My Astronomy

 

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My Telescopes

My Main Telescope - C14 and Paramount ME

My new Paramount MyT and 8-inch Ritchey-Chretien Telescope

MyT Hand Controller

My Meade 12 inch SCT on a CGEM (Classic) Mount

My 4 inch Meade Refractor with Sky Watcher Guidescope and ZWO camera on a CGEM (Classic) Mount

Skywatcher Star Adventurer Mount with Canon 40D

 

My Solar setup using a DSLR and Mylar Filter on my ETX90

DSLR attached to ETX90. LiveView image of 2015 partial eclipse on Canon 40D

Astronomy Blog Index
About the Site

 I try to log my observing and related activities in a regular blog - sometimes there will be a delay but I usually catch up. An index of all my blogs is on the main menu at the top of the page with daily, weekly or monthly views. My Twitter feed is below. I am also interested in photograping wildlife when I can and there is a menu option above to look at some of my images. I try to keep the news feeds from relevant astronomical sources up to date and you will need to scroll down to find these.

The Celestron 14 is mounted on a Paramount ME that I have been using for about 10 years now - you can see that it is mounted on a tripod so is a portable set up. I still manage to transport it on my own and set it all up even though I have just turned 70! It will run for hours centering galaxies in the 12 minute field even when tripod mounted.

 

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Monday
Jun302014

Day 100 Monday 30th June 2014 The New Moon, Pluto, Hercules,Vulpecula and Lyra Galaxies.

 Galaxy Library Total 132

Just after sunset last night the new Moon made its first appearance in the west.

 

 

I could see Jupiter to the right of the new Moon but failed to capture it in my hand held shots.

Just before Sunrise this morning I took this image but failed to capture Venus which I could see or Mercury which I could not. I must try harder - but was a bit tired after a 2 a.m. finish last night.

 

Sagittarius is in a good position from my site so I thought I would try to locate Pluto which is in that constellation and quite bright at the moment approaching opposition on 4th July. ( Mag 14). This is where it is:

A 30s image readily found it.

I will reimage Pluto at the next opportunity to illustrate its movement. I am assuming it will show more movement over a shorter period because of its being near opposition.  I must simulate the position of Pluto in 1930 in the SkyX software when I have time!

I will try and emulate Clyde Tombaugh who produced the images below by getting two images.  Some years ago I visited Lowell Observatory where the images were taken - I must learn how to sew on a cap badge that I bought there!!

The Pluto Discovery Images

 I  carried out galaxy runs on Hercules(23). Lyra(39) and Vulpecula(28). No SN found.

This was the first galaxy in the Vulpecula List NGC 6921