Still crap

The weather is happily continuing to be total crap, totally over it

Had planned to head out to a dark site for a bit of imaging last night as the wind was meant to drop down a bit. The wind did drop and even the temp dropped to 20c at about 9pm but the seeing was shocking, refracting twinkles all around zenith, bleh!

Forecast is not looking good either, cloud and horrid wind.



Update....

Got a couple hours of imaging in last night as it was still and clear. Even though it was a stinking hot day the seeing was quite decent. Glad I took advantage of the time as it has now turned back to total shite with continual heat, blasting winds and the cloud has headed right back in. Would have been nice to be able to do get some viewing and imaging in this weekend with the new moon but no such luck, again.

No good weather at all on the horizon and the moon is coming back as well...SNAFU

Imaging Rig

Almost got the EQ6 Pro and 8" imaging setup happening with a Asus netbook. Got EQMOD, PHD, Stellarium and Canon interface. Recorded a preliminary PEC and got the PHD guide setup functioning. Just need some nice weather to give it a test run.

Here is test 5min test shot of M42

One day...

One day we will get some nice weather for some astro...one day

I managed to get about a hour in the cloud gaps on the moon and jupiter couple nights ago. Pulled the LX90 out and took the wedge of and used the binoviewers. Would have been nice if the wind and cloud gave up for once.

Bleh!

Bleh! summer is well and truly here now, back to month after month of stinking hot days and nights. Been great lately too as the days the wind blows and the skies are clear then when evening arives the wind dies off but the stupid clouds roll on in and the humidity skyrockets. Just can't win.

Bloody Wind

Thanks heaps wind for totally ruining the lovely clear skies we have had the last few nights with no moon.

Seven Sisters and M42

With the wind blowing non stop thus ruining the clear skies so done a bit more processing of last nights shots

Quick Snaps

The weather gave up for a couple of hours last night and I managed to get a few quick snaps. These are only short and roughly processed. Would be nice to get a few nights of good conditions but with the trend of this year I can't ever see that happen, and like clock work the wind and clouds have kicked back in today.

can't take much more of this shit

Tue Oct 25		Wed Oct 26		Thu Oct 27		Fri Oct 28		Sat Oct 29		Sun Oct 30		Mon Oct 31
Thunder- storms		Possible thunderstorm		Clearing shower		Mostly sunny		Possible shower		Possible thunderstorm		Showers increasing

Grus Quartet

Dirty 15min shot of the Grus Quartet before the clouds came and shat on any chance of more imaging as usual. Pretty amazing to catch this in 15min that is 60milliom light years away therefore 60 million years old!

 

Still SNAFU

The last two nights had no clouds, great! lets have a look at the sky then you think to your self...think again. Grab a bucket and fill it with dirty swamp water and try see the bottom of the bucket. That is how good the seeing has been, not to mention the 40km/h wind gusts.

Going to be great for viewing the next few days...not.

Fri Oct 21		Sat Oct 22		Sun Oct 23		Mon Oct 24		Tue Oct 25		Wed Oct 26		Thu Oct 27
Possible thunderstorm		Possible shower		Possible shower		Mostly cloudy		Mostly cloudy		Mostly cloudy		Mostly cloudy

Seriously FTS.

wat ya want?

What kind of content would you like to see?, rants and ramblings? tutorials? reviews? space news? what's happening in the sky...or all of the above and the some, let me know

SNAFU

I am wondering why the hell I bother any more with this continual shit weather. Over 10 months now of nothing but crap weather day after day. For the rare occasion that it's not raining or totally clouded out, the humidity is usually around 100% with dew that may as well be rain, blowing it's guts out, around full moon and or the seeing is so bad you may as well look through a blob of jelly. Even when the forecast looks like it may be a not so crappy day(rare!), as soon as the said day arrives it suddenly out of the blue turns right back into being craptastic. This only happens after you get all the gear out and setup of course. 

Having thousands of dollars worth of gear just rotting away and not being able to see any or the events that are happening in the sky is just down right depressing. Got a  CCD  back in May that I still haven't had a chance to use, that was 8 bloody months ago! tell me that just dosen't suck the big one!

Missed so many amazing things and it looks like the Jupiter opposition, Orionids Meteor shower, the last best chance to see Vesta and Comet Garrad, etc are a complete right off as well.

I'm starting to appreciate the people with their heads in the dirt, they never have to put up with the agony of being an astronomer.

Oh mighty Sky Gods, please stop shitting on us and give us some nice clear skies...

TheSkyNet

My ranking is currently at 166. Not bad for two weeks when I started at over 4,500!

Don't know what TheSkyNet is? go here http://www.theskynet.org/

New Rig

Here is the new Rig and a couple quick pics taken with it. Wish this year of shit weather would give up so I can actually get to use this gear.

8" Bintel F5 Newtonian with 2" Crayford Focuser, Baader Multi Purpose Coma Corrector on a Skywatcher EQ6 Pro mount. Will setup the off axis guiding system soon.

LX80

The LX80 mount looks like a very versatile and adaptable mount and selling here in OZ for only around a $1,000 I can see them being very popular.

I want one!

Moon shot

Wide basic moon shot from last night.

Geraldton Planitarium/observatory

With the ASKAP and the SKA project putting the Midwest on the international astronomical map we need more stuff at the front door.

Geraldton being that front door, there is a urgent call for a place to not only be the first port of call for Radio astronomy but for astronomy in general.

There needs to be a place that vistors, schools, the general public can go that explains, inspires, educates and entertains what radio and general astronomy is about, where it has come from, what it has done and where it is going.

We always need more children to take up the call of science and to have a place that inspires a career in science is a priceless investment in our future.

This place needs to inspire and educate people of all ages and walk of life to the wonders of the cosmos around us for the universe is not just something 'out there' it's the place in which we not only come from but where we live. 

 

Fire da Lazer!

Couple shots of Laser used for alignment.

Trolly for Meade Scope.

Have made a trolley for the Meade LX90 on the Millburn wedge so as I can now easily move it around when at home. The trolley/platform is a nice and cheap easy made with a bit of MDF and some pine for structural support. I added some fairly decent sized lockable caster wheels and some pine for the edges to hold the tripod with or with out the Meade Shock pads.

Nice and cheap bit of kit and now I don't have to strain and struggle when wanting to the move the whole kit. Allows leaving everything all setup so just need to move and switch on power.

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