Making a come back.

Well Life, and myself got in the way of setting up and imaging but now I am attempting as weather permits, to get back out and image. I went to my friend Andy's home to set up. Andy setup the scope while I tried to sort out the Laptop and software by time we got things going only Mars was available due to incoming clouds. This is the first light using the new Mallincam Extreme.

Well the Mallincam HyperPlus has been shipped to Rock Mallin and upgraded to a Extreme and is on its way back as I type this. so with luck I will be broadcasting on NSN again soon.

Away for awhile.

I just wanted to apologies for being away and for the fact I will be away a bit longer.
2.5 weeks ago My Father passed away and while we were burying him my middle Brother who was in ICU also passed away so life is in turmoil at this time. Once things and emotions settle down a bit more I will return and hopefully will have weather good enough to do some more imaging.
Thank you all for your patience and understanding.

May your skies be dark and your visions bright.

I want to take a moment to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and ask that we remember those that do not have the good fortune to enjoy friends and family this Holiday season. And to our Troops all that have and are or will serve, those in harms way and those returning home injured God Bless you all.

Images from my second Night Skies Network (NSN) broadcast.

     I had a chance to setup the scope again for a Broadcast on Night Skies Network (NSN) and managed to capture 3 images. Images are 2-14 seconds of exposure / intergration. I am a bit out of  focus and the mount is not properly aligned and had a lot of drift issues. These are single frame images not stacked but I will get better.

The first was Jupiter with 3 moons I believe to be Io closest to Jupiter and casting a shadow on its surface, Ganymede, and furthest out Callisto.

The second Image was the Trapezium in the Orion Nebula

The Orion Nebula (also known as Messier 42, M42, or NGC 1976)

The final image of the night was The Eskimo Nebula

The Eskimo Nebula (NGC 2392), also known as the Clownface Nebula or Caldwell 39

The next time I set up I finally learned I had forgotten a step in setting up and had not done a polar alignment which is why I had drifting issues. I will be learning what to do before my next broadcast so I am hoping for much better images and perhaps my first stacked images as well.

So Hurry back and keep checking in as I take you on my journey of learning and discovery through pictures of our marvelous Cosmos.

May your skies be dark and your visions bright!

First Light, First Broadcast, First.... Everything!

     Well today I attempted to get everything set up for the first time but discovered that I had no focal extender so I could not reach focus. My friend Andy helped me try to get everything aligned and came up with the idea of double stacking two barrows with the lenses removed to use as a focal extender. (Update: Only one was needed to reach focus but I am using two one for the main scope and one for the guide scope).

      After several cold body numbing attempts 13 degree windchill at the time Andy had to go home. I believe he figured I would be done for the evening and I was, but when I went out to break it all down I had to try just one more time. While I did not get the alignment correct nor the focus right I am still pleasantly surprised at the results. 

     This was a night of firsts, My first time setting up and using a equatorial mount, first light with the biggest scope I ever owned, first time using a Mallincam Hyper Plus Color Astro Cam, first broadcast on Night Skies Network, and the first ever Planetary Image.

I find this new hobby to be educational and challenging on many levels and look forward to see where it will take me. And I also look forward to you my friends, visitors, and viewers taking the journey with me and who knows maybe.. Just maybe you will start your own journey into the Night Skies.

My new Astronomy equipment.

I have pretty much everything together now to start learning to broadcast on Night Skies Network (NSN)
My CGEM DX 11" EdgeHD has arrived, I now have the scope, Starlight Xpress Lodestar auto guider, Mallincam Hyper Plus (Will upgrade to Extreme x2 class 0 as soon as I can afford it), waiting the arrival of my Scope Buggy. all I need now is to get a clear day to align the 80 mm guide scope, polar scope and the Telrad to the Scope. I am still waiting for an extra counter weight for the mount so I can use the guide scope right now it is too heavy to balance. also waiting for the focal extender for the guide scope.

     I am eager to learn this hobby and make new friends in the process but I must be honest looking at the size of this setup is a bit overwhelming it is the largest scope I have ever owned. I have found a lot of wonderful new friends on NSN who are just as eager to help me as I am to learn so I look forward to a future of excitement, new visions of the Universe all the while knowing I will trip stumble and have days of frustration but such is the way on the path to trying new things and expanding our knowledge and abilities as we go through life. So please join me on this journey of discovery and learning encourage me when I fall, correct me when I am wrong, and celebrate with me at even the smallest new discovery.

May your skies be dark and your visions bright.
AstroEd