In September of 1999, after years of dithering
and distractions, I decided to build an observatory capable of doing some interesting and
professional level research. My astronomical interests are in binary stars,
mostly from a spectroscopic standpoint. A telescope capable of doing useful
spectroscopy is out of my reach, but a moderate-size instrument can do excellent stellar
photometry, so that will be the focus of my Lizard Hollow Observatory, here on the
outskirts of Tucson, AZ.
The Construction Journal is intended as a
slightly humorous record of the problems, hassles, triumphs, disappointments and
sillinesses that are sure to occur in any construction project, in the hope that they will
be of interest and use to someone contemplating building an observatory.
Meanwhile, I am doing the other things that are
normally done at an Observatory: writing software, reading journals, preparing the
research program - and worrying about the budget...
- September 1999
September 15, 1999 - I Am
Poor Again (Part I)
September 16, 1999 - "Oh Where and Oh What Shall it Be?!"
September 18, 1999 - A Dream Abandoned (Boo Hoo)
September 19, 1999 - First Light and The Attack of the Smelly Javalina
September 25, 1999 - "That's Quite a Site!" (Part I)
September 30, 1999 - Sticker Shock (Part I)
- October 1999
October 1, 1999 - "That's Quite a Site!" (Part II)
October 2, 1999 - The Attack of the Giant Ants!
October 5, 1999 - Sticker Shock (Part II)
October 10, 1999 - Sticker Not-So-Shock
October 15, 1999 - "I Smell a..."
October 27, 1999 - "...Sewer!"; or "That's Quite a
Site!" (Part III)
- November 1999
November 1, 1999 - "It's a Site, It's a Site!"
November 2, 1999 - The Pour!
November 4, 1999 - I Am Poor Again (Part II)
November 6, 1999 - Oops!
November 10, 1999 - The Shed
November 15, 1999 - The Plan
- December 1999
December
5, 1999 - "But it can't be CLEAR!!"
December 10, 1999 - The Plan's Afoot!
December 15, 1999 - "Our Middle Name is..."
December 20, 1999 - Discussions and Progress
December 23, 1999 - Some Results
December 30, 1999 - A Budget Buster
- January 2000
January
3, 2000 - By the next Millenium...
January 5, 2000 - New Plans
January 24, 2000 - At Last...
January 25, 2000 - Three Walls Go Up
January 27, 2000 - The Last Wall Goes Up
January 28, 2000 - "Heavy, dude!"
January 29, 2000 - Interlude, with Shoveling
January 31, 2000 - Rails and Nails and Walls
- February 1-14, 2000
February
1, 2000 - Rails and Nails and Walls (cont'd.)
February 2, 2000 - Rails and Nails and Travails
February 3, 2000 - We Rest; or, Library Not-Sales
February 4, 2000 - Back to the Wall
February 5, 2000 - Dreams....
February 7, 2000 - "Up, Up, Up, She Rises!"
February 8, 2000 - Triangles
February 10, 2000 - Problems, Problems, etc.
February 13, 2000 - The Measurements and The Checkings
February 14, 2000 - Playing Catch-Up
- February 15-29,
2000
February 15, 2000 - The View from Above
February 16, 2000 - "Velociflapdoors!"
February 17, 2000 - Wind: A Cautionary Tale
February 18, 2000 - A Trenchant Situation
February 20, 2000 - More Wind
February 21, 2000 - Design Updates
February 23, 2000 - An Injury and A Wedge
February 24, 2000 - The Weather Turns on Us
February 25, 2000 - Research
February 26, 2000 - Another (Minor) Injury
February 27, 2000 - Electricity
(Part I)
February 29, 2000 - "It's a wall!"
- March, 2000
March 1, 2000 - Electricity
(Part II)
March 2, 2000 - Electricity (Part III)
March 3, 2000 - "Woof, Woof!"
March 4, 2000 - It's a Roof And a Building!
March 11, 2000 - We Revisit the Roof Design
March 18, 2000 - Getting Closer...
March 26, 2000 - Rack and Roll
- April, 2000
April 13,
2000 - First Light!
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