Nigella Bryant

I love red assessories, lol.

Thanks Gordon and Steve. Just been digging the central hole today and trench for the armoured cable.

Welcome back to the hobby, enjoy the darker skies. I moved last November to darker skies, brilliant, you can't count the stars.

Drain pipes arrived for the pire build, it looks boring but I'm excited to get project going, lol.

Hiya, yeah, bungalow is built on rock, had to be dug out as it was originally a steep slope I've been told. I've lifted some slabs and can't dig down more than about 50mm before hitting rock.

Hi all, starting this new post about the build of my pulsar dome. It will of course contain the needed repair of some of the dome sections after thieves tried to lift it off at it's old address. Building materials have begun to trickle in with drain pipe being used for the central pier. Used these successfully before in my RoR observatory. Pic of them in place in my RoR.

Hi all, I'm going to start a new post on erecting and building the dome. Building materials are trickling in now and should have everything by end of next week.

Hi, yeah, I agree, decided concrete blocks cemented down and rod bolts cemented into blocks and bolted in the wooden frame. All ordered now so I'll be posting about the start to finish of erecting the dome, lol. Work hopefully starting end of next week after delivery of all the building materials. Soryy if it'll be the end of the sunny weather then, lol.

Those look interesting Swoop1, I'll look into that. Save all the hard work, lol.

Hi all, about to press the order button on building itmes for the base of the pulsar dome. A question before I do. I'm going to put the dome on a wooden frame of 1500mm x 50mm timber. I've got a patio where it being positioned so I'm wondering to just lay the frame on top of that or first lay rows of building blocks cemented down with bolts which the frame would be bolted to. Don't really want to do a complete concrete base. So the question is first do block rows or jus to lay the frame on the current patio. Many thanks Nigella.

Lovely to see cak proms, well done.

Thanks, appreciate it, least I'd taken all my equipment away to my new address. Just looking forward now to rebuild it at my new home. Least I've gone from bortal 8 to bortal 3 skies, lol.

The Moon is approximately 1,700km in size and Mercury is approximately 2,400km. With a big enough telescope based on Mars I think you would see the earth and moon transit the sun. Of course this depends on the orbital elements too and if or how often this would occur from Mars view point.

Wow, that is good.

Hi all, just posting Solar image observations the 11th Novembers Mercury Transit. Lunt 60mm DS pressure tuned and DS tilt tuned, Zwo Asi 120mm camera. Software used, Autostakker3, ImPPG and Photoshop CS2. Reprocessed using ImPPG.

Hi all, just posting Solar image observations from the 21st and 25th May 2020. Lunt 60mm DS pressure tuned and DS tilt tuned, Zwo Asi 178mm camera. Software used, Autostakker3, ImPPG and Photoshop CS2.

Hi, thanks, I am planning on using a steel plate because of where the damage is near the wheels..just waiting for everything to be delivered.

Great obsy, hum, I'm thinking now, keep it white. Love the Conifer idea.

I was thinking dark green but after your experience not sure now, trouble is white stands out like a sore thumb and wanted something not so obvious.

Hi kris, welcome, great peps and advice on this forum. Best around. Have fun with your new hobby. Word of warning, don't fall in the black hole of aperture feaver and astrophotography like some os us do, myself included, lol.

I've looked on skysafari and from next year I'll be able to see Jupiter above the trees and Mars this year so all in all it seems below 20 degree's doesn't matter. At least for the next several years with Mars, Jupiter and Saturn getting higher in the sky. I've lots of DSOs that I can see too from the location. Pointing East there is more light pollution so not really bothered about that restriction from the bungalow. South East to South, South West is the best area of sky so seems it'll be good despite the restrictions in West through to North East. At least I'll be able to polar align as I can see North from 40 degrees up.

Added pics, after using skysafari against the sky it seems nothing below 20 degrees not 10. Worse than I thought unless I put it on the bank. Attached are pics looking in the different directions.

Hi Jeremy, I've most circumpolar from 20 degrees upwards looking north. Nothing from North North East till East. Then from East to South West I have sky. I'm also in a valley so nothing from about 10 degrees and below because of trees and other houses. Hope that makes sense. Hopefully try and take some pics of horizons in each direction. If I put the dome on the back like the RoR then I'd have more sky but means a lot more work and of course cost.

Great news, glad it's been fixable, great to see. Well done.

Hi all, after collecting my dome from it's previous home I'm at the stage of where to place it. For the sake of easiness I've decided this position in the photos. It's going to be put on a small wall of approximately 40cm high. Made of blocks plus timber frame of 75x75mm to which the frame and the dome will be bolted. It will be eventually painted dark green and a fence built in front so only the dome bit will be visible from the road. Comments welcome, lol.