Dear Arnie,

Here are the results of my work this year.

• 185 Minor Planet Circulars like as follows:
• 114 Discovery MPEC's (confirmations in red in the attached file)
• 2 Updated Orbit (in green...)
• 69 Daily Orbit Update(in black...)
• 1 Discovery (Main belt 2004 QX16 in Blue...)
• 272 Batches of measures where sent to the MPC and now(31 december at 11h30 UT)
• H06 has 995 measures of NEO's.

There are also 43 COVERS on A/CC and numerous shots of NEO's on different web sites. I am very glad to work with Rent a Scope under the incredible skies of H06. Plenty of thanks for your help since the start of the work.

 Robert

Brussels-Belgium

Dear Arnie,

I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2005. I am very satisfied with your service and the possibility to control telescopes via the Internet.

In this context I still want to give you some information on my project. I'd like to arrange all Messier objects, the 400 Herschel objects and all Caldwell objects north of -30 ° latitude in an album. However, I don't reach objects south of -15 ° and north of 60 ° from my observation place on the balcony. So it is a great help for me to use your telescopes via Internet. Photographs in the binning 3x3 and with 60s exposure time are often sufficient for this purpose.

Now still something to my person. With 77 years I am certainly one of the oldest users of your telescopes. I'm engaged in astronomy for 60 years and I'm doing preferably Sun observations. Now as a pensioner I am using the possibilities of night observations more than at earlier times.

By the way, recently I was in the little town Halberstadt near the Hartz mountains. There is a company with the name "Rosner" and I had the idea that perhaps your ancestors came from Germany to America as well?!

Again best regards, also to your family

Willi Schulze, Magdeburg

December, 20,2004

Here are the shots of the comet from the 10^th of DEC. and NGC253 from a month or so earlier.

Some Awesome equipment and service you provide Arnie!!

I am a very satisfied Rent-A-Scope User, and you can definitely count on my continued use of your AREO systems.

It was zero degrees F here last night, it was clear, but did not want to freeze to death last night so I dialed up Rent-A-Scope from the comfort of my home.

Best Regards,

John Chumack

April 19, 2004

 Hi Arnie,

                         I have been using Rent-a-Scope with my friend and Astronomy teacher, Marcos, for exactly two weeks. What can I say? Neither Marcos nor myself have ever used a CCD astrophotography camera. All the photos below have been shot and processed within the last two weeks !! Even the professional astrophotographers that we know are very impressed with the quality and startup time of our first attempts.

                         I was a little skeptical when I first found the Rent-a-scope site and all the beautiful astrophotos on it. I said to myself, “These must be the best photos that they have posted, and they must have processed them over and over.” How wrong I was !! We started shooting on April 5, 2004. The globular cluster M13 was shot under an hour, and processed within thirty minutes !! Each of the photos posted were shot on the Takahashi Mewlon 300 in about two hours of telescope time.

                         The best part of our Rent-a-scope experience has been the support staff. Arnie is with you every step of the way and available 24/7. Anxious about slewing the telescope to the first object you want to shoot ? Arnie is online with you on Yahoo Messenger. Wondering if the weather is clear enough for your next imaging session ? Arnie is available on his cell phone 24/7. Having problems processing your photos ? Arnie walks you through the steps using MaxIM or Photoshop after you have logged off the telescope system.

                         Yes, all the testimonials written here about world-class telescopes, state-of-the-art CCD cameras, the best skies in the country, the best mounts money can buy, and rental prices that will not bankrupt you once you are addicted to astrophotography are 100% true. However, Arnie makes the experience at Rent-a-scope enjoyable and memorable. Congratulations and thanks Arnie !! I look forward to trying out your new Widefield, Takahashi Astrograph, and 20” Ritchey-Chretien systems !!

                    All the best,

                                     Vivek

Hi Arnie,

 The worse thing in astronomy anyone can say is looking to an object and then trying to tell your friends what it looked like.

 Amateur astronomer for the last 25 years, never had an opportunity like this to take as many shots within a single night!  Rent-a-Scope is far the easiest way for that.

 As you say here, imagine the time one spend to assemble all his equipment in the backyard and then, after some minutes a huge porch light is on just in front of you!

