Ozark Skies

The Telescope Curse

2011-11-22T22:30:00.001-08:00

I received my new used laptop today and wouldn't you know, the local meteorologist is predicting clouds for the next 14 years...

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Orion SVP 127

2011-11-20T10:48:00.001-08:00

I guess I'm going to put it up for sale. Ever since I got the 10" Newt, all it does is stay in a corner down stairs covered up...

OMG Facts: What does Space smell like?

2011-11-20T09:46:00.001-08:00

OMG Facts
http://mobile.omg-facts.com/view/Facts/45237?FromTwitter2

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Oklahoma State Suffers Loss

2011-11-19T08:36:00.000-08:00

What a terrible week for the folks in Stillwater. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families, loved ones and their closest friends, what a sad tragic loss...

On the other loss... The Cowboys should have taken care of business!

Windows XP

2011-11-17T21:11:00.001-08:00

I finally have a replacement laptop for the EQ-6. I won an older Dell D610 laptop with Windows XP Pro on eBay
last night. Hopefully I'll be back to astro imaging shortly after the holidays.

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Found this Image on the NASA App

2011-11-15T19:37:00.001-08:00

Absolutely Beautiful

2011-06-16:A Green Ring Fit for a Superhero
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/image_feature_1976.html

SOURCE:NASA IOTD. This glowing emerald nebula seen by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope is reminiscent of the glowing ring wielded by the superhero Green Lantern. In the comic books, the diminutive Guardians of the Planet "Oa" forged his power ring, but astronomers believe rings like this are actually sculpted by the powerful light of giant "O" stars, the most massive type of star known to exist. Named RCW 120, this region of hot gas and glowing dust can be found in the murky clouds encircled by the tail of the constellation Scorpius. The ring of dust actually is glowing in infrared colors that our eyes cannot see, but show up brightly when viewed by Spitzer's infrared detectors. At the center of this ring are a couple of giant stars whose intense ultraviolet light has carved out the bubble, though they blend in with other stars when viewed in infrared. This bubble is far from unique. Just as the Guardians of Oa have selected many beings to serve as Green Lanterns and patrol different sectors of space, Spitzer has found that such bubbles are common and an can be found around O stars throughout our Milky Way galaxy. The small objects at the lower right area of the image may themselves be similar regions seen at much greater distances across the galaxy. Rings like this are so common in Spitzer's observations that astronomers have even enlisted the help of the public to help them find and catalog them all. Anyone interested in joining the search as a citizen scientist can visit "The Milky Way Project," part of the "Zooniverse" of public astronomy projects, at http://www.milkywayproject.org/. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech For credit and copyright guidance, please visit image webpage.

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/image_feature_1976.html

About the NASA App: http://www.nasa.gov/nasaapp

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'Voyager' via the NASA App

2011-11-15T18:44:00.001-08:00

Voyager - The Interstellar Mission

Artist concept of Voyager spacecraft. Credit: NASA/JPL

Mission Objective

The mission objective of the Voyager Interstellar Mission (VIM) is to extend the NASA exploration of the solar system beyond the neighborhood of the outer planets to the outer limits of the Sun's sphere of influence, and possibly beyond. This extended mission is continuing to characterize the outer solar system environment and search for the heliopause boundary, the outer limits of the Sun's magnetic field and outward flow of the solar wind. Penetration of the heliopause boundary between the solar wind and the interstellar medium will allow measurements to be made of the interstellar fields, particles and waves unaffected by the solar wind.

Mission Characteristic

The VIM is an extension of the Voyager primary mission that was completed in 1989 with the close flyby of Neptune by the Voyager 2 spacecraft. Neptune was the final outer planet visited by a Voyager spacecraft. Voyager 1 completed its planned close flybys of the Jupiter and Saturn planetary systems while Voyager 2, in addition to its own close flybys of Jupiter and Saturn, completed close flybys of the remaining two gas giants, Uranus and Neptune.

At the start of the VIM, the two Voyager spacecraft had been in flight for over 12 years having been launched in August (Voyager 2) and September (Voyager 1), 1977. Voyager 1 was at a distance of approximately 40 AU (Astronomical Unit - mean distance of Earth from the Sun, 150 million kilometers) from the Sun, and Voyager 2 was at a distance of approximately 31 AU.

As of July 2003, Voyager 1 was at a distance of 13.3 Billion Kilometers (88 AU) from the sun and Voyager 2 at a distance of 10.6 Billion kilometers (70 AU).

Voyager 1 is escaping the solar system at a speed of about 3.6 AU per year, 35 degrees out of the ecliptic plane to the north, in the general direction of the Solar Apex (the direction of the Sun's motion relative to nearby stars). Voyager 2 is also escaping the solar system at a speed of about 3.3 AU per year, 48 degrees out of the ecliptic plane to the south.

Both Voyagers are headed towards the outer boundary of the solar system in search of the heliopause, the region where the Sun's influence wanes and the beginning of interstellar space can be sensed. The heliopause has never been reached by any spacecraft; the Voyagers may be the first to pass through this region, which is thought to exist somewhere from 8 to 14 billion miles from the Sun. Sometime in the next 5 years, the two spacecraft should cross an area known as the termination shock. This is where the million-mile-per-hour solar winds slows to about 250,000 miles per hour, the first indication that the wind is nearing the heliopause. The Voyagers should cross the heliopause 10 to 20 years after reaching the termination shock. The Voyagers have enough electrical power and thruster fuel to operate at least until 2020. By that time, Voyager 1 will be 12.4 billion miles (19.9 billion KM) from the Sun and Voyager 2 will be 10.5 billion miles (16.9 billion KM) away. Eventually, the Voyagers will pass other stars. In about 40,000 years, Voyager 1 will drift within 1.6 light years (9.3 trillion miles) of AC+79 3888, a star in the constellation of Camelopardalis. In some 296,000 years, Voyager 2 will pass 4.3 light years (25 trillion miles) from Sirius, the brightest star in the sky . The Voyagers are destined, perhaps eternally to wander the Milky Way. For current distances, check: Mission Weekly Reports

