cletrac1922

Antares and Rho Ophiuchi In Australian Indigenous Dream-time, there is a story about how Antares was formed Men's Business A man stole another man's wife The man and women hid in a tree The man who was betrayed found them hiding in the tree, and set fire to the tree The Rainbow Serpent came down and picked up the man and women and formed Antares Indigenous men, know every time they see Antares, they not to steal another man's wife This morning when leaving home around 4-30am, both Scorpio and Crux were overhead Red star Antares also know as the heart of Scorpio Saturn was also adjacent to Antares, with Venus and quarter moon just above the eastern horizon Have not looked for Rho Ophiuchi John

Perhaps rock up to local astronomy club one night with your set-up Members there only too happy to assist I have 2" barlow for my 10" Dob, and initially when tried to use it, was not able to focus, 1.25" barlow worked like a treat Had to get a 2'' slide extension tube to focus, using an adapter for 1.25" eyepiece I also have EQ5 mount, which use ED80 Recently purchased the WiFi adapter for SynScan controller Download SynScan App The App sets GPS, date/Time

Neil I use a EQ5 for my ED80 Easy to transport I leave the head on the tripod when transporting and storing John

Greg Which scope you going to put on the mount I started out with a 10" Dob, and later got a SW ED80 on a EQ5 mount Obvious choice would be either a HEQ5, or 6, depending on weight of the scope intending to mount on it You can now also get a WiFi adaptor for the EQ mounts, as a SynScan Controller Down load the SynScan App Pic of ED80 and EQ5 mount In background, is another ED80 on a HEQ5 mount Pic taken solar viewing field day with my club John

Louis Have a couple of theme parks close to where I live Movie World and Dreamworld Movie World also has a WB movie lot as well, and when do releases of new movies, or other functions at the complex, have large search light panning the skies We live directly overhead flight path in Brisbane Airport Never thought about laser shows and aircraft Know our local council has had complaints about light pollution been admitted from local theme parks, and response from local council, is exempt under State Government permits One rule for one, different rule for the rest How life in Texas Make it down this way, look me up John

Merlin Documentation in Queensland https://www.police.qld.gov.au/programs/weaponsLicensing/fees/Documents/Laser-Pointers.pdf John

We have 7 clubs in South East Queensland Under Section 67 Offensive Weapons Act, astronomy clubs have to be gazetted on Queensland Police Force website, use of laser pointers Politicians pass the legislation, then try and get gazetted on Police Website Took combined societies committee over 2 years Done now Check down there with respect to astronomy clubs been gazetted on the Vic Police Website, and then except from annual fee Have attached copy of Cubs Space badge, which put together, with some of the group leaders John Space Badge.docx

Geoff First of all welcome from Land Down Under Where I am, you have to be a member of a registered astronomy club, to own and operate a laser pointer Not sure about where you are Where we are, laser pointers now come under the Offensive Weapons Act, same as fire arms do, and only 1mw output I use one for pointing out deep sky objects when do presentation in primary schools and scout/guide groups There is also a disclaimer, with respect to laser pointers on our club website, http://sas.org.au/ About SAS Home About the Society News Pimpana Meetings Event Horizon Library Membership Links & Resources Laser Pointer Information Contact Directory John

I leave home around 4-30 every morning for work Stop and look up This morning had Scorpio, CRUX main features Had a bit of a storm last night with a nice light and sound show Lightening dancing around the ranges, around me This morning, the air was clear and settled, and no dust pollution https://www.constellation-guide.com/constellation-list/crux-constellation/ John

If all else fails Reach for a mintie Beam me up Scotty https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minties John

Welcome from Land Down Under For visual viewing would not go past either a 8" or 10" collapsible Dob Attached pic of mine On the 5 October, JPL/NASA hosting the International Night of the Moon Lot of clubs internationally get involved, hosting the event Matter of interest, have also attached image of our moon, used to promote last years event by JPL/NASA View from opposite hemispheres John

Steve Welcome from Land Down Under Try using right angle 9 X 50 finder scope No laying on the ground either, trying to view through a straight through finder scope Pic shows right angle on my dob John

