The Astronomy hobby thread

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by Eric Hahl

^
Never said I was an astronomer. Welcome to the 21 century folks, it ain't gonna get any less satellites. Wish I'd be here long enough to see city lights on the unlit side of the moon.

You'd need to fly there to see them. I can't even imagine the seeing from the surface of the Moon.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Pazuzu

You're not an astronomer.

Meaning, every second of time that an astronomer has under dark skies at a research telescope is valuable. They wait months or years for their 1, 2, *maybe* 3 nights at a scope, and every minute of dark time is accounted for. 10% of the images having a satellite flare across it would ruin a years worth of planning and grant funding.

Also, BIG scopes with BIG cameras are far more sensitive than your astro-rig, obviously. You might take 13 hours of one location, 5 minutes at a time and toss the bad 10%. They might take 10 minute exposures at 100 different locations in a night, so any that have a satellite might be an entire data point ruined.

Research imaging is a very different beast than astro-imaging. Variable stars, spectroscopy, occultations, all imaging runs that cannot afford to have a satellite scream across the chip flaring the CCD.

Great info for us regular folks.

[Pazuzu]

Originally Posted by Eric Hahl

^
Never said I was an astronomer. Welcome to the 21 century folks, it ain't gonna get any less satellites. Wish I'd be here long enough to see city lights on the unlit side of the moon.

I hope I didn't come off as condescending.


I knew researchers that wouldn't image within 10 degrees of Jupiter or Saturn, because the glare was too much. Others wouldn't go below altitude 50 or 60 degrees, leaving a small circle of zenith to work from. One professor working on variable stars would (famously and annoyingly) take hundreds or thousands of darks and flats, running the camera for hours into the daylight with the dome closed and the slit sealed with tape to prevent light intrusion. We couldn't do any daytime work around the scope when she was sleeping, while her flats were running.
THOSE people are the ones complaining about satellites. Imaging one of these new zero magnitude satellites going by, that would completely wash out a research CCD

That being said, there is research which is immune to bright sky objects. Thin slit spectroscopy is pretty ambivalent to ambient light. Positional astronomy (double stars, stellar motion, etc) doesn't really need high accuracy magnitude info. Planetary work, obviously. Solar work, duh. Checking out Mary Jane in her bedroom (ha!)

[Eric Hahl]

I understand astronomers complaining. However, my problem is with astro photo peeps like me complaining about a non-event. These posts are prevalent on the astro photo forums. We're not doing science, we're making pretty pics or at least trying too.

Edit: I also dislike when someone calls themselves an amateur astronomer when all they do is star gaze.

[flatbutt]

At least my solar imaging efforts are immune to everything except clouds and wildfire smoke.

[Pazuzu]

Originally Posted by Eric Hahl

We're not doing science, we're making pretty pics or at least trying too..

I agree. Also, as simple as astro-imaging is these days (you can nearly buy your way in to imaging) they have no right to whine. A satellite streaking across your 40 minute hand-guided film image was something to whine about.

[flatbutt]

https://sky.esa.int/esasky/?target=13.104583333333332%2056.565&hips=DSS2+color&fov=0.9987499605349399&cooframe=J2000&sci=false&lang=en&jwst_image=weic2315c

I came across this site. It may be fun once I figure out how to use it. If you use it please share any tips.

[flatbutt]

For those not in position to view todays eclipse

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KgI2nb2Nv8&ab_channel=HighPointScientific

[masraum]

We're going to drive about 1.5 hours and hopefully, the clouds comply with our efforts. It's completely clear here, but San Antonio is supposed to be "partly cloudy". Fingers crossed!

[jcwade]

Best I could get from LA. Three minutes after maximum.

[Zeke]

Damn, jc, that is great!

[bugstrider]

Originally Posted by jcwade

Best I could get from LA. Three minutes after maximum.

Fantastic shot!!!!!! We were mostly clouds and the camera couldn’t get a clear shot through the welding glass


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[masraum]

We drove almost to San Antonio (just past Seguin), 96 miles. We found a neighborhood that was under construction (only finished roads so far) and stopped in what will be a cul-de-sac. I grabbed my "eclipsmart" binoculars and my 8" solar filter. It was partly cloudy at first, but we got several nice views of the partial before the total. The clouds completely cleared before the ring of fire and we had about 4 mins of total eclipse. Then we watched a few mins of the partial.

It was a great trip. There was quite a bit of traffic on I10 westbound (there always seems to be) and hardly any traffic east bound on the way back.

I didn't take my camera, and didn't try anything but a quick snapshot through the solar filter with my phone. It worked OK when it was still partial, but not at all once it was just a ring of fire (the phone over exposed the frame). I'll get the appropriate filter and take my camera for the eclipse in April next year.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by jcwade

Best I could get from LA. Three minutes after maximum.

That's a great shot, fella!

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by Zeke

Damn, jc, that is great!

No kidding!

Rainy and obscured all day here so, thanks, JC.

[masraum]

It looks like my drive in Apr to get a good view will be about 150-160 miles.
https://www.greatamericaneclipse.com/texas-2024-eclipse

[flatbutt]

I plan to set up camp somewhere to get some pix of that one.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by flatbutt

I plan to set up camp somewhere to get some pix of that one.

I'm thinking that we'll end up somewhere between Copperas Cove and Fredricksburg on that map. One of those two, or Llano, Lampasas, etc.... The town with the most to offer would probably be Fredricksburg. We'll be driving ~150-160 miles for that one. The missus is talking about getting a place to stay for a night or two.

[masraum]

For you fellas that shoot solar, what sort of filter are you running on your camera? Most seem to be 15-20 stop with the bulk of them being 16.5 or 18.

This seems like an interesting link.

https://www.canon.com.au/get-inspired/solar-eclipse-photography-tips-astrophotographer-phil-hart

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by masraum

For you fellas that shoot solar, what sort of filter are you running on your camera? Most seem to be 15-20 stop with the bulk of them being 16.5 or 18.

This seems like an interesting link.

https://www.canon.com.au/get-inspired/solar-eclipse-photography-tips-astrophotographer-phil-hart

I'll be using my Lunt solar scope but my binos will use a Baader film.