A non-eclipse moon!

[mag10]

Hello all,

This picture was taken on June 15th, the night of the lunar eclipse, which happened to be a rare night of good weather around here,

BUT...

I'm in North America where the eclipse was'nt visible!!!

(typical).

Nice yellow colour though (taken at moonrise). No after-processing.

First picture taken with my "Lightweight kit":

-Skywatcher 102mm refractor (500mm FL, F/5);

-EQ-1 (RA motorized);

-Canon Powershot A490 (10MP);

-Generic Skywatcher 10mm EP (One of two EPs that came with the OTA. They work well enough for me!)

-Orion variable polarized lunar filter (set at around 25%).

Projection shot, camera held by

-Orion Steadypix DL bracket.

F/3, ISO 200, 1.3 sec.

Although the OTA, camera, and accessories were a bit heavy for the EQ-1, and the tracking was somewhat lagging, the Earth's rotation was sufficiently countered to permit a relatively decent shot.

[stolenfeather]

Wonderful shot! The moon was rising yesterday and I would have loved to have taken a shot but my porch's banister was in the way. There are times when I wish my telescope wasn't as big! I need my husband to move it (without bothering the collimation of course).

Isabelle

[mag10]

Thanks Isabelle!

That's why I'm really happy with my new "little" kit. (Everytime I want to observe, I have to set up on a shared balcony, and getting my C-8 out is a real heavy operation. I don't always have the time (or the will!) to move all that metal).

I'm really fortunate. I can do the big production, or do the "grab n' go" thing!

To me, astronomy should be enjoyable, and now I have another way to appreciate the sky. I'm really having fun!

Jerome

[stolenfeather]

I have a small telescope I use when out camping Jerome. Since some trekking is involved, it has to be small and very portable. Of course I don't have the aperture of my scope in the north but when I'm far out,... where there is absolutely no light pollution then why speak of aperture?

I can watch the night sky to my hearts content being lulled by the song og the loons, great horned owls and sometimes,.. coyotes. Now how perfect is that?

Isabelle

[mag10]

I see the scope you plan to take on your camping vacation is a 4.5" reflector that you qualify as "tabletop". I started with a 5" reflector that was also, initially a tabletop affair.

In my old appartment, I had to move to the park to observe, and the best spots were always devoid of picnic tables so I fitted my scope to a big camera tripod that had a universal joint that permitted slewing up, down, and sideways. (An ersatz Alt-Az mount in effect). I added two 1.5 liter bottles of water as counterweights for stability. (I did'nt have the money even to spend on a simple Alt-Az mount, so I used what I had). Best move I ever made. I observed 39 times in 3 months with this portable and very stable combination. (Winter months, mind you. In two feet of snow and down to minus 20 C. There was no place I could not use that scope).

My suggestion is that before you leave for your camping vacation, that you get yourself a nice Alt-Az mount for around $200, or retrofit a camera tripod if you have one. That way, the best viewing spots will always be accessible to you.

I've since bought myself that dedicated Alt-Az mount for my trusty 5", and my camera tripod is back where it belongs, under my camera. The control I get with the Alt-Az mount is so sweet. No more jerky tilts every two minutes. Just smooth, enjoyable viewing. And it's much lighter, and as stable as my camera tripod was, but without those cumbersome counterweights.

Of course you may already have that mount, in which case, just ignore the above!

Jerome

[mag10]

PS

Here for your consideration, my 5" Skywatcher reflector in "helioscopic" mode, and mounted on my old camera tripod (which no longer is the case).

(Baader Planetarium Solar filters on both the the scope and the 8x50 finder). This being a truss design, I had to make a skirt for the top half of the tube. The material looks exactly like solar filter, but is just ordinary foil over thick plastic and reinforcing metal rods.

You can see the camera tripod head acting as an Alt-Az mount. Also notice the bag hanging below, containing the counterweight of two 1.5 liter bottles of water (more like ice, on this day!). The tool belt holds my EPs.

(You can see I was'nt joking about the snow!).

Jerome

[stolenfeather]

Thank you Jerome for this added information concerning my portable telescope. I doubt I will be able to purchase one before I leave for my camping expeditions since I lack the time. I arrive in the Laurentians on July 2nd, have a baptism for my godchild on the 3rd and leave camping on the fourth. Yeah,.. I do like to make my life complicated don't I?

I will certainly attempt to look for one before my second expedition though. As for the snow,... I've done that as well.

I'll let you know how my set-up changes over time.

You know,... I do have a small fold-away table that I was thinking of bringing with me camping. My husband and I believed that it could serve an astronomical purpose AND a culinary one when we needed extra room to make supper. I know,.. it's not very impressive but when camping,... we have to pack light!

Isabelle

[Telrad]

Nice photo mag10! I like the yellow - looks good. Thanks for posting!

[mag10]

Thanks Telrad!

At first I thought the vivid colour might have something to do with the eclipse (which was actually hours away), but no. Just atmospherics doing their thing (plus a fair bit of big city pollution, I suspect).

Yesterday I bought an amazing special edition of Astronomy magazine titled "Spectacular Universe" in which every single photo is taken by an amateur astronomer.

(The pictures truly are spectacular, and put my modest efforts to shame).

On page 15 there is a time-lapse of the full Moon rising taken by a fellow in Turkey. The colour progression from greyish purple to red to orange to yellow to white is quite beautiful.

I'm not really a full-fledged astrophotographer. Simple observing is so much less complicated, (and thus, that much more relaxing), but I'm going to try to take a similar shot one day!

Clear skies!