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New Zealand Trip

moondog

By moondog
in The Astro Lounge

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moondog

moondog

Posted
Posted

Since the house hasn't sold yet in the UK we are going out to NZ for a long trip. This has enabled me to persuade the Chief Packer (Female Grade 'A') to let me take more astro equipment than usual.

As well as the 350D and photo tripod I've just got a WO ZS66 as a carry on scope. Since we're taking the laptop (with my astro software) I'm popping in the QHY6 CCD as well as the B&W rechipped Toucam.

I've got a contact to borrow/get an EQ2 mount with an RA drive when I get to NZ. I can leave this with my daughter when we return to the UK.

The 350D will enable wide field milky way shots - with more data than I've prevoiusly been able to get on a fixed photo tripod. Connected to the ZS66 at prime focus it will be able to just about keep the Large & Small Megallanic Clouds in the frame.

The QHY6 is only mono(no room for the filter wheel though), but it's very light and sensitive. It will also work OK without the power supply to the TEC cooling. I'll take the lead in case I can get suitable power. It will enable close ups of Omega Centauri, Tucanae, etc.

The web cam (and Barlow) will enable me to take AVI's of the moon and Jupiter and its moons. With the 0.5 focal reducer I would like to see if the webcam can image Omega Centauri, since the webcam is very sensitive and OC is mag 3.5. The focal reducer will mean that I can image at F3 with the ZS66. The typical NZ dark skies should help.

I've also contacted a local astro society who have an observatory on a dark site and I shall try to go to their monthly meetings. Once I'm out in NZ I'll make sure I send some reports to SGL about the sky 'down under'

MD

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barkis

barkis

Posted
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Well, you will be able to expand on what you managed to get during your last visit MD.

Those were pretty impressive with the limited equipment you had with you then, so we can look forward to some great results from Southern Skies from episode 2 hopefully. :)

Ron. :lol:

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Sam

Sam

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Shame your house hasn't sold yet! I'm looking forward to your posts of the southern sky. There's a bit of a southerly blast hammering the country at the moment so take your raincoat and your gumboots! :)

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Rosanella

Rosanella

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It should be quite a treat :-) , being able to see the southern skies withought light pollution and your kit will produce fabulous pictures.

I've been invited to Rotorua (NZ) in February, and all going to plans it should be a great holiday :-) It will be a matter of packing guitar and binoculars. No problem about finding space for the binos, it's the space for the guitar that's going to be quite challenging unless......I'll take a ukulele :)

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moondog

moondog

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Steve/Ron. Hoping to get better pics this time - the ZS66 from Flo looks the business for a quality carry on scope.

LB - Yes I know the weather isn't good at the moment - luckily we aren't going out until August - weather might have picked up a bit by then.

Rosanella. You'll enjoy Rotarua - don't be put off by the rotten eggs smell as you drive into town - you get used to it after a few days!

I haven't been able to take my guitar with me to NZ and I'll miss it for this long trip. Still last time we hired a house it came with a guitar - even if it was a nylon strung classical one. Uke's seem popular at the moment and they'd go on a plane no problem. Aren't uke's tuned 'my dog has fleas'?

The dark skies of NZ are always a revelation, to say nothing of the different constellations and DSO's. Have a good trip.

MD

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moondog

moondog

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Have a good trip John, and keep 'checking in' on the forum.

Going to be 'down-under' again myself, around October/November time.

Looking forward to seeing some of your images.

Dave

Dave - I hope you enjoy your 'down under' trip as well. I'll still be there when you come out.

MD

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  • 4 weeks later...
Rosanella

Rosanella

Posted
Posted

Rosanella

Looking in the NZ Astronomical Yearbook 2008 it gives two contacts for the Rotorua Astronomical Group as :- Brian Holden tel 07 576 5389 and Pan Finlay tel 07 576 9577. They may know of a local starparty.

This contact also organises a Starparty in the North Island around mid January.

http://www.astronomynz.org.nz/stardate/

MD

Thank you for that :D

Hi Dave,

Have a great trip spend some time myself in them parts, felt as if I could touch the Milky Way

Neil

That's just what I'd love to do. I have forgotten what is like to see a sky full of stars.

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