Show us your set up in action at night.

[wimvb]

1 hour ago, Obsession 30 said:

Here’s my baby

In its cradle.

That ladder reminds me of pictures I've seen of those gigantic 19th century scopes with brick wall mount.

[iPeace]

[Sunshine]

Last night I had the absolute most unforgettable dusk I have ever experienced with my SW 150 Mak. 

Seeing was just pristine, I have never had conditions so good as long as I can remember in my 20 years observing. It was as though the atmosphere cleared away for a few hours.

For two hours I discovered the moon as I never have before, details were so crisp, and however high I magnified the image held up, it was something else. I ran out of power with my 9mm but I could have gone down to 5 without issue. Multiple layers in sloping crater walls were visible where I hadn’t seen before. 

I took a hand held phone shot, it isn’t nearly as sharp as was the view at the eyepiece, neat still.

I soon won’t forget May 24, the day I saw the moon from orbit.

[Stu]

9 hours ago, Sunshine said:

Last night I had the absolute most unforgettable dusk I have ever experienced with my SW 150 Mak. 

Seeing was just pristine, I have never had conditions so good as long as I can remember in my 20 years observing. It was as though the atmosphere cleared away for a few hours.

For two hours I discovered the moon as I never have before, details were so crisp, and however high I magnified the image held up, it was something else. I ran out of power with my 9mm but I could have gone down to 5 without issue. Multiple layers in sloping crater walls were visible where I hadn’t seen before. 

I took a hand held phone shot, it isn’t nearly as sharp as was the view at the eyepiece, neat still.

I soon won’t forget May 24, the day I saw the moon from orbit.

It’s wonderful when you get nights (or evenings) like that isn’t it? That is a fantastic smartphone shot, one of the best I’ve seen!

[Chris]

Here one of mine in action. Dew shield very temporary until the Astrozap arrives.

[Stu]

Not sure this counts as ‘at night’, but best I could do. OMC140 on Vixen GP mount. Was forced in by the hummingbird sized mosquitoes though!  

[Stub Mandrel]

14 hours ago, Stu said:

Was forced in by the hummingbird sized mosquitoes though!  

What is it with mosquitos this year? I go outside for a few minutes in et evening and my ankles are covered in midges, the house seems to be a magnet for big mossies. I squashed one and it left a huge splash of MY blood on the wall, I've still got a lump four days later ?

It's like being in Scotland.

[Stu]

2 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

What is it with mosquitos this year? I go outside for a few minutes in et evening and my ankles are covered in midges, the house seems to be a magnet for big mossies. I squashed one and it left a huge splash of MY blood on the wall, I've still got a lump four days later ?

It's like being in Scotland.

I’m guessing they just didn’t get killed off over the winter? To me they seem bigger than ever!

[Stub Mandrel]

[Littleguy80]

Mr Dobson enjoying some twilight time with the GRS this evening 

[Sunshine]

All excited here, getting set up for a night of Jupiter imaging, going to be a night of good seeing and transparency!

 

Edited June 15, 2018 by Sunshine

[Stub Mandrel]

Out last night with the 130P-DS.

In 'High ISO mono' mode:

With flash, at the cost of a sub! Guidescope out of view at the back.

[JohnSadlerAstro]

Yes it was (almost) night, but the camera decided to do a 1 sec exposure not a flash. Hence the blurring.  

OpticStar 90S f/8.8 on old EQ2 trampoline mount in the foreground, ready to bounce its way to Jupiter, and then the Deep Sky rig with 130PDS on EQ5 in the background. The brickwork of the front path seems to be suffering a bit under the weight, but hey. ?

John

[Sunshine]

2 minutes ago, JohnSadlerAstro said:

Yes it was (almost) night, but the camera decided to do a 1 sec exposure not a flash. Hence the blurring.  

Thats quite a setup there, must earn you a good share of curious peeks out the windows from neighbours houses!

[JohnSadlerAstro]

Just now, Sunshine said:

Thats quite a setup there, must earn you a good share of curious peeks out the windows from neighbours houses!

Thank you ? 

Yes several of the neighbours come out and chat/look at stuff, yesterday evening I was given a mini USB hub which will be perfect for connecting up the guidecam and DSLR! It's nice that other people are interested in astronomy, too.

John

[Sunshine]

13 minutes ago, JohnSadlerAstro said:

It's nice that other people are interested in astronomy, too.

Yes, that interest usually turns to horror once they start asking about cost lol.

[iPeace]

On the Lunar X.

[Stu]

That's quite a stack under the eyepiece you've got there Mike! Can't quite make out what it is?

Which motor focus unit is it? I had a couple of Baader Steeldrives which I enjoyed.

[iPeace]

8 minutes ago, Stu said:

That's quite a stack under the eyepiece you've got there Mike! Can't quite make out what it is?

Which motor focus unit is it? I had a couple of Baader Steeldrives which I enjoyed.

Glatter Parallizer screwed on to a 2" Baader Fine Tuning Ring (basically an extension tube), with a Baader parfocalizing ring clamped on as a spacer. Need all this to reach focus with most of my EPs as the focuser tube is a bit too short. New Newt will come with Baader SteelTrack which has longer tube.

Motor unit is a TS job; the OO focuser seems to come from the same manufacturer. I swapped out the right-hand knobs, and it fits and works perfectly.

[Forunke]

No Idea how to scale down the video... hope it's ok

Decided to play with one DSLR while the other was shooting...

~1h timelapse of my Nikon D5200 imaging through the Omegon Pro RC 203/1624 with a ZWO 120MC on a 50mm guidescope mounted on top of a Skywatcher HEQ5 Pro.

Already replaced the D5200 with a ZWO ASI 294MC Pro Color and a stronger mount should arrive in a few weeks.

[Sunshine]

There's something so darn cool about watching a scope track in time lapse.

[Sunshine]

It's been a great summer so far for planetary, with Venus shining bright at dusk, then Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars all making their way past the large gap, between my home, and the next one over. I can't count the nights where i watched the planetary parade as it mede its way across the sky, this has been a real treat really. This is my first year with a Mak scope, and boy did it deliver, what a little gem it has been, i am happy at the moment, a bino viewer is in my near future and i can't wait. In the meantime, let the parade continue, watching our solar system literally revolve is the greatest show ever.

[RiponJas]

37 minutes ago, Sunshine said:

In the meantime, let the parade continue, watching our solar system literally revolve is the greatest show ever.

Couldn't of put it better squire. ? 

And here's my frac watching jupiter whilst the light drops.  Was a stellar night for me. Best I've had. 

Edited August 5, 2018 by RiponJas

[Sunshine]

6 minutes ago, RiponJas said:

And here's my frac watching jupiter whilst the light drops.  Was a stellar night for me. Best I've had. 

And what a cracking Frac you have there, have the greatest night, friend.

[RiponJas]

1 minute ago, Sunshine said:

And what a cracking Frac you have there, have the greatest night, friend.

Many thanks. And that is why I love using this forum. ?