Nigella Bryant

After my 20yr old Neq6 died I was after a decent weight bearing mount. Perhaps I over weighted the Neq6 with triple scopes, lol. All three scopes come to around 18/20kg not including auxiliary equipment so a beefier mount was needed, hence the new Cq350 arriving today. It certainly is beefier, lol. This is for my solar scopes so I've been out of action for a couple of weeks and the Neq6 had intermittent issues leading up to it's demise.

Yeah, I'll post my take on it after I've had a few sessions under real life conditions.

Just pushed the button on a CQ350 mount head, gulp. My 20year old Neq6 died last week. It was my solar scope mount so a big miss. It was well used so can't grumble. I'm hoping this new mount will be a great work horse until I poke up the daisies, lol.

It's called not freezing your b*** off, lol. I've heated gloves and heated back pad under my coat, lol. Nice and cozy, lol. I don't care what I look like. Although I could be mistaken as someone about to take something not belonging to them in my black balaclava, lol.

Trying to observe and image Jupiter again tonight between the fast moving clouds, quite frustrating. Lovely detail between the clouds of the GRS, festoons on the lower to EQzone of the NEB and the continuing disturbances following the GRS in the SEB. Of course me all wrapped up warm and cozy, lol 😆

I have the A3 version

Had a four hour stint on Jupiter last night.

Yes, you're right John, the GRS is disturbing the SEB. My image taken in December highlights this.

Just in after a four hour stint on Jupiter. Fairly well defined features this evening. 8pm showed the NEB with two large blue festoons going into the Eqzone. At the northern region of the NEB was what looked like three white ovals. SEB at this time looked fairly bland but with several knots on the southern part. By around 9.30pm there appeared a festoon to the South East of the SEB. Observed Io disappear behind Jupiter later and Europa and Ganymede transiting the Southern Tropical zone area. A great evening.

Someone wrote on cloudy nights "it is a rasa 6 on a little robotic mount,, a little much for a beginner, it was leaked a while back"

Lovely delivery from FLO of the ZwoAsi 462mm. Especially for lunar and possibly RGB planetary imaging. I'm hoping it might contain snow though, don't get it here, non since 2018. Sorry peps I love snow ❄️

Northern hemisphere produced from WinJupos from image taken on 27th November 2023. C11, Zwo Asi 462mc and 2.5x powermate.

Jupiter 14th November 2023, C11 plus Zwo Asi 462mc, 2.5x powermate. Software used Autostakker3, Registax6, WinJupos for de-rotation and colour tweaked in PS2.

Uranus imaged on 15th November 2023, C11 plus Zwo Asi 462mc, 2,5x powermate, Software used Autostakker3, Registax6 for wavelets, colour tweaked in PS2

Loosing a well beloved pet is really devastating, a lot of people don't understand how we can feel so lost. It's hard because it's just as real as if we've lost a family member, (which of course it is). Hopefully the more you get back into this hobby the more enjoyment of life you'll feel.

AP is certainly a black hole for your bank account, there's no escape once you've been trapped, lol 😆

Tweaked your image a little in PS. Hope you don't mind, well done. The data is there to bring out.

I just installed a DIY wifi alarm system for both observatory. Connected to the indoor security box and alarm. Simple to install. Both observatories and equipment are covered on my home insurance with specific items listed with value.

Hi all, just visited the museum of the moon this afternoon. Quite impressed. If you have a chance of going near you, take that chance, especially if you've got young children. Great conversation starter.

When it's cloudy I tinker with the scopes and do the processing of the image's taken during the brief clear period we've gotten these past few months. My solar observations are well down from 10days a month during the autumn/winter to only one or two days. Never known anything like it. I hope it's just a blip and not the accumulated effects of global warming on observing here in the UK in the autumn/winter, ie, wetter autumn/winter, hotter spring and summer as a forecast of possibilities of global warming here in the UK.

I was spoiled again, off axis guider, moon atlas, mini pc, 1Tb SSD and a heated seat for my observatory chair.

Jupiter 27th November 2023. C11, ZwoAsi 462mc, 2.5x powermate. Software used SharpCap4, Autostakker3, Photoshop CS2.

Shush, keep it quiet, lol 😆

I've not known an autumn like it 😭

Hi Reggie, I used mu C11 and a ZwoAsi 462mc camera with a 2.5x powermate.