Astromart

December 6, 2014 02:15 AM Forum: N.A.S.A.

Orion mission

Hooray, hope funding continues. Being retired, I got to watch the 1st returns on TV.

January 24, 2015 05:06 AM Forum: Solar System Observing

Jupiter's triple moon shadows

A rare triple moon event on Jupiter is underway now. The 1st moon and it's preceding shadow are already on the globe with two more to soon follow. Anyone else observing this event?

January 27, 2015 05:09 AM Forum: Solar System Observing

Asteroid flyby

Posted By Ron Oehlert

See my report under Gearing up for 2004 BL86 in the Comets forum; watching it now.

March 10, 2015 03:10 AM Forum: Solar System Observing

At the moment the GRS is approaching the western limb while a satellite shadow has entered the eastern limb along the equator. Lots of cloud detail visible in the southern hemisphere. Using a 1990's Meade 10" f/4.5 with 2X Dakin Barlow and 16mm Vernonscope Brandon eyepiece at 140X due to atmospheric limit here tonight. This particular scope has Star-tested very good and bests my excellent Cave Astrola 8" f/7 due to the larger aperture. Take a look at Jupiter at it's best.

March 12, 2015 04:06 AM Forum: Solar System Observing

Jupiter's GRS tonight

Posted By Ron Oehlert

The Great Red Spot is on the Central Meridian at the moment. At only 140X in my 10" reflector it is Salmon in color; reminds me of the view in decades past. The Seeing here, despite dark skies, can't support more magnification the past several nights.

March 14, 2015 02:44 AM Forum: Solar System Observing

Jupiter's double-paired moons now.

Posted By Ron Oehlert

Jupiter's moons are double-paired right now, both pairs to east of the the planet. Nice unusual grouping. I'm using 100X with a 60-degree AFOV eyepiece; the Seeing tonight won't allow more.

March 29, 2015 04:11 AM Forum: Solar System Observing

Jupiter tonight

Posted By Ron Oehlert

Right now the GRS is approaching the Western limb and Europa has entered the Eastern limb. My 10" reflector @ 224X clearly shows the moon against the globe. Watching Europa approach and come between us and the planet was spellbinding. No moon shadow yet. Plenty of cloud detail seen tonight from my location.

July 1, 2015 02:40 AM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Solar System

How to post pics?

Posted By Ron Oehlert

A couple evenings ago I tried taking some Moon & Saturn photos with my iPhone6+. They came out pretty good for a hand-held camera in front of the eyepiece at 200X visual from a Cave 8" f/7. So now I'm going to make a wood and bungee cord stand to attach the iPhone direct to the scope. However, I do not know how to share such photos here beyond sending them to an email address. Any advice appreciated. And would a video stream be of help in stacking/processing for deep sky? My astrophoto experience is from the days of Film, but I did take photos of deep sky and solar system back then including some nice Halley's Comet pics. Thanks.

December 17, 2002 03:29 AM Forum: Equipment Talk

LER (long eye relief) Eyepieces

Posted By Ron Oehlert

I found that my set of ortho's had too little eyerelief for me as I got older (I wear glasses, but not with my scope). What I did was file away the extraneous metal that projected above the eyelens by several mm, and applied flat black paint to the exposed shiny surface. Now even glasses wearers can view the entire FOV with them when I host groups. Not what you asked, but an option to consider. Ron

December 17, 2002 03:58 AM Forum: Telescope Making

Building an Off-Axis Newtonian design?

Posted By Ron Oehlert

Well back to your original ?, take a look at Jose Sasian's Unobstructed Newtonian (S&T March, 1991, page 120). The primary is a 6" f/12 paraboloid and the slightly concave oblate-ellipsoidal secondary is placed outside the incoming column of light. Resultant F# is f/11 for the overall system. The design can be scaled for other aperature's. The unusual secondary is similar to that used in Yolo telescopes, another consideration (S&T, August, 1988, page 198). Ron

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Posts Made By: Ron Oehlert

Orion mission

Jupiter's triple moon shadows

Asteroid flyby

Jupiter now

Jupiter's GRS tonight

Jupiter's double-paired moons now.

Jupiter tonight

How to post pics?

LER (long eye relief) Eyepieces

Building an Off-Axis Newtonian design?

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