ICEINSPACE
Moon Phase
CURRENT MOON
Full Moon 99.5%
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28-08-2007, 08:51 AM
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Moderator
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Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: NEWCASTLE NSW Australia
Posts: 33,159
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Quote:
Originally Posted by iceman
LOL thanks Dennis, lucky I got a haircut on the weekend
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yes he has a wonderful head and has the looks for radio
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28-08-2007, 09:18 AM
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Starcatcher
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Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Gerringong
Posts: 8,532
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Quote:
Originally Posted by OneOfOne
Wait for the 10:40 update, I am sure they will change their mind...they always do!
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Hope so or I'm getting on the road - heading north!
Last edited by erick; 28-08-2007 at 10:22 AM.
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28-08-2007, 09:54 AM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Monto
Posts: 16,738
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Hello to everyone reading this from Mt Kilcoy Primary, Kilcoy Primary and Kilcoy High Schools.
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28-08-2007, 09:57 AM
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Dazzled by the Cosmos.
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Join Date: May 2005
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 11,708
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Well hello Teachers, Helpers and Children - I hope Jeanette has ensured that you are all as enthused as we are about tonight's total lunar eclipse. It promises to be a spectacular event and I hope you all get to see it.
Cheers
Dennis
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28-08-2007, 10:23 AM
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Starcatcher
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Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Gerringong
Posts: 8,532
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Kilcoy Rules! OK!!
Have a great evening!
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28-08-2007, 10:23 AM
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Registered User
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Join Date: May 2006
Location: Adelaide
Posts: 781
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dennis
I think that the true Lunar Rate varies in both RA and DEC in a non-linear manner. I think that the Gemini controller (a la Losmandy) re-calculates the Moon position in real time every hour and that’s how it manages to track the Moon.
Cheers
Dennis
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Thanks for that. I found this:
RA tracking speed adjustment: Enables fine adjustment of RA speed. It is useful for observing Moon and Sun, which are moving accross the sky not exactly in sidereal speed.
from this web site
http://www.pk3.org/Astro/index.htm?a..._mount_da1.htm
Perhaps I can simply adjust the RA rate?
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28-08-2007, 10:39 AM
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Dazzled by the Cosmos.
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Join Date: May 2005
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 11,708
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Quote:
Originally Posted by swannies1983
Thanks for that. I found this:
RA tracking speed adjustment: Enables fine adjustment of RA speed. It is useful for observing Moon and Sun, which are moving accross the sky not exactly in sidereal speed.
from this web site
http://www.pk3.org/Astro/index.htm?a..._mount_da1.htm
Perhaps I can simply adjust the RA rate?
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Something else to try if you have the HW and SW capability.
Just guessing here, but I would assume that if you can connect your mount to a computer running a planetarium program such as SkyTools, Starry Night Pro or The Sky, then the tracking commands sent to the mount are likely to be accurate positional data based upon real time calculations?
They probably wouldn’t account for refraction, etc?
Cheers
Dennis
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28-08-2007, 10:44 AM
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Registered User
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Join Date: May 2006
Location: Adelaide
Posts: 781
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dennis
Something else to try if you have the HW and SW capability.
Just guessing here, but I would assume that if you can connect your mount to a computer running a planetarium program such as SkyTools, Starry Night Pro or The Sky, then the tracking commands sent to the mount are likely to be accurate positional data based upon real time calculations?
They probably wouldn’t account for refraction, etc?
Cheers
Dennis
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hhmmm...I'll have a look into it. Just in regards to your first reply, I found this:
Because the Moon orbits the Earth, its RA and Dec change during the course of the night. The lunar tracking rate compensates for the RA component of that change; there is no compensation for the changes in Dec. While sidereal rate can certainly be used for visual lunar observing, the lunar rate will do a better job keeping the Moon centered in the telescope' s field of view. Since the Moon is relatively near the Earth, even the location on Earth where you are observing must be taken into account. The lunar tracking rate therefore takes the parallax into account by calculating topocentric instead of geocentric positions. Gemini computes the tracking rates by calculating the current position of the Sun or Moon and the position one hour later.
http://www.visionwebhosting.net/aust...iGuide0028.htm
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28-08-2007, 10:54 AM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 936
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Weather for melbourne: the outlook is better than it was this morning. The 16:05 update will be interesting, especially if the current weather holds.
