Category: Observatory
Observatory 2.0 – converging on a solution
OK, so I measured the yard, and it doesn’t look like I’m going to be able to get the “peekaboo” view between the house and the shop, at least not for a […]
Musing on the possibility of Observatory 2.0
Seattle weather is not really what I remembered. From past memory, I recall Seattle weather being solid rain and clouds from October 15 (how many times have I picked a skimpy Halloween […]
General / Observatory / Observing Reports
Ad Astra Observatory at Hilltop (WA) — first light!
I finally got myself together enough (with a little help from my friends) to set up some astronomy equipment. It took a bit of hunting around, but I scrounged enough parts to […]
General / Observatory / Observing Reports
A ray of hope
An aside on “hope” for a second… bear with me. I read Greek Myths a lot as a kid, and so of course I read the story of Pandora dozens of times. […]
Astronomy gear lands softly
Well, the contents of the observatory are now packed away someplace even smaller than they are used to, a 5’x5′ storage unit in WA. I didn’t hear any tinkling glass while moving […]
The sun sets on Ad Astra Observatory at Newark, CA
After a nearly five-year run, I closed the roof of the observatory for the last time last night. Spring has sprung in the Bay Area, and it’s been clear for the past […]
Gear / General / Maintenance / Mount / Observatory
NJP maintenance – getting my shed together
The NJP’s state when it got back from “repair” was pretty sad. I mean, even a poorly working NJP is better than I’d ever really gotten with the G-11, but it needed […]
Gear / General / Maintenance / Mount / Observatory / Observing Reports
NJP 04026 – Triumphant return
Finally. Ad Astra Observatory at Newark, CA is back in business. The UPS guy dropped the very heavy box containing the mount around 3pm. I’m not entirely happy with the state of […]
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 […]
Gear / Mount / Observatory
NJP First Light
ad Astra Observatory is back online. With the newly-leveled mount, I worked the polar alignment some more. It still needs tweaking, but once I gave up on PemPro (which has never really […]
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 […]
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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.