It is appropriate to consider the VIM as three distinct phases: the termination shock, heliosheath exploration, and interstellar exploration phases. The two Voyager spacecraft began the VIM operating, and are still operating, in an environment controlled by the Sun's magnetic field with the plasma particles being dominated by those contained in the expanding supersonic solar wind. This is the characteristic environment of the termination shock phase. At some distance from the Sun, the supersonic solar wind will be held back from further expansion by the interstellar wind. The first feature to be encountered by a spacecraft as a result of this interstellar wind/solar wind interaction will be the termination shock where the solar wind slows from supersonic to subsonic speed and large changes in plasma flow direction and magnetic field orientation occur.

Passage through the termination shock ends the termination shock phase and begins the heliosheath exploration phase. While the exact location of the termination shock is not known, it is very possible that Voyager 1 will complete the termination shock phase of the mission between the years 2001 and 2003 when the spacecraft will be between 80 and 90 AU from the Sun. Most of the current estimates place the termination shock at around 85 � 5 AU. After passage through the termination shock, the spacecraft will be operating in the heliosheath environment which is still dominated by the Sun's magnetic field and particles contained in the solar wind. The heliosheath exploration phase ends with passage through the heliopause which is the outer extent of the Sun's magnetic field and solar wind. The thickness of the heliosheath is uncertain and could be tens of AU thick taking several years to traverse. Passage through the heliopause begins the interstellar exploration phase with the spacecraft operating in an interstellar wind dominated environment. This interstellar exploration is the ultimate goal of the Voyager Interstellar Mission.

About the NASA App: http://www.nasa.gov/nasaapp

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Found this Image on the NASA App

2011-11-15T18:25:00.001-08:00

2011-08-19:Earth and Its Moon As Seen By Voyager 1
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/image_feature_2041.html

SOURCE:NASA IOTD. This image of the Earth and moon in a single frame, the first of its kind ever taken by a spacecraft, was recorded on Sept. 18, 1977, by Voyager 1 when it was 7.25 million miles from Earth. The spacecraft launched on July 20, 1975. This photo was made from three images taken through color filters, then processed at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Because the Earth is many times brighter than the moon, the moon was artificially brightened so that both bodies would show clearly in the prints. Image Credit: NASA For credit and copyright guidance, please visit image webpage.

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/image_feature_2041.html

About the NASA App: http://www.nasa.gov/nasaapp

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Mars Rover Spirit's Entire Journey on Mars - Time Lapse

2011-11-14T16:20:00.001-08:00

Check out this video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6A3XGzkcDUA&feature=youtube_gdata_player

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A Beginners Guide to Telescopes by Adrian West

2011-11-13T15:21:00.001-08:00

http://www.universetoday.com/90936/the-holidays-are-coming-a-beginners-guide-to-telescopes/

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Back to the Rubber Dome

2011-11-13T12:02:00.001-08:00

It's going to be cloudy with a chance of rain later, time to go to sleep...

The Moon

2011-11-13T00:52:00.000-08:00

Another iPhone image. You can see the clouds were causing the background to look hazy. Moments later it was getting too cloudy, so I packed it up for the night.

Clear skies!

Jupiter and a iPhone

2011-11-13T00:39:00.001-08:00

It's not much to look at, but it was much more difficult than I expected.
Staying fixed on the focal point while the scope was tracking the object, holding the phone steady with two hands and touching the screen to capture the image, all without jerking the phone. It actually wore me out.
I spent 20 minutes and this was the best out of 10 attempts...

Clear Skies!

Ready for Action!

2011-11-12T23:40:00.001-08:00

The clouds moved out, so the scope came out. Then the clouds rolled back in, but not before Jill and the girls viewed Jupiter and one of it's moons in transit! I guess it's possible that what we saw was just a shadow from one of its moons? Either way it was a first for us, too cool...

Asteroid 2005 YU55

2011-11-11T17:04:00.001-08:00

I sure wished it wasn't cloudy the evening it passed by, I would've loved to view this thing.

@NASAJPL: Turn, Turn, Turn: An updated look at asteroid 2005 #YU55. Video: http://t.co/U5MzCkuS

Original Message:
http://twitter.com/NASAJPL/status/135129648492314624

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Giant Sun Spot

2011-11-11T16:56:00.001-08:00

Really cool video images too!

@NatGeo: Giant sunspot now aimed directly at the Earth: http://t.co/2p165ibu

Original Message:
http://twitter.com/NatGeo/status/135095499572264960

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2005 YU55 Video Image

2011-11-08T15:35:00.001-08:00

Looks like its spiraling...

@NASAJPL: 1st Movie of Asteroid 2005 #YU55: This 6-frame video was made from @NASA radar data obtained Nov 7, 2011: http://t.co/2brbRFnd

OriginalMessage:
http://twitter.com/NASAJPL/status/134034229599289344

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VY Canis Majoris

2011-11-06T21:32:00.001-08:00

Just another example of how small we really are in the big scheme of things...

@universetoday: Space Fact: The largest known star is the monster VY Canis Majoris. - http://t.co/KoDPdbGd

OriginalMessage:
http://twitter.com/universetoday/status/133408378348257281

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Telescope Parked...

