Tonight's Moon - first serious photo attempts

I've finally gotten the gadgetry to the point of making my first attempts at some Astrophotography. Starting with the Moon - (Gee, we wouldn't want to attempt anything HARD, now would we? 8) )

Hardin 8" f/6 Newt - ex-Dob, now on a Criterion EQ mount.
Olympus D-460 1.3 Megapixel "phd" camera. (point n shoot - "phd"=push here, dummy) Adapter? How about a cardboard tube that happened to fit perfectly snugly on the camera lens - and a hose-clamp to hold it to the eyepiece. Sorry, I didn't manage to use any duct-tape. *Lol*

So ok - here is a shot of the full moon - first one clamped to a 17mm eyepiece with my fingers....a couple more pics follow.

-Kevin

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2nd pic - this one with my jury-rigged "adaptor", still through the 17mm eyepiece.
I don't think I had it aligned quite straight.

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3rd pic - this now a 25mm eyepiece. I feel I got the alignment better on this one.

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ok - Now for a good laugh for everyone - here is your intrepid tinkerer,
trying to adapt his eq head to a makeshift "pier"

Once upon a time, this was the post for a basketball hoop. (Hey - after all, this
IS Indiana! *Lol* )

Tapping some holes for bolts to hold the head in place.

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And finally - the "finished" product - eq head mounted on basketball hoop pier,
with scope attached.

North East corner of Indy - and no, it doesn't get very dark at all around here.
I'd estimate my naked eye limiting magnatude at about 3.5. yuk.

And don't ya just love my "polar alignment scope"? 8) I'd have to say at the
moment that my polar alignment is pretty much a rough guess.

I'll get there. More playing, more fiddling.

Anybody got a Losmandy G-11 they want to donate to the cause? *smirk*

-Kevin

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