there are all sorts of astronomy folklore stories passed down through generations of astronomers.
did you know that the 107'' telescope at McDonald observatory has bullet holes in the primary mirror?
I used to observe with that telescope all the time during my PhD and it was always fun to walk down the solid tube to see the "damage" up close. the six holes only block 1% of the light and were filed smooth and painted black to stop any reflected light from invading the observations!
there is a blog now dedicated to recording all these stories i keep hearing over a beer at the pub - and many more i havent yet heard in person!
you can read them all here: astro anecdotes.
did you know that the 107'' telescope at McDonald observatory has bullet holes in the primary mirror?
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| Six bullet holes in the primary mirror of the 2.7m telescope at McDonald Observatory. Photo credit: McDonald Observatory. |
I used to observe with that telescope all the time during my PhD and it was always fun to walk down the solid tube to see the "damage" up close. the six holes only block 1% of the light and were filed smooth and painted black to stop any reflected light from invading the observations!
there is a blog now dedicated to recording all these stories i keep hearing over a beer at the pub - and many more i havent yet heard in person!
you can read them all here: astro anecdotes.
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