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stolenfeather

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Everything posted by stolenfeather

  1. Very nice capture of the galaxy and supernova! I'm impressed you captured so much! Isabelle
  2. Pictures? I have to say that because of my collimation dilemma (waiting for the equipment by the mail and clouds, I didn't believe what I saw was worthy of pictures but soon,.. the clouds will open! I have to lug my 10" a couple of feet and over the threshold. There is not to much bumping around but enough for me to start checking regularly on my alignment. I'll take a look at your pictures now Pat! Isabelle
  3. I'm looking forward to doing that myself. It has been on the cold side in this area and we even had snow last week. It's just weeks before I leave the isolated north for a much warmer place. I can't wait till summer! Isabelle
  4. Late in the spring and so close to summer, it's normal for the abundance of light. Patience, drink coffee and the darkness will fall. As backyard astronomers we fall mercy to NATURE. During the winter, it's too cold and some of us (like me) suffer from frostbite and shoveling is needed before any equipment is brought up. Spring brings in the rain and oodles of accompanying clouds that block our view. Summer, we worry about light and sometimes bugs,... It all comes with the passion. I for one prefer waiting for the darkness than suffering from frostbite! Isabelle
  5. Paul, like you I do take my scope in and out of the house for my viewing sessions. I believe that collimation will indeed have to be done very often. The laser collimator will be a cinch once I am used to it I'm sure. Thank you for your encouragement! Isabelle
  6. Pat, the Hotech laser collimator is a little on the pricey side ($130.00) but I am extremely happy with it. It made my whole experience less bumpy and I believe that with practice, it will take me ten minutes tops to collimate! Isabelle
  7. I'm really looking forward to my next "seeing" experience Jim! Thanks! Isabelle
  8. June 1st, 2011 I have dreaded this day since the first time I have looked through my sky-watcher. That would be the day when I would have to "tinker" with all that makes it "tick". Today, I grabbed the Dobsonian by both horns and attempted collimation using the HoTech SCA Lazer Collimator. I bought this little gadget with the hope that it would make the task at hand less intimidating. It wasn't complicated at first since I followed a YouTube video and the somewhat simplistic directions that came with the device. Click for the video.I tinkered, second guessed myself many times, and finally let out a sigh of relief, "It was done". Just to make sure, I asked my husband to take a look. This is where I learned a very valuable lesson. Two people attempting collimation is a recipe for disaster! My husband, being the perfectionist that he is argued that the scope was still off center and started re-adjusting the primary and secondary mirrors. The result? It was grossly misaligned! I then tried to help and we were both tinkering here and there (probably making it worse as we went along) until I couldn't bear the sight of my Sky-Watcher anymore. After two hours, it was still misaligned! Steven gave up and adjourned to the living room where he watched a movie called "White Noise". Upon feeling some major "heebie jeebies" coming along, I decided to give my scope another try. Fifteen minutes later, it was perfectly aligned! Personally I blame the telescope. IT doesn't play well with others!
  9. Thanks Paul! I'm thinking of rising early this weekend if the clouds cooperate. It's been some time since I have seen Venus. Isabelle
  10. It's great to have fixed the cable and now for the test,.. I hope the end result is fantastic! Isabelle
  11. Star hopping is how I make my way around the sky Jim. My husband has hinted many times in purchasing a "goto" mount but I resist. For me, it's the thrill of discovery! I'm happy that the "smudges" jump out at you. It's what gives me solace that yes,.. I can see what I care about! I hope you have a break in the clouds soon Todd. Last night will be my only moment out there this week since they are predicting rain during the rest of the week! Isabelle
  12. May 28th, 2011 Friday night means many different things to many different people. Since darkness takes longer to settle at this time of year, weekend evenings mean one thing for me: time to settle outside with my telescope since this is impossible during the weekdays when I have classes to teach the next day. At my latitude during this time of year, most of the constellations are not easily discerned until past 11:00. Full blackness makes its way to the north around midnight. This means that I seldom return indoors till one in the morning. Since I started my stargazing early, when the skies still showed a tinge of blue, I had to settle on an easy but popular target, Saturn. I let my eyes become accustomed to the darkness approaching and soon, I was ready for more difficult targets,... the Messier Objects. I started with a globular cluster found in the constellation Serpens. The Stellarium program and my trusty Telrad made finding it quite