Image of the day

Captured by
Terry Wood

Jupiter (clearer) Nov 5th 2023 w/Mewlon 180c

My Account

New to Astromart?

Register an account...

Need Help?

Posts Made By: Alex McConahay

June 3, 2011 05:48 PM Forum: Deep Sky Observing

Observed my 2000th different DSO

Posted By Alex McConahay

Congratulations on seeing that many, for sure---but even more for organizing your study so that you know how many you have seen. I wish I were that organized!

Alex

June 18, 2011 06:29 PM Forum: Eyepieces

maximum power eyepiece

Posted By Alex McConahay

Except under excellent seeing conditions, it is rare that you can get more than 250 power from the sky itself. And unless you get a particularly well built telescope, you will rarely get more than about 40 or 50 power for every inch of aperture. So, practically speaking, 240-300 power is the max you can expect from this scope.

I am curious as to why they said "354"--that sounds like they computed that from the focal length of the scope and the eyepiece or eyepiece set originally sold with the scope--not from any theoretical optical max.

I would avoid a zoom eyepiece, not just because you are probably overpowering your scope, but because for the same money you can probably get a pretty good regular eyepiece with a wider FOV. If you have no eyepiece at all, I would shoot for something that gives you about 30 to 40 power first, and then something that gives about 125, and then go for a 2X (or 2.5) Barlow or powermate.

Alex

June 22, 2011 07:35 PM Forum: Solar System Observing

solar transit?

Posted By Alex McConahay

If it were 7:30 pm central, and a satellite transited, it would have been over in less than a second or so. And it would not have been very large at all. At that time of day, man-made satellites are very very far away from the observer. They are thus very small.

The only man-made object big enough to have a shape would be the shuttle (which is not up) and the ISS, and that would be more rectangular than round. It's shape would have a structure, and not be described as round.

Transits of Mercury and Venus take on the order of many minutes.

So, I'm guessing balloon.

>>>>>but it looked like in the pictures
What pictures? Pictures of ISS or pictures of Mercury/Venus transiting?

Alex





June 24, 2011 06:42 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Solar System

Photography breakthru: Focus AFTER you take shot

Posted By Alex McConahay

It seems to me that what this new camera is doing is changing which plane of the Depth of Field (more properly, depth of focus in this case) it is choosing to use in the final image. That would help if what you were doing had different lens to object distances. I am not so sure it would help with imaging--where everything is in the same plane, theoreticallly.

It will be interesting to see what is actually happening.

>>>>An imager's wet dreams come true!

----your wet dream actually include imaging?

Alex

Alex

June 27, 2011 02:22 AM Forum: AstroMart FAQ

Why was my LS152 for sale post removed today?

Posted By Alex McConahay

It is still there, but other ads have pushed it down to the second page.

Alex

July 16, 2011 12:25 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Scratched LX3 Secondary

Posted By Alex McConahay

That does not sound like an incredibly cheap price for that scope. YOu can do as well elsewhere, I believe.

Alex

July 24, 2011 07:48 PM Forum: AstroMart FAQ

New problem rears it's head

Posted By Alex McConahay

I'm assuming it is true of all ads?

I just tried one at random, and the little picture popped big when clicked. I am using IE8.

Alex

August 10, 2011 04:08 PM Forum: AstroMart FAQ

Stolen Equipment Posting Question

Posted By Alex McConahay

I don't know.

I just took a quick read through the TOS, and found only item 15 i, j, relating to selling items for others (which is prohibited). But you are not trying to sell anything.

Where are you thinking of posting?

Alex


August 26, 2011 02:01 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

Riverside AstroImaging Workshop September 16

Posted By Alex McConahay

Early Bird registration is ending August 31. After that the price goes up for the Riverside Imaging Workshop.

I had posted an ad with the details earlier, but it is apparently no longer available. So, here are the details of what was in the ad:

Registration is open for the fourth annual Riverside AstroImaging Workshop, taking place at the Pasadena Convention Center on PATS Friday, September 16. With lots to see and learn, and more than $5000 worth of door prizes, all the imagers will want to be there.

This year’s presenters include some truly well known names in the art and science of taking celestial images:

• Ken Crawford, of the Advanced Imaging Conference in San Jose, will present for two sessions, sharing his expertise on “Digging out the Details” and “The Cure for Anemic Color.”
• Warren Keller, who produced the Imaging tutorials video set Image Processing for Astrophotography will present three sessions for the the "general" crowd centering on his techniques for getting the sharpest, cleanest details from processing.
• R Jay GaBany, last year’s Chambliss Award (for the amateur who contributed most to the science of Astronomy) will be talking about how to do science with your images.
• Tim Puckett, of Apogee, will be continuing the science theme by talking about how to use one’s images, though data mining, to make new discoveries.
• Wolfgang Promper, from Austria, will present an advanced session for those who want to know the latest in selecting camera equipment for astroimaging.
• Rojelio Bernal, who produces stunning images from sites in the Bay area, will be helping in the general category, discussing the details of wide field imaging.
• Daniel Perry, who established the Yahoo Group SoCalAstroPhoto will focus on getting started in imaging, including equipment selection, and acquiring the first images.

There will be two strands so that both beginning and advanced imagers will be able to take advantage of the workshop. You are free to attend sessions in either strand. There are five sessions of a bit more than an hour each in each strand.
We have already over $5000 worth of door prizes arranged, including a camera from Apogee. (Special Thanks--Tim Puckett!!). You are welcome to join us for lunch, and can buy discount PATS tickets through the workshop registration.

Registration information is available at http://patsimage.org/

September 6, 2011 01:40 PM Forum: AstroMart FAQ

Attaching photos to classified ads

Posted By Alex McConahay

After you have filled out the information on the first page, hit "continue" at he bottom of the page. Then, where it asks for the name of your file, "Browse." THis will take you to the files in your computer, where you locate the one you want to upload, and click on it.

Alex