An Email from a user and valued supporter of my company and my response:

 

April 24th, 2020

Hey Russ, 

I hope you and yours are doing well and staying happy & healthy! I just had to forward this article to you. If it's good for Hubble, it should be good for amateur astronomers. You are ahead of your time, my friend. Show this to any naysayers of 3D Binoculars & eyepieces! 

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-52391627

We're all good here! 

Kind regards, 

Ron 

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My Response and a statement of how I feel about the criticism from a few people in the hobby:

Thanks for the note Ron. Yes, I have been criticized, asked if my next trick was going to be a kaleidoscope view of space etc. My invention of the Lederman Optical Array (LOA) and integration into an eyepiece pair that allows an observer to see a Universe with depth is the best thing I have ever done in the field of astronomy. While manufacturers introduced eyepieces with larger and larger apparent fields of view (AFOV), all for the purpose of giving the observer an immersive experience, I went a completely different and original route.

 

The LOA 3D experience not only provides a feeling like you are out there that no large AFOV can offer, but it also allows you to see Saturn floating far in front of the background stars, with Titan at a different depth than Saturn. A planetary Nebula will float far in front of the background stars, or can be seen deep in the distance just by rotating the LOA 3D Eyepiece 180 degrees. Both experienced observers and novices can see galaxies where they belong; deep in the background behind the field stars of the Milky Way Galaxy.

 

If this doesn't create a more real and thrilling view of our vast Universe where each and every object is separated from it's fellow occupants by vast distances, than I don't know what will. The late and great Dr. Mike Reynolds wrote in Astronomy Magazine that my LOA 3D Eyepieces were "groundbreaking and revolutionary". I so appreciated his willingness to have an open mind and his vibrant enthusiasm for my innovation. I stand by my belief that the LOA 21 and LOA 32 Deep Immersion 3D Eyepieces allow observers to see a Universe that is more real than a flat equi-distant one.

 

Why did scientists working with Hubble images spend all that time and energy converting flat images into 3D representations? Because such a view represents reality, and yes is also beautiful, thrilling, exhilarating! I have been asked if I could create an accurate spacial representation of objects that would reflect their true distances from each other. Well, if I looked at data of stellar distances of ONE eyepiece field and made a special array that would only work on that field, yes I could probably do that. But why would I do that? To please a few highbrow curmudgeons? No thanks.

 

I invented a system that allows observers to move solar system objects like planets far in front of the stars, and objects like external galaxies deep back into the far reaches of space, far from our own galaxy's stars. The pure enjoyment of moving objects to various distances by placing the target in different areas of the field of view (another way of changing perspectives in addition to just rotating the eyepiece 180 degrees)  is fascinating and beautiful. I'll continue to build each and every LOA eyepiece with excitement, and I greatly appreciate the wonderful feedback from my loyal fellow amateur astronomers from all over the world.

 

While demonstrating my LOA 3D Eyepieces at NEAF a few years ago, a person who works in the industry looked through the demonstration at an astrophoto of a galaxy floating in back of a starry field and seen in luxurious 3D, illuminated by a black light. It very closely matched how a telescopic view would appear using an 18" Dob, The Binotron 27, and the LOA 21 3D Deep Immersion Eyepieces. His response: "You know it's BS".  Actually, no, I don't know that at all. The flat equidistant Universe that we all have observed does not depict reality. Move a galaxy deep into the recesses of the field of view, far behind our Milky Way stars; Well that reflects the reality that we seek to understand, and experience as we observe the heavens! I look forward to hearing from those who support my endeavors. I consider you patrons and my greatest hope is that my systems add to your appreciation and wonder of our vast, amazing and beautiful Universe. -Russ Lederman/Inventor of  Real Time 3D Astronomy

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