The Joy Of Astronomy At Minus Eight In The Snow

Minus eight again last night, and slightly hazy, but I managed to get this image of Orion from a series of eight, ten second exposures (while Mike was setting up the telescope) stacked the hard way in Photoshop when I got home, to prove to myself that it was possible with just a bog standard camera and a crappy, fixed tripod (much as I dream of a proper equatorial tracking mount, that sort of thing is only likely to happen when pigs start nesting in the trees).

Do click on the photo to blow it up (though only if you're remotely interested in pictures of stars). I'm kinda chuffed I got some colour in the nebula. First time ever. Woot!

A Night Off

At last! A clear night after a long week of dense clouds and snow.

Out at the observatory last night, setting up Mike's ten-incher for the first time.

Here's Mike and Pete (who's selling the scope to him) looking at Jupiter while I was trying to snap Orion with my camera and feeling decidedly inadequate in the lens stakes.

There are really only two poses for men with big telescopes … Mike adopts the family-friendly one.
The domes in the background (and a couple more off to the right) house the observatory's main scopes, while members set their own kit up outside.

A temperature of minus eight degrees (without the wind chill) proves no deterrent to the truly insane astrogeek. Having to lay in the snow to align the polarscope is a bit much, though.

Somewhere under the snow is a series of concrete pads for member's scopes, complete with power, but finding a socket last night was quite beyond anyone who didn't bring a snow plough so Mike resorted to manual guidance.
In these temperatures it doesn't take long for the smooth, grey tube of the telescope to become patterned with ice and Mike's finderscope iced over pretty early, as would we have done had we not resorted to the warmth of the clubhouse and the tea hut from time to time.
Still, we got some great views and we'll be out there again tonight, freezing off our non-essential parts.

Have a warm weekend, one and all.

Pope Shits In Woods

Who knew?

Sucky Weather

Bleah …