Category: Deep Sky
Deep Sky / Long Exposure Photography / Maintenance / Observing Reports
…when you're making other plans
As part of my periodic error testing on the mount, I have been gathering tracking data during my recent photo runs. I suppose it’s more accurate to say that I have been […]
Deep Sky / Long Exposure Photography
NGC 4725 and friends
Here’s last night’s result. Not too bad. I really like NGC 4725. It’s one of those galaxies that I never hear about, but it’s very photogenic and has a really cute companion […]
Deep Sky / Long Exposure Photography
A couple of new shots near the Celestial Equator
Got a rare clear night. It’s only been clear about 3 times since Valentine’s Day this year. I decided to force myself to shoot some galaxies in Leo. To follow up the […]
Deep Sky / Long Exposure Photography
Go south, young man
I have had some kind of mental block about shooting the galaxies in Leo and Virgo. So when I got a clear night, I decided to try my luck. NGC 2903 sits […]
Deep Sky / Long Exposure Photography / Observing Reports
S&T galleries
A, I’m continually irritated at the S&T galleries which are festooned with guys with $50K setups; this doesn’t really make it feel like taking astrophotos is something that can be accomplished by […]
Deep Sky / Gear / General / Long Exposure Photography / Techniques / Technology
what a night
Yesterday afternoon, I industriously cleaned all my camera optics (CCD, MPCC both sides, IDAS-LPS both sides), and was convinced that this would be good for my flat field. More on this later. […]
ATM / Deep Sky / Long Exposure Photography
Trixie first light
First light! I decided to press ahead and put on the mounting plate tonight (same day as the tubes got cut). Just in time for night to fall, I finished up and […]
Deep Sky / Long Exposure Photography
birthday images – my greatest hits
My wife said she wanted to get me some of my photos printed and framed for me. So it was an opportunity for me to cull out some of my “greatest hits” […]
Deep Sky / Gear / Long Exposure Photography / Optics
MPCC and coma correction
The MPCC is up there with the ST-4 as one of my Best. Astronomy. Purchases. Ever. My 8” f/5 Newt was almost worthless for DSLR photography before I added the MPCC. Now, […]
Astro knowledge / Deep Sky / Long Exposure Photography / Optics
Astrophotography in the slow lane
With most beginner astrophotography, a desire for fast optics (and the resulting short exposure lengths) is paramount. Unfortunately, fast optics necessarily mean wider FOV. This is not a problem when you have […]
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.