easy. I was taken aback by the individual stars I could see in the cluster. As my eyes became more accustomed, I was certain I could detect a hue of colour but maybe this was only wishful thinking from my part. Satisfied with my discovery, I decided to look for another globular cluster. I didn't have to look far and settled for M3. This one seemed easy but gave me quite a "run for my money". Finally, I found it and once again took the time to look more closely at it. My husband Steven always wonders why I go searching for Messier objects since according to him, they seem "all the same". "Once you've seen one smudge in the sky, why look for others?", is pretty much his motto but he comes outside every time I become excited and humours my passion by looking through the eyepiece. "You've got great eyesight to find those," Steven exclaimed when I came back inside. I had to smile since a couple of months ago, my MS had played a cruel game by blurring the vision in my right eye (the main eye I use when observing the stars). It is therefore official,... MY EYESIGHT HAS FULLY RETURNED! Isabelle
  13. Take out the Canon and make every capture count! Isabelle
  14. Beautiful site Ben. They say that astronomy is a world best understood by scientists but artists have quite a grasp of it as well! Thanks for the share! Isabelle
  15. Great background work! This is needed since many throw themselves into this passion and make wrong turns which usually leads to frustration and unfortunately, to giving up on an exciting journey. I'm looking forward to reading about your discoveries! Isabelle
  16. I know that this surely is not the cause since you seem to have everything in check but ,... When was your last collimation? Isabelle
  17. Yeah,.. when in doubt,.. SPEND! Isabelle
  18. We can prepare, reorganize till we're blue in the face but in the end,.. the clouds always win! :) Isabelle
  19. Good questions and since my formal academic background is actually in theology and theology (not the sciences), I will refrain in answering them out of respect to this forum's philosophy that has been very clear. I have seen time and time again how issues of God can't be discussed here. So I remain quiet. However, I will say this. I admire your quest to let your children find their own journey. It's in the questions that we find ourselves nit the answers. Isabelle
  20. May 20th, 2011 My last journal entry was almost 1 month ago and I couldn't believe how different nearly 30 days made in the night sky. It took me a couple of minutes to reorient myself to the stars above since they seemed to be shunning my presence. Saturn pointed me in the right direction but after being mesmerized by its brilliance once more, I found myself drifting off into a different area of space, one much closer to home. I breathed in deeply. The night is a marvelous world isn't it? As stargazers, this is something we truly appreciate. I could hear the peepers and crickets vocalizing their pleasure that spring had finally returned. Their symphony made me forget my search for Messier objects altogether and reach for a deeper meaning to what surrounded me. Far ahead, I could hear the calls of geese as they made their way north. Their wings caught the glimmer of a nearby light, reminding me of the wonders found here on earth. When they vanished, I couldn't help but ponder our very fragile existence. This is the message I wanted to convey when I was at the Kennedy Space Center just one week ago: Our technology might seem impressive in size but, we are indeed insignificant creatures lost within the many Superclusters of the universe. Like the small peeper calling out in the night amidst so many others,.. there will come a time when we too will be silent forever. Being outside with my telescope was definitely NOT going to work tonight. I was being far too introspective to concentrate on the stars above. Then again,.. maybe my perspective was just as it should be. Isabelle
  21. Gardening,.. to see the world from the plants perspective. I can't think of a more relaxing and fulfilling way to travel! Shine on! Isabelle
  22. Thank you Todd, Jim and Neil! I hope you can all visit (or revisit) this region yourself soon! Isabelle
  23. I did not know what to expect when Steven and I planned our trip to Florida. However, there was one day I really looked forward to,... the last one. That was the day when Steven and I would finally visit the Kennedy Space Center. That was also the moment where we would meet and discuss with a veteran astronaut during a lunch / question period. We would also see the magnificent nature at the National Wildlife Refuge that Cape Canaveral is known for. I was simply "blown away" by it all and left with so many facts and emotions that I was afraid to blink out of fear that I would lose it all. For the last few days, I have been working with the video files hoping to create something that would truly capture my excitement and ultimate respect to what surrounded me on that day. I don't know but I think I have succeeded. Let me know what you think! Click for viewingIsabelle
  24. I had a wonderful time! I can't wait to share it all! Isabelle
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