July 1 Observing Report

My daughter Heather came over around 10 to view on a hot and humid night . I threw in my polar scope and adjusted my polar alignment as my go to  & tracking has been off. It was pointing a bit low and to the SE. As Heather was over, I didn't take the time to drift align as I have been meaning to do, but instead jumped into viewing.

We started with Saturn and despite the humidity and high temps, we were rewarded with unexpectedly decent, but not good, seeing. While surface features weren't clear other than 1 equatorial band, we could detect a graduation in the brightness of the clouds from the pole to equator we also could detect the Cassini division between the A & B rings. At first we weren't sure we were seeing it, but as the seeing improved the dark band ~ 2/3 out the ring from the planet became prominent. With a 2.5X Powermate and 11mm eyepiece (EP) the focus became a bit soft but not bad, but the 11 mm EP provided the best views.

We then embarked on a mini-marathon of almost all of the Messier objects in Scorpius, Sagittarius, Ophiuchus, Lyra, Hercules, and Cygnus. We tried the Trifid and Lagoon nebulas but they were nearly imperceptible from the background in our mag 4.5 skies. So we focused on the star clusters, of which there are many in this area of the sky. Messier 13 & 5 were especially nice. At my scope's native F8, I found an 11mm EP provided the best balance of image scale and detail. At F10 Heather was using 15 mm and above EP.  Comparisons between the two scopes were virtually identical. At a bit after 1 am we called it a night and closed up the observatory.

My adjustment to the polar alignment seemed to help but I still need to drift align.  A fun night under the stars.   

Texas Star Party - Nope, not this year

I've been hoping to attend the Texas Star Party for several years now, but other priorities kept us from it.  2016 was to be the year and as luck would have it, on March 10 we were selected to attend and awarded a spot for our RV!   We plan to attend for the full week to get the most out of the experience.  In planning the 944 mile trip (by far the longest trip we have ever made pulling a trailer) I decided to limit travel to about 4 hours per day.

So we planned to travel to Beaumont, Texas on Day 1, then onto San Antonio on Day 2.  Day 3 brings us to Fort Stockton, Texas, only about 1-1/2 hour from Fort Davis and the star party.   So a 4 day trip each way plus 7 days at the star party, a 13 day trip !  Downsides are that the timing would require us to leave on April 28, our eldest daughter's birthday and also we will be away from home on Mother's day, so my wife will miss having the day with the kids and grand kids.

It was a big job to tear down the scope and empty the observatory and pack it into the back of my truck.  I was worried it might not all fit, but it did.

The hatch even closed !

The trailer was packed and ready to go.   Ok, I did need to pull in the slide and and fold up the steps.

As April 28 came, the weather forecast wasn't looking good through Texas or Louisiana.  I didn't look forward to hauling the trailer in hard rain and especially high winds.  We decided to postpone leaving for a couple of days to allow the threat of severe weather pass.   Besides the weather forecast for the Star Party calls for rain on Sunday and Monday, so I likely will not miss any observing time by arriving on Tuesday.

As Saturday came, the weather didn't improve and the forecast for Sunday wasn't any better.  Monday looked like it might be an OK travel day but that would have us arriving Wed night, IF I could make it in 3 days.  Would I have the stamina to drive all day and set up and then view?.  Six  travel days for 3-4 nights viewing, assuming good weather at the Prude Ranch, is not a good ratio for such a long journey. So we reluctantly decided to cancel the trip for this year.  On a positive note we will still get to attend a star party: the Deep South Spring Scrimmage.  It is only 1-1/2 hour drive away and the weather forecast looks promising.  Hey, the truck and trailer are already packed !

This post was written on May 3-4, 2016 but I overlooked posting it until now. 

Losmandy G-11 RA & Dec extension kit

One of the challenges with the Losmandy G-11 mount is that when tracking past the meridian, the saddle plate can impact the RA motor.   To mitigate this issue, at least partially, Losmandy offers a RA Extension kit.  This kit adds 1.5" to the RA body and also raises the Saddle Plate by 0.6".  I've had the kit sitting in the box for months. While setting the scope back up after returning from the Deep South Spring Scrimmage seemed like the perfect time to install this kit.

As one would expect, the fit and finish of all parts was excellent.  The installation was very easy and took only a few minutes. I've posted pictures of the install to my FLICKR account.   Despite the extended appearance, the mount is still rigid.  I had to wait a few days to test the mount due to weather.  The mount performed flawlessly and I enjoyed being able to track well past the meridian without colliding with the mount.  An excellent addition to my mount.  In my opinion, this option should come standard on the mount.

My Favorite Red Lights

One of the first accessories that most amateur astronomers pick up is a flashlight with a red bulb and/or red filter to preserve their night vision.  I have a variety of  red lights.  Some are basic flash lights designs and some are small clip on lights that fit on the brim of a cap.  These are very handy when working on the scope as they aim the light directly at what you are working on.  But where I struggled was a having a little bigger battery powered light for reading finder charts and star atlas while observing.  My wife stumbled across a light she thought I would like and bought me a couple of the Beam n Read ® LED 6 Hands-Free Pilots Night Vision Light.  They have quickly become one of my favorite red lights.

