Category: General
New mount = Happy
After a couple of days of being “closed for renovation”, the ad Astra Observatory at Newark, CA is back in business with the new Losmandy G-11 mount. I had to modify the […]
my observatory trip, 4/23/2007
I have been meaning to write about my trip to the observatory, but we’ve had a bit of a time getting phone time this week (end of the month and all (: ). I […]
RE: persistence of misinformation
Now I’m just going to mess you up… Apparently, the translation of “capella” as “she-goat”/”little she-goat” may not be that far off. “Caper” is Latin for “he-goat”. This is also the root […]
Count ’em: Solar System bodies larger than 200mi
largest solar system objects This link is closed as of Nov 30, 2016. Here is the image that was originally linked (credit to the original owner, I am just trying to save […]
Re: I made a Wiki!
WHAAAAT that’s cool! So who did you contact to correct it, are they gonna give you some credit for it? that’s too cool! I love it when people do stuff like that, […]
Astro knowledge / Deep Sky / Gear / Long Exposure Photography / Observing Reports / Optics
M42, The Great Orion Nebula
fullsize image I finally decided to try out Veronica (the 8” f/5 Newtonian) in the observatory, instead of the ED80. The reflector has two distinct advantages over the ED80; first, it’s about […]
Nature and Wildlife Photography by Ilia Shalamaev – Night Scenes
thought of you when I saw these: http://www.focuswildlife.com/NightScenes.htm -Diane
Re: MPCC hyperbolic mirror overcorrection factor
Dear Mr. Harris, we are sorry but it is very unlikely that our MPCC will work for your telescope. At first it is not calculated for f3.3, maybe it is possible to […]
Stardust @ Home
<http://www.planetary.org/programs/projects/innovative_technologies/stardustathome/stardustathome_story.html>
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.