Category: Observing Reports
Astro knowledge / Observing Reports
Stoically suffering for my art
The astronomy gods are doing their “New Telescope Curse” thing. To the plants and flowers, you’re welcome. To the soggy inhabitants of the SF Bay Area, I told you so. (: After […]
Everything went right last night
FocusMax worked. PemPro worked. Guido worked. I shot M106 (through Pumpkin — tiny, tiny) until the mount hit the safety limit, 150m total or so. Then, since it was still clear (although […]
Clear nights coming in pairs now
It’s mid-March and I think that spring is finally starting to show some evidence of coming. The past couple of rain cycles, we are getting two days of clear instead of just […]
Decidedly odd weather
5pm, rain. 6pm, cloudy but “threatening” / drizzling. 8pm, serious hailstorm, lasted for an hour or so. 11pm, clear as a bell and (what looked like) steady seeing. 11pm is too late […]
Interesting weather pattern lately
About a week ago, the Pacific NW had a high-pressure system parked over it for several days, which gave them lots of clear (if very cold) weather, and sent a big pile […]
Accessory / Focuser / Gear / Maintenance / Observing Reports / Techniques / Technology
FocusMax – relearning the V-curve
Things have changed a lot since the last time that I ran Focusmax. Among other things, I have built up a whole new astro-PC, and I never really understood FM well enough […]
General / Maintenance / Observing Reports
Working for the weekend
I had a few things to do before getting started tonight. First, I replaced the brass worm gear with a steel one. This one is Art’s spare, which he used successfully for […]
General / Maintenance / Observing Reports / Technology
Hazy shade of winter
It was not really clear out, and not for long, but it was enough to get some good stuff done. I got Guido focused and gathered a bunch of guiding data, including […]
Deep Sky / General / Long Exposure Photography / Observing Reports
Pumpkin unguided testing
I hesitate to call this a postable image. It’s really just “what I could get” with “the skies I had” and “the equipment as it sat”. 5 years ago, I would have […]
General / Maintenance / Observing Reports
Raining hard tonight
There must be some more maintenance I can do to the scope while it’s raining. I’ll try to get something done this weekend. Polar alignment and RA speed need to be checked […]
RECENT UPDATE
Polar Alignment Calculations
Here’s a page that derives Polar Alignment Calculations. (update 5/2020: the original site is gone, so I found the text on Wayback and am inserting it below. This is by the original […]
Gear / Observatory / Telescope
Special Guest Star takes the mount at Hilltop O
The Astro Jedi needed somewhere to store his light sab—- I mean, bucket, and I was only too happy to accommodate him. I have decided that I need to come to a […]
General / Maintenance / Observatory
Dome shutter is motorized again!
I finally decided to bite the bullet and fix the shutter motor. Things went sideways last winter, and I’ve been opening the shutter manually (and tying it shut with rope, so we […]
Trixie 2017 – tube mods
I finally got around to cutting the MTA-UTA tubes to length; the only eyepiece that would come to focus with the focuser spacer in place is the Televue 55mm Plossl. If I […]
MOST COMMENTED
Observatory
Observatory 2.0 – Time has come today!
General / Maintenance
First Light, a deeper look
Mount / Observatory / Telescope
Observatory 2.0 – Result!
Observatory
Observatory 2.0 – The Pier goes in
Gear / General / Maintenance
Martin Farmer Wormblock installation notes
Deep Sky / Long Exposure Photography
NGC2244, The Rosette Nebula
Deep Sky / Long Exposure Photography
Another beautiful night.