![]() At some point, they developedĪn interest in telescopes and began building both reflectors and refractors. In their shop, they built wagon wheels, bicycles, and did general woodĪnd metal-working, as well as repair. Lohmann brothers imigrated from Germany around 1890. The magnificent five-inch f/17 refractor shown on the left was made by the Lohmann brothers in Greenville, Ohio, about 1920. Never leave home without a finder chart.Antique telescopes, Lohnmann Brothers telescopes Greenville Ohio Twentieth-century telescopes My buddy finally said, “That’s not a comet, it’s a dumbbell like the two of us!” Indeed, it was the Dumbbell Nebula (M27). After some effort, we found a fuzzy object that had to be the comet. We were both seasoned observers and didn’t take a finder chart, only binoculars and a 4¼-inch scope. On a crisp Michigan night many years ago, my buddy and I went out to observe a comet. Rodney Pommier, astroimager and author Credit: Jim Mazur/Wikimedia Commons ![]() I realized this was probably a once-in-a-lifetime view, and I needed to emblazon it in my memory forever. The stars shining through the long tail produced an incredible 3D effect. Around 1 A.M., the comet’s coma was near Polaris and its tail stretched all the way into Hydra. On March 23, 1996, I journeyed to central Oregon to capture an image of Comet Hyakutake. The winner will receive a 1099 form and will be responsible for any related taxes. For more information on the scope, read our review of the 10-inch model in the April 2023 issue. This fully operational system includes the optical tube, Dobsonian base, StarSense Explorer dock, eyepiece rack, 2″ Crayford focuser with an extension tube and a 2″ to 1¼” adapter, a 25mm eyepiece, and more. Our friends at Celestron have demonstrated their generosity by donating the prize for the winning entry: a StarSense Explorer 8″ Smartphone App-Enabled Dobsonian Telescope. The winner will be announced on and may appear in a future issue. The winning entry will be chosen by Astronomy editors based on its flow, clarity, and originality. or Celestron and their families are ineligible to participate. Employees and stockholders of Kalmbach Media Co. and be over the age of 18 on the date of submission. Please include your name, address, and phone number. ![]() Send entries to with the subject line, “Celestron Essay Contest.” The length must be between 50 to 350 words, and multiple essays are allowed. In other words, any type of tale has a chance to win. Alternatively, your story could be about something unique that happened during your astronomy journey or an observing session, like my own story. It could be a sighting of Jupiter with its four Galilean moons in a notable pattern, or a high-power look at the Moon’s Clavius Crater with its curving pattern of ever smaller craterlets. Your most memorable observation doesn’t have to be a 16th-magnitude quasar, Gyulbudaghyan’s Nebula, Pluto’s moon Charon, or individual red giants in Omega Centauri. The winner will receive a brand-new 8-inch telescope from Celestron. Astronomy is accepting brief write-ups about your best, most remarkable, favorite, and/or weirdest observing experience in celebration of our 50-year anniversary. Whether your most memorable sky session involves an unexpected visitor or an unforgettable sight through the eyepiece, we want to hear from you. Of all the time spent in that observatory, the most profound lesson came from that night: Always close your doors. A few seconds later I returned to the yard, only to see my mammalian visitor scurrying out between the bars of the fence. I remember thinking, “Well, as long as it’s facing me, I’m safe.” I turned around and went back in the house to fetch a camera. There, in the middle of the observatory, was an adult skunk. So - and I’ve never done this before or since - I pulled out a small pocket flashlight and switched it on. When I got there, I noticed the door was ajar, and something about it felt odd. one morning, I walked out to the building to observe some double stars. My wife and I lived in El Paso, Texas, and we had a small observatory just a stone’s throw from our house. In the autumn of 2002, I had a not-so-typical observing experience. Bianchi (The Johns Hopkins University) Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America)
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