Re: Planet X VIEWING, Restated

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