Show us your set up in action at night.

[CraigT82]

Got a nice black aluminium handle from WDS in honour of @johninderby. Very quick look at Jupiter and the moon before the kids bathtime and will have a little tour of some open clusters later. 

Edited February 22, 2023 by CraigT82

[Sunshine]

5 minutes ago, CraigT82 said:

Got a nice black aluminium handle from WDS in honour of @johninderby. Very quick look at Jupiter and the moon before the kids bathtime and will have a little tour of some open clusters later. 

Wonderful scope! looks like a great night! a tour of clusters sound fantastic, especially when I’m expecting a massive snowstorm this evening, I’ll enjoy the tour vicariously through you.

Edited February 22, 2023 by Sunshine

[Captain Scarlet]

Pointing at a very wobbly Jupiter before being engulfed by a cloud-bank:

[Froeng]

Waiting for the clouds to clear…

[AstroGS]

Ok this is not during the night but, it is just a couple of hours before tonight's session started. The first evening with clear skies after 3 weeks!

[rrb24]

A couple from Saturday and Sunday's evening...could not see the aurora from London though 😒

 

 

[WolfieGlos]

Single 20s shot with the rig in action last night aiming at the California Nebula. Set up on my new (second hand) HEQ5 thanks to SGL @ThadeusB with some of the Aurora visible down here in Gloucestershire.

The red streaks were just visible at the peak, the green less so but it was very bright on the horizon and noticable through that cloud....which didn't disappear all night sadly.

[Sunshine]

45 minutes ago, WolfieGlos said:

Single 20s shot with the rig in action last night aiming at the California Nebula. Set up on my new (second hand) HEQ5 thanks to SGL @ThadeusB with some of the Aurora visible down here in Gloucestershire.

The red streaks were just visible at the peak, the green less so but it was very bright on the horizon and noticable through that cloud....which didn't disappear all night sadly.

This image is beautiful! wow I love it!

[WolfieGlos]

8 hours ago, Sunshine said:

This image is beautiful! wow I love it!

Thanks 😀 Canon 77D + EFS 10-18 lens at 10mm. I do begrudge the washing line in the middle though 🤣

[Ratlet]

Just put the big lad out to cool...

(Always wanted to say that 😂)

[AstroGS]

Chasing the needle galaxy tonight - 1st night with clear skies after 3.5 weeks. Using my largest OTA --> Stellamira ED90 Triplet + Asi2600MC

While I am writing this, I realised that I have used the reducer 😒 tonight! Not the flattener - the reducer 🙄

 

[900SL]

2 hours on the Flaming star above Helsinki

[Sunshine]

6 minutes ago, 900SL said:

2 hours on the Flaming star above Helsinki

There's a lot going on here but I think I see the telescope!

[900SL]

1 hour ago, Sunshine said:

There's a lot going on here but I think I see the telescope!

Long exposure with the D610, amazing DSLR

[900SL]

[Paul M]

Here is Big Bertha this evening, seemingly looking at Procyon through the murk. But actually she was taking dark frames. The session abndoned to hopeless cloud cover. 

Edited March 10, 2023 by Paul M

[DaveS]

This was my Big Bertha just after doing a 128 point sky model. There was far too much moon for galaxy imaging

 

[powerlord]

I know I know.. Its not dark yet.. And u was hoping this would be first light, but the forecast is changing every time I look at it.. So.. After 8 weeks I've finally finished my Observatory - The Oiii. 😁

First light tonight is now looking unlikely but its ready to go!

It's certainly been the most challenging DIY project I've done. But I'm pleased with the final result.

 

[ONIKKINEN]

Another frost covered session last night:

The duct tape looking thing with blinking lights and cables going in and out of it looks a bit suspect. Dont think i want to be seen in the public carrying that 😬. But its just an insulated box and a solution to the power station throwing a temper tantrum last time when it shut down due to a low temperature discharge warning. Bits of the packaging it came in, duct tape, aluminium tape and a total cost of 0€ so perfect for the job as far as im concerned.

At the end of the session i thought to look inside the focuser and saw the secondary mirror had partially frozen. First time i have seen this:

Didn't seem to have a significant effect on the images. Edge of field stars might have some extra fuzz and diffraction artifacts, and the flats are only applied well to the latter images (as i took flats last) but the overcorrection seems to be small for the early night ones so i dont think i lost anything to it which is good to know in the future. The primary looks really bad in the image but that's because im shining a light down the tube and focusing on it, it really isn't bad at all and not something i have considered cleaning even a little bit.

[powerlord]

Finally, first light in Oiii (my new obsy).

Abysmally cloudy, but enough gaps to PA Both mounts for first time, and take 8 mins of first light images with my new stellamira 90ed.

Clouded up again for rest of night, but at least it's all setup now for next time.

Some decidedly weird spikes on the images.. I was catching edge of roof which has caused thrm.  I need to adjust to allow to roll back more.

Shooting a cloudy beetlejuice confirmed it, as that's fine.

 

 

 

Edited March 18, 2023 by powerlord

[Sunshine]

Stunningly crisp lunar views between the clouds.

[Franklin]

First clear spell since I got the SD115s and it's out cooling right now, quick gander at the Moon looks very promising.

 

[Mr Spock]

Here's my two just now. The Tak is pointing at the moon. The 12" is just cooling 

[Franklin]

3 minutes ago, Mr Spock said:

Here's my two just now. The Tak is pointing at the moon. The 12" is just cooling 

Fair play to you negotiating all those little stepped areas in your garden in the dark! I'd bust my nose walking around there at night 😁.

[Mr Spock]

4 minutes ago, Franklin said:

Fair play to you negotiating all those little stepped areas in your garden in the dark! I'd bust my nose walking around there at night 😁

I used to take the EQ6 and C925 up there  With my dodgy back you can see why I sold them.

BTW, with my LP, it doesn't actually go dark