TAG Autoguider

Deep Sky / Gear / Long Exposure Photography
M31, The Great Andromeda Galaxy
Shot while up in Shingletown, CA during July 2005 and finally(!) processed and uploaded in August 2006… This image is in grayscale because the original had messed up colors from amp glow.

Deep Sky / Gear / Long Exposure Photography
M42, The Great Orion Nebula
larger version The difference made by going to a dark sky site is stark.

Deep Sky / Gear / Long Exposure Photography
B33, The Horsehead Nebula in Orion
A decent try at this nebula which has a large range of brightness, from gigantic Zeta Orionis to the wispy details of the back-lit cloud.

Deep Sky / Gear / Long Exposure Photography
M42, The Great Orion Nebula
It’s amazing to me when I look back at the gear I was using and the results I was getting with my first few astrophotos.

Deep Sky / Gear / Long Exposure Photography
NGC 1499, The California Nebula in Perseus
Film shot from the backyard in Brentwood. 2 frames of 30min each on E200.

Deep Sky / Gear / Long Exposure Photography
M16, The Eagle Nebula in Serpens
The Eagle Nebula in Serpens, M16 Film: E200 Camera: K-1000 Lens: ED80 (600mm f/7.5), prime focus Guiding: ST-4 Exposure: 15min Date: September 9, 2004

Deep Sky / Gear / Long Exposure Photography
NGC7000, The North America Nebula in Cygnus
The birth of a nemesis. NGC7000 is so big and relatively dim that it’s a challenge to pick up the whole nebula in one shot. This is a full 35mm frame, carefully […]

Deep Sky / Gear / Long Exposure Photography
M31, The Great Andromeda Galaxy
Another treatment of the same data (Reprocessed March 18,2005): Film: E200 Camera: K-1000 Lens: ED80 (600mm f/7.5), prime focus Guiding: ST-4 Exposure: stack of 11 images, 7×20min, 4×45min Date: September 9, 2004

Deep Sky / Gear / Long Exposure Photography
M20, The Trifid Nebula in Sagittarius
Film: E200 Camera: K-1000 Lens: ED80 (600mm f/7.5), prime focus Guiding: ST-4 Exposure: 12min Date: September 12, 2004 Object was setting over the top of the house as I shot. This was […]
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.