the dust be, it's not
hurting anything!   Washing the mirror? - Now that hurts; Ouch!
Don't clean it until it really, really needs it.   Once a year is
gobs for most people.   What looks bad to you eye, probably won't
look bad to your eyepiece!   It's all out of focus anyway, and the
net effect on the image is very small.

Most people clean way too much.   It probably wouldn't hurt my house
though!  <G>

-Chuck
PS - I have a 14" mirror and a 4" lens that haven't been cleaned in
ten years!   Now, that's way overdue!   The 4" refractor gives
beautiful images despite the dirtiest objective ever seen by man.
All that crud does tend to collect a lot of dew though.   Hmmmm.....
I guess I better clean it.   Maybe tonight.   I really hate too
though, as I could scratch it!

Harold continues:

>I am getting a lot of dust on the mirror in spite of a cover -- Is
there any
>easy way of getting
>the dust off short of disassmebling the whole thing and washing it
>--
>