MOST RECENT
General / Maintenance / Observing Reports
Just one of those nights
I am learning how to be a portable astronomer. I have to say that I dislike it. There are a lot of things that have to go right in order for a […]
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 […]
A handful of clear nights
There have been a few clear nights, perhaps 4, since I’ve moved to the new house. At least two of those nights would have been ones that I ignored if I was […]
A clear night at Hilltop
We’ve just moved into the new house in WA. It has been a fairly cloudy spring here, so I as worried that I would not get to see any sky for awhile. […]
First Spirit, now Atlantis
The Space Shuttle Atlantis took off this morning on the final flight of the shuttle program. With nothing to replace it, the shuttle program’s demise ends America’s manned spaceflight program, at least […]
Astro knowledge / General / Observing Reports
Saturn and Porrima
While in California for the weekend, I had a chance to glance skyward and see the stars in their oh-so-familiar positions. I quickly identified Leo and The Dipper, then Arcturus. I was […]
Losing track of a satellite
It’s been really cloudy in Washington. That’s normal for spring. Well, really, it’s normal for whatever time of year. It’s a cloudy place. The clouds, coupled with my total lack of astronomy […]
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 […]
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.