Category: Long Exposure Photography
Deep Sky / Long Exposure Photography / Observatory / Solar System Photography
Hilltop Observatory – First Light
We did it! It’s been a long hard journey, with lessons learned, and ducks carefully put into rows. Four years of design and development all came together tonight. The sky was even clearer tonight […]
Deep Sky / Long Exposure Photography
Trixie the Astrograph – at last!
Well, the result looks a lot like a first light image — just a couple of short subframes of a well-worn deep-sky object. But these feeble pixels took a bit of work […]
Deep Sky / Long Exposure Photography
Last minute scramble
I’m in the process of changing houses. Among all the other concerns, this means that Ad Astra Observatory at Newark, CA is nearing the end of its run. I’ve had a lot […]
Deep Sky / Long Exposure Photography
NGC7293, The Helix Nebula in Aquarius
This is my final photo from GSSP 2010. This is 4h total exposure, twelve 20m subframes, shot with Cassie/350D.
Deep Sky / Long Exposure Photography
NGC6888, The Crescent Nebula in Cygnus
I shot this on the final night of GSSP 2010. This is 1h total exposure, three 20m subframes, shot with Cassie/350D.
Deep Sky / Long Exposure Photography
B27, The Snake Nebula in Scorpius
I shot this on the final night of GSSP 2010. This is a single 10m subframe, shot with Cassie/350D. Scope was pointed East at the time.
Deep Sky / General / Long Exposure Photography / Observing Reports
GSSP Night 4
The second night out with Cassie was only slightly less frustrating than the first. I don’t know whether there was a slight drop in the seeing or what, but when I really […]
Deep Sky / Long Exposure Photography
NGC7331, Spiral Galaxy in Pegasus
I shot this on the third night of GSSP 2010. This is 2h total exposure, six 20m subframes, shot with Cassie/350D. Scope was pointed East at the time.
Deep Sky / Long Exposure Photography
NGC6820, Emission Nebula in Cygnus
I shot this on the third night of GSSP 2010. This is 40m total exposure, two 20m subframes, shot with Cassie/350D. Scope was pointed West at the time.
Deep Sky / Long Exposure Photography
B27, The Snake Nebula in Scorpius
I shot this on the third night of GSSP 2010. This is a single 20m subframe, shot with Cassie/350D. Scope was pointed West at the time. When this frame trailed so badly, […]
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.