 New Mexico Skies has the dream conditions everyone wishes for. Excellent sky conditions, awesome equipment and, the most important, a warm and useful help online, which make it the best place for the amateur astronomers to be when not at a star party

Congratulations!

 Marcos Mataratzis

Rio de Janeiro - Brazil

April 21, 2004

 Dear Arnie:

 I wanted to take a minute and let you know how much I have enjoyed using “Rent-a-scope”.  As you know, I learned of your services while buying a book about CCD Imaging on the Internet.  I have been a user of “Rent-a-scope” for two months now and have found the images that I have been able to take to be better than I thought I would ever be able to take.  From our first night where you helped me through the set-up steps, I have been impressed with the equipment, the computerized programs, and most of all with you and the interest you take with me and the other “Rent-a-scope” users. You are always available if I have a question, and your advice and guidance in every aspect of the imaging and image processing process have made what would be a daunting experience, fun. There is no question in my mind that if one considers all the costs associated with imaging, including: telescopes, lenses, filters, imaging equipment, imaging programs, a great imaging location, the time saved by imaging from your own home, and most important of all, the years of imaging experience that you and the Rice’s have, that “Rent-a-scope” is not only by the most cost effective means of imaging that I know of, but for a novice to imaging, such as I, there is no other way I would be taking the quality of images  that I am taking without years of actual experience, tens of thousands of dollars of cost, and a time commitment that I would never be able to make.  In short, “Rent-a-scope” not only makes quality imaging affordable, but also possible for me to do.

 I look forward to many years as a “Rent-a-scope” customer and to many enjoyable hours of affordable and convenient imaging through “Rent-a-scope”. But more than this, I look forward to the images that “Rent-a-scope” makes it possible for me to take.

 Thanks again for all you do to make CCD imaging the enjoyment it is.

 Edward Lunt

March 1, 2004

"I used Rent-A-Telescope for the first time last night. The sky was clear at New Mexico Skies, meanwhile in Canada it was snowing!
Setup of a quality telescope is normaly a lengthy process. Operation of a quality telescope can sometimes be cold and cumbersome. However, Rent-A-Telescope has made setup and operation of a quality telescope a breeze and from the comfort of my own home. This leaves more time to spend on the art of image processing. As a bonus, the support that Rent-A-Telescope gave me while taking my pictures and after was extrodanary. I would highly recommend giving it a try."

Thanks.Wayne
 

November 26, 2003

 Hi Arnie,

I wanted to take a minute to formally thank you and to share some of my thoughts about my experience with Rent-a-Scope.

The chance to employ the kind of first rate equipment offered at Rent-a-scope is the stuff of dreams for a guy of "average" income like myself. But thanks to affordability and ease of access of Rent-a-Scope I was able to realize the dream under the dark New Mexico skies.

Now... there was more to overcoming this dream than just the cost. There was the intimidation of being in control of this kind of equipment and of being at the mercy of the interface required to operate it. I am sure that this is an issue for most "potential" customers. I can honestly say that the simple and intuitive interface coupled with the preparation materials provided at the Rent-a-Scope website and real-time assistance from Arnie via/yahoo messenger quickly made this "issue" a non-issue.

The next issue to overcome was post-processing. Again- being a man of "average income" the cost of post-processing software(which can cost thousands of dollars) is frightening. Add to that- the time it would involve to master the use of such software and this becomes an overwhelming "issue" for the "potential customer". This quickly became a non-issue at Rent-a-Scope. When I voiced this concern with Arnie(who brings 35 years of experience to the table) he quickly offered to do the post-processing himself. All I had to do was download the finished images.

Finally, I would just like to say to any "potential customers" that at Rent-a-Scope your issues or fears will be quickly overcome. From the first-rate equipment to the ease of operation to "the man (Arnie) behind the scenes" making sure your experience is the best that it can possibly be... Rent-a-Scope helps make dreams come true!!!

Thank You, Arnie. I look forward to the next session. Warmest Regards, Jack E. Locklar

P.S. And i'm serious when I say this...my experience at Rent-a-Scope was very exciting and positive. Astro-imaging can be very addictive so I won't recommend it for people with an addictive personality and a credit card. 

