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February 15, 2026
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Activity

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  • Profile picture of fealeybob14

    fealeybob14 replied to the topic Observing tonight? in the forum General Discussion 2 years, 11 months ago

    Thank you Jim! Must admit I am taken with the quality of this refractor. I’ve also “revived my old Canon T5 Rebel camera and the eyepiece projection components that had been gathering dust. The spring (looking ahead of course) night sky is great for seeing the most first magnitude stars. Wanting to test that AT80ED telescope further I have…[Read more]

  • Profile picture of darkskyjim

    darkskyjim replied to the topic Observing tonight? in the forum General Discussion 2 years, 11 months ago

    great image, thanks for posting it! as soon as you were talking about the telescope
    at the meeting i wondered how Orion nebula would look with it 😉

  • Profile picture of fealeybob14

    fealeybob14 replied to the topic Observing tonight? in the forum General Discussion 2 years, 12 months ago

    Whoops. I have downsized the image below.

  • Profile picture of fealeybob14

    fealeybob14 replied to the topic Observing tonight? in the forum General Discussion 2 years, 12 months ago

    Another clear evening and just had to go out with the AT80ED to observe and photograph. Below is a 32 second view of M42 using the recovered refractor and Orion 6.3 MegaPixel camera.

  • Profile picture of John Martin

    John Martin replied to the topic NASA Exoplanet Watch Citizen Science project in the forum General Discussion 2 years, 12 months ago

    I forgot to mention that you do not need a large telescope to participate. The speaker said that some of the participants use telescopes as small and 3.5″

  • Profile picture of John Martin

    John Martin started the topic NASA Exoplanet Watch Citizen Science project in the forum General Discussion 2 years, 12 months ago

    I attended an exoplanet lecture yesterday put on for the Solar System Ambassadors about the latest exoplanet findings and part of this lecture touched on a topic that might be of interest to some of you. I mention this because the presenter (Rob Zellem) is doing a deep dive into this topic at an upcoming Night Sky Network on Feb 23rd that we are…[Read more]

  • Profile picture of darkskyjim

    darkskyjim replied to the topic Observing tonight? in the forum General Discussion 3 years ago

    nice Bob!

  • Profile picture of fealeybob14

    fealeybob14 replied to the topic Observing tonight? in the forum General Discussion 3 years ago

    Thanks Josef! Finally, the image below, (while not a true masking effect), shows how combining a previous evening’s longer exposure of M 42 with a shorter exposure highlighting the trapezium allows some detail to be seen in the bright center of M 42 and the “bat wing” appearance of the nebula.

  • Profile picture of Josef Chlachula

    Josef Chlachula replied to the topic Observing tonight? in the forum General Discussion 3 years ago

    Great Trapezium area exposures animation! Basically we can see nebula isophots on each grooving exposure. Thanks for sharing.

  • Profile picture of fealeybob14

    fealeybob14 replied to the topic Observing tonight? in the forum General Discussion 3 years ago

    Absolutely!
    Doing some observing with that small refractor donated to the club last meeting (AT80ED, 3.1 inch F7). After Jay and I cleaned it up I obtained an Orion motorized mount from Randy and got out the last 2 nights to observe and image with the scope and my Orion 6.3 Mpixel camera.
    The file below is an animated gif of the Trapezium area of…[Read more]

  • Profile picture of Rob Reid

    Rob Reid changed their profile picture 3 years ago

    Rob Reid

    @robreid

    View Profile
  • Profile picture of fealeybob14

    fealeybob14 replied to the topic Armchair Observations in the forum General Discussion 3 years ago

    Comet 96P Machholz is back in the SOHO C3 sky swinging around the sun and at perihelium today (see the SOHO gif movie below.  The last visit I believe was around Oct. 29, 2017.

  • Profile picture of fealeybob14

    fealeybob14 replied to the topic 2023 January Meeting Minutes in the forum Meetings 3 years ago

    P.S.  The mouse is photoshopped!  A dead mouse was NOT found!

    Bob

  • Profile picture of fealeybob14

    fealeybob14 replied to the topic 2023 January Meeting Minutes in the forum Meetings 3 years ago

    Hello Randy

    Minutes reviewed; thanks.  (BTW the last name is spelled Fealey).  Jay and I have done an initial cleaning of the AT80ED refractor.  I have a brief Power Point presentation on our efforts I will send it to you either here as an attachment or via your email.  Haven’t had it mounted for a star diffraction test but have viewed some ter…[Read more]

  • Profile picture of Randy H

    Randy H started the topic 2023 January Meeting Minutes in the forum Meetings 3 years ago

    January 13, 2023 meeting minutes.

  • Profile picture of darkskyjim

    darkskyjim replied to the topic Observing tonight? in the forum General Discussion 3 years ago

    that’s an awesome image!

  • Profile picture of Mike Benson

    Mike Benson replied to the topic Observing tonight? in the forum General Discussion 3 years, 1 month ago

    That was an image of Thor’s Helmut, Southern Hemisphere, Telescope Live 50cm telescope, Chile, edited in PI and PS.

    Mike Benson

  • Profile picture of Mike Benson

    Mike Benson replied to the topic Observing tonight? in the forum General Discussion 3 years, 1 month ago

    Thors helmut

  • Profile picture of Rob Reid

    Rob Reid became a registered member 3 years, 1 month ago

    Rob Reid

    @robreid

    View Profile
  • Profile picture of fealeybob14

    fealeybob14 replied to the topic Observing tonight? in the forum General Discussion 3 years, 1 month ago

    The December 30th early evening (6:30 pm) sky was great for observing the moon and Jupiter with the 4.5 inch Starblast telescope. I had purchased the Orion 2x Shorty Barlow and was eager to try it with the Orion 6.3 megapixel camera. Was happy to easily get a sharp focus at approximately 150 magnification. In the photos below the moon was a still…[Read more]

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Upcoming Events

Feb
27
Fri
6:30 pm Public Sky Observing 2026-02/27 @ Oxbow Park
Public Sky Observing 2026-02/27 @ Oxbow Park
Feb 27 @ 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Public Sky Observing 2026-02/27 @ Oxbow Park | Byron | Minnesota | United States
Presentation by Randy Hemann When the Sky Glows: How the Northern Lights Work Auroras have inspired myths and scientific inquiry across various cultures and throughout history. In this talk, we will explore the interactions between solar activity, Earth’s magnetic field, atmospheric chemistry, and human perception that create these stunning light displays. The colors and visibility of auroras depend on altitude, [...]
Mar
10
Tue
7:00 pm RAC Monthly Meeting March 2026 @ TBD
RAC Monthly Meeting March 2026 @ TBD
Mar 10 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Please come to the Rochester Astronomy Club monthly meetings! These meetings are free and open to the public. Each month we will try to bring you a different presentation and share observing notes and tips. Agenda will be published on the Sunday before the meeting. We are offering these meetings in a hybrid fashion, you can attend either in person [...]
Mar
27
Fri
8:00 pm Public Sky Observing 2026-03/27 @ Oxbow Park
Public Sky Observing 2026-03/27 @ Oxbow Park
Mar 27 @ 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm
Public Sky Observing 2026-03/27 @ Oxbow Park | Byron | Minnesota | United States
Beginners guide to the Astrophotography Presentation by Michael Benson Astrophotography captures the breathtaking beauty and secrets of the cosmos. It requires specialized equipment to collect faint light over long exposures, revealing details invisible to the naked eye. From capturing the vibrant colors of nebulae to the majestic dance of galaxies, astrophotography allows us to witness astronomical phenomena in stunning detail, pushing [...]
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