The Nordic Optical telescope is a compact and unusual design - and the highest telescope on La Palma. It is run by Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland.
M
"In those rare moments of total quiet with a dark sky, I again feel the awe that struck me as a child. The feeling is utterly overwhelming as my mind races out across the stars. I feel peaceful and serene."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post_mill wrote:
The post mill is the earliest type of European windmill. The defining feature is that the whole body of the mill that houses the machinery is mounted on a single vertical post, around which it can be turned to bring the sails into the wind.
Hey, I thought you would say that the whole telescope would come in a flat box, with instructions on how to put it together. Wait a minute, isn't there a screw missing here?
Of course! I knew it seemed familiar - as a child, I saw a windmill of this design in operation. With several men pushing it round by means of the long pole that extended at one side. That's nearly sixty years ago.
M
"In those rare moments of total quiet with a dark sky, I again feel the awe that struck me as a child. The feeling is utterly overwhelming as my mind races out across the stars. I feel peaceful and serene."
I'm hoping that some day soon, someone will (re)invent the tripod, and a new craze of unbumpy video will ensue. Maybe that telescope is interesting, but I had to stop watching after about 30 seconds. Any more and I'd have lost my lunch.
Ah - I come from a family of sailors! Stomach like a rock.
M
"In those rare moments of total quiet with a dark sky, I again feel the awe that struck me as a child. The feeling is utterly overwhelming as my mind races out across the stars. I feel peaceful and serene."