paulastro

Vixen pier Mike?

I have one of these Orion (UK) Field tripod, I effectively got it for nothing when I bought a scope and mount, sold them and kept the tripod! This was quite a few years ago now. It is extremely stable, and when they were new they cost over £600, a fortune at the time. Mine now resides happily in by observatory with a half pillar and Ercole mount up top. It's used for my SW 120ED and SW 80ED on occasions. This would easily take a six inch refractor plus.

Blimey, I didn't expect anyone to take is so seriously 😀. Of course in any one persons lifetime the odds are it won't happen, and that will always be true, even in thousands of years time. Mind you, it will happen in someone's life time - if there is anyone left alive to witness it!

Well John, I am sort of lucky, so it may still be me who 'discovers' it when it finally blows its stack.

Many thanks for the price comparison Jakey. I had my first job back in 1971, and earned £32 per month. £285 was an absolute fortune for me back then - as it was for many aspiring astronomers.

For those who don't know, 1 1/2 cwts id 168 pounds!

Quite right Stu. But, if it's all correct, then from this date it's worth keeping an eye on. It would be quite something if you were observing it one night and it went supernova. I know it's very unlikely, but it will happen sometime and someone will be the first to see it! 😃

Here's the catalogue entry for it. The catalogue is from 1971.

This could be a significant date in indicating if Betelgeuse is about to go supernova according to spaceweather.com. It's thought the dominant probable pulsation period of Betelgeuse is around 430 days, and if so around Feb 21st its current mag should rise from its current low of +1.66 to around +0.9. So if the mag remains as it currently is, we may have to get our sunglasses out when we go out at night at some time in the not too distant future! I for one will be out around Feb 21st doing some magnitude estimates - the results may indicate if something very significant may be about to happen . Get the full story at: https://spaceweather.com/ Betelgeuse is a highly evolved red supergiant--the type of star that could collapse and explode at any moment. Indeed, the dimming of Betelgeuse could be explained if the star has suddenly contracted to about 92% of its previous radius. But that's not the only possibility. Betelgeuse might be dimmed by a giant starspot--or maybe it is shrouded by an outburst of stardust from its own cool outer layers--or something else entirely. No one knows. Answers might be forthcoming on Feb. 21st. Astronomers have long known that Betelgeuse is a variable star. It pulsates with many periods, as shown in this Fourier analysis of Betelgeuse's light curve: Above: A period analysis of 23 years (1995-2018) of Betelgeuse photometry. Credit: Peranso. "This shows a dominant (probable pulsation) period of P = 430 days," note Guinan and colleague Richard Wasatonic in a recent Astronomical Telegram. Given this result, "the minimum brightness is expected on 21 (+/-7d) February 2020." If Betelegeuse starts to bounce back on Feb. 21st, this whole episode might just be a deeper-than-average pulsation, and perhaps the supernova watch can be called off. However, notes Guinan, "even if the 430-day period is still working, this would indicate a minimum brightness near 0.9 mag--much brighter than the current value near 1.6 mag. So something very unusual is going on." Stay tuned for updates as Feb. 21st approaches.

First rate work, thanks for posting so we can all see them.

Many thanks Trevor. You have great taste in telescopes!

Many thanks Chris. I posted a few snaps I took on 5th about an hour or so ago on LUNAR IMAGING. The Aristarchus area was very well placed wasn't it, I went out especially to see it myself.

Out from 9.00 pm to 00.45 am to try and catch Aristarchus on the terminator. Managed some nice views despite poor seeing and a Moon determined to play hide and seek. Photography taking single frames was difficult because of the rapidly changing seeing, but I did get one which made it worthwhile. Using the SW 120ED, Ercole mount, and the Olympus E-M5 Mk11. Two frames reproduced below, one taken at 23.47 pm and the other at 23.49pm. The whole Moon shot is cropped to show J Herschel / Mare Frigoris and also Gassendi / Mare Humorum. The pic of Aristarchus is a crop of the second frame.

Many thank Philip, I'll take a look. I downloaded LunarMap HD yesterday which looks fabulous. (couldn't download it previously as my phone wasn't up to it, but I've just changed it). I also use Virtual Moon Atlas on my laptop. I'm really frustrated that the Moon Phase Photo Maps aren't available for Android as I mentioned to Stu.

