Hands across New Hampshire

On Sept. 1, New Hampshire residents will be participating in an event called "Hands Across New Hampshire." This is a peaceful, family-friendly protest of the proposed Northern Pass and Trailbreaker projects.

Northern Pass, the proposed 180-mile overhead transmission project through New Hampshire, is slated to bring electricity from Hydro Quebec to the southern New England market.

More than 30 towns along the proposed route of Northern Pass have voted in opposition to the project. Opposition to Northern Pass includes the fact that large hydro-electricity is not designated green or renewable in New Hampshire, it contributes to global climate change, cancer concerns of living or working near overhead HVAC power lines, lost property values, and a for-profit corporation intruding into the White Mountain National Forest.

Trailbreaker is a proposal to bring tar sands oil from Alberta, Canada, through an existing underground pipeline that runs from the Canadian border through Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine where it will be offloaded in Portland to foreign markets. Opposition to Trailbreaker is based on the fact that mining tar sands oil is toxic to the environment and contributes to global warming.

Also the pipeline which will be used was never intended to transport such corrosive and abrasive oil and could result in spills in some of the most ecologically-sensitive areas of New England.

Thus far the following New Hampshire towns are participating in Hands Across New Hampshire: Colebrook, Lancaster, Littleton, Concord, Easton, Campton, Thornton, Sugar Hill, Franconia, Holderness/Plymouth.

For times and locations, or to start your own group, please contact handsacrossnh@gmail.com.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HandsAcrossNH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/handsacrossnh

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Product Details

Orion SkyQuest XT10 Classic Dobsonian Telescope From Orion Price: $579.99 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Ships from and sold by Orion Telescopes & Binoculars Average customer review:  (14 customer reviews)

Product Description

Orion(r) SkyQuest(TM) XT Classic Dobsonians It's no wonder customers heap 5-star ratings on these gentle giants. For not only do their jumbo-sized optics and uncomplicated design bring a "new level of joy to simple observing," raved Astronomy magazine, but they're also the most affordable quality Dobs on the market. SkyQuest XT Classics aren't just good bang for the buck, they're a supernova of telescope value! XT Classics give you the deep-space thrills without the deep-pocket frills. We've kept them lean and mean to keep their prices low for tight budgets. But rest assured, they come fully equipped for adventure, whether you're a beginning stargazer or are graduating to a more capable instrument. All Classics feature an expertly figured parabolic mirror housed in an enameled steel optical tube. The tube rides on a stable Dobsonian base that allows easy point-and-view navigation and has a convenient carrying handle. A 2" Crayford focuser (XT6 has 1.25" rack and pinion focuser), EZ Finder II aiming device, 25mm Sirius Plossl eyepiece (1.25"), and quick-collimation cap are all standard equipment. Setup takes only a minute, leaving the rest of the evening to marvel at the planets, the Moon, and a myriad of deep-sky treasures. Enjoy the fantastic views â?" and savings! One-year limited warranty.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3726 in Camera & Photo
• Brand: Orion
• Model: XT10_

Features

• The Orion SkyQuest XT10 Classic Dobsonian is a big 10" aperture reflector telescope with a small price tag
• Gobbles up light for great views of deep-sky objects such as nebulas, galaxies, star clusters,
• Simple "point-and-view" Dobsonian design reflector telescope is easy and fun to use for the whole family
• Stable Dobsonian telescope base and Orion CorrecTension friction optimization system
• Includes precise 2" Crayford focuser, 25mm Sirius Plossl eyepiece,
• EZ Finder II reflex sight, collimation cap, dust caps, and Starry Night software
• It keeps reflector optical tube perfectly balanced in any position
• And close-up views of more nearby targets like the Moon and planets

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Customer Reviews

Most helpful customer reviews
122 of 122 people found the following review helpful.
I've Reviewed the XT6 & XT8, Might as Well review this one also.
By R. Kirkham
That's right, I own an Orion XT6, XT8, and XT10. I use them for leading seminars. I seem to buy a new one each year. So far I have always kept the previous one. I can probably compare them as well as anyone. They are all sitting side by side in my shed. For the purpose of this review I will compare the XT8 & XT10.

REASONS TO PURCHASE THE XT10
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Larger aperture. Yes, it makes a big difference. It was worth the money to take a step up in size. Some views that were beyond the grasp of my 6, and only located with my 8, are now easy to see in my 10.

REASONS TO PURCHASE THE XT8
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Money. There is a jump in cost. Both the 8 and 10 are powerful enough to do serious astronomy. Both are good scopes. Both should last for years. There is always a bigger scope out there for a few more dollars. One must draw the line somewhere.

Weight. In my mind the 8" is the largest of the truly inexpensive, portable dobs and the smallest of the large aperture light buckets. The 6" is a wonderful scope. I don't intend to let go of it, but I wouldn't call it a large aperture scope. The 10" is a light bucket, but I wouldn't call it easily portable. The 8" is both. I have the strength to move my 10", but noticed that I wasn't using it as much. Then I purchased a garden cart to haul it around in, and now I use it several times a week. It wasn't that I couldn't pick it up, it was just awkward and I was worried that I was going to break it.

BOTTOM LINE
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If you have the money and don't need to lug it around a lot, get the 10". I'm glad I did.

If the cost is prohibitive or you need to move it around a lot, get the 8". All three are excellent scopes.

