Swoop1

I will be looking to increase my data capture as time progresses. I amfairly limited in how long I can spend out at the moment- I have cat medicating duties at 7:15 every morning and being groggy when trying to inject a reluctant ball of fur, fangs and claws is not a good idea!

More info required (to help with my planning. If your pier hole was 3/4 of a Grandson deep, how many Grandchildren wide was it and how many Grandchildren tall is your pier?

More info required (to help with my planning. If your pier hole was 3/4 of a Grandson deep, how many Grandchildren wide was it and how many Grandchildren tall is your pier?

A vey messy stack of 19 X 20 second exposures at ISO3200. Lots of artefacts as my flats failed miserably but darks and BIAS are included. I don't know what the dark bloom is just below the target? This didn't appear in a later target captured at the same settings and camera orientation-

Here are the first results of my attempts with M81. 20 stacked 20 second exposures at ISO3200 with Darks and BIAS. My flats went horribly wrong so not processed. A lot of artifacts but I think I have teased out some thin outer arm data. Nowhere near as nice as most stuff on here but I think I am developing.

Surely with the outer nebulosity looking like uncooked albumen, this should be called Frying Egg?

This is what I wrote. It was via the general contact form on their website- I am trying to make contact with the department responsible for street lighting but you contact form keeps defaulting to the comments page which is frustrating. I wish to ask that shrouds be installed on 2 street lights in Marlow- lamp 7 on Dean Street and lamp 1 on Wethered Road. This is to reduce light pollution in my rear garden which is preventing me enjoying my hobby- astronomical photography. The light at night is badly affecting the images I am taking. Thanks. Their response was to identify to me the correct department for my enquiry and to forward it on. I then got a reply from the correct department (Transport for Buckinghamshire) to say the the Dean Street lamp was correclty shrouded but they would fit a shroud to the Dean Street lamp, which they subsequently did. I am about to thank them for this and ask them to revisit the other lamp as the light is very bright from where I image and observe.

It goes to show that raising issues with those responsible can have desired results.

I sent an e mail to the local council asking if they could do something about a couple of street lamps where the excess light illuminates my garden. They fitted a shroud to one on Friday!

That is a big looking hole you have there!

@Xplode- I adjusted the camera settings last night and the write time reduced significantly. Just about to upload and process to see what effect it has had onn the data. Thanks for the advice Matt

Thanks- I'll check.

View from Point B- N, E, S and W

I now need to decide the best place to position the pier. The first image is from the bedroom window showing the two potential spots- A and B. The following 4 images are the view North, East, South and West from A with the view west very elevated in comparison to N,E and S. The final 4 images are N, S, E and W from location B. Moving the clothes line isn't on the agenda. What are your thoughts on the best spot. The range of obstruction to view from the locations is between 2 and 3 clenched fists. One of the street lights that affect my observing is visible in the images. The other I have indicated above it View from point A Street Light below v See next post for view from point B

I use a Sony a6300 mirrorless. I also have it set to record RAW and JPEG.

30,000 posts and we're still waiting for the finished obsy....... Only kidding! Well done Sir.

Comets are a mobile object but are they mobile enough that it would preclude stacking 30 second subs? On my set up, each 30 second sub is a minutes worth of camera time- 30 seconds data capture and 30 seconds data writing. If I took 10 minutes worth of data (10 subs) would there be enough movement in the target to have a noticeable effect on the finished stack?

Kit hibernates at zero monetary cost and minimal time and space cost. Hibernating kit can be recommisioned at zero monetary cost and minimal time cost. Kit disposed of is gone for good and replacement costs more than you sold it for and both the selling and replacing have not insignificant time costs. Put your imaging kit into hibernation for a while. A trial seperation will guide you on whether to ventually sell it or recommision.

It looks like I have sourced a pre loved Altair Astro (or similar) 8" observatory pier which is minus its top plate. I am sure I can get one of these knocked up at a local engineering works (or maybe go down the convert a brake disc route) so, just need to get my hands on it and acquire the rest of the materials (concrete, threaded rod, nuts, washers, hole in the ground) and I can make a start!

The answer the that question is clearly the equation N+1 where N = the number of telescopes/ observatories currently owned. Alternatively the equation S-1 also applies, where S equals the number of telescopes/ observatoreis that would result in the observers significant other kicking them out.

Ignore this

I am looking into putting a pier in the back garden and am interested in the Rother Valley Optics heavy duty pier. They apparently have it in stock but can't deliver so, is anyone travelling nearby in the upcoming weeks? If so, I would be happy to pay if someone could do a detour and pick up for me then meet at a convininet location for handover. I live in Marlow (junction 4 of M40). Thanks. Matt

Am I right in thinking that the elongated holes in a pier mounting plate need to have an arc that centres on the bolt centre diameter of the mouts adapter plate to allow for fine tuning the polar axis?

The situation has progressed quite significantly. The Management spent some time on her laptop today searching for acceptable pre fabricated piers 😃 One that was acceptable and would have been ordered were it in stock was the Explore Scientific Pier for EQ5 mount. I might have to look for plans and approach a local engineering firm for a quote.

I have tried searching for the image of the pier which ahs been disguised with a fibre glass dovecote but can't find it anywhere. Can anyone help? Thanks Matt