2011-11-06T19:26:00.001-08:00

It's been over two months since I've kicked the covers off the scopes and I can't blame it all on the weather. What's even more disturbing is the fact that I haven't astro imaged in almost a year! In fact, the last time was early December 2010, when I captured a few photons of M33...

The weather looks to be poor for the next 3-4 days, but this coming Friday might be pretty decent for viewing bright objects, like the Moon or even Jupiter! What the heck, I might even try some afocal imaging with my phone...LOL

As much as I hate to, I should sell some of my equipment that doesn't get used much any more and use the funds to purchase another laptop with Windows XP and maybe a better camera too, that would be nice...

Clear Skies Y'All

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Forwarding Tweet by @universetoday

2011-10-30T18:41:00.001-07:00

3-D View From Subaru - Stephan's Quintet bit.ly/rEelYM

Read it online: http://twitter.com/universetoday/status/130810115887607808

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Boomer Sooner!

2011-10-29T15:14:00.001-07:00

Awesome one handed catch by Reynolds!

http://t.co/U0AxrDHl

Read it online: http://t.co/U0AxrDHl

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Forwarding Tweet by @universetoday

2011-10-15T06:02:00.001-07:00

Galileo made its closest approach to Io at 180 km (112 mi) on October 15, 2001. - ow.ly/6KaiV

Read it online: http://twitter.com/universetoday/status/125194359493763073

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APOD Pic of the Day

2011-10-14T21:33:00.001-07:00

NGC 4565: Galaxy on Edge : apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap111015.…

Read it online: http://twitter.com/apod/status/125065881838563328

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APOD Pic of the Day

2011-10-12T21:41:00.001-07:00

The Color of IC 1795 : apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap111013.…

Read it online: http://twitter.com/apod/status/124341104442224640

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Forwarding Tweet by @universetoday

2011-10-08T22:01:00.001-07:00

Space Fact: It takes about 59 Earth days for Mercury to complete its rotation. - http://ow.ly/6KWbG

Read it online: http://twitter.com/universetoday/status/122899132686934016

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APOD: 2011 October 5 - Comet and CME on the Sun

2011-10-04T21:38:00.001-07:00

Interesting video imagery. Check it out!

APOD: 2011 October 5 - Comet and CME on the Sun

Read it online: http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap111005.html

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Knocked the dust off...

2011-09-04T23:03:00.000-07:00

The fall like weather and clear skies was quite the motivator. For the longest time, I just couldn't get excited enough to set up the scope when the night time temps were in the 90's and the mosquitoes being on high alert for sweaty humans.
Our high today was only in the mid 70's with low humidity and blue bird skies. It was gorgeous! I knew it would be a nice night for some star gazing. But unfortunetly the good ole moon was 45% illuminated. Oh well, I was just happy to look through an eyepiece for once.

So, what did I look at? Mostly moonlite and a bright laptop screen...lol
Last winter I replaced my 6 year old lappy with a new quad core sporting Windows 7. The telescope control software I use doesn't seem to like the latest windows version. I need to spend some time researching a fix. Anybody want to donate a good used lappy with Windows XP? ;)

Eventually I was able to slew the scope on a few gems... First on the list was Comet Gerrard. I was surprised how bright this deep sky traveler really was, even with moon trying to get in the way. Next on the list was M27. The Dumbbell Nebula, always huge and bright as can be. And the best for last, M13. What a spectacular globular cluster! It hopelessly fills the eyepiece with it's countless shimmering stars spilling, magnificently beautiful!

Goodnight moon, better luck next time...

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14 TCU vs Baylor

2011-09-02T21:46:00.001-07:00

What a way to start the college football season. This 50-48 shocker upset was a thrill ride from the beginning... The last time the Bears beat a ranked team was 2004 vs Texas A&M. I can't wait to see how OU does in 2011. GO Sooners!

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@apod, 8/28/11 11:30 PM

2011-08-30T19:27:00.001-07:00

Beautiful! Looks a lot like living creatures in a extreme deep ocean...

Astro Pic Of The Day (@apod)
8/28/11 11:30 PM
: http://t.co/QeOvOoR

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@SPACEdotcom, 8/25/11 3:44 PM

2011-08-25T13:53:00.001-07:00

This is indredible video footage! I read ealier to today that it took the ISS 6 minutes to travel across Hurricane Irene. That means the Space Station is traveling very fast and Irene is pretty big...

SPACE.com (@SPACEdotcom)
8/25/11 3:44 PM
Hurricane Irene as Seen From the Space Station http://t.co/rgMygIU

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Forwarding Tweet by @apod

2011-08-23T21:34:00.001-07:00

A Pileus Iridescent Cloud Over Ethiopia: apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap110824.…

Read it online: http://twitter.com/apod/status/106221711552299010

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@VirtualAstro, 8/22/11 3:21 PM

2011-08-22T19:37:00.001-07:00

Virtual Astronomer (@VirtualAstro)
8/22/11 3:21 PM
If you don't read this awesome article, you will get cloudy skies for the next thousand years! http://t.co/W8JxDmH

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@Voyager2, 8/22/11 7:00 AM

2011-08-22T09:44:00.001-07:00

Voyager2 (@Voyager2)
8/22/11 7:00 AM
Sister ship Voyager1 is 16 hrs 19 mins 25 secs of light-travel time from Earth (2011:234:1L)

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@Voyager2, 8/21/11 7:00 PM

2011-08-21T20:59:00.001-07:00

Voyager2 (@Voyager2)
8/21/11 7:00 PM
I am currently 13 hrs 14 mins 38 secs of light-travel time from Earth (2011:234:2L)

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Forwarding Tweet by @NASA

2011-08-21T12:55:00.001-07:00

This is pretty cool
Find a picture of your favorite location as seen from the space station at go.nasa.gov/mPllrE
Read it online: http://twitter.com/NASA/status/105365670920851456
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@apod, 8/20/11 11:30 PM

2011-08-20T22:02:00.001-07:00

Astro Pic Of The Day (@apod)
8/20/11 11:30 PM
The Fairy of Eagle Nebula: http://t.co/p64d7fA

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Found this Image on the NASA App

2011-08-20T21:54:00.001-07:00

Amazing Image!

