ICEINSPACE
Moon Phase
CURRENT MOON
Full Moon 99.7%
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22-08-2014, 10:23 AM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Mornington Peninsula, Australia
Posts: 3,950
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Melbourne - excellent conditions tonight!
Could it be? finally - a combo of factors that seem rarer than a venus transit, cloud cover predictions between 1-5% all night, windspeed 1-5km/h, Jetstream at 20-40kts, the waning crescent moon at 11.2% and rising at 4.30am.
Better free the schedule and prepare the thermos, though it seems like one night only!! Be there!
Rusty
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22-08-2014, 10:25 AM
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Not enough time and money
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Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 2,133
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Don't jinx it Russell
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22-08-2014, 10:47 AM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Mornington Peninsula, Australia
Posts: 3,950
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Quote:
Originally Posted by traveller
Don't jinx it Russell
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haha I know ... i think we are safe - I took one for the team during the Saturn occultation when my mains to dc power transformer blew up just before it kicked off
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22-08-2014, 12:40 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Renmark, SA
Posts: 2,980
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Was out early this morning. Decent seeing and good transparency.
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22-08-2014, 12:46 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Kinglake West
Posts: 717
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I think you jinxed it.
Totally clouded out here now.
I did have a session planned for tomorrow night, but moved it to tonight, now its clouded over.
Fingers crossed it will pass.
Last night was good.
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26-08-2014, 11:25 AM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Mornington Peninsula, Australia
Posts: 3,950
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didn't jinx it in the end... was a fruitful night for me, I managed to get my system polar aligned and guiding for the first time ever - was pretty stoked. and I managed to repeat the results, setup again lastnight woohoo!
am working on my first 'real' images now. left the scope out last night with the aim of some more tonight and maybe even the next couple of few nights although tomorrow night is probably cloudy.
there is a flood light a few properties across lighting up the universe, i'm not sure how to deal with this in terms of getting it turned off and with my images - it wasn't a serious problem with the goto dob. the gradients could be a serious killer.
also, the dew was getting out of control lastnight!!
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26-08-2014, 12:43 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Kinglake West
Posts: 717
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Hi Russell,
No you didn't jinx it in the end, it turned out to be a great night.
Had some excellent views thru Paul's 18" SDM.
Glad you got your PA and guiding sorted, it makes a big difference to the results.
Last night looked good early but didn't last as a heavy fog rolled in, soaking everything in its path.
Tonight is looking very good at the moment so hopefully it stays like that.
Cheers
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26-08-2014, 06:07 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Renmark, SA
Posts: 2,980
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Anyone seen the latest forecast for Melbourne?
Had to smack myself across the face to make sure I wasn't dreaming.
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26-08-2014, 08:49 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Mornington Peninsula, Australia
Posts: 3,950
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This unexpected wind is not welcome!!!!
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27-08-2014, 02:22 AM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Renmark, SA
Posts: 2,980
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Just came inside from a very decent night. Usable magnification up to 400x and very good transparency. Unfortunately got clouded out at 1.30am.
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27-08-2014, 09:15 AM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Greenvale, Victoria, Australia
Posts: 372
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Infamous IISer erick who is back from Israel for a brief visit, dropped by my place last night to check out the SDM and get some decent southern hemisphere viewing.
Seeing was great last night with stars rock solid all night, but transparency was poor. Lots of moisture was in the air, and light pollution from my outer suburban skies limited what we could see.
Nevertheless erick had the honours of target selection and piloting the SDM. We did a Planet Nebula and Globular Cluster tour in Sagittarius. Unreal how many targets are in that part of the sky. It also really helps when you have somebody who really knows Argo Navis driving too
The SDM has pretty decent dew prevention so despite the scope and all my gear absolutely dripping by 11pm, the secondary remained 100% clear and primary about 95% - so no problem there.
Absolutely great night and fantastic to catch up with somebody who first taught some of the basics of Astronomy at my 1st Snake Valley camp about 6 years ago.
As expected by those that know me, view of the night was 47Tuc
Paul
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29-08-2014, 09:42 AM
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Starcatcher
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Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Gerringong
Posts: 8,532
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Many thanks Paul. We had a great few hours and you've got a beautiful SDM scope that will delight for years. Saturn was so bright (big mirror) and we could trace the Encke division around the entire visible ring disc!
I got a great dose of the sky I cannot see from the northern hemisphere. That, and Paul's enthusiasm, will keep me going for the next year until we hopefully visit again.
Note to self: next dob must have ServoCAT tracking!
ps. Six week old grandson is doing just fine!
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29-08-2014, 11:43 AM
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Dazed and confused
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Join Date: May 2012
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 3,268
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Perfect day conditions but fog each evening currently make me want to cry.
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31-08-2014, 03:06 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Renmark, SA
Posts: 2,980
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BIG session last night! Bagged a whole hoard of planetaries and galaxies.
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31-08-2014, 07:08 PM
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Fast Scope & Fast Engine
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Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Broken Hill N.S.W
Posts: 3,305
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Just get out there.
Cheers
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31-08-2014, 07:12 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 2,460
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I have been rather apathetic of late (for over a year actually) but I dragged the TEC160FL out last night for a shot at Saturn. I was able to view at 300X with a LE 3.6 eyepiece. Started off with a look at the Moon and Wow, what a scope. Saturn did not fail to impress although condition were not perfect for 300X so I pulled back to around 200X.
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31-08-2014, 07:15 PM
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Not enough time and money
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Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 2,133
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Had a great session last night.
Only glitch was when I accidentally pulled out the USB to EQDIR cable just I finished drift alignment so had to power off and redo the lot.
Managed to have a go a imaging the triffid nebula, but it was getting low, so switched to 47 tuc and managed to get some half decent subs.
Cloudy tonight, guess it's recessing time.
Bo
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31-08-2014, 08:43 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Renmark, SA
Posts: 2,980
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Last night was a bit unusual in the variability of the seeing. Started off pretty decent, then became excellent for a short period around 11pm or thereabouts, then turned to custard after that. At one point I had clear airy disks at well over 300x, then an hour later, stars were quivering and jumping around at half that magnification.
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