"Professor Goddard does not know the relation between action and reaction and the need to have something better than a vacuum against which to react. He seems to lack the basic knowledge ladled out daily in high schools."
--1921 New York Times editorial about Robert Goddard's revolutionary rocket work.

"Correction: It is now definitely established that a rocket can function in a vacuum. The 'Times' regrets the error."
NY Times, July 1969.

— New York Times

ebfaulkner6a

M104_Sombrero Galaxy

Joe Marzullo, Matthew McCuen and myself took a trip 20 minutes south of Whiting to Coyle Field in Woodland, NJ. The location is used for the US Army paratroopers training, looks like a very large field as in airport! To the south the trees are miles away making the horizon look treeless, no buildings, nothing to obstruct your view. The location is flat, and sandy, also used by model airplane flying. To the east and North there are normal trees but did not interfere with alignment. The clouds came in during the afternoon, and slowly hung around until late evening.

M104_Sombrero Galaxy

Blackeye Galaxy

This is a 20 minute exposure of the Black Eye Galaxy, aka M64 Coma Berenices 8.5 magnitude, taken thru Orion 80ED.  Will attempt a two hour exposure next time out.  This particular night was extremely clear, dark skies here in Whiting.

Blackeye Galaxy

Saturn

This is when Saturn looks really beautiful and most appreciated.  Too many objections to the way it appears today, round object, a slim thin line crossing left to right or vise versa, unappreciated.  Can't wait for the ring & planet to tilt.  Juptier early in the morning looks much better.  This is a 10x .03 sec exposure.

Saturn

Moon/mountain?

This image was taken when I first started imaging thru my 10" Meade LX200 about 7 years ago.   That was when I would try anything (and most of the time it was experimental) to get an image.  Joe Marzullo will back me up.   I usually try the "impossible" or "not likely to work" trial and error routine when it comes to imaging.   For example:  to take this image of a mountain inside a crater along the terminator of a 3 day new Moon,I added a tele-extender with an eyepiece placed inside, add this to my Pentax K1000 35mm camera, place this setup into

Moon/mountain?

Solar "Heat"

This morning I took this image which my wife calls SOLAR HEAT.  This is a frying pan on my kitchen cabinet along side of a microwave.  Notice the orange "heat" glow at the bottom of the frying pan.  It is not on a stove nor did the microwave have anything to do with it.  Where did the "heat" come from?  Take a look at this image, then see the followup image and see where the "solar heat" came from.

Solar "Heat"

Venus exits Sun

Venus exits near edge of Sun during Solar Eclipse June 2004

Venus exits Sun

Venus

Older image, but interesting eclipse, club event from West Orange, NJ early morning sunrise.

Venus

Bubble Nebula

Taken from Whiting, NJ, combined 40 - one min images, Orion 80ed

Bubble Nebula

Observing the Sun

Remember when John Miksits?  We were having a public observation of the Sun at Pleasant Acres Campgrounds in Sussex, New Jersey.  John brought his homemade Solar scope.  John is on the left in the photo, followed by Gene and Gail Faulkner (brought along 11" Celestron).  Some nearby campers came for the viewing.  What was the year John?

Observing the Sun

NGC8622

108 one minute combined image of NGC6822 in Sagittarius thru Orion 80ED and Orion Ha filter from southern New Jersey.

NGC8622