SOURCE:APOD. Why is the northern half of asteroid Vesta more heavily cratered than the south? No one is yet sure. This unexpected mystery has come to light only in the past few weeks since the robotic Dawn mission became the first spacecraft to orbit the second largest object in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. The northern half of Vesta, seen on the upper left of the above image, appears to show some of the densest cratering in the Solar System, while the southern half is unexpectedly smooth. Also unknown is the origin of grooves that circle the asteroid nears its equator, particularly visible on this Vesta rotation movie, and the nature of dark streaks that delineate some of Vesta's craters, for example the crater just above the the image center. As Dawn spirals in toward Vesta over the coming months, some answers may emerge, as well as higher resolution and color images. Studying 500-km diameter Vesta is yielding clues about its history and the early years of our Solar System. For credit and copyright guidance, please visit image webpage.

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap110802.html

About the NASA App: http://www.nasa.gov/nasaapp

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Forwarding Tweet by @Voyager2

2011-08-20T20:14:00.001-07:00

20 August 1977 - launch date for Voyager 2. I was launched 34 years ago today.

Read it online: http://twitter.com/Voyager2/status/104944541899042816

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@apod, 8/19/11 11:30 PM

2011-08-20T17:03:00.001-07:00

Be sure to put on you blue and green 3D glasses!

Astro Pic Of The Day (@apod)
8/19/11 11:30 PM
Stereo Vesta: http://t.co/HVgNM2k

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M33 Triangulum

2010-12-03T19:28:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite targets this time of year...

8X10min
AT66ED (Side by Side)
80MM Meade Guide Scope
EQ-6 (EQMOD)
DSIc (Monochrome) .5 Anteres Reducer
Phillips 900NCP (PHD)
DSS*PSE 2.0*PixInsight LE 1.0
DARKS & FLATS

Fireworks Galaxy and Cluster

2010-10-09T10:12:00.000-07:00

Fireworks Galaxy (NGC 6946) and Cluster (NGC 6939)

Crescent Nebula (NGC 6888)

We had a couple of clear and stable nights this week...

Fireworks & Cluster
10x339sec, 10x480sec Flats and Bias Stacked by DSS
Crescent
10x120sec, 10x339sec, 5x480sec Flats and Bias Stacked by DSS

AT66ED Side by Side 80mm Meade Guide Scope
DSIc Monochrome(Very Old)w/.5 Reducer
Phillips Web cam (Very Old)
EQ-6/EQMOD
PS Elements 2.0 PixInsight LE1.0

A Couple of Bright DSO's

2010-08-22T08:52:00.000-07:00

M27

M13

These were taken a couple of weeks ago with the 10" Newt.
M27 10x120sec.
M13 10x30sec. 10x60sec. 10x120sec.

M51

2010-05-18T19:48:00.000-07:00

Taken early May

16X339sec.
AT66ED
80MM Meade
DSIc
Phillips 900
EQ-6
EQMOD
1-339sec. dark Oops :(

M42 Orion Nebula

2010-03-13T18:08:00.000-08:00

Taken last week during a week night and it was a last minute decision. The clouds went away right after dark...

8 sec. thru 5 minutes 10 subs each
AT66ED
80MM Meade
EQ-6
Home made side by side
EQMOD
PHD
DSIc
900NCP
No Darks or Flats
Extras: Amp Glow :(

Asteroid VESTA

2010-02-19T16:38:00.000-08:00

This gif image is two shots taken approx. 1 hour apart.

Click on the image to start the animation!

AT66ED
DSIc
EQ-6

MARS

2010-02-18T17:42:00.000-08:00

Our first cloudless night in a looong time.

800 Stacked frames
10" Reflector
EQ-6
Phillips 900
Seeing 3/5 at best

NGC 7000 and M33

2009-12-06T14:34:00.000-08:00

It seems that the only time it's not cloudy, is when the moon is nearly full..

What I like about these two images the most is that a few months ago I purchased a couple of 16' USB repeater cables, finally decided to try them out and captured both of these from the comfort of my home. I just daisy chained them to the mount and ran the cables underneath the back door to my laptop. It was 22deg. outside, but I was wearing shorts and enjoying my favorite beverages in 70deg temps...

NGC7000 Gulf Region

M33

8x5.5min. 8-Darks 15-Flats
AT66ED
80mm guide scope
Home made side by side
DSIc Mono option
SPC900NC
EQ-6 (EQMOD)
PHD
DSS*PixInsight LE*PSE 2.0

M27 and my AT66ED

2009-11-29T14:10:00.000-08:00

We got back home from our Thanks Giving family visit in Oklahoma, just in time for me to set up the imaging rig Friday Night. The moon was 78% full, a real pain again, so I stayed with a brighter object...

M27 Dumbbell Nebula
11X339sec. 10 Darks 15 Flats No Bias
Processed by DSS*PSE*PixInsight LE
AT66ED
Meade 80mm guide scope
DSIc (Monochrome option)
Philips SPC900NC web guide cam
PHD
EQ-6 (EQMOD)

I'm really liking this little refractor, I just need another camera to compliment it.

