Arp84 with 10.4m GranTeCan

[alexch (Alex)]

Originally Posted by strongmanmike

Just had another look at the time lapse...you must have been pinching yourself

The star trails in the big scope mirror is just genius.

Mike

Mike, you may not believe it - I was cursing the rechargable batteries in the Teletrack mount when I came to change the camera position 4am and found out that it stopped panning about an hour before I came. Only later, when I looked at the additive star trails result I realised how thick the sliver lining was.

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

Originally Posted by alexch

Mike, you may not believe it - I was cursing the rechargable batteries in the Teletrack mount when I came to change the camera position 4am and found out that it stopped panning about an hour before I came. Only later, when I looked at the additive star trails result I realised how thick the sliver lining was.

It will take all of Fred and Phils creative new fangled magic and a UFO or something in the backgroud maybe?..to top that one though - you have'em in the bag, they may as well give up from a competitive stand point, it's a brilliant shot

I would love to team up with you some time and get a handle on this time lapse movie with the DSLR thingy, would be a sort of Iti-Slav union in heaven of big guys

Mike

[Paul Haese]

Lovely work Alex. The main image of the 10.4 is pretty cool and I don't think I have ever seen this object before in an image or otherwise.

I like the wide field shots too and the animation is pretty cool. Well done once again on the win and what an excellent prize. Must put this in my diary to enter next time.

[Octane (Humayun)]

Congratulations again, Alex.

I haven't had the chance to read your blog post yet, but, I'm in complete awe of the image of the interacting galaxies. I couldn't have picked a more beautiful object to capture.

It was great to catch up with you at Parkes, too.

I will forward you pictures from the Dish soon.

H

[alexch (Alex)]

Originally Posted by strongmanmike

I would love to team up with you some time and get a handle on this time lapse movie with the DSLR thingy, would be a sort of Iti-Slav union in heaven of big guys
Mike

That's a great idea! You will need a wide angle lens, the wider the better. What DSLR do you have?

[alexch (Alex)]

Originally Posted by Paul Haese

Lovely work Alex. The main image of the 10.4 is pretty cool and I don't think I have ever seen this object before in an image or otherwise.

I like the wide field shots too and the animation is pretty cool. Well done once again on the win and what an excellent prize. Must put this in my diary to enter next time.

Thanks Paul. I looked at more than 2000 galaxies from Sloan Digital Sky Survey before choosing this one.

I am not sure STARMUS will be an annual event, but the director of the Festival mentioned VLT and Keck as possible prizes for the next contest when it happens.

[alexch (Alex)]

Originally Posted by Octane

Congratulations again, Alex.

I haven't had the chance to read your blog post yet, but, I'm in complete awe of the image of the interacting galaxies. I couldn't have picked a more beautiful object to capture.

It was great to catch up with you at Parkes, too.

I will forward you pictures from the Dish soon.

H

Thanks, H! Likewise it was great to catch up with you in Parkes.

[jase (Jason)]

Speechless! What a buzz Alex. Would be hard to come down to earth I would imagine. Excellent images accompany the post. <two thumbs up>

[Lester]

Thanks for sharing your experience Alex. To be in the same place as the first men on the Moon, plus use the 10m scope just blows my mind. All the best. Honestly I don't know how one can top this.

[gregbradley]

What was the focal length and F ratio of that scope?

Greg.

[alexch (Alex)]

Originally Posted by jase

Speechless! What a buzz Alex. Would be hard to come down to earth I would imagine. Excellent images accompany the post. <two thumbs up>

Thanks, Jase. Indeed every morning I am confronted with an issue of justifying getting out of bed knowing that my 10.4m Dob is so far away

[alexch (Alex)]

Originally Posted by Lester

Thanks for sharing your experience Alex. To be in the same place as the first men on the Moon, plus use the 10m scope just blows my mind. All the best. Honestly I don't know how one can top this.

I still have trouble believing it all happened. But images and videos are pretty good evidence it did

[alexch (Alex)]

Originally Posted by gregbradley

What was the focal length and F ratio of that scope?

Greg.

The primary mirror is f/1.65 and the f/l at the Nasmyth focal point is 170 metres.

[gregbradley]

170 metres, wow and we think 3 metres is long focal length.

Greg.

[rally]

Sure its not 17m ?

[marc4darkskies (Marcus)]

Oh Alex! I'm so friggin' envious!

Well done mate and beautiful choice for the 10m!

Cheers, Marcus

[alexch (Alex)]

Originally Posted by rally

Sure its not 17m ?

Positive.

[alexch (Alex)]

Originally Posted by marc4darkskies

Oh Alex! I'm so friggin' envious!

Well done mate and beautiful choice for the 10m!

Cheers, Marcus

Thanks, Marcus! I spent a few nights going through about 2000 galaxies in SDSS before choosing Arp84.

[DavidU (Dave)]

WOW !! The mirror is as big as my backyard:thumbs up:

[gary]

Hi Alex,

Where does one begin? The blog, the choice of object to image on the GranTecCan, the
image itself, the new timelapse - all absolutely fantastic.

Years from now if you ask most IceInSpace members if they recollect what they
were doing in that particular week of June 2011, I doubt few would remember.
But if you then mentioned that was the week you went to the Canary Islands, then
all of us will remember that, and in that way, I guess, we have all lived through
you, both through your words and pictures. So thank you for helping share the experience.

And good luck for the future.

Best Regards

Gary Kopff
Mount Kuring-Gai NSW