The Transit Dreams Observatory has been planned in my mind and heart for a long time. The name and the dream will come to fruition as a result of my successful 25 year career with the New York City Transit Authority, thus the name “Transit Dreams”. It was there that my vision and planning for retirement to a home in the country began. A place where I could look up at night and see the Milky Way galaxy glowing across the night sky, with space to build an observatory to store and use my equipment.
The type and size of the observatory has evolved over the years of dreaming and it wasn’t until recently that I finalized my plan. It started as a simple roll-off roof observatory. I figured a 12’ by 12’ square building would suit me fine with a table to set up my charts. As time went by and aperture fever set in I acquired a larger scope, a 15” Dobsonian reflector which would require more room. So, I enlarged the plan to 12’ by 15’.
As time went by the vision became a fantasy. Why not build it larger with room for two scopes one for visual observing and one to take the “pretty pictures” I had seen captured by my friends at the Amateur Observers’ Society Astronomy club located on Long Island, NY. I could put a warm room behind the observatory big enough for charts, computers, and chairs for friends to come visit. It would be 16’ by 24’ now with an included 8’ by 16’ warm room.
The location of our retirement home and observatory site evolved to the “upstate” of South Carolina. In a perfect world we’d be in the southwest somewhere soaking up that dry heat and beautiful night sky seeing conditions presented by their arid climate. Life always has compromises, so as I often say: “It is what it is.”
I lucked out with astronomical companionship moving here, as I’ve found two nice clubs and many new friends. I joined the Roper Mountain Astronomers in Greenville, SC, and the Astronomy Club of Asheville in North Carolina, both within an hour or so from my home. Both clubs have dark site observatories with nice scopes, so the need for a central meeting area at my observatory has diminished and I decided to down size the building. This also affords me more $$$’s to spend on equipment.
Most of the images I‘ve taken to date have been in the backyard. This experience of visual observation and astrophotography has led me to the final change in plans for the observatory. The dewing conditions in the southeast are horrendous. They’re a lot worse than I expected. Dew heaters keep the optics clear, but everything else gets soaking wet. The final change in plans is to go from a roll-off to dome observatory. This should eliminate 95% of the dew issues. It also simplifies issues with my evolving interests in Astronomy.
I used to be a strictly visual astronomer. I’ve got at least a half dozen of the Astronomical League’s observing programs in various stages of completion. I picked up an interest in astrophotography a few years ago and now I would like to do some science, particularly in the area of asteroid astrometry. The observatory originally slated to be for visual observation and then visual/photographic use, will now be a photographic observatory primarily used for survey work with asteroids.
The observatory will house a 10 foot dome on top of a 10’7” by 10’7” building with the goal being eventual automation. I will use my 5”APO refractor on a Paramount MX+ mount to start my quest and eventually move up to a 10”-14” RC type scope as my skills and interest progresses. Phase II will include an area adjacent to the dome with decking and an isolated pad for my visual scope. One will not be dependent on the other so phase II can morph into anything from a concrete pad in the grass to another, full blown visual observatory. Stay tuned to my blog for updates on my progress.