- Land's End
In my opinion, the ultimate Astronomical Support Vehicle is a Land Rover. Indeed, only a few months after I got my first Rover, and old 1966 IIa short wheel base Station Wagon, I began my rekindled affair with observational astronomy. Maybe it's because I realized that I now possessed the ability to get stuck in some really dark places :-)
Science & Rovers just seem to go together. Rovers were always the tool scientists used to get to where ever the cool expedition was going. When you needed to get to a remote volcano or deepest jungle or cross the desert, the Rover was the vehicle of choice. Simple, rugged, durable, nothing that didn't belong. Just a pure sense of purpose. The vehicle really appealed to my scientific side.
EXPEDITION ROVER TALES DESTINATIONS |
The vehicle was also an outlet for a mechanical challenge. For me the Web is a creative outlet, astronomy is a science/curiosity pursuit, and the Rover represented a purely mechanical challenge. It was a good compliment.
For me, "expeditions" must have a purpose, a goal. It must be something external to the tools. A drive from point A to point B just to go by Rover and over some rugged road is not an expedition but rather a different challenge, be it a vacation or skill test. An expedition is about exploration and observation - the collection of knowledge. With that, the Rover becomes a tool as part of that collection of information.
In addition to being the family truckster and weekend toy, my Rover is also a tool to get my instruments to a place where I can view. In Minnesota there is no dark sky anywhere near pavement. Pavement means homes, towns, billboards and gas stations; in a word, light. Light pollution from civilization destroys the night sky. Increasingly, to find a dark place means to go deeper and deeper into those areas where wilderness still exists and is protected from encroaching civilization and urban sprawl.
None of this is to say, of course, that doing a bit of greenlaning on a sunny weekend isn't a fine way to spend a day outside :-)
The old Rover is gone now, replaced with a newer Discovery that is more conducive to family life - a better tool for all of us. In addition, the newer model is better for transporting delicate equipment. The leaf springs of the old model didn't bother me when my telescopes were not in the back. But the minute I loaded my gear, it seemed that I could feel every stone and crack in the pavement sending massive vibrations through the equipment. I always knew that readjustment would be required before and after each trip. I have a lot less problems with the coil springs and longer wheel base of the newer model.
I've put a couple of stories here about my adventures with the Rovers. As we do more with the new Disco and we get out and do more things, I'll present those here as well. Please stay tuned!