[AstroNet] Galileoscope discussion

Wed Mar 11 09:17:26 SAST 2009

Hi Kevin - 

I may have missed something here, but will you be donating more than one
telescope per group?  If so, then they would need more than one tripod.
And if these are 'underprivileged' people, then the assumption that a
camera tripod would be available is not a wise one.

Claire's suggestion on the cardboard tube telescopes sounds good.

Regards

Ingrid Purdon

-----Original Message-----
From: astronet-bounces at mail.saasta.ac.za
[mailto:astronet-bounces at mail.saasta.ac.za] On Behalf Of Okkie de Jager
Sent: 10 March 2009 09:25 PM
To: astronet at saasta.ac.za; Claire.Flanagan at wits.ac.za
Subject: Re: [AstroNet] Galileoscope discussion

Claire

The reason why we focus on galileoscope is because we focus

on the role Galileo played - we connect the person

with the specific hardware offered.

Yes, the tripod is a bit of a problem, but since we

donate to large groups, there is usually one person with a camera
tripod.

regards

Okkie de Jager

>>> "Claire Flanagan" <Claire.Flanagan at wits.ac.za> 03/10/09 7:31 PM >>>

Kevin: what's the chance of getting the cardboard-tube telescope kits

that SAAO used to distribute going again?  Any idea what they would

cost?  And what they can see?

We haven't considered stocking the Galileoscope here - looking at the

price of it, and then remembering it needs a tripod (not included), and

that it's a small telescope, we didn't sethee how it could compete in
the

retail market with e.g. the Celestron Powerseeker - 60mm telescope, with

tripod, for R650.  Cheapest tripod I can find on the internet is R400.  

My ideal for outreach would be a stack of Dobsonian telescopes - bigger

aperture, solid mount, easy to point at stuff like the Moon.  Then I'd

loan them out for a sky-watching evening.  Would need at least a trailer

to transport though . . . 

The Galileoscope on a cheap tripod is going to be shaky and difficult I

suspect for a kid to use.  How are you thinking of using them for

outreach?  Have we heard from anyone who has been using them?  

Kobie and Andrie: I'd be really interested to hear your opinions . . . 

And what happened to the CSIR project to make telescopes for local

outreach?  Anyone on the list know about that one?

Claire Flanagan

Jhb Planetarium

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