Astronomy / Space First light from my new observatory

badwolf77

B
Over the UK summer I've been building a 8x6' pitched roof shed into an observatory with clamshell-opening doors.

You might very well think SW London, a couple of miles SE of Heathrow, isn't the best place for an observatory what with the ludicrous light pollution and planes flying overhead, but one must play with the hand one is dealt. ;)

Anyway, my first clear night since completing it was last weekend and I took a few tentative and largely uncalibrated, trial snaps. I present for your delectation the first processed image:

NGC7039_210151121.png


I mentioned the calibration wasn't up to much -- as it happens I was half a degree off the centre of NGC7039, so this is a bit of the fringe of it. Needs a bit more work and hopefully quality will improve in the future, but heck. I'm just pleased to get anything out for now. :)

Cheers,

BW.
 

badwolf77

B
Not had the chance to use the scope much lately. Too overcast and not enough time.

So the only thing I've snapped at any level worth keeping since that warm-up shot a few weeks ago is a calibration shot of Betelgeuse. Obviously a bit over-exposed (hence the size) but a bit of fun nonetheless. :)

20151208-betel.png
 

Porina

Porina
Looking with interest. Is this primarily for visual observation or imaging? Either way, curious what you're running?
 

badwolf77

B
Porina said:
Looking with interest. Is this primarily for visual observation or imaging? Either way, curious what you're running?
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This is exclusively imaging at the moment. I've a 6" reflector on an EQ-5 goto mount connected to a raspberry pi running the INDI library suite. Imaging at the moment is via a long-exposure modified webcam connected to the same.

Once I've opened the roof I can retreat inside and control remotely via KStars on Xubuntu. The RPi keeps tabs on temperature, humidity and signs of rain for me. I have to sprint out and cover up sharpish if it starts raining.

Alas, not had a single clear night since that last (cloud dodging) snap of Betelgeuse.

Cheers,

BW.
 

Porina

Porina
I know the feeling... haven't taken the cover off my mount at all this winter.

Interesting configuration you have. I'll have to look into it more as automating my setup (near enough EQ6) has been on my to do list, but never quite got done...
 

Surfinjo

Surfinjo
badwolf77 said:
Not had the chance to use the scope much lately. Too overcast and not enough time.

So the only thing I've snapped at any level worth keeping since that warm-up shot a few weeks ago is a calibration shot of Betelgeuse. Obviously a bit over-exposed (hence the size) but a bit of fun nonetheless. :)

View attachment 89569
Click to expand...

Really nice.

I'm sure many other would be interested in setting up their own observatories if only someone would take the trouble to explain what a calibration shot is. (preferably without the ubiquitous, dismissiveness).
 

Jezzah

Jezzah
Fair play to you OP and best of luck with it all. Can't help thinking that being where you are is going to be a major challenge in getting those truly spectacular pictures though.
 

badwolf77

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Jezzah said:
Can't help thinking that being where you are is going to be a major challenge in getting those truly spectacular pictures though.
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Certainly will be, but them's the breaks. :)

Was fortunate to have a clear night for the first time in a few weeks last night. Alas, my camera appears to be suffering a loose connection and I wasn't able to continue after the first hour or so.

All I managed to get was this shot of Merope (in the Pleiades). I thought the Canonn (Unknown Artefact) guys would want me to keep an eye on it. ;-)

merope_20160107.png

The biggest problem I have at the moment is I've the wrong scope for imaging, really. I'd like a shorter focal length to get a wider angle. I don't really need the magnification. That image above is around 12x9 arcminutes, which means even in a cluster such as the Pleiades (albeit an open one), I can't actually image more than one major star at a time. I can't get a focal length reducer close enough to the mirror for that to work either, alas.

Cheers!

-BW
 
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badwolf77

B
Incidentally, Jezzah, a couple of years ago (pre-observatory and a couple of miles up the road in Twickenham) I managed these snaps. I'm quietly hopeful I'll be able to get some prettier output when the spring comes around and the galactic plane is overhead at night.

Fingers crossed anyway. :)

m13_130718.pngM57.png

(The Great Cluster of Hercules, M31 and M57)

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Surfinjo said:
if only someone would take the trouble to explain what a calibration shot is. (preferably without the ubiquitous, dismissiveness).
Click to expand...

Thanks Surfiinjo. In this case a calibration shot is merely me trying to make sure the telescope is pointing where the computer thinks it's pointing. Set it to a really bright star and see how far off you are!

I was miles away during that evening (a previous calibration problem -- I may have misidentified the bright star I was pointing to >_>), so much time spent realigning the scope, hence the paucity of output. :)

-BW.
 
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