Synchronicity

Mine arrived today - it's well worth the cost and hopefully Aston will keep going learning and writing about his interest. Michael

I keep seeing these amazing L-enhance and L-extreme images and I'm sorely tempted! Thanks for sharing this. Michael

Another bought here, fantastic to see so many of us support this young man!

I bought a Canon 7d (mark 1) when I started about 3 years ago. I had just bought an Esprit 80 and an EQ5 mount so a dedicated camera was out of the question. With that setup I could learn everything I needed to know about setting up, guiding, capture and processing and I could also figure out exactly what I wanted to do and what I'd need to do it. Among the things I learned is that where I live and with the time I can spend large multi filter projects with a mono camera would be really difficult to achieve. I love what can be done with mono imaging but It's not for me at the moment. I've been fortunate enough to be able to upgrade my mount so now have a NEQ6 and I made a stupid impulse purchase of a QHY10 OSC camera a few months ago. I say stupid because the camera is not a good match to my scope (details here). A decent used DSLR can be picked up cheaply and, of course, can be used for normal photography too. That lets you take everything forward for a while and gives you time to decide what dedicated astro camera suits you best. Now that I have my new setup working well I am making a saddle for the DSLR to sit on top of the scope and I plan to have that taking wide-field data for whatever part of the sky I'm imaging. Smashings comment about the gear not holding him back right now is very pertinent. Once you have a setup that works consistently then you are practising everything else from framing to processing. So, no real advice, just some rambling thoughts and experience 😉 Michael

There's a rig set up on another remote host site for sale on https://www.astrobuysell.com/uk/propview.php?view=167104 I have no connection to this, just noticed it last night. Get 10 people together as a club, figure out a sharing protocol all can agree on and it's maybe doable? Michael

There's a thread for that! 🤣🤣

I have 2 spare which have a 60 mm long thread. If that's any good to you PM me your details and I'll pop one in the post. I got them for my custom designed pier - couldn't find them for sale singly any cheaper than the pack of 4 was! Michael

Have a look at the website https://www.lightpollutionmap.info/#zoom=9.45&lat=55.8555&lon=-4.1978&layers=B0FFFFFTFFFFFFFFFF This shows the sky 'darkness' and should be centred around Glasgow. You can then look at places you can get to and see what the difference is from where you are. All the best Michael

I used these from Amazon. https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00B2HP3A2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I had 2 x10m running from my laptop USB port to an unpowered hub. That fed my Canon 7D, Starshoot Autoguider camera and EQ5 Pro mount. Only the SSAG was drawing power from the USB so I got away with it. I've just bought these and am setting them up for a link between my new pier and the house. They worked fine on a test cable but not used in anger yet. https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01EV33R8S/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Michael

If running cables where they might be affected by condensation they should ideally be run into the bottom of whatever they are going into - whether that's a device or a partition of some kind. If that can't be done then go in the side but position the cable with a 'swan neck' bend so that any condensation will run away from the termination. Providing a drip point lets you control where the water will end up. Michael

Listening to one of my favourite podcasts today they report that Betelgeuse is about 25% smaller and closer than previous estimates. The article includes a chat with one of the papers authors. Michael. PS. No points for mentioning the Father Ted sketch!

A Creality Ender 3 can be had for under £250 depending on the specific model. It has a build volume: 220x220x250mm Maybe you should just buy a 3d printer - it'll keep you occupied when the clouds won't go away 😆 Michael

It's absolutely feasible. Roundness won't be an issue either but strength might depending on what it was used for. What about smoothness? Finer surfaces take much longer to print. Michael

Why not ask on the forums there? The developer often responds in person. https://forums.sharpcap.co.uk/ Michael

I'll reply from my meagre store of experience. I have over 3 hours of M31 lights using a QHY10 OSC (-25c) which have similar noise and from seeing others unprocessed images I'd say yours were quite typical. A lot of the skill in processing seems to be in reducing noise while retaining faint detail. I'm surprised that you have spent twice the time taking darks as lights - more data is always going to improve an image. Hope that helps Michael

“It pays to keep an open mind, but not so open your brains fall out.” — Carl Sagan

Here's a recent thread discussing computer advice... https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/363274-pc-for-processing/ Michael

I hadn't considered that Andrew so if I have made any wrong assumptions based on that I'll apologise. Michael

The video was titled "Japanese space mission that may have proved Panspermia" which is contradictory. They either proved it or they didn't. A correct title might have said the mission investigated the possibility. You then confused the issue by posting "We Now Have a Definitive Proof Of Panspermia Being Possible" which is not what the video claims - even in its clickbait title. In science ideas are floated and tested. Those that get through initial tests get investigated in more depth. An idea might become a hypothesis which might become a theory which might become the widely accepted. This process doesn't come about from lots of people trying to prove that the theory is correct, it comes about by lots of people trying to prove it incorrect and failing. Videos like this make hysterical claims about whatever by doing exactly the opposite that science does. They never actually contribute to people learning something, they add to confusion simply to get clicks or views or whatever the makers desire. Cable TV is full of 'Ancient Aliens' and garbage like that because it's cheaper to make, easier to exagerate and more sensational than real science. You might think I'm rude or offensive and I apologise if I've hurt your feelings. That won't stop me from condemning anyone for pushing anti science sensationalist nonsense. Michael

I don't understand what anyone gets from spreading such anti science nonsense. There's too much of this on cable TV and the internet where people take a couple of facts or opinions and then invent sensationalist rubbish just to get attention. Try real science sites like https://www.youtube.com/user/TheRoyalInstitution/videos where real science is presented in an interesting and informative way. Michael

Windows file explorer can show all sorts of tags belonging to a file but it can't show fits data. Does anyone know of one that does? Thanks Michael

Send me the file and your address by PM and I'll get it done this week. Michael

After much advice here and thanks to a friend of a friend I took delivery of this today. 1.3 m high, many kilograms heavy! It's been treated with zinc phosphate primer and will get a couple of coats of Hammerite or equivelant before planting. This weekend I'm running Cat6 cable out to the plinth and starting to build the equipment box which will be fitted to the bottom of the mount. Michael

My understanding is that guiding benefits from slightly soft focus so doing it by eye would be fine and even then it might need slightly defocused. Michael

WHat a fantastic image! Is this the type of filter you are using? https://www.firstlightoptics.com/light-pollution-reduction-imaging/optolong-l-enhance-narrowband-deep-sky-imaging-filter.html ? I might need to ask Santa for one 🙂 Michael