Deep Sky / Long Exposure Photography

NGC2244, The Rosette Nebula

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With the dome control back up and running, I set up for shooting, and The Rosette Nebula is turning into an old favorite. I didn’t want to stay up too late, so […]

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Deep Sky / Long Exposure Photography

Epic run

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Even when I was at top form, I rarely hit more than 2 objects per night. There is a certain amount of overhead associated with changing targets; picking up a new guide […]

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Techniques

Polar Alignment Calculations

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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 […]

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Gear / Observatory / Telescope

Special Guest Star takes the mount at Hilltop O

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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 […]

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General / Maintenance / Observatory

Dome shutter is motorized again!

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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 […]

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ATM

Trixie 2017 – tube mods

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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 […]

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