Re: [ATM] the future of amateur telescope making and amateur astronomy

[Mike Lockwood <melockwo@uiuc.edu>]

Hi,

> Mel Bartels wrote:
>>What do you think the future of telescope making and amateur astronomy will
>>be like?

David Nicholls wrote:
> One prediction for amateur equipment: full color direct view image 
> intensifiers integrated into the telescope.  Sort of like the viewfinder 
> built into some digital cameras, where you look at an LCD screen via the 
> viewfinder window (not the screen on the back of the body).
> So you'd be able to view things like M42 in full color directly looking 
> into the "telescope", with both eyes, in high resolution.
> ETA: 2010 - 2015

I agree with David.  I think eyepiece viewing will still be popular, 
but improved detectors are going to make certain types of detail more 
easily visible.  We've already heard of more than one observer who 
"records" the video of their observing session with a DVD-recorder. 
(One of these people has the recordings at the ready just in case it 
is cloudy when he is supposed to have a public observing session.  So, 
if the weather is poor, the telescope still slews, but the old video 
plays, and the public loves it.  Now that's outreach.)

I imagine it more in the case of an object like M1, with less obvious 
structure, rather than M42.  However, some sort of nonlinear 
brightness scaling might give M42 quite an interesting appearance.

Now imagine such images broadcast over wireless network connections at 
star parties by those who wish to share the images produced by their 
telescopes.  Everyone there could tune in to "TSP TV" and share the 
experience (if they wished).

I don't believe telescopes will become much more complex in the near 
future, hopefully just better in mechanical design and ease of use, 
especially the large telescopes.  The real difference will be in how 
the information they produce is shared and distributed, if the owner 
chooses to do so.

Now imagine such a detector placed at the focus of Mr. Houdart's 
future 1.1m telescope.  During the day here in the US, we might see 
amazing images from his telescope pop up on our screen every now and 
then.  I can think of nothing more motivating then to see that while 
I'm working on a large mirror!

If I have anything to do with it, the future of ATM is going to be 
BIG.  The capacity of my next grinding machine will be ~50".  The 
first mirror made on it will be the 1.1m.  I don't know what the 
second will be, but I can't wait to find out!

	Mike Lockwood


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