My first Magazine Sky & Telescope - 01.2019 | Page 75

and centering the mirrors with unaided eyes looking through the focuser.” Also, the two mirrors re-reverse the image inversion common to refractors, so the image is correctly oriented. Additionally, the center of gravity is near the middle of the wooden box that houses the objective, focuser, and tertiary mirror, so the eyepiece remains at nearly the same height regardless of where the telescope is pointed. You might wonder, as I did, why Ber- trand chose to put his tertiary mirror across the box from the focuser rather than right next to it (and thereby allow- ing for a smaller tertiary). Bertrand explains: “First, putting a small tertiary mirror next to the focuser would have led to a 100-mm increase of the overall length of the refractor. And second, I already owned a very good 66-mm diag- onal and did not want to buy another one.” Excellent reasons, both! To cut down on stray light decreasing image contrast, Bertrand uses a shroud around the bottom end of the scope and a dew shield when observing. How does the scope perform under the stars? “I love observing the Moon with my refractor and a 7-mm Nagler eyepiece, which provides a ‘spacewalk experience.’ This reminds me of my childhood, when I watched the live cov- erage of Apollo 11’s lunar landing,” says Bertrand with nostalgia. For more information, contact Ber- trand at [email protected] . Tours in 2019! From 37,000 feet above the Pacific Ocean, you’ll be high above any clouds, seeing up to 3¼ minutes of totality in a dark sky that makes the Sun’s corona look incredibly dramat- ic. Our flight will depart from and return to Santiago, Chile. African Stargazing Safari July 29–August 4, 2019 Total Eclipse Flight: Chile July 2, 2019 skyandtelescope.com/2019eclipsef light Join astronomer Stephen James O’Meara in wildlife-rich Botswana for evening stargazing and daytime safari drives at three luxury field camps. Only 16 spaces available! Optional extension to Victoria Falls. skyandtelescope.com/botswana2019 This is our 6th year running this popular tour of Iceland. Visit historic sites, geysers, and towering waterfalls with a guide; at night, seek the fabled northern lights. Fine restaurants and hotels await you. Iceland Aurorae September 26–October 2, 2019 skyandtelescope.com/iceland2019 ■ Contributing Editor JERRY OLTION is a big fan of short telescopes. Contact him at [email protected] . The shroud and front shield pro- tect against stray light and dew. Australian Observatories October 1–9, 2019 Travel Down Under to tour top observa- tories, including Siding Spring and “The Dish” at Parkes. Go wine-tasting, hike in nature reserves, and explore eclectic Sydney and Australia’s capital, Canberra. Options to Great Barrier Reef and Uluru. skyandtelescope.com/australia2019 Uluru & Sydney Opera House: Tourism Australia; observatory: Winton Gibson See all S&T tours at skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-travel sk yandtele scope.com • JA N UA RY 2 019 73