The Astronomy hobby thread

[masraum]

Great stuff, Eric, thanks for posting!

[Eric Hahl]

Thanks Steve.

[masraum]

So weird. I was out in the yard today picking up the stuff from doing archery with the grandson. I saw something shiny on the ground. It was a thumb screw. It is identical to the thumbscrew in my diagonal, but I'm not missing any thumb screws. I guess now I've got a spare thumbscrew.

[RNajarian]

Eric are any of the Starlink satellites photobombing your long exposures ?

[Eric Hahl]

Originally Posted by RNajarian

Eric are any of the Starlink satellites photobombing your long exposures ?

Yes, along with airplanes and other satellites. Processing software easily removes the them. That's the magic of using lots of sub exposures. It can compare and see what's not natural and remove it.

[Eric Hahl]

I'm cameraless right now. Had the dreaded oil leak onto the sensor with my ZWO camera. They are replacing it for me but the process takes a few weeks.

Image is not my sensor but it gives an idea of the problem. Leakage cause by thermal pads used in the design I guess.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by RNajarian

Eric are any of the Starlink satellites photobombing your long exposures ?

Originally Posted by Eric Hahl

Yes, along with airplanes and other satellites. Processing software easily removes the them. That's the magic of using lots of sub exposures. It can compare and see what's not natural and remove it.

Yep, it's shocking how much stuff you see in a normal viewing session, starlink, other satellites, boosters from past launches, etc.... It's not unusual for me to get distracted by a satellite and chase it.

Originally Posted by Eric Hahl

I'm cameraless right now. Had the dreaded oil leak onto the sensor with my ZWO camera. They are replacing it for me but the process takes a few weeks.

Image is not my sensor but it gives an idea of the problem. Leakage cause by thermal pads used in the design I guess.

Ouch! That sucks, but at least it's getting replaced.

[Eric Hahl]

Woohoo! Got my replacement camera on Friday. Was able to get it out under the stars Friday and Sunday evenings this weekend. Each of the following are 4 hours of exposure.

First is the Cygnus wall.


And the Crescent.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Eric Hahl

Woohoo! Got my replacement camera on Friday. Was able to get it out under the stars Friday and Sunday evenings this weekend. Each of the following are 4 hours of exposure.

First is the Cygnus wall.


And the Crescent.

Really spectacular, Eric! I can only imagine how good they look in hi-res.

[Eric Hahl]

Cygnus area.

A 4 image mosaic. Each panel 1.5 hours of exposure. Captured Friday evening.



Can't wait for tomorrow's WEBB images!

[flatbutt]

One of these days I'm gonna convince you to let me come out there and sit at the right hand of the master for instruction.

[Eric Hahl]

Aww shucks. Thanks Flat. Master, lol, no. Not this guy.

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by Eric Hahl

Aww shucks. Thanks Flat. Master, lol, no. Not this guy.

BTW the PoleMaster is the real deal!

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Eric Hahl

Cygnus area.

A 4 image mosaic. Each panel 1.5 hours of exposure. Captured Friday evening.

Again, really great stuff!

Can't wait for tomorrow's WEBB images!

Yep, I just saw that, and can't wait!

Originally Posted by flatbutt

One of these days I'm gonna convince you to let me come out there and snooze at the right hand of the master for instruction.

FIFY.

I have always been a night owl. If left to my own devices with no responsibilities, I'd probably be up until the early morning hours. But two weeks from today, I will have been on an early work schedule for 7 years. I've gotten used to it. I'd have a hard time staying up late enough for AP. Give me 2-4 weeks of staying up late and sleeping in, and I'd be a night owl again, but I don't see that happening.

[Eric Hahl]

Originally Posted by flatbutt

BTW the PoleMaster is the real deal!

Right on! Glad it's working out for ya.

[Eric Hahl]

Originally Posted by masraum

I have always been a night owl. If left to my own devices with no responsibilities, I'd probably be up until the early morning hours. But two weeks from today, I will have been on an early work schedule for 7 years. I've gotten used to it. I'd have a hard time staying up late enough for AP. Give me 2-4 weeks of staying up late and sleeping in, and I'd be a night owl again, but I don't see that happening.

Guess what? I set it all up in advance and let the computer do the heavy lifting. I can press start and go to bed. Wake up in the morning and the scope is parked and shut down. But, I usually don't. I still like being out there to monitor the progress and just look up while it's doing its thing.

[Eric Hahl]

Here's a larger version of the shot if interested. When looking at this patch of sky with just your eyes you can see maybe 5 stars.

https://scontent.fhio2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/291940689_5541183105925903_4947402841763795932_n.j pg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=730e14&_nc_ohc=yVHnhbztOiQAX-exFrh&tn=3J5zF2Y_gydf1r39&_nc_ht=scontent.fhio2-2.fna&oh=00_AT8yxrhfTDvylSBEDFGFJTGwO6IZf4t86xLZhc59V61z Rg&oe=62D1C9F2

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Eric Hahl

Guess what? I set it all up in advance and let the computer do the heavy lifting. I can press start and go to bed. Wake up in the morning and the scope is parked and shut down. But, I usually don't. I still like being out there to monitor the progress and just look up while it's doing its thing.

I was in a thread with and exchanged a few PMs with a guy on CloudyNights with 8x C14s and 4x C11s. I asked him if he used them all for imaging.

He told me:

Yep, they are all used for imaging ...

... and they are all running each evening, kind of like sky "roomba's" flitting from target to target ... they aren't much of a trip hazard, they are spaced out on piers about 15ft apart (so I have room for the windbreaks)

[Eric Hahl]

Dang! And here I am with 2 small scopes and one mount!

[Pazuzu]

I've been really happy with Celestron's "All Sky Polar Alignment" process, but it is WAY more work than something like a Polemaster. I used to do drift alignment when I would test a client's scope, which would take 30 minutes or so. The ASPA is as fast as pointing to and centering 6 bright stars, I can usually do it twice in 15 minutes and be within 1 arcminute.

That being said, since Eric mentioned set and forget scopes, I just worked on a CGX-L, Celestron's top of the line, "dome ready" scope, meant for autonomous use. Even that mount has issues in that on random days it doesn't see the RA home switch, and runs away upon startup. Sure, a true remote dome wouldn't power the scope down, but what if? When you buy a $5000 mount, you expect that it can see the home switches every time, just in case...