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First clear night in forever!
Jan 15, 2017 02:46:34   #
SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA
 
Anybody sez 'drought' to me gets mud thrown at them! I think Seattle moved to Los Angeles. I've got webs between my toes.
This year should be one of the hottest around, the hills are alive with fuel for Brush Fire Season.

I'm fulla coffee, been playing since an hour before dusk, and low and behold, when I set the mount back out yesterday in anticipation of clear skies tonight it's toes landed in the "right" spots. Only once did I need to use my Red Dot sight to bring a star around during alignment. I thought that was pretty good for me.
But when I did the All Star Polar Alignment, Wow! Was that ever off! But it dialed right up.
So I've just been fiddlin around, seeing mostly how I can continue to try and improve my guiding and taking pictures, half-heartedly. I started off with something new to me called The Intergalactic Wonderer/Tramp. Looks basically like a small pile of stars, Fun to get back into the skies with.
A bit windy here tonight but I have my equipment in a cornerish area that breaks almost all of the wind. I've been ponging around with The Flame and Horsehead, Alnitak was just calling out to me.
I'll hang up some of tonight's offerings tomorrow after I can filter out any garbahge like hot pixels.
But back at it, because they say there is weather coming again. Ought to be one heck of a brush fire season this year!

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Jan 15, 2017 03:25:21   #
Ed Greding Loc: Texas
 
The "Intergalactic Tramp" has been a favorite of mine for years---not for the view---it's not exactly spectacular---but rather for its distance. I've read that it takes 3 billion years to orbit our galaxy, meaning that it's been around only three times since the origin of the Earth! But there's some argument. Could that globular cluster actually be "wandering" between the galaxies of the Local Group?Do you have any current information on this? ---Ed

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Jan 15, 2017 04:45:40   #
Europa Loc: West Hills, CA
 
I hope you get some good pix...I've been out since 6. My neighbors decided to Leave all their lights on that point at my back yard and all the trees, kinda like taking pix in daylight.

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Jan 15, 2017 13:23:42   #
SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA
 
Hi Ed and Brian,
I'll gladly share what I've got.
Curiousity got the cat... I don't usually go for clusters. But this sounded so different, so I took the challenge.
Now I'll be back. I like oddities... (Birds of a feather...), now that I know I'm chasing this oddity. It will be spotty with this goofy weather we are having.
I ran into the night with only my Light Pollution/Moon Glow (Badder filter) in the stream, I was spending more time experimenting with PHD2, and observing it's effect by changing the sampling timing. I even got out to 10 seconds (10s) with it's sampling. But found 2s, 3s, 5s more to my liking, observed in Stellarium to see the target symbol bobbing around.

Things I need to heed on the next clear evening is to turn on PEC (Periodic Error Correction). Yep, forgot it again. And to try different filters and focusing refinement.


I am getting really serious about building a stepper motor focuser. I have a cart with the goodies at Amazon... Arduino with it USB'd to the laptop, I have an idle cable from my eyepiece camera I can plug right in. Matthew tried to explain that to me about a year ago, but I was still too green. Now I'm green to get it done.
I'm going to PM Matthew with my little list as a last check off.
I do hope the skies give you a break Brian, and your neighbors experience mysterious power outages on clear nights. Do not let it dissuade you. Light pollution to our eyes is not apparent in our cameras and filters. Shoot through the oppositions. I do. Even though there are times I can see the LP, I still bumble ahead anyway.

Sorry, the pictures: Please feel free to download and play with these as you wish. Like the Comet Catalina, I think I'll pursue this now that it has come to my attention. Currently near HIP 37133 (As a marker to find it in Stellarium, or your favorite star chart/finding program.)

At 60s, out of focus yet, and not even sure what I was looking at or for...
At 60s, out of focus yet, and not even sure what I...
(Download)

At 90s, a little better using Brian's focusing method. I wondered about the fuzzy thing ~7 o'clock below the two brightest stars.
At 90s, a little better using Brian's focusing met...
(Download)

At 300s, trying to pull out the details.
At 300s, trying to pull out the details....
(Download)

At 600s, unprocessed, the hot pixels popping out.
At 600s, unprocessed, the hot pixels popping out....
(Download)

At 600s, noise reduction in PS elements 12. Stars beginning to elongate.
At 600s, noise reduction in PS elements 12. Stars ...
(Download)

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Jan 15, 2017 15:08:12   #
CraigFair Loc: Santa Maria, CA.
 