Alpha I have a SW ED80 on a EQ5 mount Light and easy to transport, and use a single half size weight Shown with solar filter John

You have the latest firmware for the SynScan I recently purchased the WiFi adapter, and downloaded the SynScan App Takes the guess work out of setting location, date and time What sort of power source you using to power the dob I use a car battery jump start kit Have run my EQ5 mount for a week on it at Astrofests

I use a car jump start battery Have used it for over a week continuously at Astro festivals

Greg Welcome from Land Down Under John

Use laser pointer as well Just lay laser along the wedge of the spotting scope, and aim laser to object want to observe Then use finderscope to fine tune Also there is adjusters on your finderscope, and adjust to see same image in both finderscope and eyepiece I usually do in day light, and pick out an object some distance away, like a tree, or mobile phone tower

Relpet Better to use distilled water rather than tap water Tap water has a lot of chemicals including fluoride, chlorine, salts and rust from pipes A while ago, had a club 10" collapsible dob come back off loan, and the mirror was covered in cockroach muck, and spiders web in the tube Club member who had it, said he stored it in his garden shed I used distilled water, with mild detergent, using handful of cotton wool soaked in distilled water Unlike tap water, distilled water leave no residue on the mirror Others will disagree with me using cotton John

Dan Comes down to personal choice I use a 9 X 50 right angle spotting scope on my SW 10" collapsible dob Right angle saves having to lay on the ground, when observing something directly overhead John

For observing dob way to go If want to adventure into AP, then you will need a scope with go-to mount Have attached pic of both my 10" dob, and ED80 on EQ5 mount ED80 is fitted with solar filter John

Hi Alan from land down under If you want to do AP, then you definitely going to need a mount with GoTo Was not aware that the HEQ5, came without GoTo, and SynScan hand controller I have a EQ5, with a SW ED80, and recently purchased the Wi-Fi adaptor, and use APP from my Android phone to control the mount John

Just for visual, I would go for a SW 10" collapsible dob Easy to set up, and I use a laser pointer to find where want to view Get a right angle spotting scope, as do not have to lay on the ground to align objects overhead The dob comes with a 10mm and 25mm eyepieces I use a 17mm wide-angle eyepiece for young eyes, and invest in a 2 X barlow as well With club belong to, go into primary schools, scout/guide groups I use a small kitchen 2 step ladder for 6-8yo's to observe Can relate to been kids yourself, and when that age used to lay on back lawn of our farm, and watch the yanks go over Gemini project Have 6 and 3 yo grandkids, and they also interested as well John

Tks Lars Will try with my Canon 600D Not sure has Wi-Fi connectivity John

Rob Great post Have to agree with you when observing Saturn and Jupiter Recently was doing a presentation at local primary school, and after all the students been through several scopes club members had set up Had one parent walk back up to me, and he had a iPad, with image on Saturn on it His comment to me, he can see more detail on his iPad of the rings of Saturn, then he could through the eyepiece on my 10" dob I reminded him, we were observing something which is 1.3 billion kms away, and the image you looking at on your iPad, was taken through a telescope, and magnified many times over Had another lady walk up to me She said she was 83 years of age, and first time she has seen both Saturn and Jupiter through a telescope, and was overall by what she observed She went onto to say, her great grand daughter, is in grade one, at school, was giving presentation, and could not thank us enough, for giving her great grand daughter, the opportunity to observe Saturn and Jupiter, which took her almost her entire life time Does not matter how big or small, an object you are viewing, it is the enjoyment of sharing That night also focused on Jewel Box, Omega Centauri, been in the southern hemisphere Looking forward to your next instalment John

Just cleaned club 10" collapsible dob which had been on loan to a new member Not sure where he had stored it, and found cob webs in the tube, and cockroach muck on the mirror Taking outside, just used a wad of cotton wool, damped in distilled water, and dabbed the cockroach muck gently with distilled water After a couple minutes using fresh wad of cotton wool, and distilled water, gave primary mirror a gently wipe over Everything came off, and then just wiped with a soft micro cloth, and bingo, nice clean mirror Left out in sun to allow any water around base of the dob to evaporate No need to do any rubbing of the primary mirror