If you lead regular astronomy seminars and need some good quality dobs so you can create teams of three or four students per scope, get them all! That's what I did, until my wife tells me that one of them must go.
33 of 33 people found the following review helpful.
Great Scope!
By M. Hall
I am very pleased with this telescope.
---Assembly of the base took about 15 minutes using the included tool. The tube is held to the base by two sturdy springs which makes it easy to separate and carry. The assembled scope can be carried by the handle on the base, but the scope's size makes it a bit cumbersome. The tube and base are both solidly constructed and the motion is smooth.
---The optics are wonderful. There is no color fringing and the image is sharp from edge to edge. The large aperture enables me to see a clear view of craters on the moon's shadow side, even when it is half full and daytime. A crescent moon in the evening is a great view. I've seen nebula, star clusters and galaxies. I'm no expert, but the limit of apparent magnitude so far has been around 5 or 6. I expect the view to be better in the winter when the sky isn't as hazy. (I live in the Midwest and it's summer). The included 25 mm eyepiece yields a nice wide and bright view. I use it to find objects, then switch to a 12.5 or 6 mm (from an extra Zhumell eyepiece set) if I want to look closer.
---The finder is great. Once you get it sighted in, just look through the finder and put the dot on what you want to see. It has windage and elevation dials just like on a rifle. You don't even have to put your eye in a particular place for it to work.
---I'm glad I didn't get a computerized scope. I feel my money was better spent on the large aperture instead of motorized controls and a heavy tripod. This scope is very quick to set up and makes it easy to look here and there on a whim. Tracking objects as they move is not difficult, but if you're using a 6 or 4 mm eyepiece you have to stay on it or its gone. This scope comes with software that shows what is visible from your location now or any other time, and has a searchable object database. This is one of the best buys I''ve made in a long time.
26 of 26 people found the following review helpful.
XT10,amazing views for reasonable $
By Gary Brasell
This is the first product review I've ever written. After my first viewing session, I felt compelled to share my experience with potential purchasers of the Orion XT10. Assembly was fairly straight forward with well written instructions. This scope is great for someone new to star gazing like myself. It only took me a few minutes to find my first target, Saturn. I was amazed to not only see the rings but to also see two moons with the low magnification 25mm eyepiece supplied with the telescope. I look foward to viewing with higher powered eyepieces, I have an 15mm and 5mm on order. My only regret with this purchase is that I didn't make it sooner. This scope is awesome.
See all 14 customer reviews...

7 Minutes of Terror: Curiosity Rover's Risky Mars Landing | Video

NASA's Curiosity rover is a 1-ton robot that will make an unprecedented Mars landing on Aug. 5, 2012. See how the risky maneuver will keep rover team members in suspense for 7 fateful minutes. Credit: NASA

Curiosity, the car-size, one-ton rover is bound for arrival on Mars at 1:31 a.m., EDT on Monday, Aug. 6.

The landing will mark the beginning of a two-year prime mission to investigate one of the most intriguing places on Mars.



To view Curiosity's latest images, visit http://www.nasa.gov/ and http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/multimedia/gallery-indexEvents.html . Raw images will appear when available at http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/multimedia/raw/ .
MARS LIVE - Watch Curiosity's Landing: http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/multimedia/nasatv/

Drowning bear rescue caught on iPhone

KENAI, Alaska (AP) — Three Alaska men are being credited with saving a brown bear from drowning.

The Peninsula Clarion reports that Dustin Klepacki was floating the Kenai River with his father and their friend last weekend when they came upon the bear cub drowning in a whirlpool.

They tried to bump the bear out of the whirlpool, but the water caught their boat and they turned in circles as the bear became more frantic.

Finally, the current brought the boat up against the bear, and Dustin's father, Mike Polocz, was able to nudge the bear to slower-moving water. The bear swam to shore.

Another friend, Charlie Mettille, filmed the rescue on his iPhone which has been posted to YouTube, complete with the bear's cries. I have put it down below so you don't have to go searching for it.

AG issues comsumer alert for New Hampshire property owners

Press release


Attorney General Michael A. Delaney issued the following consumer alert to all New Hampshire property owners:

Consumers should be aware of mailings being sent to property owners throughout the state from companies using the names:


SECURED DOCUMENT SERVICES, and
DEED RETRIEVAL SERVICES

The mailings appear to be official government notices recommending, "that all United States [or New Hampshire] homeowners obtain a copy of their current grant deed" and further indicate that, for a fee of $86.00 or $87.00, these companies will provide the property owner with a copy of their Grant Deed and a Property Profile.

The Attorney General advises that these companies are providing a service of questionable value and the information advertised in these solicitations can be obtained from any of the State's Registers of Deeds for significantly less money. With deeds so easily and inexpensively attainable, the existence of these companies depends greatly on the public's unfamiliarity with the county registers of deeds offices.

Attorney General Delaney stated, “The real lesson for an educated consumer is to know what you are paying for, which in the case of these deed retrieval companies is virtually nothing more than a homeowner can acquire for far less cost. Don't be fooled by a company whose name sounds 'official' or by an 'official' looking notice designed to confuse and mislead you. If you would like a copy of your deed, you can obtain it yourself for nominal cost and time, or contact your county's Register of Deeds, who would be glad to assist you.”

Under New Hampshire's Consumer Protection Act, N.H. RSA 358-A, it is unlawful for any person to use any unfair or deceptive act or practice in the conduct of any trade or commerce within this state. Anyone who feels they have been the victim of any unfair or deceptive act should call the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Bureau hotline at (603) 271-3641 or 1-888-468-4454. For more information on consumer fraud you can also visit the Bureau's website at www.doj.nh.gov/consumer.