TAG Pumpkin
Pumpkin gets assimilated into the Rig
This is the latest iteration of the imaging rig. Now that there’s a second digital camera in the house, this photo actually shows the D70 in situ for the first time. The […]
Pumpkin — awww, cute.
This is Pumpkin, the Astro-Tech 66mm ED refractor, on the first day with guidescope rings. For reasons passing understanding, this particular set of Losmandy guidescope rings is matte silver instead of black […]
Moon at 6 days
First light with Pumpkin. I hardly really count this as a first light — the sun was still up and the scope was on a photo tripod. But, there you go. The […]
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RE: AT66 – stuck locking collar?
This is going to sound nuts, but try rotating the focuser in a clock wise motion. Sometimes the focuser, if spun enough, can permanently unlock itself since it threads itself to 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 […]
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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.