Ad Astra Observatory

The T3i has been a mixed blessing for the rig. On the one hand, it’s nice to get rid of the bulb cable, which has added an extra layer of complexity to every DSLR I’ve had so far. On the other hand, the extra magnification really makes the tracking errors more visible.

I tried out an object that was closer to directly overhead, M51, to see if the tracking error would be better (or at least different). The results were, in a word, meh.

I am going to pull Trixie and do a little maintenance. The focuser board concerns me, and I will give the whole scope a little bolt-tightening before it goes back in. Pumpkin will get a workout with the T3i, and we’ll see whether we can find our mojo … I know I left it around here somewhere…