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A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
Re: Backyard winter sextant observatory?
From: Jared Sherman
Date: 2005 Apr 19, 20:19 -0400
From: Jared Sherman
Date: 2005 Apr 19, 20:19 -0400
Jim- I'd expect the plexi (and curved plexi for a dome will be Real Damned Expensive) to cause distortions and be a nusinace to keep clean. It would probably be simpler, and way cheaper, to get a propane-fired infrared heater, or a pair of them. They come as floor models, or pole-mounted models designed to heat outdoor areas in the winter. If you put up a windbreak that came up to shoulder height, plus an IR heater to keep that area warm, I'd bet you could pull the whole thing off on the cheap and keep an obstructed view of the entire sky and horizon. Now, as to making temperature corrections for a pocket of 65F air on a -20F day....don't ask me!