Janualry 18, 2003

Dear Arnie,

I wanted to express to you my compliments on your remote telescope operation and let you know what a pleasure it was to work with you and your system.

Since the weather here in NJ has been very overcast the last few weeks and I have been unable to image very much with my telescope, I decided to try out your system and do some deep space imaging.  I was amazed how easy it was to operate the scope and although I had some initial problems setting up the imaging parameters, I was thrilled to see that you were online at 0200 in the morning and helped me to diagnosis a problem with my firewall, which allowed me to then fully operate your system.

I look forward to many more opportunities of imaging sessions with your remote telescopes.

Thank you for your assistance.

Regards,

Russell Henrikson

Parsippay, NJ

December, 30 2002

Arnie,

Within the first hour of remote use of your superb telescopes (150 mm and 300 mm), I realized that a long term dream of mine had been fulfilled!

Due to light pollution and local weather, I have always wanted the ability to conveniently operate a top notch scope located under superb dark skies. That goal has finally been met!

I quickly found that short 1-3 minute Black & White exposures shortly followed by jpeg image downloads provide both a "real-time" astronomy experience, and views significantly superior than I get with my own Dark Sky Machine (8"F5 SCT with Image Intensifying Eyepiece). This is further enhanced by the jpeg and hi res CCD documentation of my observations, and the available color imaging capability you provide.

Not to mention that all of this is available from the warm comfort of my home!

In closing, I want to point out that I could never acquire the top notch equipment you provide. Let alone mount and maintain it under pristine desert skies!

Actually, when I add-up what it costs to get to and from the nearest dark sky sites, it covers more than the first hour of my remote astronomy sessions!

Regards,

Tony

December 28, 2002

Hi Arnie,

When I first logged on to use the scope I was immediately impressed with how straightforward the controls were set up. After a quick read of the 'getting started' sections I had my first photograph in a matter of minutes. The ease of taking simple images combined with the potential for very complex and powerful operations make this the ultimate solution for anyone interested in trying out astrophotography without needing to invest a lot of time and money.

Beyond the technical ease-of-use, the level of support is unparalleled. Moments after attempting a picture that the scope wasn't capable of at the current time, I had an e-mail explaining what I would need to do in order to get the shot I wanted. I was even able to chat with Arnie in realtime about using the observatory. This proactive level of support is what really separates this service from anything else I've ever used, and combined with how technically impressive the service is, will keep me a Rent-A-Scope customer for a long time to come.

Matt Weber

Glen Allen, VA

November 11, 2002

Dear Arnie,

The weather near the ocean in Southern California this year has prohibited most of us from doing any serious imaging for some time now. Last night was one of those rare clear nights. I was in the backyard for a little while, only to, once again, give in to the incessant fog and moisture in the air. I went into my office and received your email indicating your scopes were up and running. I decided to give it a try.

In a matter of 30 minutes, I had LRGB images of the North American Nebula. By the following morming I had processed them into this image and am impressed. It is the best image of NGC7000 I have taken to date. Now I can still enjoy astrophotography in the comfort of my office even when the fog haunts the coast. Great job man!!!

Click here to view this image.

Darren W Thibodeau

Orange County Astronomers

November 6, 2002

Hi Arnie,

The ads for Rent-a-scope have fascinated me for several months. The learning curve for using such a system concerned me since I would be paying while I learned.   I had tried a little astrophotography and knew there was a lot to it.  The 'easy interface' that only needed a browser left me skeptical.

I e-mailed Arnie Rosner and stated my doubts. He suggested that I sign up, and he would get online with me using Yahoo messenger so that he could answer questions in real time as they came up.

 Last night I got on to the Takahashi 150 mm, and Arnie was very helpful in getting me started. Within minutes I was looking at a black and white M33 and M31.  Arnie suggested NGC 891 and NGC253 as targets, and after a b&w look, I took multiple LRGB exposures to make it a color picture.  Arnie was a lot of help, but the interface was simple enough that I was comfortable with it much more quickly than I had expected.

 I live in the St. Louis suburbs. Easy access to top notch Takahashi scopes with first rate cameras under the dark Arizona Skies is very exciting!  I am looking forward to my next opportunity to use Rent-a-scope.

