I'd come, excepting I've committed to taking a lovely young lass out for dinner and a movie... I did everything I could to organize it differently, but as you know Peter, my 'free time' schedule is limited at best... I might get a chance to do some photography from the back yard with any luck..
Cheers.
Alex
just to clarify....you are talking astrophotography aren't you??
just to clarify....you are talking astrophotography aren't you??
Adam
Is there any other type of photography one would bother to undertake? haha
Peter.... Oh. My. God.. If anyone ever fires a cruise missile at you, I would strongly recommend you hide behind that monument you call a mount and scope... I'd bet anything that massive metallic contraption would stop any and all ordinance in its tracks! Quite the sky sucker!
Thanks again for another great night. Good to see the C14 up and running.
I'm sure you will work out that control software. At least the Polar Alignment is close.
Thanks again for another great night. Good to see the C14 up and running.
I'm sure you will work out that control software. At least the Polar Alignment is close.
Cheers Matt and Geoff
Thanks guys. CHeck out Tandum's 'trio' in the Astro_Imaging section. He manager a few beauts - particularly Corona Australia which is right up there with Rho Oph as one of my all-time favourites.
Figured out some of the 'issues' with the Titan - it was in the worm on Dec - some adjustment required and now waiting for tonight to see how it performs.
Peter.
Folks, contrary to previous announcement, Brett (observatory automation nut) won't be here in October. Try to wrestle with your disappointment and come anyway. The saturday 9th is the present plan, with Friday 8th also available for the desperate.
Peter.
The good news is that the dams and tanks are all full, the water levels in the bore are at record levels, the ground is wet, the grass and trees are growing and the cows are getting fatter than blimps.
The bad news is that the Bureau forecast is for more of the same without any break in sight for the next week at least.
I think the last decent night of seeing we had was on the New Moon in September and that was one night only. Probably one night in two or three months. So I won't cancel this weekend yet but forewarn everyone that unless the weather totally breaks by Tuesday I will - mainly because the access tracks will need that long without more rain to be trafficable by the weekend.
Matt and I would like to come up, weather permitting. Just let us know if the tracks become impassable and you have to cancel.
Pete, I 'm not sure how you are going with polar alignment of the Titan but I saw this site which Mark and Adam the teachers from the Sunshine Coast have designed.
Under Tutorials there is an easy drift alignment using K3CCD Tools. Might be worth keeping if only for future checking.
Pete, I 'm not sure how you are going with polar alignment of the Titan but I saw this site which Mark and Adam the teachers from the Sunshine Coast have designed.
Well, who knows? The nights have been hard to predict. Even though the skies have cleared later in the evenings, the high humidity has made seeing fairly poor and condensation a real issue as the temperature drops. Still, it hasn't rained since Sunday and the access road is fine. So, we might as well proceed on the assumption that we will "have a go" on Saturday - subject to any late shifts in weather of course.
Peter.
Well, it seems to be pretty clear that this New Moon is going to be wet, wet, wet. The latest from BOM this morning has the whole state under a very wet blanket that is not going to clear for several days yet. So as much as I would be happy to have the pleasure of your company, I think I have to cancel this weekend.
I will keep the door open for the following weekend though. We've had so little sky these past few months that you're probably like me and willing to settle for a bit of moon-glow as the price for some seeing.
Peter.
Might even clean the sensor 
That looks better.
