- This topic has 2,633 replies, 51 voices, and was last updated 1 week, 6 days ago by
.
-
Posts
-
Was anyone thinking of heading to Eagle Bluff tonight? The sky is clearing and the CSC is definitely looking good now. Not sure if I want to head out that far if no one else is going.
We're going to head out to Keller. Getting late now, for me, for Eagle Bluff. 😉 If you go, have fun out at Eagle Bluff. Or, see you at Keller. 🙂
[quote author=Jeff Newland link=topic=233.msg4413#msg4413 date=1301704441]
We're going to head out to Keller. Getting late now, for me, for Eagle Bluff. 😉 If you go, have fun out at Eagle Bluff. Or, see you at Keller. 🙂
[/quote]
That suits my schedule.Kirk
There were other cars out there, not sure where they were at or what they were doing. It was pretty windy, so we came back home. Good luck and have fun out there.
Luka and I had some nice views. Mostly binoculars work: Orion Nebula, Pleiades, Double Cluster, Leo Triplet, Sombrero, Owl Cluster, Beehive, Crab Nebula. In Auriga: M36, M37, M38. Found M35 in Gemini then looked unsuccessfully for NGC 2174/2175 across the way in Orion. M101… What else?
Luka was busy imaging away and I can't wait to see his final version of the Great Nebula in Orion. The single, raw frame he showed me was fantastic!
We ended the night around 12:30 with some splendid views of Saturn.
It was a great night for collecting antique photons!
Kirk
Good for you fellows to get out on Friday. Too bad I guessed wrong on which night would be clear.
I got out tonight for one hour. I waited until the Twins got beat by the Yankees (close but no cigar) and then headed out. It was still breezy, but doable. Then I kept getting these cloud banks that just kept rolling thru like freight cars. I did manage to get NGC 4346 for my Herschel 400 list, but other than that, it was binocular looks at old fav's like the Perseus Double Cluster, the Pleadies, the Orion Nebula, M35 in Gemini.
Thank God for binoculars. They are light and quick.
One really positive note: it's getting warmer!
i went to the keller parking lot as suggested twice now, last night and a couple days ago. it's a good spot. figured out how to use the celestron 8 and got a few shots with my DSLR. waiting on the radial guider and a barlow to complete the setup:) saturn is tiny without the barlow but the moon was alright. focus wasn't too good i have to set up a directory monitoring program on my laptop to help with focus. here's what i got last night:
also question about nebulas, i pointed my scope at the sword of orion last night before it set, and did a few 5 min exposures just to see what i could pick up. didn't seem to capture anything on the image but stars, is that because of the IR filter in the camera? i thought i'd get a hint of something at least. karsten
Attachments:
Did you check to make sure the nebula was in your field of view? The sword of Orion is a big place when you're talking about 30 arcminutes Field of View. The nebula can be faintly seen in 10 seconds for sure.
[quote author=Luka link=topic=233.msg4428#msg4428 date=1302222290]
Did you check to make sure the nebula was in your field of view? The sword of Orion is a big place when you're talking about 30 arcminutes Field of View. The nebula can be faintly seen in 10 seconds for sure.
[/quote]yeah i wasn't too precise in aiming the scope, i guess without a go-to mount i'm a little lost trying to find something like that. i'll use cart du ciel and really zoom in on on the location to try and get a better fix on it- thanks:)
It might be a finderscope issue. If you have a hard time getting what you see in the FOV, make sure that what you have in your cross hairs is visible in your OTA.
The finders can get out of whack pretty easy with all of the hauling around involved. Orion's sword is a big target, you shouldn't have had too hard a time picking that one up.
[quote author=Dean Johnson link=topic=233.msg4431#msg4431 date=1302397783]
It might be a finderscope issue. If you have a hard time getting what you see in the FOV, make sure that what you have in your cross hairs is visible in your OTA.The finders can get out of whack pretty easy with all of the hauling around involved. Orion's sword is a big target, you shouldn't have had too hard a time picking that one up.
[/quote]k i'll get out tomorrow in the day and make sure they're all lined up, i think it is a bit off yeah
Make sure you re-align it when you set up your scope for imaging as well, unless you just move it out on a dolly without taking it apart. Did you see the Orion nebula in your finderscope when you tried?
[quote author=Luka link=topic=233.msg4433#msg4433 date=1302553842]
Make sure you re-align it when you set up your scope for imaging as well, unless you just move it out on a dolly without taking it apart. Did you see the Orion nebula in your finderscope when you tried?
[/quote]did a 30s exposure and seemed to get a cluster of something but not sure. have a canon 40d coming so i can use live view and nebulosity to get a decent focus, that should help. put together a 10 shot composite of the moon and a shot of saturn both from last night, the barlow helps a lot:)
Attachments:
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.