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This photograph of Tom Dietz
with the National Air and Space Museum's 14.5" f/4.5 Starmaster (Pegasus mirror)
was taken July 22, 2001 at Cherry Springs State Park in N. Pennsylvania. The
little telescope piggybacked on the mirror box is a 6" f/4.7 rich field newt
that Tom built as a substitute for giant binoculars. It was designed around the
31mm Nagler and provides a 3.4 degree FOV. When used with the proper nebula
filter it provides great views of large diffuse objects such as the North
America and California nebulae and the entire Cygnus Loop. It is counterbalanced
with ten pounds of Losmandy SCT counterweights mounted to a Losmandy finder
bracket shoe on the other side of the mirror box. With proper balancing, the
additional weight causes no pointing or tracking problems whatsoever for the Sky
Tracker drive. Note the look of sleep deprivation on Tom's face as he prepare
for a third straight all-nighter.
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© NOVAC