MOST RECENT
Camera / Gear / Technology
A Brave New World
I picked up a new autoguider on Saturday. If the mount is the basis of the imaging rig, then the autoguider is its closest ally. The autoguider is responsible for making a […]
General / Maintenance / Techniques
Small errors for which we pay dearly
As near as I can tell, the mount is within 1 degree of being level. It’s probably within half a degree, but I’m being conservative. That small error, probably a quarter turn […]
Collimation: Secondary offset explained
Newtonian secondary mirror offset I have never really understood the thing about “if you use a sight tube, you’ve already done this”. But this is the best treatment I’ve seen so far.
ATM / General / Maintenance
Here be dragons.
I am at a point in my astronomy that I really need to be careful what I’m doing before I proceed with any tuning. I’ve been able to get away with tweaking […]
Might switch back to Pumpkin
With my guiding setup in turmoil, I might switch back to Pumpkin to take the new polar alignment out for a spin, next clear night. I was getting nice 5m subframes unguided […]
Guiding.
My autoguiding system is so broken right now. The OAG really complicates the task of finding a guidestar, because among other things, the OAG is very difficult to get to, so I […]
General / Maintenance / Techniques
Gemini Model Parameters
Well, I think I finally nailed the polar alignment. A: 1 E: -1 Here are the rest of the modeling parameters: dH 26′ dD -2′ NE 33′ (Axis non-perpendicularity at the equator) […]
New gear on the way
Time to upgrade some stuff. I finally lost patience with my Meade reticle eyepiece. It’s the eyepiece I use the most, but it’s designed for people who manually guide; the reticle is […]
General / Maintenance / Techniques / Technology
WCS – second night
suckerholes tonight, so I am going to see if I can get my A:5 E:4 down lower. I’m running just the webcam with 2x Barlow today. The 6x thing from yesterday was […]
General / Maintenance / Techniques
Polar Alignment. Again.
So I spent some time doing polar alignment today. This has to be my least favorite astronomy activity. It’s so impossible to tell whether you’re dead-on or not, and there is so […]
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.