From BOM:
Forecast for Tuesday
A brief shower or two developing this afternoon. A partly cloudy day with a
moderate westerly wind tending southwesterly.
Precis: Late shower.
City: Max 20
cheers,
DJDD
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28-08-2007, 11:40 AM
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Vagabond
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Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: China
Posts: 1,477
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Me and some of my students may go down to the river to see the eclipse tonight. I just hope its not too cloudy, It has been overcast in Yangshuo over the last couple of days.
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28-08-2007, 12:20 PM
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Moderator
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Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: NEWCASTLE NSW Australia
Posts: 33,159
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bit of high cloud here so far, hope it leaves. heaps of cloud off the coast though
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28-08-2007, 12:34 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 47
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Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology
Queensland
Brisbane Forecast
Issued at 11:10 am EST on Tuesday 28 August 2007
Warning Summary
Nil.
Forecast for Tuesday
Fine. Light winds and an afternoon NE seabreeze.
Precis: Fine
City: Max 25
Bayside: Max 24
UV Index: 6 [High]
Forecast for Wednesday
Fine. Light winds and an afternoon NE seabreeze.
Precis: Fine
City: Min 11 Max 25
Bayside: Min 9 Max 23
Thursday Fine Min 11 Max 24
Friday Fine Min 11 Max 24
Saturday Fine Min 12 Max 23
Sunday Fine Min 12 Max 23
Monday Fine Min 12 Max 24
The forecast for Paradise is perfect as usual.....though there is some light cloud around at the moment. But I'm sure that'll clear later in the day!!
Good work Mike. I'll be keeping my 3yo twins up for the evening's display - well at least some of it. Bub's first full lunar!
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28-08-2007, 12:37 PM
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Lord Lissie
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 233
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Quote:
Originally Posted by OneOfOne
Wait for the 10:40 update, I am sure they will change their mind...they always do!
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Hopefully once the westerly kicks in, it will break things up. At this stage, it looks like it's going to be patchy from Melbourne.
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28-08-2007, 01:00 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: May 2006
Location: Burpengary
Posts: 619
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Who'se Been Buying Astro Gear Today?
HEY If you have bought astro gear today, take it back to the shop IMMEDIATELY this afternoon Yesterday not a cloud in the sky. Today, the big day, in Brissie lunch time sky three quarters cloud. AAAAAGGGGHH
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28-08-2007, 01:36 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Beautiful SE Tassie
Posts: 4,734
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Eclipse
Hi all .. looking promising here in Townsville with mostly clear skies, tho pretty windy. Will be ready and waiting for tonight, Luv the exact times in the side bar for eclipse . Good luck all.
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28-08-2007, 02:25 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Adelaide
Posts: 658
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completely clouded in here, doesn't look like its going to disappear in a hurry either
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28-08-2007, 02:35 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: May 2006
Location: Adelaide
Posts: 781
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Quote:
Originally Posted by monoxide
completely clouded in here, doesn't look like its going to disappear in a hurry either
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Be positive! It's clearing a little down south at the moment
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28-08-2007, 02:57 PM
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Moderator
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Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: NEWCASTLE NSW Australia
Posts: 33,159
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high cloud still in newcastle with some clear spots
Just been and got a new sensor lead for the cooled camera after the cord wrap at Duckadang and last night both the illuminated reticled batteried died, matched wit hthe high cloud and a full moon = no drift alignment - will have to do a quick one before 6 50pm on both mounts. All I need is at least 60 seconds of no star trails and I will be a happy man!!
so for me I have a normal canon 400D on the vixen R200SS, an ed80 for viewing strapped to the top, the G11 mount will have the meade 10 LX200R with a 6.3 focal reducer and the cooled canon 350D on top with a 200MM f2.8 lens. no guiding. I will try to upload images when I get a chance for those who might miss out down south.
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28-08-2007, 04:18 PM
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portmac.com
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Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Port Macquarie, NSW
Posts: 162
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Patchy cloud here in Port Macquarie NSW, looks like thicker clouds coming in from the west and only a slight breeze at the moment.
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28-08-2007, 04:22 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 21
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cloud loves to ruin every astronomical event for me
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