callump

Should you not precess your measured coordinates back to a common epoch (J2000) anyway?

Callum

I use Simbad a lot, and it can be quite hard sometimes to find the correct catalogue reference (e.g. Abell PNe use A66 <number> or PN A66 <number>)

For the various Shakbazian references, you just need to use ShK <number>

Callum

3 hours ago, Merlin66 said:

5 hours ago, mikemarotta said:

the AAS is not restricted to US members

This seems at odds with:

Applicants are required to be a member of an affiliated organization, such as an astronomy club that belongs to the Astronomical League;

The British Astronomical Association is an affiliated organisation - you can pick it on the sign-up form.

/callump

There are some nice animations on this facebook page https://www.facebook.com/HubblesVariableNebula

These have been created by Dr. John Lightfoot of ROE who wrote this interesting paper in 1989 http://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1989MNRAS.239..665L

Dr. Lightfoot will be talking about Hubble's VN at the BAA deep sky section webinar on March 6 - will be open to all.

Callum

2 hours ago, Mike JW said:

I do check my C11 collimation every now and then, preferably on a moonlit night so as to not waste decent observing time.

I have a few maintenance chores I need to do like collimation and redo polar alignment. Even a clear view of the north with the Moon up would be good 🙂 

I was wondering if the spike was caused by the dew shield, but did not follow it up at the time.

Callum

This globular cluster in Lynx seems to be fairly faint (mag 10), and is one of the most distant (about 269 kly from us).

It was called the Intergalactic Wanderer, because at one time it was not thought to be orbiting our galaxy like other globular clusters do. But in fact it is. 

Again the sky was poor last night (2021 01 06) so will probably revisit this on a better night.

Callum

NGC 2261 - Hubble's variable nebula. Last image from my session last night. Sky was quite poor by this stage, so background is very noisy.

A return to Abell 12 - last night started reasonably nice and deteriorated as it wore on, so I only got a few targets. This was taken late on as the freezing fog was developing.

I'm not sure where the big spike is coming from - maybe I need to have a go at collimating the C11.

It's a pity the spike goes straight through the nebula, but does also add a little bit of interest!

Callum

I've not tried any phone photography, but this is a terrific picture for a phone!

Callum

6 minutes ago, festoon said:

Superb @Stuart1971. Searched camera angle adjusters with T2 and found this. Thank you

https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/language/en/info/p5547_TS-Optics-T2-Thread-360--Rotation-and-Quick-Changer---5-5mm-short.html

Looks like this might be useful to have in my T2 extenders.

I wonder does anyone have any experience of this particular adaptor...is it worth getting.....and if it works well?

I was just hunting for a link to this - yes, I have one, and it works really well... It's nice low profile, useful if your back focus or working distance is short.

Callum

Jus to mention - if you miss this tonight it will be available on the BAA YouTube channel afterwards https://www.youtube.com/user/britishastronomical

/callump

The British Astronomical Association's next online webinar takes place this Wednesday evening at 7pm. The subject is "Recovering the UK's next Meteorite", and it is presented by Dr Ashley King of the Natural History Museum and by Jim Rowe, FRAS.  

It's your chance to learn about how the UK's meteor camera networks are pooling and sharing data and the other practical steps that we're taking to get rocks out of the sky and into the lab as quickly and carefully as possible. Joining details are here:

https://britastro.org/node/25416

/callump

I seem to remember silvering the inside of test-tubes at school - I was a rubbish chemist, but still got my CSYS (think it was a C grade though 😉

In the USA there is an interesting spray-silvering process which large mirror users are taking to. I understand the kits are not importable to the UK though...

And mirror making in 1960

This tutorial is for an older version of Siril - but I think many of the basics are the same.  

https://pixls.us/articles/processing-a-nightscape-in-siril/

I'm not sure any of the scripts are currently set up to do dark flats - you cold do those manually though if you do the whole process manually, or you could adapt a script. I'm not sure of the efficacy of dark flats.

