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Non-NEC Console Related Discussion => Chit-Chat => Topic started by: Pcenginefx on April 22, 2008, 08:36:28 AM
Title: Astronomy Stuff
Post by: Pcenginefx on April 22, 2008, 08:36:28 AM
So anybody else here into astronomy (aka, finding things in space with a telescope?). I ask because I will be really getting into this very soon with an upcoming purchase of the Orion Skyquest XT8 Dobsonian Reflector:
If you have a telescope, any kind of scope - it doesn't have to be big like the Skyquest above...you can see so much (planets, stars, galaxies, nebula, star clusters) but you really need a guide...otherwise you'll be looking at random objects in the sky with no background information. I just bought this book which is perfect for seeing all there is to see using even small scopes, and shows exactly what to expect when viewing (no Hubble photos here): http://www.amazon.com/Turn-Left-Orion-Hundred-Telescope/dp/0521781906. The book is great because it will use "star hopping" to find the area of the sky to look at, then tell you what you are looking at and why it's cool. The Skyquest I'm planning on buying won't have any star-finder computer on it as I want to find everything myself (which is more rewarding in my opinion).
All telescope sites talk about the sad fact that millions of scopes are bought every year and are used a few times and then put into storage all because they don't have a guide. If you have a scope, get this book (or another highly rated one is called "Nightwatch" http://www.amazon.com/NightWatch-Practical-Guide-Viewing-Universe/dp/155407147X/ref=pd_sim_b_img_7) and you can start to personally view the universe yourself. I can't wait to start my exploration of the universe, but I'll have to wait a few more months (I'll have photos here for sure as well!)
Title: Re: Getting into astronomy/star/planet/deep space object viewing
Post by: guyjin on April 22, 2008, 09:51:47 AM
All telescope sites talk about the sad fact that millions of scopes are bought every year and are used a few times and then put into storage all because they don't have a guide.
maybe you should buy one of those instead of that big expensive thing. :shock:
Title: Re: Getting into astronomy/star/planet/deep space object viewing
Post by: Pcenginefx on April 22, 2008, 06:00:59 PM
Oh man, this scope is CHEAP for the size - you can get it from Amazon or whatnot for about $380. Dobsonian scopes are awesome because you can get larger diameter mirror for way lower cost then other types of scopes. The great thing about scopes that are 6" diameter and larger is that you aren't limited to just viewing the moon, sun & planets, but you can start to see detail in DSO (deep space objects) such as galaxies 4,000,000 light years away...or see the colors in stars, or see nebula's (even when viewing in the city!). Also, smaller scopes (say smaller than 3" in diameter) can't resolve finer details in the planets (such as the clouds on Jupiter, or the polar ice caps on Mars) so investing a bit more for a larger scope will provide a much more rewarding experience when viewing such objects.
Even if you don't have a scope, binoculars can see planets and even some galaxies as well! You just need to know where to find them. A great online star chart (with galaxies) is here: http://skychart.skytonight.com/observing/skychart/skychartlaunch.asp (must have java installed). You just plug in your zip code, and it shows you the stars/planets/galaxies that you should be able to see from your location. I just bought a pair of 10x50 binoculars to tide me over until I get my XT8, so I'll be checking out the sky as soon as it becomes clear (all cloudy here in Seattle right now :(
Title: Re: Getting into astronomy/star/planet/deep space object viewing
Post by: Lord Thag on April 22, 2008, 06:21:31 PM
Yeah, I like astronomy.
I scored a $3000 Meade 8' Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope with a worm drive tracking mount for about $400 from a friend's dad. It's really awesome. THEN, my brother found a box of expensive lenses for it ... sitting in an empty parking lot. So yeah, I got hooked up.
It's truly amazing to look at some of the celestial objects or planets with the naked eye. Seeing it on tv is just not the same. Makes you feel ... small.
Title: Re: Getting into astronomy/star/planet/deep space object viewing
Post by: Joe Redifer on April 22, 2008, 08:16:27 PM
I've never really understood the whole "feeling small" thing, instead it makes me excited. I want to know more about what's out there. I like to think how old the light rays are that are hitting my eyeballs and just think for a bit how those actual light rays touched whatever I am looking at at one time (if I am looking with the naked eye, TV doesn't count).
Title: Re: Getting into astronomy/star/planet/deep space object viewing
Post by: Pcenginefx on April 22, 2008, 08:44:16 PM
I scored a $3000 Meade 8' Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope with a worm drive tracking mount for about $400 from a friend's dad. It's really awesome. THEN, my brother found a box of expensive lenses for it ... sitting in an empty parking lot. So yeah, I got hooked up.
It's truly amazing to look at some of the celestial objects or planets with the naked eye. Seeing it on tv is just not the same. Makes you feel ... small.
WOW man........that is a kick ass scope. When I think about the universe or just space in general, it doesn't seem "real" to me, so that's why I'm so excited to start exploring the universe - to see with my own eyes what is out there that I've only seen in photos. Weird part is that I've always been interested in space since I was little and never really thought about exploring the night sky until now.