SonnyE wrote:
Hi Ed and Brian,
I'll gladly share what I've got.
Curiousity got the cat... I don't usually go for clusters. But this sounded so different, so I took the challenge.
Now I'll be back. I like oddities... (Birds of a feather...), now that I know I'm chasing this oddity. It will be spotty with this goofy weather we are having.
I ran into the night with only my Light Pollution/Moon Glow (Badder filter) in the stream, I was spending more time experimenting with PHD2, and observing it's effect by changing the sampling timing. I even got out to 10 seconds (10s) with it's sampling. But found 2s, 3s, 5s more to my liking, observed in Stellarium to see the target symbol bobbing around.

Things I need to heed on the next clear evening is to turn on PEC (Periodic Error Correction). Yep, forgot it again. And to try different filters and focusing refinement.


I am getting really serious about building a stepper motor focuser. I have a cart with the goodies at Amazon... Arduino with it USB'd to the laptop, I have an idle cable from my eyepiece camera I can plug right in. Matthew tried to explain that to me about a year ago, but I was still too green. Now I'm green to get it done.
I'm going to PM Matthew with my little list as a last check off.
I do hope the skies give you a break Brian, and your neighbors experience mysterious power outages on clear nights. Do not let it dissuade you. Light pollution to our eyes is not apparent in our cameras and filters. Shoot through the oppositions. I do. Even though there are times I can see the LP, I still bumble ahead anyway.

Sorry, the pictures: Please feel free to download and play with these as you wish. Like the Comet Catalina, I think I'll pursue this now that it has come to my attention. Currently near HIP 37133 (As a marker to find it in Stellarium, or your favorite star chart/finding program.)
Hi Ed and Brian, br I'll gladly share what I've go... (show quote)

Nice process Sonny, you got something there and let us know if you find out what it is.
Craig

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Jan 15, 2017 15:43:00   #
JimH123 Loc: Morgan Hill, CA
 
SonnyE wrote:
Anybody sez 'drought' to me gets mud thrown at them! I think Seattle moved to Los Angeles. I've got webs between my toes.
This year should be one of the hottest around, the hills are alive with fuel for Brush Fire Season.

I'm fulla coffee, been playing since an hour before dusk, and low and behold, when I set the mount back out yesterday in anticipation of clear skies tonight it's toes landed in the "right" spots. Only once did I need to use my Red Dot sight to bring a star around during alignment. I thought that was pretty good for me.
But when I did the All Star Polar Alignment, Wow! Was that ever off! But it dialed right up.
So I've just been fiddlin around, seeing mostly how I can continue to try and improve my guiding and taking pictures, half-heartedly. I started off with something new to me called The Intergalactic Wonderer/Tramp. Looks basically like a small pile of stars, Fun to get back into the skies with.
A bit windy here tonight but I have my equipment in a cornerish area that breaks almost all of the wind. I've been ponging around with The Flame and Horsehead, Alnitak was just calling out to me.
I'll hang up some of tonight's offerings tomorrow after I can filter out any garbahge like hot pixels.
But back at it, because they say there is weather coming again. Ought to be one heck of a brush fire season this year!
Anybody sez 'drought' to me gets mud thrown at the... (show quote)



It was so clear here that I had to settle for a 154 image into a time lapse of clouds rolling by Capella. As proof, here is a stack of the 1st 21 images. The wispy stuff to the top disappeared in the stacking. But the road block to the bottom left was more stubborn.

I notice I can't download the saved file. But the original certainly opens on my computer. A problem with the site?

Resaved the original TIFF and converted to JPEG a 2nd time. Still won't download???


(Download)


(Download)

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Jan 15, 2017 19:56:51   #
stepping beyond Loc: usa eastcoast
 
I wish I could get out more than 1 every 2 months SonnyE, yes , I believe you've got something there, ha ha . All I do anymore at night, is play VG and I really stink at video games.

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Jan 16, 2017 07:15:24   #
Albuqshutterbug Loc: Albuquerque NM
 
Hey Sonny and Craig and the gang!
You didn't wash away!
I have been worried about you guys.
Sonny, those are stars. I know it's been awhile.
Speaking of rain we broke a 120 year record yesterday with over .7 inches in 24 hour for that date. And it was still rising with 2 hours to go.
Still cloudy here and more rain likely.
Glad everyone's still out there.

Reply
Jan 17, 2017 02:30:21   #
SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA
 
stepping beyond wrote:
I wish I could get out more than 1 every 2 months SonnyE, yes , I believe you've got something there, ha ha . All I do anymore at night, is play VG and I really stink at video games.


Is VG = Video Games? I totally suck at them. Except for Duck Hunt on Mario Brothers. I can blast the... duck poop outta ducks. Which is really dating myself...
I have had a standing rule about my compooters since WAY back to the earl-y 1990's: NO video Games.
Back when the 57.6 Modem was new and the "Hot Item", I saw how others were having to find help. And it traced back to the games. So grandpa came up with, "NO video games!" on my PC's. To deflect them, we got one of those Wii (now ancient) game consoles.
Cranky Old Grandpa decreed, "Games?, go play on the Wii."