  This light has 6 red LEDs plus a red filter and runs off of 4 AA batteries.  The light is bright enough to read with but is not overly bright.  It has a strap to wear the light around your neck, but I rarely do so.  I prefer a light mounted on the brim of my cap when working, but when reading this light is great.  It has two positions to illuminate the right spot.

These lights are also available from Amazon.

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As I said earlier, when working at the scope I like a red light mounted on the brim of my cap.    I've tried several such lights and the one I like the best is the Bushnell H65L.  This little light has red and white lights, as do many such products.  However what I like about this one is it has separate switches for the red and white lights and the red light switch is on the Right !  So I can avoid blinding myself or others at star parties by hitting the wrong switch.  Even I can remember Right = Red.

The light is small and lite so it won't weigh down  your hat.

The light also tilts so you can point it directly at what you are working on.

I'm sure these are available at many places but I got mine at Walmart.

The last light I'll share is one that my wife picked up for me from Amazon.  These flexible neck, clip on, red lights are small and very flexible so you can position the light right where you need it.

 I do find the illuminated spot to be quite small so to read a star chart I have to move the light around.  For reading star charts or books I prefer the larger 6 LED light discussed above, but I'm sure I'll find use for these as well.

If you are in need of a red light, give one of these products a try I think you will enjoy them.

January 2016 Observing Report

The point in building an observatory in my backyard was to be able to use my equipment to observe more frequently.  So how is that going - GREAT !  Five observing sessions in January.

January 3, 2016
     Opened the roof at 7:15 pm to the first clear night in a week. Hope to get in a couple of hours viewing, but can't stay up too late as I have to work tomorrow. It's a chilly 50 F with only a slight breeze.  Powered up the camera but the Miloslick software doesn't seem to be communicating with it.  After several minutes I realized I had the video input set to composite instead of S-video.    With that little detail taken care of  I got to observing.   Using my Mallincam VRC-10 CF, a Mallincam 2" 0.75 focal reducer, Lumicon Deep Sky filter, and my Mallincam XT-418 camera, The first target - the Andromeda Galaxy, Messier 31.

Next up, Messier 110, a companion galaxy to Andromeda.

Next on my hit list is NGC 147 a galaxy in Cassiopeia.   This is an object I've never seen before.  The G11 mount slewed to the spot and nothing was there.  I slewed to Schedar and aligned the mount.  Back to NGC 147 - nothing.  This was my third attempt to observe this object.  After several more attempts I shut down at 1050 pm.

January 9, 2016

     Opened the observatory about 6:30. Clouds are to roll in around 9 – 10, so don't have a lot of time.  I spent some time working on the counter weight down position for the scope. I had noted the other night that the scope's axis was off set from the mount's Right Ascention (RA) axis. I looked again at the Losmandy video on setting this position and I used a small level just as he did to ensure the RA axis was a vertical as possible. Then I found that the Dec axis setting, using the built-in level was easy to carefully set. Then when viewed from behind the scope and mount's RA axis are aligned. This may have been a problem with my prior observing session and poor gotos and tracking.

I fired up the mount and did a 4 star alignment. I then slewed to several stars and bright deep sky objects and all were in the FOV in 11 and 18 mm eyepieces. The goto accuracy seemed to be better than it was the previous session. Got nice views of M42, NGC 457, M31, Castor (a nice double star), The Double Cluster (NGC 884) is really nice in the  Explore Scientific 30 mm eyepiece (82 degree FOV).

By 8 the wind really picked up and was blowing things around. It was nice being inside as it at least partially shielded me and the scope from the wind. The wind brought in the clouds and I shut down a little before 9 pm. Sure is nice & easy to simply unplug the electricity, close the roof, put on the turnbuckles, and lock the door. I love it !!

January 15, 2016

     Went out a little after 10 pm as the skies cleared up.  A cool damp night. At 0045 it is 53 degrees with no wind, 83% humidity, and 48 degree dew point.  I decided to try using the Mallincam MFR-3 0.64X focal reducer instead of the 2” 0.75 focal reducer as it gives a little faster scope (5.12 vs 6).   I had to add a second spacer to achieve focus.  Surprised how much it moved the focus plane.

Viewed the Leo Triplet of galaxies; Messier 65 and 66, and NGC 3628.  Here is a shot of M 65.   

 Shut down a little after 1 am so I'd been up since 6.   Excited I'm getting more opportunities to view now with the observatory so I don't feel so compelled to stay out as long when I view.

January 17, 2016

     Setup a little after 6 with my daughter Heather. She brought her scope (Celestron Edge HD 1100) over and so we finally have the observatory populated with both scopes.   

You have to watch your step around the tripod legs, wires, and tables, but the 8' x 12' observatory bay is big enough for us to use the two scopes simultaneously.  