DSIc Monochrome Images

2009-11-23T19:38:00.000-08:00

It's been 22 straight nights of clouds and or rain and I just couldn't stand it any longer. So I set up the imaging rig and shot around and sometimes through the clouds for about 2hrs. The clouds rolled in big time as I was capturing M33, too bad I couldn't have got another 45mins of data or so...

M33
6X339sec. AT66ED PHD guided EQMOD

Western Veil
6X339sec. AT66ED PHD guided EQMOD

M45
6X339sec. AT66ED PHD guided EQMOD

Polar Aligned Finally!

2009-11-01T08:44:00.001-08:00

After what seemed like months of clouds and rain, I was finally able to get the imaging gear out and finish polar aligning the mount. I used a CCD Drift Method illustrated by J. Hall of The University of California-Irvine. Here is a quick 5 total minutes of a slightly out of focus M42, un-guided under a nearly full moon…

This is 3x8min. guided subs of the Bubble Nebula. It looks horrible and not worth processing, but I was only interested in producing round stars...

New And Improved Mount Cover

2009-10-26T20:42:00.000-07:00

After finding condensation on my mount and needing CPR immediately afterwards, I had to come up with a better solution fast to protect my beloved EQ-6. Something quick and easy to build, that wouldn’t break the bank. My visqueen, trash bag, beach towel, T-shirt and more trash bags contraption I was using, just wasn’t cutting it. With helpful ideas from the folks at Cloudy Nights and AOAS Ft. Smith, I think I may have found the solution...

TRASH CANS!

Using a 44 gal and a smaller 32 gal, I cut a 13” hole out of the bottom of the smaller can, allowing it to slip over the mount and pier. Then I set the larger can upside down on the smaller one, they fit snug together too. Drilled a few aeration and ventilation holes, used 2 bungee cords, 2 screw hooks to keep the wind from lifting them up and a hand full of zip ties and about an hour later I was done. Also, I felt the bottom of the larger can would collect a lot of water, so I used its lid to divert the water off.

About the time I finished up with my project, the rain moved in and it hasn’t stopped ever since. I sure hope its doing its job…

What I saw during the LCROSS impact...

2009-10-09T19:59:00.000-07:00

The same thing I've been looking at for 3 weeks, a covered telescope... Dang clouds and rain!

AT66ED and a Full Moon...

2009-10-04T14:28:00.000-07:00

I recieved my new little refractor two days after my buddy Brandon finished my mounting plate, so I could hardly wait to try out both the new pier and refractor. But as timing would have it, the moon is full and bright as it can be this week and of course, "The Anything New Astronomy Equipment" curse of clouds and rain soon followed... I did managed to snap a couple of images between the clouds though. The first night I found out that I had a slight mounting plate glitch. The Alzmuth bolt would slip during polar alignment so I could not take very long subs.

M27
35x60sec. un-guided
AT66ED
EQ-6 (EQmod)
DSIc

M45
15x170sec. un-guided
AT66ED
EQ-6(EQmod)
DSIc
.5X Reducer

I hope to get perfect polar alignment soon. I'm very close East and West, but I need to spend more time making adjustments, especially North and South.

Clear Skies!

Concrete Telescope Pier Completed!

2009-10-04T09:32:00.000-07:00

After many months of procrastinating, I finally gained the confidence to construct a permanent concrete pier with a surrounding treated deck in my back yard.

Although only taking a few week-ends to complete, it was back breaking work and I wouldn’t recommend doing this type of project alone like I did…

The first week-end was basically surveying the area, purchasing supplies, building forms and digging the footer. I spent quite some time determining the best permanent location for the pier, deck and eventually the observatory. I have many trees, a fairly steep sloped yard and a septic system, so my options were very limited.

Footer

Dimensions: 3’x3’x12”
The actual hole dug was approximately 3.5’x3.5’x2’

Pouring and mixing the concrete was by far the hardest part of the entire project. The footer alone took 13- 80lb. bags of concrete mix and being on a tight budget, an electric concrete mixer (I recommend to rent one) was not used, so every bit of it was mixed in a 2’x3’x1’ plastic tub, one bag at a time… About every 3rd or 4th bag I laid 24”x½’ rebar crisscrossed throughout the footer for added strength. Don’t forget to tamp!

Once the footer was poured, I took a much needed hour break to allow the concrete to firm up a tad before continuing with the column.

The 12”x4’ concrete tube and forms…

Pouring the column wasn’t any easier. I was definitely running out of steam by this time and the top of the tube was 3’ high! So now I had to mix the remaining concrete in the tub, then shovel it into a 5-gal. bucket and lift the heavy slurry up to pour. After every pour I used a broom handle to tamp the concrete. The column took 5- 80lb. bags. You can see I used several rocks to help keep the tube stationary and level. The last thing to do is set the anchor bolts and template in the concrete. The night before I marked a spot on the fence pointing north and used a string to align the template to that spot.

Time to cure and rest!

After 4 days of curing, I removed the forms. It’s a good thing I don’t rely on concrete pouring to make a living… You can see that there are voids throughout the pier. I’m not sure what I did wrong here? Luckily it’s just cosmetic, no where on the column did any concrete come lose from picking or prying at it!

Finishing touch!

I wasn’t too happy with the appearance of my new pier, so I decided to add a little decoration to its exterior. Using a concrete patch mix, I troweled on a stucco like finish.

After a couple of days to let the patch cure, I applied three coats of concrete water proofing paint.

Almost Done!

8’x8’x6” Treated Deck

This was the easiest part of the project and I won’t go into much detail. Basically its is a 2x6x8 frame lying on 8- 8x8x16 concrete cinder blocks and leveled. I used nothing but exterior deck screws, no nails.