But I did soften, a tiny bit. I let the teenyworms play educational games on my computer. I pretty much have to run the mouse, but over their tiny hands. The 5 YO gets to run the mouse now.
I think computers are going to be their lives. So I tend to try and get them started with them.
Reading, Writing, and Rithmetic starts early here. The rewards come when the teachers ask, "Where did (this kid) go to Pre-School?" Because they are usually above grade level.
"Grandma Betty's" is the answer. Grandma does the fundamentals. But Grandpa does the FUNdamentals.
I want them to have a grasp on what's ahead.
Lately, I'm trying to help give them an idea of what is over-head. It was my driving force to enter Astronomy. Kids.
I am old. But Can I, instill the young?
Don't know. But it beats football. (In my book)

If I cannot help to open their eyes, I will have failed my souls purpose.

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Jan 17, 2017 03:25:36   #
SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA
 
Albuqshutterbug wrote:
Hey Sonny and Craig and the gang!
You didn't wash away!
I have been worried about you guys.
Sonny, those are stars. I know it's been awhile.
Speaking of rain we broke a 120 year record yesterday with over .7 inches in 24 hour for that date. And it was still rising with 2 hours to go.
Still cloudy here and more rain likely.
Glad everyone's still out there.


Jim!
My friend, I wondered what had become of you myself. I thought you had found a snug cave to hibernate this dismal winter away in.
I think all of us hunkered down till the sun shined. Seemed like it...
Nothing to say? Say nothing.
But, apparently, we are still hanging on. Good thing, too.
Because, while we slumber under clouded skies, our Universe continues to bring us things to look for.
Honestly, I saw this tiny block with a star shape in it in Stellarium. WTH is that? I thought.
Zooming in, It's something called, "The Intergalactic Wanderer/Tramp". Well, I was up for the challenge. Who wouldn't be after a month of iffy skies and rainy weather?
I wanted to share it with my friends. The same who helped me slide down the vortex into this Astroimaging business in the first place.
(There are much worse ways to go broke...)

I still can't stack ABC blocks, let alone my picturds. But by golly, give me some clear sky and you'll find me out back sucking down my pictures to try. Like tonight.
I had clear skies here yesterday, but sadly, to pooped to pop the telescope on and haul the laptop out. Tonight I was back at it, Carheartt's and all. (Help Me, I'm sweating!)
My thought is: Things in space may move, things may never come again. Take pictures (OK, Pick-turds), when I can, and share whatever I get.

Razzelberries. School tommorroww, time to shut this Circus down.

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Jan 17, 2017 12:21:10   #
stepping beyond Loc: usa eastcoast
 
SonnyE and friends , I'm old school and not computer literate. What ever happened to " putting pen to paper or just reading a book" my grandson does everything on the computer even homework. The world is changing and I'm still finger pecking. Both my Boys play those computer games with Joysticks , throttle control etc and I can't believe all the stuff they sell just to play on a computer. I make do with $2-5 games from GS , I really like the War games on Ps3 and XBOX 360 , I tried a long time ago to play Doom on a computer and wasn't fun one handed. I can work the game controller that comes with the systems, I set it on my lap and have at it {Alanna} CNA says it's good therapy for my hand and mind. It's supposed to keep me focused because the stuff I take , makes me forgetful , drowsy and just plain stupid. Astronomy keeps me up with the times Friends. SB

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Jan 17, 2017 12:42:56   #
Europa Loc: West Hills, CA
 
stepping beyond wrote:
SonnyE and friends , I'm old school and not computer literate. What ever happened to " putting pen to paper or just reading a book" my grandson does everything on the computer even homework. The world is changing and I'm still finger pecking. Both my Boys play those computer games with Joysticks , throttle control etc and I can't believe all the stuff they sell just to play on a computer. I make do with $2-5 games from GS , I really like the War games on Ps3 and XBOX 360 , I tried a long time ago to play Doom on a computer and wasn't fun one handed. I can work the game controller that comes with the systems, I set it on my lap and have at it {Alanna} CNA says it's good therapy for my hand and mind. It's supposed to keep me focused because the stuff I take , makes me forgetful , drowsy and just plain stupid. Astronomy keeps me up with the times Friends. SB
SonnyE and friends , I'm old school and not comput... (show quote)


Try the old DOS version of Doom. No need for a mouse, all done from the keyboard and requires 2 hands. I think when I first played that, I had either a 386 or the beefier 486 processor. (I don't recall which version or level, but there was 1 level that I couldn't complete w/o using the mouse) at the time, I hated to use a mouse.

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