Lunar Photography: No Telescope RequiredPosted By Alan French |
Here's an Election Moon, which is rarer than a "supermoon."
Posts Made By: Alan French
November 9, 2016 12:25 AM
Forum:
After Dark
March 8, 2017 09:02 PM
Forum:
After Dark
ALDEBARAN GRAZING OCCULTATIONPosted By Alan French |
Thomas Dey said:
Two obeservation reports: One (mine) yawn ho-hum. Second (friend's) quite exciting! First mine: Was last night, so sorta timely ~After Dark~ Here, near Rochester, NY ideal location and clear. But it was 8F outside, so I just watched it with binos (Zeiss 8x20) thru the living room window and saw Aldebaran "snap off" at 11:12:13 p.m. EST 20170304. That's a scientifically useless data point... but fun nevertheless = satisfying Amateur Astronomy. I was about 30 miles south of the Ideal Grazing Trajectory. Computed that 0.020 arc-sec star should take approx 0.13 sec to wink out = too fast to notice visually, but plenty slow enough for a few frames on a cam-corder to witness. A fast-response photometer on a good scope would nail it magnificently. Second friend's observation: Carl intentionally placed himself about 700 feet south of the "ideal mean" trajectory, else risk seeing no occultation whatsoever. Result? He saw Aldebaran wink off and on NINE TIMES over a period of [about a minute?] Scope was a 5-inch refractor at 21X. Lat 43d21m00.21s Long 78d38m07.11s Ele 91m. Very cool, indeed! He didn't log the time(s) else miss watching it! For both of us, it is reminiscent of that time a pretty bright start cut right thru Saturn's Rings a couple decades ago, winking on/off/on many dozens of times. I had observed that event, mesmerized, using my 12-inch Cave Astrola from my dome here. Has anyone seen a grazing occultation blink more than nine times? I'm thinking Carl may well have set a (visual) record? Tom Dey
Amazing to see that. We were north of the limit and so only saw Aldebaran close to the Moon. It was 5 degrees here so I settled for binoculars and a quick shot with my Canon SX50 HS on a tripod. Not a good night for an expedition!
Clear skies, Alan
March 20, 2017 08:17 PM
Forum:
Solar System Observing
Daytime VenusPosted By Alan French |
Caught Venus again around 1:15 p.m. EDT. Since I have almost no shade left to the east of the house where I can't sweep up the Sun yet can see Venus, I moved to the north end of the house. There I can set up where the Sun is moving deeper into the roof while Venus remains in view and passes above the peak. I quit when the Sun was getting close to emerging from the west side of the peak (and kept a very careful eye on that possibility).
Started looking about 1:00 but had to wait for some high clouds to move away. After they did Venus was found quite quickly. A exquisite crescent against the blue sky, and a steadier view than I had just after sunset yesterday when Venus was only a bit over 11 degrees above the horizon.
Clear skies, Alan
Started looking about 1:00 but had to wait for some high clouds to move away. After they did Venus was found quite quickly. A exquisite crescent against the blue sky, and a steadier view than I had just after sunset yesterday when Venus was only a bit over 11 degrees above the horizon.
Clear skies, Alan
November 9, 2017 10:20 PM
Forum:
CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky
M76 Little DumbellPosted By Alan French |
Very nice!
After a long spell of warmer than average weather, the cold is unwelcome.
Clear skies, Alan
After a long spell of warmer than average weather, the cold is unwelcome.
Clear skies, Alan
May 3, 2018 06:00 AM
Forum:
Solar System Observing
Mars opposition July 27Posted By Alan French |
To see detail more easily, I found a 23A was good on an 8-inch scope. Generally, I prefer the view without a filter.
The big problem for me, and probably more so for you, will be the low altitude of Mars. Here it is just under 25 degrees at its highest. The seeing is rarely good that low in the sky.
Clear skies, Alan
The big problem for me, and probably more so for you, will be the low altitude of Mars. Here it is just under 25 degrees at its highest. The seeing is rarely good that low in the sky.
Clear skies, Alan
September 3, 2018 07:38 AM
Forum:
Refractors
An Order of MagnitudePosted By Alan French |
It's possible the price on a vanilla 8-inch f/12 achromat might actually be higher today. It has been a long time since their web page has been updated.
I don't know about CaF2, but Ohara S-FPL53 is 18 times as expensive as their S-BSL7 (BK-7 equivalent). We don't know what matching glasses TEC is using. They may well be more than BK-7/F2.
Six surfaces, with internal surfaces having to match very closely, and stronger curves and higher internal powers, likely translating to stricter tolerances.
I'll also note that while the D&G instruments are fine scopes, the mechanics are more basic than the TEC OTAs.
Clear skies, Alan
I don't know about CaF2, but Ohara S-FPL53 is 18 times as expensive as their S-BSL7 (BK-7 equivalent). We don't know what matching glasses TEC is using. They may well be more than BK-7/F2.
Six surfaces, with internal surfaces having to match very closely, and stronger curves and higher internal powers, likely translating to stricter tolerances.
I'll also note that while the D&G instruments are fine scopes, the mechanics are more basic than the TEC OTAs.
Clear skies, Alan
January 10, 2019 11:52 PM
Forum:
How to make AstroMart BETTER!! My idea is.....
Mulitple Copies of AdsPosted By Alan French |
Since Jan 9, I've been getting two to four copies of most classified ads, generally varying by 1 minute in date and time.
This is only happening with email from AM.
Anyone else seeing this?
Clear skies, Alan
This is only happening with email from AM.
Anyone else seeing this?
Clear skies, Alan
February 10, 2020 03:05 AM
Forum:
AstroMart FAQ
Not Getting Auction or Classified NotificationsPosted By Alan French |
I've been signed up to receive notifications for a few categories in Auctions and Classified, one message at a time. It was working fine, but I stopped getting any before the holidays. Being busy, it was some time before I noticed.
I tried changing my settings somewhat, signing in and out of Astromart, but I still am not getting any notifications. I do get responses to my ads and notices that I have private messages.
I have checked the online spam folder maintained by my ISP.
Any further suggestions?
Thanks, and clear skies, Alan
I tried changing my settings somewhat, signing in and out of Astromart, but I still am not getting any notifications. I do get responses to my ads and notices that I have private messages.
I have checked the online spam folder maintained by my ISP.
Any further suggestions?
Thanks, and clear skies, Alan
February 10, 2020 03:47 AM
Forum:
AstroMart FAQ
Not Getting Auction or Classified NotificationsPosted By Alan French |
Greg,
Thanks! I obviously missed that. Either I wasn't paying attention, it's been a recent change, or I got lucky with my previous $15 membership.
Anyway, nothing I really need - just like to see what's doing in the used market, so I'll stay at the current level.
Clear skies, Alan
Thanks! I obviously missed that. Either I wasn't paying attention, it's been a recent change, or I got lucky with my previous $15 membership.
Anyway, nothing I really need - just like to see what's doing in the used market, so I'll stay at the current level.
Clear skies, Alan
October 16, 2025 12:17 PM
Forum:
AstroMart FAQ
Password Reset Link Gets to 404F MessagePosted By Alan French |
I am still logged in, at least if I get the right URL, but have forgotten my password. An attempt to reset it using the button or the alternate link provided both get me to the "lost in the 404 nebula" message. I tried resetting it in my account data but got an "approval needed" message or similar when I was done. That password does not work either.
Clear skies, Alan
All fixed. The new password I created in my account works. Either I entered it incorrectly before or it needed "time."
Clear skies, Alan
All fixed. The new password I created in my account works. Either I entered it incorrectly before or it needed "time."
Funding Member