In the latest version the change working directory is the "Home" button at top left (next to Open).

I'm not an expert on Siril but if you have any questions happy to try and help.

Callum

On 28/12/2020 at 07:45, nicoscy said:

EAA is viewing without an eyepiece, doing any enhancements available in real time and while one is observing (applying calibration frames real time, tweaking software display options, cooling etc). Anything done to the actual image after observing (post processing) is considered imaging.

I think this is one area where I diverge and disagree with the CN position - and I am glad that here on SGL there is a more liberal and inclusive approach. 

With my INDI ecosystem I have still to find a suitable live stacking and image manipulation piece of software that is convenient for me to use (until perhaps @Martin Meredith puts it into Jocular!). So I end up stacking, registering, etc the next day when I can use a big screen that helps with my eye-sight problems. I am not really sure why it makes a big difference whether you do this at the telescope, live on the night (when you might be tired and cold), or the next day. I am not advocating whole-sale image-enhancement that can be done with some tools. But surely it won't be very long until someone integrates an artificial intelligence image-processing system into a live capture tool, and then you would not know the difference. And provided people are open and up-front about the steps taken - why not.

To my mind it is the observing experience that is the thing - which is similar to visual observing (which was my main interest). So short exposures, detection at the limits, observing things that others do not, and thinking/ researching what you are actually looking at.

Callum

Hi, sorry I'm probably not going to be able to help much...

I've not used either of these cameras, but looking at the specs they do seem to be very similar, so I don't think there is much to choose between them. Maybe the newer model will have slightly better electronics, but that is not really a given. Maybe it will just come down to price and availability.

Look forward to seeing your results when you get them.

Callum

I don't really do planetary work, but used Lynkeos on the 2017 solar eclipse - I don't have anything to compare too, but seemed to do the job.

For Deep Sky I use Siril.

Callum

On Dec. 16 at 7pm, is the next British Astronomical Association Wednesday Webinar. 

Sheri Lynn Karl will be talking about "How to image the Sun in three wavelengths"

Available free, for all on Zoom and YouTube.

For links etc. visit https://britastro.org/node/24212

/callump

Hmm - could be. I am able to run scripts from the menu ok - but trying to run them by @ crashes for me too. I'm on 0.99.4 at the moment.

I've not had a problem with Scripts myself...

What version of Siril are you using, and which script are you trying to run.
Are you able to run a 'noddy' script using the @ command?

I guess you have checked the paths in Preferences | Scripts, and the script you are running is in only one of them?

You could try posting the question on the forum on pixls.us

Callum

Going back to the original question... A UV/IR cut filter is only really needed where there are refractive optics in the system, when IR will come to a different focus point. So unnecessary on a Newtonian. Visually you will probably see no effect, as the eye is not very sensitive to UV or IR. With a OSC camera, you might find an unusual colour balance with no IR cut - but astrophotographers would be better able to advise on that.

Callum

I was thinking the top image looks like M 76 - astrometry agrees...

Callum

Thanks @GordTulloch - interesting stuff. Nice to see it has INDI support too. I don't really have a requirement at the moment, but just interested to see what people are actually using. I have been following the Alt-Az initiative stuff from its early days too... I have been thinking about a dedicated EEVA scope with a large mirror - but it is a bit of a day-dream project at the moment...

Callum

First couple of images worth sharing with the new SX Ultrastar Pro camera.

The new version of the Ultrastar is claimed to have lower read noise and quicker readout time. It also comes in the new SX blue body colour.

Its a bit different in use to the ZWO ASI174mm camera, but seems to be at least of similar sensitivity, and is a lot less noisy and no circuit glow.

Still some tweaks to make to the working distance of the focal reducer with the new camera.

Overall it looks to be a good step up. 

Here are a couple of images from last night. M 1 the Crab Nebula and NGC 1514 a Pn. Both in Taurus. NGC 1514 looks really interesting, so I think I will need tor return to it.

Callum