pipnina

Stellarium misclassified LDN 106 and SH2-73 as HII regions, when in reality they are IFN. 3+ hours of Ha imaging last night down the drain 😕

We know how painfully true this is more than any other group I think haha.

I've just calculated how much money I've ACTUALLY spent on astro this year. And now I am glad my family doesn't know because they might stage an intervention...

I find myself in awe looking at the sky tonight, despite the full moon I think our recent rain has cleaned the atmosphere and the stars seem brighter than ever. Despite the full moon being nearby I think I spotted a mag 4.5 star in my B5 area, not half Bad!

Orion coming back into view now, and it's as stunning as ever a region to just... Stare at.

Heads up for anyone wanting an IMX 571 cooled cam: TS is selling the RisingCam version for 1250 EUR on sale right now: https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p15758_Offer--TS-Optics-Color-Astro-Camera-2600CP-Sony-IMX571-Sensor-D-28-3-mm.html

I already have one from another source but this sounds like a good opportunity for someone on the fence.

Trying to capture data for the phone astrophotography challenge, when the clouds roll in and I only have 2 light frames : (

Not enough for pix to stack.

The starting images are amazing by themselves however. North america nebula, dusty lanes in the MW, when I get the chance to do it proper it's gonna be amazing!

Met office lied to me! promised 0% cloud all night, I go outside and no sooner is everything set up, I get a nice wave of wall-to-wall thick cloud 😡

I thought I was gonna be able to test my new ZWO EAF, apparently not.

Tried to adjust the tilt out of my camera, but ended up making it worse, and then stripped a thread on the tilt plate : (
Another night's imaging ruined

Just finished the surgery on my Nikon D3200! No more pesky IR filter removing all my Ha! Can't wait for the next clear sky! It all seems to work fine and the images around the house are quite orange haha. Anything I need to be aware of when it comes to IR-modded DSLRs? I didn't have a replacement filter to put in so I'm a bit worried about dust and if it will now accept TOO much IR?

Hard to stay illusioned with this hobby of late.

I look at the pictures I took now a minimum of a year in the past, and occasionally glimpse a star past some clouds. I then look at my dusty equipment and wonder if this hobby is even still viable for me. I could swear weather in the GMT+0 months has gotten progressively worse since I took up this hobby in 2014 and paired with work I feel this hobby somewhat unsustainable. I wish things were different.

My usual summer astro drought continues. In the last 4 months I've basically only had 1 look at Jupiter and Saturn.
Sad, but the longer nights will come back soon and the garden is doing well in the mean time.

Good sky tonight Got the imaging scope pointed at flame/horse/2023, and had a look all around with the visual scope! Clusters in gemini/auriga, nebulae in orion (maybe a glimpse of flame). Saw the andromeda galaxy as well as 81/82. Hoped to find Uranus but no luck Too much pollution to navigate the area properly and finders frosted up.

Hope the rest of you got lucky too!

Here's hoping for some clear sky this new moon. I need to finish my image of M42... from 3 weeks ago.

It's been a week, still no sign of any clear skies in the forecast. The dust on my kit might reach 2cm before I get it out again

As is tradition...

Perfect weather for observing the central milky way nebulae last night. Or it would have been if they weren't so close to the street lamp. Got to see M8 behind some stray light reflections in the binos at least.

I think I'll have to collimate the secondary of my 10" for the first time in 2 years, noticed astigmatism in focused and defocused stars last night.

I think the heat is due to be the end of me... Can't even leave my chocolate in the shade indoors without it becoming a puddle any more.

I think the ZWO 1600MM is the first CMOS I've seen with a reasonable sensor size under £1k... Does it live up to the hype I've been hearing about it on here?

Spent 30 minutes wondering why my HEQ5 wasn't pointing in the right places, until I realized that it interpreted 11/06/2018 as the 6th of november and not the 11th of june! American date format? What a load of...

I hope this forecast doesn't change on me! I'm predicted 3 moonless, cloudless nights in a row! I think I'll give M101 a go.

I have been taunted. Last night I look out my back window (11:50~) and see no clouds at all! I get the HEQ5 and 130PDS out hoping to get first light. But by the time I'd brought the mount out to the tripod it had become completely cloudy again!

I also must have stepped on an ant hill... But because it was dark I didn't see all the ants on my shoe and brought them inside. Spent a lot of today chasing ants out of the house.

I bit the bullet and bought a HEQ5 & 130-PDS. They should arrive today, do the clouds appear when the package arrives or when I open the box?

It was not to be... Surprise clear skies tonight. Got outside with the camera to test. 1 minute sub showed horrible star halos. Maybe if it's clear later Jupiter can console me.

Naturally when one forecast suggests partial cloud, and the other suggests mostly clear skies, they are both wrong, and in the wrong way No clear skies in weeks, but be the new equipment curse.