Pier Completed!

I finished the pier and deck, but could not use it for another 2 weeks. A friend of mine took a little longer than expected to fabricate the mounting plate. It was free of charge, so I couldn’t complain.

Icing on the cake... My new pier is sporting my brand new AT66ED!

List of Materials
18- 80lb. concrete mix
1- 70lb. concrete patch
1- 1gal. water proof paint
1- 12” concrete form tube
12- 24”x1/2” rebar
3- 48”x1/2” rebar
3- 8” long anchor bolts, nuts and washers
3- Carriage head bolts, nuts and washers
3- 2x4x8 studs
1- 2x12x12 stud
16- 5/4x6x8 treated decking
9- 2x6x8 treaded studs
12- 2x6 stud hangers
8- 8x8x16 concrete blocks
2- 1 5/8” 1lb. deck screws
1- 3” 1lb. deck screws

Total cost for pier and treated deck $315.00 Imaging with 10min. subs and no star trails... priceless!

Clear Skies!

DSO'S at F/12

2009-08-22T07:40:00.000-07:00

After several months of hibernating, I decided to dust off the imaging rig and snap of few DSO's. But instead of using the 10" reflector, I mounted the 5" mak beside my new 80mm guide scope.

The main purpose for using the mak, was to see how it would perform at long exposures before I put it up for sale and help fund an APO Refractor, well, if the CEO lets me... I think it did pretty well considering the short 1 min. exposures and no focusing mask. With a better polar alignment, I could easily have lengthened the subs to 4-5 min.

Maybe I'll try again tonight... :)

Equipment used:

Cameras

Meade DSIc

Philips unmodified Web Cam

OTA's

Orion 127mm Mak (For Sale)

Meade 80mm Achro

Mount

EQ-6 powered by EQMOD

Conditions: Temp 65F., Wind 0-5MPH, Seeing 2/5, Trans. 3/5, Clear

M13

20X60sec. Monochrome

M57

25X60sec.

Comet Lulin

2009-04-07T20:32:00.000-07:00

M51

2009-04-07T20:07:00.000-07:00

This image was taken a couple of months ago and I'm just now processing it. If I remember correctly, it consists of 4min subs and I think I captured 4 total.

M1-The Crab Nebula

2009-01-20T17:50:00.000-08:00

Here is my latest imaging attempt. M1 again... :-) This fairly bright object was chose to test EQAlign http://eqalign.net/e_eqalign.html, a Drift Align Assist program that I had just installed prior to the session. Although I struggled with the translation at times , had to make several adjustments and battle gusty conditions, it shows to be a very promising tool. I will definetly give it another shot...

Conditions: Clear 35F Wind 10-15mph Seeing 3/5

Image & Equipment Details:

8x480s+6x340s

10" Reflector

EQ-G

DSIc

SPC900NC

EQMOD

PHD

EQAlign

PSE 2.0*PixInsight LE

The New Year with Clear Skies!

2009-01-01T20:36:00.000-08:00

After many weeks of poor weather conditions, here are my latest imaging efforts to start off the new year. M74 (The Phantom), NGC 891, M109, M82 (Cigar Galaxy) and M51 (Whirlpool Galaxy) All images were captured early Jan. 1st 2009

Conditions: 28F Clear, Fair Seeing and Transparency with 10-20mph Wind

Equipment and Software:

10” Reflector
60mm Refractor
Atlas EG-Q
DSIc
SPC900NC
EQMOD
PHD
Toshiba Satellite
PSE 2.0*PixInsight LE*Registax4

M74

1x660s + 3x480s=39min.

NGC 891

7x240s=28min.

M109

5x240s=20min.

M82

6x240s=24min.

M51

5x240s=20min.

Night Sky Gems

2008-11-23T15:55:00.000-08:00

Here are my latest imaging efforts...
M1: The Crab Nebula (Revisited), NGC 7331(Revisited), NGC 2372 and NGC 2392

Image Details:
M1
14x480s=1.86hrs.
NGC 7331
15x340s=1.4hrs
NGC 2372
4x480s=32min.
NGC 2392
1x480s, 1x240s, 4x30s=14min.

Equipment Details:
10” Reflector
Atlas EQ-6
DSIc
900NC
EQMOD
PHD
PSE 2.0*PixInsight*Registax4

Conditions:
Clear*Mid 30’s*Calm Winds*Fair Seeing and Transparency

NGC 6946: The Fireworks Galaxy

2008-11-17T10:21:00.000-08:00

Here is my latest imaging effort. NGC 6946 (The Fireworks Galaxy). This face on galaxy approximately 10 million light-years away, boarders between constellations Cepheus and Cygnus.

Conditions: High thin clouds and fair seeing

Image Details:
11x240s
10” Reflector
Atlas EQ-G
DSIc
Autoguided (Web cam)
PSE 2.0*PixInsight*Registax4

M1 & M82

2008-11-09T10:21:00.000-08:00

Here are my latest imaging attempts. M1 (The Crab Nebula) and M82 (Cigar Galaxy) The conditions last night were not favorable for imaging, but I was testing some PEC software that I was unable to get to work…

Details:

M1
23x120s=43min. Guided Post processed in PSE 2.0 & PixInsight LE

M82
4x30s=2min. Un-guided Post processed in PSE 2.0 & PixInsight LE

NGC 7635 & M27

2008-11-03T22:03:00.000-08:00

Here are my latest imaging targets NGC 7635 (The Bubble Nebula) and M27 (The Dumbbell) The Bubble consist of a total 35x120s Subs and the Dumbbell is 15x120s Subs. Both images were taken under clear skies and fair seeing.

