Or a ring made from a fossilized walrus penis bone? [link]

Seen below is a portion of a fossilized Walrus penis bone that sold today at auction for $8000... This marvel of nature, some 4.5 feet long, was purchased by the holding company that owns the Rilpey's Believe it or Not! Museums.

Skipping to the end to say:

Best part about looking at the moon through your new telescope? Watching it move out of your view, and having to chase it across the sky.

Also? Sharing it with random passers by.

OOo I wanna look!

We have a moon?

When I was a kid, I tried to look at the moon with my telescope, but I could never get it in view. Needless to say, I never found Jupiter or Saturn either.

That's probably why I never became an astronomer.

Tuesday morning, there is a total eclipse of the full moon. First total eclipse visible in the SoCal area in four years. The weather looks to be good that morning (knock wood), and I plan on watching.

Dude! You got a telescope?

When I was a kid, I tried to look at the moon with my telescope, but I could never get it in view. Needless to say, I never found Jupiter or Saturn either.

I think I had a similar problem growing up.

Nice thing about this telescope? Thanks to its design, it's easy to sight the moon (unscrew a cap at the base of the cylinder and aim right down the barrel), plus it's got a groovy motorized, computerized base to help you find planets and stars. Once you've set azimuth, of course, which I haven't tried yet.

what time? I wanna watch!

Dude! You got a telescope?

Yep. I'm a bit leary of bringing it into work at Uni, but there's some nice dark areas working on the back side of the hill, and I'm damned tempted to bring it in just one night, and break it out at the end of the shift.

If, you know, that's cool with you....

I might be able to be convinced.

Hey, can you pop on IM for a sec Sean?