Many thanks Chris. I'm delighted you had a view, I'm a little surprised you never had 'The Beast' up and running 😄.

I had two sessions overnight out in the observatory. Using the SW 120ED on the Ercole mount, visual observations with the binoviewer, using 24 and 16.8 mm Orthos in turn, depending on the seeing. I hadn't envisaged having a second session, but in the first one ( 5.15 to 6.15 pm ) I noticed that Gassendi's E walls were just starting to catch the rising sunlight at the N end of Mare Humorum. I checked the LunarMap HD app which indicated that it would be fully in view by around 11.00pm. Hence I decided to have a second look, and went out from about 11.30 pm to 1.30 am when the cloud rolled in. I has some fabulous views both session, but it was particularly nice to see Gassendi with low sunlight across the whole crater. The pics below are taken from two single frames using the Olympus E-M5 MK11. The first was taken at 5.47 pm, showing the whole Moon, and three crops taken from it. They show Sinus Iridum ( not quite at the 'Cup Handle' stage!), Gassendi and Mare Humorum with the sunlight just catching its E walls, and the S limb from the Hainzal/Mee 'double crater' in the W to Clavius in the East. The area on the S limb was amazingly complex with crowded limb detail. The second pic taken at 00.04 am shows Gassendi now entirely Illuminated by low sunlight at the N end of Mare Humorum, the wrinkle rims in Humorium were very nicely showing - at least visually! It was nice to have a couple of snaps of a very enjoyable and memorable observing session.

Love the Moon Phase Photo Maps Stu. Alas, for me, the app is only available for the iPhone 😭. Anything like it for Android does anyone know?

I'm so pleased that so many folks managed a view and thought it was worthwhile. There are some great posts here and I'll be going through them and replying to some tomorrow - off to bed shortly. I've just posted up a brief report and some pics on LUNAR IMAGING.

Lovely session late afternoon / early evening today. Out from 4.50 pm to 6.25 pm in observatory with SW 120ED on Ercole mount, visual obs with binoviewer and 16.8 mm Orthos, some single frames taken with Olympus E-M5 Mk11. The frame below was taken at 5.49 pm, 1/250 sec at 400 asa, the close-ups are crops of the same frame. Copernicus was placed close to the terminator and as good a view as I can recall having - I can't remember a better one. The best time was from as soon as I had set up until about 6.00 pm when, as the sun rose, some of the detail fell away and the view was far less dramatic than it had been - though still well worthwhile. I stopped observing at one time to put an alert on SGL and also to shut the observatory roof at one stage when heavy rain briefly interrupted. Visually Copernicus and it's environs, the N of Mare Imbrium and the s Highlands were really spectacular. My rather low-res images don't do it justice, but at least I have a momento of a very memorable session. ** FEB 4TH - Replaced crop of Copernicus with a slightly brighter version.

Don't miss it if you can get out, going back to telescope!

Many thanks Craig. I tend to just leave the asa at 400. You are right though, I'll try and remember to adjust it down when conditions allow. Regards, Paul

Single frame taken at 5.05 pm, SW 120ED, Olympus E-M5 Mk11, 1/250 sec, 400 asa. Again. lucky to have about an hour mostly clear. Stopped session when rain suddenly started falling on the observatory roof. Imbrium and Delandres/S Highlands well placed.

That's very kind of you Mike, how thoughtful. My older eyes (my youngest daughter gleefully told me I was officially an 'elderly' person the other day) need a bit more light than a four inch telescope provides at the magnifications my 120ED will support, but thanks anyway.

Many thanks Stu. Yes, you are quite right about the date, I've changed it. Thanks for pointing this out, it was of course yesterday evening. The shadows were spectacular, looked fabulous visually didn't they. When I first went out the shadows weren't visible, or not much as the crater floor was still fairly dark. They lengthened quite quickly once the sun rose a little. At best they stretched a long way across the floor of Ptolemaeus, and they were like that when the cloud came in for me at around 7.50 pm. In your picture, an hour or so after my observation from what you say, the sun was higher in the sky of course so they are quite a bit shorter already.

You've done a great job there Mike. It's nice to see any 'distressed' astronomical equipment brought back into a state where it can once again do what it's supposed to do, under the stars 👍.