Getting back into back garden astronomy after a long break

[lrh]

Hi all,

Just wanted to say hi and introduce myself - I've learnt a lot by reading the threads and advice on SGL over the years, and now felt like a good time to make an account and get involved proper.

I'm Luke. I started with amateur astronomy in 2015, and then astrophotography later that year. However, I didn't make much progress before heading off to uni to study physics and astronomy, where I couldn't take my gear with me due to living in student accommodation. That means that I've been more-or-less away from back garden astronomy and astrophotography for 8+ years now.

That being said, as part of my degree I spent a year working as a telescope operator / support astronomer at the 2.5m aperture Isaac Newton Telescope at the Roque de Los Muchachos Observatory, La Palma, Spain. I did have my own small imaging rig that I took up to the observatory occasionally, but I never got any images out of it I was super pleased with.

Currently, I'm finishing up a PhD in observational astrophysics, investigating the link between supermassive black holes and galaxy evolution. In my research, I've used data taken with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), the Very Large Telescope (VLT), and ALMA (a radio / sub-mm array in Chile). While I absolutely love my work in professional astronomy, it's very different to being under the night sky, taking images or looking through eyepieces. So, recently I got all of my astro gear out of storage and have started to get back into it.

I'm looking forward to (hopefully) contributing here, although I suspect I'll be mostly asking for advice more often for the foreseeable future 😅. Although, if anyone has any questions about astrophysics, feel free to drop me a message - I'm always up for science talk.

Here is an awful picture of a (very) tired me and the Isaac Newton Telescope after a full night of observing:

 

Cheers,

Luke

 

 

[Paul M]

Wow! some intro!

If you know how to drive that monster behind you, you'll be ok with most amateur offerings... maybe! 🤣

[Floater]

Welcome. Hope you have lots of fun with the amateur side. 🙂

[lrh]

13 minutes ago, Paul M said:

Wow! some intro!

If you know how to drive that monster behind you, you'll be ok with most amateur offerings... maybe! 🤣

Well, I never had to polar align the INT 😅But yes, while operating a research telescope and setting up your own equipment are definitely different skill sets, they do have a lot of overlap, conceptually at least.

 

1 minute ago, Floater said:

Welcome. Hope you have lots of fun with the amateur side. 🙂

Thank you!

Luke

[Ags]

Hmmm, somehow it seems wrong that the Isaac Newton Telescope is not a Newtonian... 😀

I look forward to the results of your efforts. 

[Sunshine]

A big super cluster sized welcome to SGL! I may just have to pick your brain once in a while, I won’t bother you, too much. 😁

[Ags]

8 hours ago, lrh said:

Well, I never had to polar align the INT

Did you have to collimate it?

Edited February 4 by Ags

[Zermelo]

Welcome, Luke.

That photo would win some plaudits in this thread

 

[badhex]

Wow, great intro - welcome!

[dave34]

Welcome to the lounge.

[Pixies]

Welcome.

I dare you to create a new thread "How well is my scope collimated?" - and post your profile picture!

🤓

[Beardy30]

Welcome 🤗 

[lrh]

Thanks all!

18 hours ago, Sunshine said:

I may just have to pick your brain once in a while, I won’t bother you, too much. 😁

Feel free! I'm always up for it.

16 hours ago, Ags said:

Did you have to collimate it?

I didn't - moving the instrument / optical plane itself was a massive job that required a team of technicians and a big crane inside the dome, so I left that to the engineers. That being said I did have to change photometric filters and spectrograph gratings (sometimes in the middle of the night in an open, dark dome), the latter of which involved tilt and rotation correction of both the CCD and the gratings, which isn't super unlike collimation. I also had to fill the CCD enclosure with liquid nitrogen (at the start of the night and at the end, sometimes as late as 8am!), among other things.

[lrh]

14 hours ago, Zermelo said:

Welcome, Luke.

That photo would win some plaudits in this thread

 

Thanks!

Feels a bit like cheating since it isn't my telescope, but I've just posted it in that thread 😅

Luke

[Bugdozer]

Welcome, and congratulations on being Forum Member Least Likely To Get Aperture Fever! 

[Andy ES]

On 03/02/2024 at 22:54, lrh said:

2.5m aperture Isaac Newton Telescope at the Roque de Los Muchachos Observatory, La Palma, Spain.

Welcome, I bet however my CPC925 weighs more than your 100 inch beast 😂

[Pete Presland]

Hi welcome to SGL from Pete in Bedfordshire 🙂