Power Kite Forum

Astronomy anyone?

John Holgate - 22-10-2017 at 04:08 AM

Some video of the annual Little Desert Star Party held near Nhill in Victoria. Makes for an excellent weekend of looking at and talking about the night sky, learning all sorts of things about gear and techniques in astro photography. It's also a brilliant place for flora and fauna watching. I'm not sure if there was a side competition for seeing how many wires you could attach to a telescope but boy, some of the setups were really complex.


Ed Cline - 22-10-2017 at 06:45 AM

Really beautiful, and timely. We just finished barely or not at all seeing the Orionid meteor shower this morning. Not much sky in the city.


riffclown - 22-10-2017 at 10:25 AM

I used to do quite a bit of observing..

Zhumell16.JPG - 26kB

John Holgate - 22-10-2017 at 01:44 PM

Ed, did you see many Orionids? There was one really bright fireball - naturally, half an hour after I went to bed - but not a whole lot of activity other than that on the fri eve/sat morning.

Riff - 10 or 12"?

riffclown - 22-10-2017 at 03:09 PM

16" Zhumell (Same mirror as the 16" lightbridge..)
FL=1800

I also have an Orion 120 ST achro and a Stellarvue 80ED.

Ed Cline - 22-10-2017 at 03:28 PM

No Sir, We had just enough clouds cover and light pollution to muddle things up.
It was just remnants anyhow. I flew to Miami for the last Halley's appearance. Yes I'm old. It was just a smudge in my 6" mirror but I will have Better luck next time :P
I wasn't using the Newtonian for meteors of course. Binoculars or young eyes work best. Wow riff clown,
An open air Dobsonian is a dark sky dream, the new ones have computer control for a simulated equatorial mount. Living in the city is the cure for bucket fever. Too much light pollution, and the filters only make you poorer.

I started collecting meteorites when I moved into town. Oh and my scope is pointing at an edo kite so this is a kite thread :rolleyes:

John Holgate - 22-10-2017 at 08:00 PM


Quote:

16" Zhumell (Same mirror as the 16" lightbridge..) FL=1800 I also have an Orion 120 ST achro and a Stellarvue 80ED.


Nice!! That should show some nice structure in galaxies! One of my favorites is NGC 1365. I've seen it really nice on an excellent night in a 15" and you could just start to make out the arms in a 12" on Friday night. But I've never owned anything bigger than 10" so I have to make do with smudges and object appreciation!

riffclown - 23-10-2017 at 12:51 AM

My Favorites views are all Messiers M81 & M82, M57.
In 120ST and the 38mm Q70 eyepiece, you can see the entire Pleiades and with an O2 you can fit both the Witches Broom and Veil Nebulas into a single view.. It's easy to tell it's a circular nebula when you do that. On a very good night you can make out the Veil Nebula with no filter..

Ed Cline - 23-10-2017 at 02:44 AM

Wide field is the bomb. My tube looks off the balcony and with no North Star vantage and no computer control, it's got to be a compass set up, which will wear out the correction motors batteries quick.
So no planetary work for me. 32 mm plossel ( less than 200 usd ) is my most used city lens.
If I bought again, I think the little 4" would get used more than the heavy 8". It sure goes up and down the steps easier for a sky safari.

I believe I saw the wind angel once, I think she was giving me the finger.
Yes the seven sisters rock in wide view, especially in winter.



IMG_2065.JPG - 16kB