Dear Gabe, I was completely shocked in the morning when I visited the Sky&Telescope home page and saw the news about Mount Stromlo. I couldn't believe it. Me and all of my collegues at the Konkoly Observatory are terribly sorry about the destruction caused by the fire. We are far and therefore can't really see and understand what happened. For me it's a bit personal and therefore maybe more shocking than for the others here since I visited Mount Stromlo when I was 18. I spent there 3 nights thanks to the very kind hospitality of Vince Ford. I visited the domes during the night and talked to astronomers who were working there (summer of '96) and I could use the Oddie refractor for a night. That was one of my best observational experiences, exploring the wonderful southern sky with a beautiful old telescope which was just renovated. I couldn't belive that all of these memories couldn't be refreshed sometime. I'm so sad about it but of course my issue is a little tiny drop in the ocean, the ocean of people's sadness who were working, living at Mount Stromlo. Good wishes can't help physically and in such a terrible case maybe can't help at all but let me truly wish all the best for you and for your collegues now. I'm afraid because of my English I can't express myself as well as I'd like to. I hope you in a few years all these things will be just bad dreams. How I wish it could be and Mount Stromlo would be the same place as it was before! Please, forward my commiseration to Mr. Bessel and Mr. Ford. Gabor Furesz #################################################################### # Furesz, Gabor - research fellow, Konkoly Observatory # # PhD student in astronomy, University of Szeged # # add.: Konkoly Thege Miklos Csillagaszati Kutatointezet # # Budapest, Konkoly T.M. ut. 15-17, H-1129 # # phone: +36-20-3322-854 (cell.) # # e-mail: fureszg@physx.u-szeged.hu # # www URL: http://www.jate.u-szeged.hu/~fureszg # #################################################################### |