timthelder

Sorry, but I like Noel's process better... (Valiant effort though.) Tim

Well, how bout that. In my email yesterday, I had one from someone claiming to be a representative from Discover Magazine. They sent a couple of tax forms (a W-8 and W-9) wanting me to fill them out with my personal info so they could pay me for the use of my photo in The January 2022 issue of Astronomy Magazine. I was like "yeah, right." "I already have my January issue a little late aren't we." (Nobody's getting my personal info. Scammer.) So, I replied back to just donate my $25 gratuity to a non-profit organization of their choice. I didn't think any more of it. Today, I happen to take a look at my January issue, (in which I have had for a couple of weeks.) Sure enough, object #9, The Blinking Planetary, photo credit, Me! I submitted that image back in 2013! Whoops, I'm glad I was nice to the scammer, LOL. Cheers, Tim.

Well done Ken. I was just having a peek a few minutes ago with the binos' but couldn't find it. Seems to have dimmed a bit. Tim

That right there is quite spectacular. The best I believe I've seen. Well done Greg!

Loads of detail. Didn't spot the asterism, it doesn't really 'pop' out unless I cross my eyes, rub my belly and pat my head....Looks like the South dome is pretty well sorted. Well done. It's been so long since I did any LEA, I doubt I even remember how. Is that a couple of carbon stars just of center toward the top of the image? Good luck with the North dome! Tim

I did a quick read on the reviews of those cameras a while back. And that seemed to be the consensus, no amp glow, no darks, etc. Pretty amazing. Back in my day we had darks, flats, dark flats....Everyone is so spoiled these days!

That is going to be one imaging monster....Nights are getting darker, you should get in some scope time soon. Tim

Weather has been quite abusive here of late, heat, hurricanes and what not. Finally have had a couple of great nights where it's been cool and clear, (yes, both at the same time. Can you believe it!) My first two nights out my images sucked. I blamed the seeing as per usual. After the second night out I decided something was amiss. After I had built my observatory, (mine, mine, mine...) I set up everything as per usual. Everything leveled, plumbed, drifted in the tracking, collimated the scope, (wait, what!) Yep collimated. It was perfect just through an eyepiece. NOT, through the imaging train! I believe K-man (Daryl,) had mentioned this once before. An example forthcoming... Just a couple of more very fine tweaks and I believe The collimation will be perfect. Still using the Celestron C9.25, ZWO120mm cam, Telvue Powermate, Baader LRGB filters, a 685nm on Saturn, and a 742nm on Jupiter every now and then for luminence. Really liking the iOptron CEM 70 (at least till it craps out on me...) Here's any ugly one... Much better! Maybe with that final tweak to the collimation I will be able to get the Encke. Well, that's about it for now folks, Peace out, Tim.

These are from the 9th and 10 respectively. Best Jupe so far, the Encke still elusive. Cheers!

Ohhh, so close!

Interesting 'smoke ring' feature at about 11:00 from V1331 in the 3rd image near the top. Kudos, Tim.

Honestly, I never thought about it Ray. As, (for my purposes) I prefer the OSC 'one and done method'. I am thinking about a newer cooled camera but I am not yet ready to pull the trigger. (Can't seem to make up my mind.) Tim

Great captures Ken. Is your 450D modified for AP, or just using the stock filter? I modified mine myself (450D) installing a IR pass filter. Lets in the Ha wavelengths. NOTE: The noise gets rough on exposures above 5min @ ISO 800. 1600 is worse, unless you're shooting say, a comet using 1min exposures. Glad you like it, Have fun and experiment! Tim.

Well done Greg! And BTW, Happy Birthday!

Awesome captures Daryl. Especially the first posting (my favorite.) Olympus Mons looks like a zit poking out from the surface. (I know not a pretty analogy but it's how it struck me.) Glad to hear from you as well. Keep on truckin! Tim.

And people think space is empty...

Fantastic capture, maybe just a little over the top in processing. Seems to be lacking in depth. IMHO. Tim

There's more...I counted.

And, my best effort at the 'Great Conjunction of the Century'. It will still be a good view tomorrow night if one has the opportunity, (and the weather) to have a look. This one is from the 20th. And this is from the 21st. I used the C9.25 with my now old 450da and a 2x barlow lens I fabricated some time back. FOV was about right for this event. Cheers, Tim.

What program/programs are you using for processing? Seems like I remember hearing about this conundrum before. Tim

Not too bad of a night last night. I thinks it's time to search for a bigger OTA though...16"or maybe 20". Yeah right!

Just a few quick assorted pics. A little crappy on this composite, but it's supposed to be a Hallowmoon. Anyhoo...

So. It's clear, it's fairly cold, I'm sitting here watching some planet jump all over my screen, scratching my head, I'm going, wtf? Thinking back, (something I always used to check,) I forgot about checking the jet stream, AAAAARGH!

This is last nights effort. Hope to get some better images as it's beginning to get colder at night. Might steady things up a bit. Tim.

About 9pm it pops out from behind a tree....But it's ideal about 11pm to 1am.