Title: Re: Getting into astronomy/star/planet/deep space object viewing
Post by: ceti alpha on April 23, 2008, 02:03:24 AM
I scored a $3000 Meade 8' Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope with a worm drive tracking mount for about $400 from a friend's dad. It's really awesome. THEN, my brother found a box of expensive lenses for it ... sitting in an empty parking lot. So yeah, I got hooked up.
It's truly amazing to look at some of the celestial objects or planets with the naked eye. Seeing it on tv is just not the same. Makes you feel ... small.
WOW man........that is a kick ass scope. When I think about the universe or just space in general, it doesn't seem "real" to me, so that's why I'm so excited to start exploring the universe - to see with my own eyes what is out there that I've only seen in photos. Weird part is that I've always been interested in space since I was little and never really thought about exploring the night sky until now.
That's Awesome! I didn't realize you could get those telescopes for so cheap. :shock: I'd really like to get into that myself. I have a real crappy telescope that is nothing more than a glorified magnifying glass. I know what you mean though - I've always been interested in the universe and how it was created (black holes and whatnot), but yeah, actually scanning the sky never really came to me. Now that I know I can get one of those things for so cheap, this summer is going to be the summer of sky watching. 8)
Thanks for posting all the guides too. :)
Title: Re: Getting into astronomy/star/planet/deep space object viewing
Post by: Pcenginefx on April 23, 2008, 07:56:15 AM
Glad to hear that ceti! I've been going through the book that I bought ("Turn Left at Orion") and it has really made me excited to go out and start finding some of this stuff. Many objects are at least visible with binoculars or small scopes (1" or 2") so even with your crappy one you should be able to at least identify all of the planets and probably some galaxies. Use that interactive skychart to see what is above you right now and you're all set!
Probably won't have any clear sky at least till the weekend (boo)...but I plan on taking a photo of what I can see with my new binoculars...we'll see....
Title: Re: Getting into astronomy/star/planet/deep space object viewing
Post by: Pcenginefx on April 23, 2008, 08:13:22 AM
BTW, here is a good example of how Saturn looks like with the Skyquest XT8 scope:
Eye piece used: "25mm Plossl" (which is one of the eye pieces that come with the scope). So doing some easy math, the eye piece used was only 48x (and the XT8 can handle up to about 300x magnification). This was a hand held shot so I'm sure there is more blur in the photo than what you would see with your own eye
More photos from this guy using the XT8 are here: http://home.comcast.net/~astrohammer/Photogalleryastrophoto.htm
Title: Re: Getting into astronomy/star/planet/deep space object viewing
Post by: ceti alpha on April 23, 2008, 09:41:18 AM
:shock: :shock: :shock: :clap: :clap: :clap:
Title: Re: Getting into astronomy/star/planet/deep space object viewing
Post by: Joe Redifer on April 23, 2008, 12:18:14 PM
I hope you plan on bolting that sucker down to the ground. I'm sure you're familiar with how bad camcorders are when they are zoomed even 8x. But when something is zoomed extreme amounts like a telescope, the slightest touch would make the image very blurry or make it so you lose whatever you were aiming to look at altogether.
Title: Re: Getting into astronomy/star/planet/deep space object viewing
Post by: Lord Thag on April 23, 2008, 12:40:15 PM
Quote
Quote from: Pcenginefx on Today at 12:44:16 AM
That's Awesome! I didn't realize you could get those telescopes for so cheap.
Yeah, telescopes are like boats and camping trailers. People buy them, never use them, and then just want them out of the way. You can get great deals on Craigslist and other 'freecycle' type sites.
The big key is getting a mount that has the motorized worm drive. You will pull your hair out trying to find something the size of a pin head in the sky. On high mag, it will drift out of view in about three seconds without a motorized drive. With the drive, you just align the scope with the sky, and it rotates with it so whatever you point it at stays in view, even on a 4mm or 8mm lens.
I'd also recommend getting a barlowe lens and a moon filter. They extend you options by quite a lot. A wide angle 25mm lens is also a must for spotting.
Very fun times. I'll check my stock, but I think I may have a few duplicate lenses from that find of my brothers. If you're interested, I'm sure we could work out something. I'll part with 'em cheap :wink:
Title: Re: Getting into astronomy/star/planet/deep space object viewing
Post by: guyjin on April 23, 2008, 01:46:42 PM
Point that baby at the moon - see if you can find footprints! :wink:
Title: Re: Getting into astronomy/star/planet/deep space object viewing
Post by: TR0N on April 23, 2008, 04:15:24 PM
I hope you plan on bolting that sucker down to the ground. I'm sure you're familiar with how bad camcorders are when they are zoomed even 8x. But when something is zoomed extreme amounts like a telescope, the slightest touch would make the image very blurry or make it so you lose whatever you were aiming to look at altogether.
Oh yah, I fully expect to have this issue. We will see once I get the big scope.
