Guys,
a couple of things:
1. this Saturday looks marginal according to SKippy and 7-Timer but Friday looks clear. Anyone who wants to come up Friday is welcome as well.
2. I have to go OS again in a couple of weeks and will be away until the end of October. Which means I won't be here for the next New Moon which falls on 27th October.
Yikes .. that's like 3months off line now isn't it?
Yeah, the usual pattern is working for a few weeks or couple of months while cloudy, then bang just before a clear dark sky night. Sat is bound to be clear now!
Yeah, the usual pattern is working for a few weeks or couple of months while cloudy, then bang just before a clear dark sky night. Sat is bound to be clear now!
Folks, it looks like a good one tonight. The air here is crisp and clear. Barring dust storms and plagues of locusts, I expect a rare night of seeing tonight. Don't miss it.
Peter
It was Peter, Robin/Tandum, Chris/OneCosmos and me. Lovely clear skies and good seeing up until about 2:30am when the fog didn't roll in, just for a change, but the clouds did. I got 6 hours of data on two objects that I started imaging last week, so now it's processing time!
just having a quick check through the subs from last night at TCH (thanks Peter!) and saw this one that looks like a well placed Iridium flare.
Adam
Edit: for those if you who didn't make it last night (that's everyone - I was all on my lonesome ) you missed a great but chilly night. The wind was only intermittent and it was startlingly clear. I had to rug up though - several layers, then ended up climbing into my sleeping bag while sitting at the scope! Got to sleep inside Petes new observatory annexe - much nicer than the floor of the shed!
Congrats on the andromeda shot Adam. Now you're cooking with gas. That tak is an awesome M31 weapon. Good to see that galaxy obsession is still going strong
Will be looking forward to finished image!
Actually I'm surprised you didn't have wind problems - it was cold and bit gusty here in town at least until midnight. I tried a bit of planetary work, until I discovered I'd set up too close to the roof to see Jupiter
Hi Adam,
That's a top shot.
I know where all the wind was..............Carindale.I'm so happy we kept it here away from you....
Bleedin' horrible it was, made even observing ordinary let alone trying to get any pics.
I'm surprised Peter allowed you to be alone with the PMX or did he stay with you cradling a shotgun...........
The wind was a bit of a problem earlier on coming straight out of the west but I was able to manoeuvre the car as a bit of a wind break, and I was mucking around shooting a bit of m7 through the 127 which was good as it was almost straight into the wind. Later on the wind dropped so that it didn't really upset the guiding - although I haven't had a chance yet to look closely through all the subs.
I actually fell asleep at the scope just after midnight and when I woke up I had that groggy feeling that told me to pack and get some sleep.
Still I was mostly happy with the night, a few steps closer to getting my current rig humming. I was able to rig up my camera to run off my deep cycle battery. I cannabalised a dc-dc converter and my cheap eBay canon power supply and from 2 useless devices made one very useful one. Has put an end to my ground loop problems - I hope.
I only wish I had more stamina last night - it was crystal clear from midnight to dawn I believe.
Rick - I think jjj told you that she had given me your QHY12 ( I think it's a 12...?). We'll arrange a handover for a suitable ransom fee!!
