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Posts Made By: Michael Greenham

January 28, 2009 05:06 PM Forum: Digital SLR AstroPhotography

Newbee questions

Posted By Michael Greenham
This is my first attempt at shooting a semi-long exposure with my Canon 20D piggybacked on a C8. Unguided and not so perfect focus. I was just experimenting with polar alignment and stacking photos in registax.

This is a 127sec exposure, ISO800, with 80mmFL.

The photo is really washed out. Is this normal? Light pollution? I have 5 exposures like this that all look the same.

I also see two dark spots which I thought was dust on the sensor but cannot be removed with a blower. Does this mean a trip back to Canon for cleaning?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Also, I cannot seem to load my RAW dark frame into Registax. WHY?

January 31, 2009 04:26 PM Forum: AstroMart FAQ

Friendly astronomers

Posted By Michael Greenham
I would just like to take a moment and talk about how great AM is.

For the second time now in less than six months I have been offered something free from fellow friendly astromarters just trying to help me out.

One particular astromarter sent me a replacement focuser shaft for my reflector and another just offered me his unopened AM coffee cup.

WOW! How can one not want to support such a great site?

Long live Astromart.

February 17, 2009 12:58 PM Forum: ASTRONOMY

Close call for Calgary, AB.

Posted By Michael Greenham
NORAD warned the Canadian government of a piece of an unmanned Russian rocket, 10 square metres in size falling to Earth.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/story/2009/02/13/cgy-space-debris.html?ref=rss

April 16, 2009 02:17 PM Forum: ASTRONOMY

Comet (C/2008 T2) Cardinal and M36 - April 15,2009

Posted By Michael Greenham
After tring to see Comet Cardinal visually for the past three days with no luck I decided to photograph the area where it is supposed to be and I think I may have captured it.

Can anyone help me confirm this?

P.S. Sorry for the poor photo, my processing skills are lacking.

June 23, 2009 12:01 PM Forum: Solar System Observing

My first sunspots

Posted By Michael Greenham
I was out with my new homemade solar filter this mourning and saw my first sunspots. Well, they were small but definately there. Actually, it looked like four small spots. I rotated my eyepieces and filter but the spots were still in the same position so I assume they were on the sun. Did anyone else take a look?

June 30, 2009 12:12 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Mirror question

Posted By Michael Greenham
I recently bought a used 6" f/5 newtonian so I could get the mount but I was considering keeping the scope for some quick looks.

I noticed that the primary and secondary mirrors both had fading around the edges and being that this is my first experience with a soiled or damaged mirror I was wondering what it is and if it should/could be cleaned. I havn't had a chance to try the scope due to clouds so I don't know if it will cause problems at the eyepiece.

Also, this scope is a Celestron SP-C6 and my first C6 newt. Anyone with any experience removing the primary mirror on one of these?

Thanks,
Mike


August 5, 2009 03:45 PM Forum: Digital SLR AstroPhotography

Imaging scope or guide scope

Posted By Michael Greenham
After almost two years in this hobby I have finally put together a small astro imaging setup.

Right now I am using a Super Polaris mount with MT-1 motors and DD-1 hand controller with 150mm f/5 Newt with a TV Pronto 70mm f/6.8 piggybacked. I would be manually guiding with a barlow and 12mm illuminated eyepiece.

My question is: Which scope would you use to guide with and which scope would you use to image with? Is seems with this current setup I could use either but I don't have enough experience to decide if the Newt or the refractor would be the smarter choice. Does it really matter?

I havn't experimented with this setup yet and I don't know if I will have flexure issues.


Cheers,
Mike

August 27, 2009 02:13 PM Forum: Wildlife Photography

Who's your daddy longlegs?

Posted By Michael Greenham
...up close and personal. shocked Hanging out in my ficus benjamina.


September 29, 2009 08:48 PM Forum: Solar System Observing

Solar observing with fluorite

Posted By Michael Greenham
Hello all.

I have some black polymer left over from an older project and was thinking about making a homemade filter for solar observing to slip over the dew sheild of my Televue Genesis SDF refractor. I perfer white light but this is all I have right now and it's raining and I'm bored.

I have read reports of fluorite glass being sensitive to temperture, especially heat, but with 99.9 percent of the transmissions blocked by the polymer do I have anything to worry about?

Cheers,
Michael


September 30, 2009 02:20 PM Forum: Eyepieces

Two Naglers and one Panoptic or ...

Posted By Michael Greenham
...one Ethos.

I have a 13mmT1, 17mmT4, and 27mmPan. I use them in an 8" f/10 SCT and 4" f/5.4 refractor for 60% deep sky and 40% planetary.

I was thinking of selling all three to help fund a 21mm Ethos.

That would leave me with a modest set of: TV 32mmPlossl, 21mmEthos, 7mmNagler, and 1.75x 2" Barlow. I was thinking that this would cover me for most nights.

Good idea or not?

Cheers,
Mike

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