Posts Made By: Maurice Clark

Hi all,

I have a modified Canon 350 Rebel with the stock 18mm - 55mm lens.

I am considering getting a lens with a longer focal length..... somewhere between 100mm and 200mm.

Does anyone have any suggestions for suitable lenses? make... model, etc?

Thanks

Maurice

Today is NASA's day of remberance for the crews of Apollo 1, Challenger, and Columbia, and all the others who lost their lives in the pursuit of space exploration.

See here for their tribute: http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/dor10/

RIP

Hi all,

Images and spectra returned by the HST have apparently confirmed that comet P/2010 A2 LINEAR is the debris from a collision between 2 asteroids!

More details and image here: http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2010/07/text/

Maurice

Hi all,

I am looking for some help. The observatory I am using has a Mountain Instruments mount with an Astro Physics drive control. I normally control the drive system from a computer using The Sky 6 pro.

When I turn everything on, I use the AP key pad to point the telescope at a convienient object and then "sync" The Sky.

The past couple of times I have used the system, the AP control does not seem to boot up correctly. The key pad just reads "Astro Physics Version 4.12". Nothing seems to be able to make the key pad show anything different, nor will the key pad move the telescope in any way. I can still drive the telescope using The Sky, but I am at a loos as to what might have happened with the AP control system.

Anyone have any ideas? Any help would be apreciated.

Regards,

Maurice

Hi all,

I finally got myself a credit card and was able to get back registered with Amart! Stopping by some of the fora it was interesting to see that nothing much has changed in the time I have been away. The topics are the same, and even the names are the same! Feels like coming back home.

Might as well make a contribution........ The BA had a link to this piece regarding the science views of the republican candidates. I know nothing about the person who wrote it, but I found it quite interesting and not a little worrying. I know of Perry and some of his amazing statements regarding science since I am Texas these days, but the others seem just as bad.

Cheers

Maurice

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/29/opinion/republicans-against-science.html?_r=3

G'Day all,

I have a C14 on a paramount and I am wanting to add a 2" motorized focuser that I can plug into the paramount and control from the computer mainly to eliminate mirror shift when I try to use the C14 focuser.

Looking for suggestions as to which focuser would be suitable.

Thanks in advance.

Maurice

Just read this news item on the BBC website about their Astronomy Photographer of the Year for 2011. Check it out, some of the images are really outstanding! I especially like the one of the Vela supernova remnent!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-14792580

Cheers

Maurice

It seems like the anti-science brigade are winning another battle. This time to potentially end exploration of the outer solar system.

Cutting $15 million out of a $3.5 trillion budget so that there will be no more Cassinis, Galileos, New horizons, Voyagers, etc. Sounds like Reagan all over again. > :C

http://www.spacepolitics.com/2011/09/11/senate-energy-bill-includes-no-pu-238-funding/

Maurice

Hi all,

Just come back from an observing lab with students. Shortly after we started the observing I noticed a faint glow low on the north-east horizon. Watching for a few minutes, I saw it was getting brighter and redder, and realised it was an aurora. The students and the TA's were as exicted as I was. None of them had ever seen an aurora before.

At tis peak it was a deep red, and about as bright as the Milky Way. It started in the north-east and spread across the northern horizon, up to an altitude of about 15 degrees. Several whitish rays were also visible at times. After about 30 minutes it died down to just a faint glow that gradually disappeared.

The most surprising thing about this display was that we were observing from central west Texas. Quite a way south! I can only imagine what it would have been like from further north. Anyone from Minnesota/Wisconsin way see this?

Good to get a display this far south this early in the cycle. Hopefully it is a good omen for the next few years.

Only one problem........... It was a visual observing lab so the camera was at home!!!!!!!!! >

Checked the Soho website and there was a small storm impacting this evening. Time to start keeping a close watch!

Cheers,

Maurice

Hi all,

I am looking for suggestion on a webcam for planetary imaging. Up until now I haev been getting the students to use a CCD, but the rapid rotation of Jupiter is making it a real pain trying to get colour images. I will be using it on a 20" f/6.8 cass with a 2x barlow.

Any suggestions welcomed.

Cheers,

Maurice