Emmanuel became famous with his innovative use of the humble Telrad in comet seeking, and Mick wished to learn first hand, the skills of the master. Since his return to Bullspiddle, he has not been content to copy, but has made some important breakthroughs. Initially experimenting with green rather than red LEDs, he then made the daring decision to remove the batteries altogether, which had the advantage of reducing the glare from the reticle when looking for faint comets.
Another advantage was the fact that it also reduced the mass of the Telrad, thus removing any gravitational lensing caused by the combined mass of the batteries. This also prevented the electrical field of the batteries from distorting the light path through the instrument. Indeed, Mick has achieved such fame by his inventiveness and his observing skills, that for two successive years he has been voted the astronomer most lady amateurs would like to be in the dark with.
While observing with Emmanuel in the beer garden of the Commercial Hotel at Dunedoo, Mick decided to compare the iris-dilating effects of both Fosters and Cascade beers with scientifically measured doses of his favourite Old Crow Bourbon. Emmanuel had to act as his detached observer, as the greater the dilation, the less clear his memory seemed to be. A half bottle of Bourbon, or seven bottles of Cascade beer brought optimum results, however above that level, the reflection of his bloodshot eyeballs on the reticle of the Telrad totally obscured the focussing circles, leading to endless confusion and the occasional bout of regurgitation.
Spurred on by this, Mick is currently testing the prototype of his multiple Telrad system, where a dozen Telrads are mounted in an array using a six inch refractor as a guide scope. At the same time, he has used himself as guinea pig by establishing that a mere half bottle of Old Crow Bourbon ingested between sundown and midnight can expand the exit pupil by at least 50%. He is currently experimenting with some herbal products, produced in some of the finest old amateur distilleries in Alabama and Georgia, in search of the legendary "Elixir of Light", which is reputed to make the drinker very sensitive to light. His further findings will make exciting reading in his biography currently being written by Kibitzer Prize-winning author, Lucy McKilroy. Lucy's best-selling book: "The Wit and Wisdom of George W Bush" is currently in its 29th edition!