Starmax.ro Field Session

 Our good friend Horațius Flueraș invited me to join him and his beloved Monica Z. to attend an astronomical field session at the observatory on a hill south of Cluj.  It was a partly cloudy night, but warm, and as it happened, the Moon, Venus and Saturn all appeared on cue, and delivered stunning images in the various telescopes present.

Horațius Flueraș, Ph,D,, is owner of the astronomical equipment firm found at www.starmax.ro, a leading distributor in Romania for telescopes and other equipment for amateur astronomers.  We stayed until it was dark, and saw amazing details on the moon, and a spectacular view of Saturn and its rings.  I was impressed by their clarity.

Normally the grounds of the observatory are kept locked.

A Transilvanian sunset.

Horațius Flueraș, PhD, of Cluj-Napoca, Romania

A variety of telescopes were brought to the event.

Our humble host exits the new amateur astronomers' shed that he helped to build.

Interior elescope mount.  Soon the largest telescope present was mounted here.

Mihai Boaca, a surveying engineer who takes his hobby, astronomy, quite seriously.

Florina at Sunset.

Smaller telescope, but still able to resolve the Moon's craters and mountains.

A 10-inch reflector model.

Our first views were of that half-moon.

Hey!  Who's watching whom?

That is more what we have in mind!

Components aligned in a homemade wooden frame.

The business end.

What is this I see going on?

Oh, Florina, florista frumoasa, picks wildflowers in the field.

This shot I should enter in a contest!

Skywatchers had much to admire, even here on Earth.

Shirl's and my beloved "niece," Monica Z.

 

What is it?  (Noboby was sure.)

Seara frumoasa!  (I just kept shooting.)

Finally, the bouquet was complete!  In her car, I got to hold it!

Andrea, another of Moni's friends.

Florina cu flore și apus de soare.

With flash...

and without.

With moon.

Interior Telescope on its mount.

Noapte bună, prieteni!