NGC 7331

2008-10-20T13:39:00.000-07:00

Here is my latest imaging target. NGC 7331 (Deer Lick Group) I’m not very happy with my results though… I captured 15x120sec. Subs and thought with 30min of exposures would reveal more detail. I suppose the bright moon had some to do with it.

Autoguiding Finally!

2008-10-11T19:25:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of my first Autoguided images. M57 taken a few nights ago was mostly an attempt to figure out the PHD software. The image is 10x60sec. subs. and star trails were caused by the lack of good balancing and I eventually had to add another 7lb. counterweight. M74 was captured last night and it consist of 4x120sec subs. I did a better job at balancing and polar alignment this time. I captured second image of M74 but it consisted of 30x120sec. subs and for some reason the image did not turn out, it looked like I adjusted the brightness down to about 3%..?? Hopefully on my next session I’ll be able to take longer subs and get more data.

Faint Fuzzies

2008-10-05T09:54:00.001-07:00

Here are a few unguided images of Galaxy M74, NGC 772 and NGC 891. All were 20x30 sec. Subs. Post processed with PSE 2.0 and NEAT

M16

2008-09-29T19:12:00.000-07:00

M16 (The Eagle Nebula) has got to be the strangest thing out there… and probably the most famous as well. This image consists of 15x30sec. Subs unguided. Captured low in the horizon, through the light polluted skies of Bentonville. Post processing was a nightmare on this target and I’m not too impressed with my Photo Shop skills.

The Learning Curve

2008-09-27T10:31:00.000-07:00

My second DSO imaging attempt...

M42, M33 and NGC 869 all are 30 sec. subs unguided. M42 is a total of 5 images at 15x30 subs each, then merge using Autostitch to create this partial mosaic. I was hoping to complete the mosaic, but I ran out of steam at 5:30am this morning.

The Ring and Dumbbell Nebulas

2008-09-21T08:35:00.000-07:00

Here are my first long exposure attempts. Both images are 25x15sec. Subs stacked. I am pretty please with the final outcome considering all the guesswork I had to take not knowing the camera and software. Hopefully on my next attempt, I will do a better job at polar alignment and balancing.

The Ring Nebula and a Point & Shoot

2008-09-06T12:09:00.000-07:00

After weeks of lousy weather ending with the grand finale of Gustav, I finally got some afocal imaging with my new reflector. This 10” Newtonian F/4.7 is a true power house and the mount I’ve attached it to is solid as a rock. This afocal image consist 10x15 sec. subs unguided using our point & shoot camera and a steady pix mount. Stacking the 10 subs in Registax4 I used PSE 2.0 for final processing. This scope and mount will definitely keep my busy for years to come, especially once I begin upgrading my imaging equipment to match its true performance…

Animated Jupiter, GRS and RS Jr.

2008-07-27T13:30:00.000-07:00

Here is some animated gif web cam images of Jupiter, GRS and RS Jr.

Click on images to start animation

Animated Jupiter, IO and Europa

2008-07-23T20:24:00.000-07:00

This is my first attempt for an animated GIF file. Captured with a web can on 7/19/08 this image is 360 sec. 4-90 sec. subs back to back. On my next session, I will attempt twice as many subs with more time in between them. That should show excellent planet rotation.

Click on image to start animation!

Waning Gibbous 16.52 days old

2008-07-20T20:14:00.000-07:00

This a web cam mosaic of 11 images consisting of 7800 subs stacked and merged. Taken 11:30 PM CDT 7/19/08

Jupiter, IO & Europa

2008-07-20T09:04:00.000-07:00

Here is a web cam image taken last night at 10:30 PM CDT. This was my first attempt to capture the planet and some of it's moons. Seeing and transparency was above average, so I pushed up the power to 100x per inch. The final image is 790 frames stacked and used PSE 2.0 for final processing. Europa is the moon on the lower left.

Waxing Gibbous 84% 10.97 days old

2008-07-15T19:40:00.000-07:00

Taken July 13th. This is one afocal shot through a 40mm EP.

Big Jupiter

2008-07-15T19:18:00.000-07:00

This was taken a couple of nights ago. With good seeing conditions and very clear skies, I push up the magnifcation to 100x per inch. The final image consisted of 750 frames stacked in Registax4 and some touch up in PSE 2.0

Jupiter at 28º

2008-07-12T09:07:00.000-07:00

I decided to take some web cam images of our Jovian neighbor last night. Even though the high clouds were thick, I managed to capture the GRS and what I think is the Red Spot Jr. Seeing was pretty good, but a 3-4/5 at best. This image consist of 850 frames stacked, with some PSE 2.0 touch ups.

Ring Nebula

2008-07-09T16:42:00.000-07:00

Here is my first attemp of M57 in two years. Although it did not turn out like I hoped... This image is 40 out of 98 15 sec. out of focus afocal exposures taken through a 40mm ep. After the stacking process, I cleaned up the camera noise with Neat Image to complete the final image.

Early Morning Jupiter & Luna

2008-06-24T17:28:00.000-07:00

I finally had the opportunity to image Jupiter with the GRS on the earth side of the planet and I must say, it was one of my most difficult images to capture! Once this giant gas ball cleared our trees, as usual, things went down hill in a hurry... I'm not saying I regret the session, especially after all the terrible weather we've been having for over a month! I'm just saying things could have been better. To make a long story short, these images were captured through thick high clouds, 2/5 seeing and using my wife's hair dryer to keep the dew from totally soaking the lens. I'm talking 97% humidity, dew point of 66 and the air temp of 65 deg. Yup! it was starting to fog like nobody's business! I was was wore out after 56 2-3 minute captures on both the planet and on the moon. With that being said, here is the best I could muster up 3AM Sunday morning...