We had a good time visual observing for a couple of hours and then called it a night.  It is wonderful to slide the roof closed, unplug the equipment, and lock the door and head inside !

January 29, 2016

Came out late after dinner around 9:30. A nice cool night with sparse thin clouds. Around 49 F with 71% humidity and 41 F dew point and no wind.  Experimenting with the MFR-5 II. I've got both elements on and a 10 mm spacer at the back and the image of Messier 42 (Orion Nebula) has comma shaped stars, stars with donut holes, although no vignetting, but an overall displeasing appearance. Removed the 10 mm spacer and it changed the focus plane by an amazing amount. I had to add another spacer to the focuser to achieve focus. The comma and donut stars are gone, replaced by a nice flat field.   The shot below is a 20 second exposure to pickup the wispy gas and also Messier 43, but at the expense of totally blowing out the center of the nebula.

I notice on the histogram I'm getting a broad band of signals instead of a concentrated smooth curve. Seems like a lot of noise – dirty optics ?  

Clouds became more numerous around 1245 so I shut down for the night.

January 2016 Summary

The observatory is so convenient.  It allows me to view much more often and without the hassle of setting up and tearing down.   I now spend more time actually observing objects and trying different equipment setups and techniques. I look forward to many peaceful nights viewing through my window of the universe.

Luling Skies Observatory, First Light

Friday Dec 18 provided clear skies and a wonderful opportunity for my first viewing in my new observatory.   The roof rolls off smoothly to offer a wide open view of the sky.  At 80" above the floor, the walls are higher than in most observatories, but in my light polluted backyard the walls provide a much needed light block from nearby streetlights.

Here is an inside view.  I haven't built any shelves yet so my gear is piled on the floor and a table.

Here is my Mallincam VRC-10 CF ready for a night of visual observing.   My daughter Heather came over and we had a great time until clouds rolled in a little after midnight.  The observatory worked out well and was a big improvement from setting up in the yard.

On Saturday night, December 19,  I slid my Mallincam XT-418 into the scope's focuser.  With this scope and no focuser rings installed, I've learned that I cannot achieve focus using the Mallincam 2" 0.75 focal reducer.  After some experimentation, I've found what works is placing a Baader Planetarium 2" Deluxe Clicklock Eyepiece Extension in the focuser, then the Mallincam 2" 0.75 focal reducer followed by a Baader Planetarium 2" / 1.25" Clicklock Reducer, and then the camera with a Lumicon Deep Sky Filter threaded onto the nose piece.

After getting the equipment running, I had some difficulty with a newly updated version of the Miloslick Mallincam control software.  I finally got it figured out and went to the Orion nebula as my first object.   I've gotten better pics previously, but this is the best I could manage on this night.  Given the size of the object I needed further focal reduction, but with clouds threatening I didn't take the time to change my setup.

 I viewed the flame and horsehead nebulas and the Pleadies before clouds rolled in and ended my observing session.  It was a pleasure to simply shut down the electricity, close the roof, and head inside.  Much better than spending the next hour tearing down the equipment and stowing it away.   I look forward to many more observing sessions in my backyard observatory.

Luling Skies Observatory Construction, Day 2

After heavy rains on Wednesday, the skies cleared and the crew got an early start to complete the observatory on Thursday Dec 17.   First task at hand were the 4" x 4" supports for the roof rails.  The posts sit on 10" diameter concrete footers.

Next came the 4" x 4" rails.  

 The rails and supports are constructed of pressure treated lumber.

The roof was assembled from trusses on 24" centers with a 2" x 4" side rails.  The roof profile is a shallow 1 x 12 pitch so that the roof blocks as little of the sky as possible.  The use of such a shallow roof pitch is possible as we have no concern with snow accumulation in my Southeastern Louisiana location.

Here the first of the v-groove rollers is added.  The v-groove wheels and track were obtained from Gate Depot.  For the 8' x 16' metal roof we used 3  wheels on each side.  The 4" diameter v-groove wheels have double bearings and roll very smoothly.   The wheels ride in a metal box .

Here is the heavy duty track that the v-groove wheels ride on.  Note that because of the width of the "ears" on the track, a 2 x 4 had to be screwed to the inside of the roof header and the roll off rails.

With the floor nearly 12" above the ground and 80" high walls, these guys were really stretching to hoist the roof frame into place.   

With the help of a third worker on a ladder, they set the wheels on the track.

Attaching the roof decking and then will come the metal sheeting.

Fascia added to the sides of the roof to cover the wheels. 

As night fell, they crew kept working to complete the job.

The roof rolls easily when pushed by hand, but using a 4' long 2" x 4" "pusher" makes the job easier.

At the end of the second day, the observatory was complete except for door sills and stops on the roof rails.   The important thing for now is I have a functional observatory !  In the days to come I need to install fittings to secure the roof, shelving, complete the electrical wiring, add lighting, etc, etc, etc..