From the Nov 21, 2001 sci.astro Debates

In Article <[email protected]> Dave Tholen wrote:
> Steve Havas writes:
>
>> That observatory I had that observation back in April still remains
>> closed today.
>
> Why is that?

The reason I've been told is to re-outfit the telescope. I was also
originally told that it would only be closed for about a month or so.

>> I also discovered last weekend that an observatory about 1 1/2 hours
>> outside of Vancouver with a 2m telescope and the one I believe I was
>> supposed to take a look at Nancy's coordinates with the guy from the RASC
>> was also completely dismantled.
>
> The only 2-meter-class telescope I know of near Vancouver is the Dominion
> Astrophysical Observatory 1.8-m.  I've not heard anything about it being
> dismantled.

The Dominion Astrophysical Observatory is in Victoria and the one the prof
from UBC mentioned was outside of Vancouver somewhere near the 6m being
built but he didn't mention what the name of it was.

>> However, I was also informed by a professor from the University of BC
>> that the construction of a 6m telescope outside of Vancouver is near
>> completion but that there would be no access to the public and that
>> the scope can only point straight up
>
> Sounds like a liquid mirror telescope.  They use mercury, which is
> toxic, so I can understand why there would be no public access.
>
>> but that it should be able to scan most of the sky within a year of so.
>
> Illogical; you can't "scan most of the sky" while pointing only straight up.

This professor said that it gets a scan of the sky as earth rotates on it's
axis and as it rotates around the sun.

Steve

In Article <[email protected]> David Tholen wrote:
> Steve Havas writes:
>
>>>>>>>> That observatory I had that observation back in April still remains
>>>>>>>> closed today.
>
>>>>>>> Why is that?
>
>>>>>> The reason I've been told is to re-outfit the telescope. I was also
>>>>>> originally told that it would only be closed for about a month or so.
>
>>>>> Which doesn't explain why it's still closed.
>
>>>> You don't think that's sufficient reason for such a place to be shut
>>>> down for that amount of time?
>
>>> Not when the expected downtime is "about a month or two".
>
>> So, do you think there's more to the story then or is it purely coincedental
>> that it closed shop less than two weeks after my observation there
>
> What I think is irrelevant; you were the one who made the comment about
> it still being closed.  Perhaps you were trying to suggest something?

Nevertheless, it is odd...

>> and a few days after the operator admitted to me that they were aware
>> of P-X?
>
> Although the operator could be aware of the *claims* about P-X, he
> cannot be aware of P-X, as Nancy has described it, because it cannot
> exist.

"Cannot exist" is a pretty strong phrase when by now, anyone who has been
following these threads should know that "anything" is possible. Science has
to allow itself a degree of openness if it is really interested in discovery
and further understanding the realms of the unknown.

>> There was also no pre-warning or schedule of any such closing.
>
> How would you know?  With a facility like that, you just don't decide
> to take it down for an upgrade on the spur of the moment.  Things like
> that are planned in advance, but won't necessarily be advertised.

I guess I don't know for sure that it wasn't planned in advance but I know
it was not announced until after it had happened. I think this caught the
operator off guard as well (VP of RASC) because by my conversations with him
it seemed to me that the observatory would be open for viewing in the
foreseeable future.

Steve