 Thanks,

 John Duchek, St. Louis

September 26, 2002

Hi Arnie,

It's been great using your guy's scope and the help you have given me has really been appreciated. The whole process was much easier than I could have imagined and I would highly recommend your service and dark skies to anyone.

The FTP images turned out really well despite the nearly full moon being so close in proximity. I'm probably going to take some more images in a couple weeks when the moon is down so you can probably add my overtime at time time if it's all right.

Regards,

Steve

Vancouver, B.C.

 June,10, 2002

This morning from here in the UK, with a seven hour time difference, I signed on to Arnie Rosner's remote observatory via the Internet. I downloaded several images in the course of a few minutes that were of a quality nearly unachievable in this UK aquarium I live in.

 I was somewhat apprehensive being one of the first people to try his site, but was quickly delighted with the ease and simplicity of the whole process. Once Arnie patiently walked me through the simple fill-in-the blanks process via a telephone connection, it was essentially a no-brainer. The image appears on your monitor as it downloads. 

Even the most timid of amateurs should have no qualms about signing on to Arnie's site and doing pro-class imaging with some first class equipment. It should equally appeal to those who are experienced imagers, but who can't travel to southern Arizona to take advantage of location and sky conditions. I'll be recommending Arnie's site to others, and you can bet I'll be using it again.

 Bob Genung

 United Kingdom

May 13, 2002

Hi Arnie,

Thanks for the awesome maiden voyage through the heavens last night.  Being able to remotely operate your Mewlon 300 from the comfort of my home in Oregon was a real thrill, not to mention a time saver.  Your web site certainly made the journey easy and efficient. It really is user friendly, especially for a novice astronomer like myself.

I know that there will be many others who will benefit from such an amazing experience.  Personally, I am looking forward to the next trip to the skies when the weather permits. Thanks for making your observatory so convenient!

Sincerely,

Perry Webb, Salem, Oregon

June 14, 2002

 Hi Arnie,

just a quick note to thank you for the pleasure of being able to use such high quality equipment from my house in South Australia. The ease of use and the speed at which the images are obtained makes this CCD imaging a wonderful experience. I am an experienced CCD imager myself and have a Meade 10 inch LX200 with a SBIG ST7E, so you should feel justifiably proud when I compliment you on the setup that you have made available for the public. You have succeeded in providing a service which is easy to use and produces remarkable images. This allows astronomers or any one with an interest in the night sky to be able to produce images "just like the pros". 

 It was a real buzz to control two telescopes at the same time by having two web browser pages running. This allowed for many images to be taken in a very short amount of time and then having the data posted out on CD in a number of days meant that follow up work could be done (this is a nice touch, for those using a dial up modem...) It is also nice to know that when I am clouded out that I have the option of using your setup, which means no more missed comet shots or NEA's..

 As a high school teacher I can see the potential for using this when teaching astronomy and having the students do "real science and real research" during daylight hours here in Australia because of the service you are offering. I can only encourage others to give this a go and compliment you on your help and friendliness (how many other astronomers would make a call to Australia for a chat whilst imaging?)Thanks for a great time and a wonderful product.

Tony Virgo

South Australia

Dear Arnie,

Having used other remote telescope operating systems before, I was very surprised to see how easy it is to operate your system.  All of the control functions are intuitive and easily understood, so that even a rank beginner should be able to take high quality images within a few minutes.  I really appreciate not having to purchase any software; the use of my current web browser was all that I needed for complete control of the telescope, camera, and catalog search features.  It just couldn't be more user friendly!   

Now anyone with an internet connection can access high quality instruments, in a dark sky location with a few simple mouse clicks.  I congratulate you for providing such a great tool for the astronomical community!

Thanks again,

Darrel Moon

Dear Arnie,

Last night I had the pleasure of using your web site.  With great ease (and your instructions via phone) I was able to manuver thru space.  It was a delightful experience that I was able to share with my 3 young children.  We watched and waited to see what our coordinates would surprise us with and we were not disappointed.  

The ease of this web site is one that my children will be experiencing for along time.   Thank you again for your help and we are looking forward to our next "Space Travel" experience.

Thanks from New Jersey,

Tena Friedman