MOST RECENT
IDAS LPS is a good thing
I’m testing out the new C9.25 tonight. Last night, I’m writing off as a “configuration” night. The sky is a little cloudy tonight, high thin clouds that serve to brighten up an […]
A Very Tough Night
This was one of Those Nights. Everything went wrong. It started with killing power supplies. I am trying to get a reading of the amperage coming out of the mount, which will […]
G-11 Gemini – working out gremlins
I have been troubleshooting the guiding in the mount for a year now, and I think that I have it down to one of a very few remaining possibilities: 1) flex in […]
G-11 Worm adjustment
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/Losmandy_users/message/12937 The “win” is clamping the worm blocks in-line, so that they can be adjusted as a unit without hassle.
CCD Imaging Primer
http://docs.sdaa.org/AISIG/CCD_Imaging_Primer.pdf lots of basic information about equipment and software selection, and a really nice section on image processing.
G-11 Periodic Error analysis
I saved off one of my larger tracking logs last night, and decided to analyze it for Periodic Error in the mount. To help the data, I downloaded PECPrep from SourceForge. After […]
G-11 Guiding Commands: ST-4 relays vs. ASCOM
My autoguiding isn’t as straightforward as it used to be. I have a lot of new gear that I’m trying to figure out; G-11, Gemini, ASCOM, ST-4, MaxIM. Each of these adds […]
Deep Sky / Long Exposure Photography
NGC 4725 and friends
Here’s last night’s result. Not too bad. I really like NGC 4725. It’s one of those galaxies that I never hear about, but it’s very photogenic and has a really cute companion […]
Uncategorized
To "boxcar" or not to "boxcar"
Doug (author of MaxIM DL) suggests shooting everything RAW Monochrome. This has never worked correctly for me, but whatever. IMPORTANT POINT: If (and only if) flats are shot in RAW Monochrome, then […]
Deep Sky / Long Exposure Photography
A couple of new shots near the Celestial Equator
Got a rare clear night. It’s only been clear about 3 times since Valentine’s Day this year. I decided to force myself to shoot some galaxies in Leo. To follow up the […]
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.