Session Data Date: 17/09/2023 Time: 21:31 – 22:31 UT Seeing: II. Good – Slight Transparency: II. Clear with some cloud Temp: 14.3C, Air Pressure: 1005mb, Humidity: 95%, Dew Point: 13.3C, Wind Speed: 9mph SQM:20.01 magn/arcsec^2 Scope: Altair 250mm RC f/5.3 Camera: ZWO ASI 183MM Pro, No Filter. Dark subtracted and Flat fielded. Session Notes: Is this the shortest – but eventually a successful and satisfying – observing session ever. Open up observatory at 21:31UT. Take…
EAA Observing Session: 13 September
Session Data Date: 13/09/2023 Time: 19:46 – 00:34 UT Seeing: II. Good – Slight Transparency: II. Clear with some cloud Temp: 12.9C, Air Pressure: 1024mb, Humidity: 86%, Dew Point: 10.6C, Wind Speed: 1mph SQM:20.05 magn/arcsec^2 Scope: Altair 250mm RC f/5.3 Camera: ZWO ASI 183MM Pro, No Filter. Dark subtracted and Flat fielded. Session Notes: Second night in a row for some more EAA on SJM ‘Hidden Treasures’ Conditions have been OK this evening. No cloud…
EAA Observing Session: 12 September
Session Data Date: 12/09/2023 Time: 19:45 – 23:58 UT Seeing: II. Good – Slight Transparency: II. Clear with some cloud Temp: 12.6C, Air Pressure: 1021mb, Humidity: 86%, Dew Point: 10C, Wind Speed: 7mph SQM: 20.22 magn/arcsec^2 Scope: Altair 250mm RC f/5.3 Camera: ZWO ASI 183MM Pro, No Filter. Dark subtracted and Flat fielded. Session Notes: Doing a little EAA and going through Steve O’Meara’s ‘Hidden Treasures’ book. It is a little windy but the wind…
EAA Observing Session: 5 September
Session Data Date: 05/09/2023 Time: 21:18 – 03:07 UT Seeing: II. Good – Slight Transparency: III. Clear with slight haze Temp: 17.1C, Air Pressure: 1019mb, Humidity: 94%, Dew Point: 16.1C, Wind Speed: 5mph SQM: 18.77 Scope: Altair 250mm RC f/5.3 Camera: ZWO ASI 183MM Pro, No Filter. Dark subtracted and Flat fielded. Session Notes: Started this session with the scope in f/8 mode in the hope of doing some EAA while I wait for…
EAA Observing Session 2, September
Session Data Date: 02/09/2023 Time: 21:20 – 01:53 UT Seeing: II. Good – Slight Transparency: III. Clear with slight haze Temp: 14.9C, Air Pressure: 1026mb, Humidity: 94%, Dew Point: 13.9C, Wind Speed: 1mph SQM: 18.77 Scope: Altair 250mm RC f/5.3 Camera: ZWO ASI 183MM Pro, Baader 35nm Ha, Dark subtracted and Flat fielded. Session Notes: Trying for a night of purely EAA. I realised after the first observation that I had left in the…
EAA Observing Session 15, August
Session Data Date: 15/08/2023 Time: 21:13 – 00:52 UT Seeing: II. Good – Slight Transparency: II. Clear with some cloud Temp: 12.4C, Air Pressure: 1025mb, Humidity: 95%, Dew Point: 11.7C, Wind Speed: 1mph SQM: 18.77 Scope: Altair 250mm RC f/5.3 Camera: ZWO ASI 183MM Pro, Baader 35nm Ha, Dark subtracted and Flat fielded. Session Notes: NGC1746, Collinder 57 This is being observed as Collinder 402 as part of my Collinder Cluster observing program. North…
EAA Observing Session: Comet C/2023 E1
Session Data Date: 06/08/2023 Time: 22:25 – 23:11 UT Seeing: III. OK – Moderate Transparency: II. Clear with some cloud Temp: 12.3C, Air Pressure: 1025mb, Humidity: 95%, Dew Point: 11.7C, Wind Speed: 4mph Scope: Altair 250mm RC f/5.3 Camera: ZWO ASI 183MM Pro, No filter, Dark subtracted and Flat fielded. Session Notes: Just a quick look at C/2023 E1 before going on to start imaging M17 for the first time. I’m not sure what…
Imaging Session: Comet 12P Pons-Brooks
Session Data Date: 03/08/2023 Time: 21:35 – 22:24 UT Seeing: II Good Transparency: II Clear with some cloudClear with slight haze Temp: 14.1C, Air Pressure: 1019mb, Humidity: 93%, Dew Point: 12.8C, Wind Speed: 8mph Scope: Altair 250mm RC f/5.3 Camera: ZWO ASI 183MM Pro, No filter, Dark subtracted and Flat fielded. Session Notes: Just slapped on the camera after having fitted some new adjustable extension tubes for spacing. Took 20 x 30 second darks to…
Imaging Session NGC6888 – 21-24 June
Session Data Taken over three nights between 21 and 34 of June. Scope: Altair 250mm RC f/5.3 Camera: ZWO ASI 183MM Pro, Baader 35nm Ha, Dark subtracted and Flat fielded. Total of 160 x 120 sec subs. Session Notes: Conditions over these three nights were not perfect with transparency ranging from poor to average. This was really a more long term test of the ASI 183MM PRO camera and to see how the non guided…
I have a new observatory
Observatory roofs seem to be my Achilles heel. By 2023 the third iteration of the roof was beginning to get difficult to open again. Rusty trolley wheel axles being the primary culprit. I was also unhappy with the amount of moisture getting into the observatory. We live at 220 metres and regularly are enveloped in low cloud and winds that will drive rain vertically up through the smallest of gaps. Most of this wet…