PhotoGav

Apparently its temperature has fallen by about 150 K.

That's a fascinating observation, Robin. I will be using that! So, essentially it is just in certain wavelengths (the visible ones) that dimming has occurred.

Andrew, that's a very interesting link - thanks for sharing. All the evidence certainly points to the supernova theory being media hype. The interesting thing is to try and understand what makes Betelgeuse vary in the way that we see. One interesting entry in the discussion is the idea of a binary partner that has been engulfed by 'Betelgeuse A' and now orbits within the outer envelope of the A star, causing dimming every 5.x years as it transits the A star. Mmm, interesting idea!

Probably not any time very soon, it’s just a variable star varying, but then again, maybe!?! I’m working on it (in my own back garden way!)... results to follow...

Does anyone have a ‘pre-dimming’ spectrum of Betelgeuse I could borrow, please? Ideally using a SA100 grating, but not essential. I have just captured a spectrum this evening and would love a comparison spectrum. I guess ideally the raw capture that I can then run through BASS, but a processed spectrum would be perfectly acceptable! Thanks.

The way I do all remote connection with my obsy pc is through a WeMo switch and Remote Desktop. For remote boot up of the PC I use the WeMo switch. When I power on the switch through the app, the PC automatically boots up. There’s an option in the PC settings somewhere to enable ‘boot on ac power’. Very easy. I use Windows Remote Desktop for remote access (having got fed up with TeamViewer and its constant accusation of ‘commercial use’ and eventual lock up). RD is easy to set up for use across the LAN. It’s a little more complex to set up for use across the Internet as it involves port forwarding in your home router, but I managed to do it and I’m not the most techy person, so it can’t be too hard. I remember that somewhere along the Remote Desktop route it needed to be running on Windows 10 Pro version, but I can’t remember exactly which feature required this. Anyway, I purchased a super cheap Pro upgrade serial number from the internet (around £10 and perfectly legit) and it was all fine. Using RD & the WeMo switch, I can boot up and control my obsy pc from anywhere in the world with internet or at least with a phone signal...

Looking good. What’s an ITF?

Thanks folks. @Mark at Beaufort - unfortunately it is unlikely to be much more active next year, though 2021 should see a significant rise in activity... add to that, planets are low in the clag from here in the UK too... and it seems to be permanently pants weather... oh what joy... I’m becoming ever more of a theoretical rather than practical astronomer!!! Hapoy New Year to everyone and let’s hope for plenty of clear skies in 2020!

Thanks Charl, happy Christmas to you too! Good luck with your attempt, Dave. Should be clear tomorrow... look forward to seeing how it is progressing.

I had a brief window of opportunity this morning to grab an image of the new active region 2753, a small Cycle 25 sunspot in the lower left of the Sun's surface. That brings to an end the current 40 day stretch of Sun spotlessness. Hallelujah, at last!!! Far from perfect conditions, hence the haziness. Taken with my Lunt LS50THa and Chameleon 3 camera. Happy Christmas to you all!

Hooray, Cycle 25 shows itself at last! It’s forecast to be clear tomorrow, but not sure spending hours in the observatory trying to image this spot will go down too well tomorrow!!

Steve’s spreadsheet is great. Make sure you enter the Dome RADIUS in SGPro and not the diameter!

Yes, they are both brilliant and work well with SGP. I have had troubles in the past, but over the years the developers at both Pulsar and SGP have addressed any issues. If it wasn’t so damn cloudy and wet I would be using the system now!!!

Brilliant, thank you both. Good tip with the orientation of the double star - I will look out for that kind of thing in future. My spectral journey has most definitely started and I look forward to getting out again soon to explore what's up there!

I have been experimenting further with a Star Analyser 100 grating, a ZWO ASI178 MM camera and a 200PDS telescope on an HEQ5 mount. I used Firecapture for data capture and BASS for data processing. Here is the result. What do people think - is this looking right? I am just chuffed to have something that looks vaguely as I was expecting, if not better! I would love to know how I can improve things (is exposure right, etc) and if I have done things correctly in the first place, so all thoughts gratefully received!

Good job - the miracle of the box of bits!

Hello Haydn, the EQDIR cable should plug into the handset port on your HEQ5. Here's the one that FLO sell: https://www.firstlightoptics.com/astronomy-cables-leads-accessories/lynx-astro-ftdi-eqdir-usb-adapter-for-sky-watcher-eq5-pro-heq5-syntrek-pro-az-eq5-gt-az-eq6-gt-and-eq8-mounts.html Good luck - you'll never look back once you have the computer hooked up to the mount and everything else!

What you saw must be Elon Musk’s second batch of StarLink satellites... 60 of them in this launch... and that’s a tiny fraction of the 42,000 that he hopes to surround the globe with, just to provide internet access across the whole planet... and simultaneously screw up our view out to the sky beyond... he must be stopped!

Hah... the only thing that doesn’t change is that everything changes! Fascinating stuff. It’s good to see that these objects are being investigated and understood a little more. I rather like telling people at outreach sessions that they are some of the oldest objects visible. I’ll have to adapt my patter slightly!

Ah, fantastic. I would have loved to have heard that talk. 'What are Globular Clusters?' is one of my big unanswered questions (the other one concerns the Big Bang, but I won't go into that right now!)... what did he have to say - roughly? I'm now going to go and watch the two simulations.

If you go to 'Sequence > Manage Sequence Files' from the menu bar at the top, you can select the naughty image and click 'Remove'. You will never be troubled by it again...! As Dave suggests above, if you uncheck the "Associate..." box, it won't save it in the first place.

Put the computer in a cardboard box on its side, or similar, to create a shade and then use a blanket / hood / fleece / sheet or whatever to cover your head and the box... you look like a complete idiot, but it’s dark enough under it all to clearly see the screen. It’s fun trying to find the focus knob with your hand when you’ve got your head under the cover, but it works!!

Why the silence??!! Surely FLOIKI (should that be pronounced floykey?!) would want us all to spread the word(s) far and wide regarding the various projects that they were ‘unveiling’ at IAS? I’m amazed at how much more they are up to than just shifting stock - good on them. Steve is being really quite visionary, not to mention brave, with his innovations. I wish them luck and success. I’ll be doing my bit to ensure that!

Thank you. Yes, insane humidity is definitely on the ‘to consider’ list! I’ll keep you all posted.

Thank you for your feedback. That is all very interesting and useful. To be honest I am more encouraged than put off. The location I am investigating is in Malaysia, not Singapore, so that’s in the right direction! As for the planets being overhead, I can only dream of such perfect placement!