Category: Techniques
sidereal time calculator
where do all the constants come from? // test function test() { // Pleiades M45, 03h47.0m, +24�07′ // Boston, MA US 42�21′ N, 71�04′ W // UTC: 04/07/2004 01:00:00 // alt = […]
whatsup
http://www.whatsup.ricksastro.com/findex.htm
General / Observing Reports / Techniques
Fremont Clear Sky Clock
http://www.cleardarksky.com/c/FrmntCAkey.html?1
Deep Sky / Long Exposure Photography / Techniques
galaxies
I’ve found that imaging galaxies is tough because the objects are so tiny. A few thoughts. 1) See what happens if image size is set smaller. I assume it’s some kind of […]
Galaxy targets
http://www.spiral-galaxies.com/NGC/100-largest-galaxies.html Attachment Converted: “c:docume~1jharrisapplic~1qualcommeudoraattachGalaxy Targets.xls”
targets
galaxies: ngc7331 M74 (too low?) NGC253 (too low?) (possibly too small, below): IC342? NGC772 NGC2403 NGC2841 NGC5905/5908 NGC5907 NGC5963/5965 Stephan’s Quintet NGC7814 nebulae: ngc281 ngc6334/6357 (just west of M6) IC1805 IC1848 IC1396 […]
Deep Sky / Gear / Long Exposure Photography / Techniques
M8, The Lagoon Nebula in Sagittarius
This is from the first night after I performed the “filterectomy” on the Nikon D70. This is a stack of 12 30 second images shot from my light-polluted Newark backyard (”total imaging […]
dec slop
TRICKS TO SOLVE THE DEC GEAR SLOP/SLOW MOTOR PROBLEMS: DEC axis steps: 1)Before going any further, refer to Mike Dodd’s excellent article over on the CGE group in his folder on Autoguiding […]
backlash correction
There are two adjustments you can make on each axis to minimize backlash, the play in the worm mount and the meshing of the worm to the axis gear. The worms on […]
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.