Waxing Gibbous 99.6% 14.30 days

2008-06-19T17:47:00.000-07:00

Both images were captured Tuesday night with less than desirable conditions. Seeing was 2/5 at best, with high clouds thickening, but after 5 weeks of clouds and rain... I was just happy to get the equipment out of the garage! The first pic is one afocal shot through a 32mm ep and the second consist of 7800 sub web cam frames stacked to generate the 7 sections I targeted for stitching of the final mosaic image. Copernicus and the Kepler crater rays are easy to spot along with Aristarchus above and left. Click the images to see full size!

Waxing Crescent

2008-05-10T13:48:00.000-07:00

This mosaic consits of 12500 out of 18000 web cam frames of 15 sections of the moon. Stacked using Registax4 and merged in PSE2.0 Click the image to see full size!

Big Scope

2008-05-05T12:18:00.000-07:00

My family and I visited a local astronomy club observatory Saturday Night and all I can say is WOW! They have this pier mounted 14" Go-To SCT that produced the most amazing views I have ever seen. The combination of dark skies and that monster of a scope allowed me to actually see the spiral arms of M51 and with adverted vision I could make out the bridge!! We saw Saturn and 5 of it's moons too. When we got back late that night, I decided I would try to image Jupiter the next morning. So I got out the Mak, polar aligned it and took a peek at a few targets before I called it a night. Man, what a let down, after looking thru a 14" scope then my 5" it's definitely all about aperture.

Jupiter Today

2008-05-04T17:22:00.000-07:00

This is the best 850 out of 1200 web cam frames at 10 fps stacked with Registax4. Captured this morning around 5AM with average seeing, extremely heavy near freezing dew on the lens and very clear skies.

Cassini, Vallis Alpes and Aristillus

2008-04-21T19:41:00.000-07:00

These are a couple of merged web cam images from February of this year. Click image to see full size!

Gas Giants

2008-04-20T10:18:00.001-07:00

These were taken around 4 hours apart last weekend. Seeing was below average on both occasions and with high clouds.

Mosaic Cropped

2008-04-16T19:43:00.000-07:00

From the image below, I've croped and changed a few things with Photoshop. Click image to see full size!

Mosaic Moon 2nd Attempt

2008-04-16T15:45:00.000-07:00

I thought I had this one completed, but as you can see, I missed a tad. Maybe the 3rd. time will be the charm? This image consist of 24 areas with 900 usable stacked web cam frames each, that's 21600 frames!

54% Moon

2008-04-13T14:08:00.000-07:00

This particular web cam image consist of 9 different areas along the terminator. Processed and stacked 4500 frames in Registax4, then finalized in PhotoShop. Seeing was average at best, with occasional passing clouds.

Saturday Night Saturn

2008-04-06T20:07:00.000-07:00

Jupiter...Spotless

2008-04-05T07:08:00.000-07:00

After two weeks, I finally was able to get the Mak under clear skies. I brought the scope out last night, did some tweaking with the focus, got it polar aligned and left it out for this morning. It was 5:22AM when the planet had finally cleared the trees. Unfortunately the spot was not in view at this time, may be in a week or so it will be possible to capture it, darn trees..!

This image is 1000 frames stacked, seeing was good, but not great and it was crystal clear with heavy freezing dew. I resized it along with some PS touch up.

97% Waxing Gibbous Moon

2008-03-20T22:12:00.000-07:00

When the moon is bright as it was Wednesday night, there is not much else to observe with a 5" Mak, so you have to make the best of it. This image is one afocal shot using a 32mm EP and my Fuji F10 point & shoot. I resized it and sharpend in Registax4.

Peak-a-Boo!

2008-03-20T12:28:00.000-07:00

After what seemed like eternity, I finally was able to get the telescope out last night and snap a few pics. The skies were clear, seeing was good and the Moon was ridiculously bright....works for me! This particular web cam image is 1110 frames stacked. Near the center of the picture is the Pythagoras crater (I have no idea how its pronounced) and its 1.5km tall central peak poking out into the sun light.

Plato

2008-03-17T18:52:00.000-07:00

At center stage is the crater Plato. This image was captured through pretty thick clouds and some how I managed to get 900 usable frames to stack.

Our Neighbor Above

2008-03-11T20:39:00.000-07:00

Here is a couple of images I stitched in Photo Shop. A total of 1200 out of 1700 frames capture with my web cam.

Comet 17P Holmes

2008-03-03T17:20:00.000-08:00

Here's a afocal image of Comet 17P Holmes from last year. This bad boy was visible to the naked eye!

Saturn

2008-03-03T16:57:00.000-08:00

Here's another web cam image I took on the 26th of February. This was 1200 out of 1500 frames stacked. The planet was at it's closest approach the night before.

Lunar Eclipse Bust

2008-02-21T13:33:00.000-08:00

Well I guess the Cloud Gods were angry last night. I was certainly ready to capture my first eclipse images, but I will have to wait until 2010 before our next oppertunity. Here's two web cam images of stacked frames, one is 2500 frames of 5 different areas of the moon stitched and the other is 500 frames of the Copernicus Crater, from the night before.

Digital Magic

2008-02-16T14:32:00.000-08:00

These are all images of around 600 frames each stacked and stitched for partial mosaics. The bottom image shows clues of the merge, I could not get it to blend just right.

Valentine Moon

2008-02-15T19:32:00.000-08:00

Saturn

2008-02-10T18:17:00.000-08:00

This image is by far my best yet on all the planets. Taken friday night, under good conditions with my web cam, this is 650 frames processed out of 1200. If you look close you can make out the Cassini Division. Now, if I had just a little bit more apeture...