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Coathanger CR 399

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Posts Made By: Thomas Dey

October 12, 2015 05:40 AM Forum: Deep Sky Observing

NGC 6742

Posted By Thomas Dey
Woo Hoo! I got it with the 29-inch using 13mm Ethos at 256x using DGM N filter. Yep - it's challenging, although I was quite able to "find" it using the 31mm Nagler at 107x and no filter. I felt I could see structure and gratified that the picture you linked to does indeed show a darker off-center spot in there. My "push to" has been unreliable for a year and getting worse. So I spent the next hour spinning the az full-circle and find I have to overshoot more and more each circuit to get back to zero (in either direction!) I conclude the encoder must have a bad spot(s) and is dropping counts. Alt seems OK. Glad I have (probably) isolated that problem and is addressable. These elusive objects NEED good encoders! Sure want to know you are ON the object to concentrate on trying to SEE it! I felt like a fool spinning a 29-in scope around and around with the lights on! The deer outside started snorting and I was afraid they would jump in! Mating season... Tom

October 14, 2015 01:13 AM Forum: Deep Sky Observing

NGC 6742

Posted By Thomas Dey
P.S. that dso-browser is Great! Thanx - I didn't know that can just be called up and ... Browsed. Tom

October 18, 2015 07:07 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

M33 for October 2015

Posted By Thomas Dey
Hi Floyd - nice indeed! I enjoy counting those octopus arms that branch almost fractally. So that's 14 hours of photon collecting? My only experience was obsessive film-capture three+ decades ago. 2-5 hour single exposures on home-hypered film and then not much more could be pulled out in the darkroom. Auto guide correction had just evolved and I'd keep looking at the sky hoping a stray cloud wouldn't ruin the whole effort. M33 was "too big" for my 12.5 inch f/6 Astrola and even the "New" TV Genesis 100mm f/5. Tom

October 19, 2015 11:43 PM Forum: Deep Sky Observing

A Tale of Two Globulars

Posted By Thomas Dey
Nice observations, Mark! I love deep sky visual - especially objects that are challenging for whatever instrument I'm using. And I also will pick a category and compare: Like planetaries tonight, globulars tomorrow, galaxies next time. Even very bright stars just to see what might be lurking in the same field. Globulars especially lend themselves to aperture. They are fascinating in my 5-inch refractor and mildly resolvable. The big reflector zooms them right in with uncountable stars. Tom Dey

October 19, 2015 11:51 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

Try it out and see what you think please

Posted By Thomas Dey
Very nice stuff! Does one create a customer account to participate, separate from one's Astromart? Thanks. Tom Dey

October 23, 2015 03:15 AM Forum: Equipment Talk

Upgrade Motor on CPC800?

Posted By Thomas Dey
Yes indeed to Rolando's consul. With the fork set up alt/az they can generally take plenty of weight. Put as much as needed on the other side and fore-aft so it balances at all elevations. The CG is then directly over the center of everything. Then both axes are happy and it theoretically takes almost no torque to drive them. Tom

October 24, 2015 11:10 PM Forum: Beginning Astronomy?

Re: Newbie here...

Posted By Thomas Dey
I was initially interpreting it as an (even bigger) guide scope. Probably just try it and see how it behaves. Keep the tripod feet deployed far apart on solid, level ground so it doesn't try to tip over on the heavy side! Tom

November 1, 2015 02:49 AM Forum: ASTRONOMY

scam

Posted By Thomas Dey
Good grief - THAT sounds more than suspicious!

November 1, 2015 09:43 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

NGC7822, G116.5+01.1, G116.9+00.2, Sh2-170, Sh2-1

Posted By Thomas Dey
Very nice! I especially like the dark globs in there and hoping to see some such stuff visually better now that I have many big binos and even 12nm H-alpha Night Vision. That's TWO matched NV "eyepieces!" Word has it that the Horsehead is "easy" with that?! Not sure if I can justify calling NV true visual though because it's actually two phosphor screens in there... I still call Pluto a planet and from what we've "seen?" lately --- I'll bet the astronomers will have to reconsider re-prompting it to full-blown Planet again!? Tom

November 7, 2015 10:09 PM Forum: ASTRONOMY

Eye Drop Dissolves Cataracts

Posted By Thomas Dey
Hi, Charles! Yeah, looks promising. The link looks pressreleaseeish so would need more scrutiny. If promising animal trials now, would be a long time before use in humans. And prophylactic, starting in childhood looks like where they are taking it. After the fact seems too late. My doctors said all mammals, including us, develop cataracts as a part of "normal" ageing. It becomes negatively affective in the 30s and sufficiently debilitating around the 70s to warrant surgery. UV exposure seems a significant aggravating factor. Sort of like internal chronic sunburn of the eye. The press release also said the surgery is painful - NOT! I know I'm only a statistic of one, but the discomfort was very mild at worst. Alas, our visual performance peaks in childhood and then slides downhill. So goes the muscles, brain, and performance organs. I want a bionic ME! Remember I said I was refracting my own eyes at home and having mild corrective glasses made? See, the glasses are Needed because I have no focus "accommodation” - the lenses were of course removed/detached from the muscles. Tom - high expectations. Attached picture of my self-refraction thing that I used to optimize my R/X for night vision. Tom

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