Category: General
Delayed start
I had some tuning to do tonight before I could get started. That ate most of my effective imaging time. I decided to shoot without the Ha filter, which meant going back […]
Gear / General / Maintenance / Mount
NJP Meridian Flip madness
I hacked my mount today. It was a small hack. Just two parameter settings. But I believe it will give me an important piece of functionality. Where to begin? The NJP, like […]
Amateur Astrophotography
This is a great example of the type of work that a dedicated amateur astrophotographer can do. This is not my work; it’s some guy in England. Very nice.
Still learning the mount
I tried some new stuff last night and screwed myself up. I was all mounted and focused, so I decided to work a nice easy object, and chose M81. M81 was near […]
General / Maintenance / Techniques
WCS lesson
After getting the mount “close” last night but then moving the pier topper and redoing, I took a couple of runs at polar alignment tonight, too. One thing I definitely learned is […]
ad Astra Observatory Star Party
My little observatory had a lot of visitors tonight. Nine adults. Seven kids. Two toddlers. The food was great, the company was excellent, and the skies cooperated. The skies were clear, a […]
Deep Sky / General / Long Exposure Photography / Maintenance / Observatory / Observing Reports
Five hours of Guided images
…with zero dropped subframes. I spent a little time refining the polar alignment last night. I am still getting some drift while running unguided; I calculated it to be about 6′ from […]
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 […]
Gear / General / Maintenance / Mount
Settling in
The paint is dry on the pier topper, so I remounted it in the observatory. As I put in each part, I checked that each was level. As I suspected, the top […]
Gear / General / Maintenance / Mount
Setting up for the long haul
I headed out to the observatory this morning to level the pier. I had originally planned on it being a quick task, then ready for tonight (which is supposed to have some […]
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.