Swoop1

Very nice @Kon

I look forward to retirement when I can get the gear set up and image this sort of stage of the moon.

Currently, I see it like this as I walk home but it has hidden itself behind my neighbours tree by that time.

Doe the rate include the full monty Ponderosa buffet breakfast?

Beuatiful waning crescent moon this afternoon (UK)/ morning (Hawaii)

1 hour ago, michaelmorris said:

Cladding nailed on 🙂 

 

That is looking very nice.

Astronomy is all about patience- and finally realising that the gods spend most of their time laughing at us as we set up under beautiful clear skies and perfect seeing, spend a few minutes calibrating our mounts and Go-to, then looking up to discover that they have clicked on the "Cloud the buggers out" icon whilst we fettled.

So the slot is just to allow full insertion of the adapter whilst maintaining the correct length of cell for focus?

@Don Pensack- yes, that is exactly the same design as my Barlow.

That does look very similar. I will check tonight.

I have inherited a 2" Barlow which is in 2 sections- one part has a short slot in the barrel, the other inner section has a thread for a little thumb screw (missing).

What is the purpose of this being in two parts? Is it to fine tune focus/ back focus?

Thanks,

Matt

A beautiful sketch @mikeDnight and a very captivating desciption of your session!

Beautiful images @Gerr

I loved my trip to Anglesey last year. Gorgeous location.

Is titled Water In The Universe

I might cancel the talk because all the water is landing on Marlow at the moment!

23 hours ago, Tomjo59 said:

Like many on here, I have fond memories of S@N with SPM; I’m even old enough to remember a few of the black and white ones.

I do wonder how much of the regard for it is pure nostalgia though. Surely S@N is suffering from the same problem as many scheduled broadcast programs these days - we now have so many other channels open to us to get our astronomy ‘fix’.  Look how many enthusiasts have their own channels on YouTube now, in addition to actual documentaries.

It could be argued that traditional sheduled programming is a dying medium these days, and I won’t get into the debate over the TV licence fee!!

If there is one thing that is likely to make me apoplectic with rage I will have calmed down but, one thing that does tweak the apoplexy button is the written or uttered phrase “We have an app for that “. You Tube and it’s ilk have their place but I prefer my documentaries on TV.

In answer to the original question, the programme frequently takes a winter break- I think it has for the last couple of years anyway.

This might be the time when the team dissapears off to locations in the Southern Hemisphere to do some filming?

I do agree with going back to the basics a bit more though.

This is where the human brain must be a better option than AI.

Human reactions can be unpredictable and that is what we need when things turn out to be sub nominal at the destination.

I can't work out how to lin k to specific sections but, wind back to a few minutes ago- 2024-02-23 04:57:00 and watch a little way above the silver dome second in from the right- what would have been a screamer with no moon.

The image is very bright at the moment due to the moon (I think the live camera points roughly east so, the domes are probably reflecting a lot of moonlight) but, I have still caught a couple of sporadics in the last 10 minutes or so.

Nice image Jon.

What sort of skies Bortle wise, do you image from?

Very rare for Mauna Kea- some high thin cloud drifting through the feed at the moment.

Domes are still open though.

I enjoy (grudgingly) the processes involved in imaging from start to finish.

My most time consuming element is the actual setting up and avoiding cable tangle. This is despite having a permanant pier which my mout sits on 24/7.

I am chair of my local society and we welcome all comers. 

We have an annual subscription to join and visitors are asked for a voluntary contribution to costs.

We suggest 3 sessions as a visitor before deciding whether to join (this basically stops people coming to every session as a visitor and paying less than membership).

If a visitor turns up at any time and brings a telescope with them, they generally get mown down in the stampede to have a look!

Watched episode 2 of The Space Shuttle That Fell To Earth last night and, it certainly raises some questions about the ethos and decision making processes at NASA at the time.

I think there will be some tearful interviews of engineers and managers in episode 3.

I came to seek advice and guidance as I started my journey into astronomy.

I receieved that advice and guidance in spades.

I now occasionally find myself in a position to repay that debt.

Additionaly, the folk here are a great bunch and far nicer, personality and ego wise, to some on a non astro forum I backed away from and a football forum I still frequent.

I did a total of 6 panes last night. ICE wouldn't render them all together so, here are the remaining 2 panes. Same processing as the first image.

C6 SCT/ ASI290MC/ HEQ5PRO

Each pane best 20% of 1000 frames.

Autostakkert!3 for stacking and sharpening. Microsoft ICE for stitching and Microsoft Photo for tweaking the colour rendition.

Drifting cloud has resulted in a little softness in places but overall, quite pleasing.