Deep Sky / Long Exposure Photography

Another beautiful night.

Tagged , , 3 Comments on Another beautiful night.

I stayed up way too late on First Light night, but the sky was clear again the next night, so out I went. I did a little testing to start the evening, […]

READ MORE

Astro knowledge / Deep Sky / Long Exposure Photography

Veronica's Last Stand — the final straw

Tagged , , Leave a Comment on Veronica's Last Stand — the final straw

In a last-ditch effort to make Veronica work with the mount, and since it’s Friday night, I decided to really tweak the scope before starting up, then do a series of “test” […]

READ MORE

ATM / Deep Sky / Long Exposure Photography

Trixie first light

Tagged Leave a Comment on 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 […]

READ MORE

ATM

Trixie as a planetary scope

Tagged , Leave a Comment on Trixie as a planetary scope

I really want to shoot some planetary shots with that big mirror. ‘m embarrassed to say that the palm tree has conspired to keep me from shooting any Jupiter yet this year. […]

READ MORE

Astro knowledge / Long Exposure Photography / Optics

Astrophotography: The "best" focal length

Tagged , , Leave a Comment on Astrophotography: The "best" focal length

Astrophotography has a lot of legends and rumors floating around as regards focal length of scope. Since the focal length of the scope, size of the CCD, weight of the rig, and […]

READ MORE

Blog / Deep Sky / Long Exposure Photography / Observing Reports

rework of the astro page, also new photos, and go look at the moon

Leave a Comment on rework of the astro page, also new photos, and go look at the moon

Hi, I think that we can all agree that the “Deep Sky Astrophotography” page on the website was getting pretty ponderous — even with a fast ‘net connection, it was taking me […]

READ MORE

Deep Sky / Long Exposure Photography / Observing Reports

Re: Ad Astra Observatory photo updates

Tagged , Leave a Comment on Re: Ad Astra Observatory photo updates

Hi Jimbo, I liked the dark horse image in particular. Looks good. Alex On Aug 7, 2006, at 11:58 AM, Jimbo S. Harris wrote: > Hi all, > > Now that the […]

READ MORE

Techniques

Polar Alignment Calculations

Tagged Leave a Comment on 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 […]

READ MORE

Gear / Observatory / Telescope

Special Guest Star takes the mount at Hilltop O

Tagged , Leave a Comment on 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 […]

READ MORE

General / Maintenance / Observatory

Dome shutter is motorized again!

Tagged Leave a Comment on 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 […]

READ MORE

ATM

Trixie 2017 – tube mods

Tagged Leave a Comment on 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 […]

READ MORE