The big key is getting a mount that has the motorized worm drive. You will pull your hair out trying to find something the size of a pin head in the sky. On high mag, it will drift out of view in about three seconds without a motorized drive. With the drive, you just align the scope with the sky, and it rotates with it so whatever you point it at stays in view, even on a 4mm or 8mm lens.
I was thinking about that but the classic XT8 doesn't come with a drive (and I don't think you can put one on the Dobsonian type of scopes..?) but from all of the reviews they say that it is very easy to "track" with the scope (but again, we'll see).
I'd also recommend getting a barlowe lens and a moon filter. They extend you options by quite a lot. A wide angle 25mm lens is also a must for spotting.
Oh yes! Also on my XT8 wish list is the Orion Shorty 2x Barlow lens (http://www.amazon.com/Orion-Shorty-Barlow-Lens-1-25/dp/B0000XMWQW/ref=wl_it_dp?ie=UTF8&coliid=I3JOIE9DV1TS4T&colid=3MKZ8GDKGGWIT). For those other people who don't know what this is, this eye piece will double the magnification of your existing eye pieces. So just pop this into the socket, then pop in your eye piece and now you got double the power (for cheap!).
I also plan on buying this Orion Variable Polarizing Filter (http://www.amazon.com/Orion-Variable-Polarizing-Filter-1-25/dp/B0000XMU96/ref=wl_it_dp?ie=UTF8&coliid=I17ZMJAKBUIZDG&colid=3MKZ8GDKGGWIT) which can cut down on light from 1% to 40%. Great for viewing the moon (and adjustable too).
The XT8 comes with two 1.25" Sirius Plossl eyepieces, 25mm (48x) and 10mm (120x) so adding the barlow and polarizing filter, I think I'll be set to start seeing some great stuff.
Very fun times. I'll check my stock, but I think I may have a few duplicate lenses from that find of my brothers. If you're interested, I'm sure we could work out something. I'll part with 'em cheap :wink:
Hey, let me know. I'd be interested in anything that would improve the scope.
Title: Re: Getting into astronomy/star/planet/deep space object viewing
Post by: Lord Thag on April 24, 2008, 10:49:02 AM
Quote
Posted on: April 23, 2008, 10:20:55 PMPosted by: Pcenginefx
Hey, let me know. I'd be interested in anything that would improve the scope.
I'll check this evening and get back to you. I'm sure we could work out a trade or something. I *think* I have a spare Super Plossl as well. Those are nice :)
Title: Re: Getting into astronomy (06/16 - updated with Jupiter photo!)
Post by: Pcenginefx on June 15, 2008, 09:26:07 PM
So it finally cleared up in Seattle to go out stargazing....I borrowed a crappy $30 telescope from a friend of mine (I don't have my awesome scope yet) and was determined to see Jupiter or die trying...well I didn't have to try that hard because once I realized what I was looking at, Jupiter was the 2nd brightest thing in the sky next to the almost full moon that was out tonight.
Jupiter is VERY easy to spot in the sky and can be viewed in full city lights if you wanted to...I was very surprised that it was so bright! After verifying that I was indeed looking at Jupiter I began to notice some small "stars" very close to the planet...I then realized that I was seeing 3 of the 4 moons....Io, Ganymede and Europa...amazing considering how crappy a scope I was using.
I managed to snap this photo from the telescope...this is a hand-held shot with a point-and-shoot camera. I was hoping that the moons would show up in the photo and they did..really amazing!
Title: Re: Getting into astronomy (06/16 - updated with Jupiter photo!)
Post by: Pcenginefx on June 16, 2008, 05:58:56 AM
So just some additional notes about my Jupiter viewing last night:
- I was using a "Vivitar 50x/100x Refractor Telescope with Tripod" for viewing. I'd not recommend this scope for any purposes due to being so cheap ($30) and the tripod is so flimsy that a good gust of wind will tip it over
- Taking the shot was extremely hard mostly because I could hardly keep still enough to get a sharp photo. To fix this, I plan on going back out tonight (if clear) and attaching the Xbox 360 Vision camera to the eyepiece and capturing the photo on my laptop. I fully expect a huge jump in clarity using this method (we'll see!)
- Jupiter was very low to the horizon last night, so this was probably the worst way to view it due to atmospheric distortion. If the planet was higher, the viewing would have been much more sharp (the least amount of atmosphere is straight up).
- Viewing Jupiter with the naked eye, the moons looked like faint colored blinking stars around Jupiter, and Jupiter had a light-brownish hue, but no cloud detail was able to be resolved.
Title: Re: Getting into astronomy (06/16 - updated with Jupiter photo!)
Post by: Nintega Turbine Trio-CBS on June 16, 2008, 10:14:25 AM
Not for nothing but what is so interesting about looking at stars?
Title: Re: Getting into astronomy (06/16 - updated with Jupiter photo!)
Post by: Necromancer on June 16, 2008, 10:31:33 AM
Not for nothing but what is so interesting about looking at stars?
Either you find it interesting or you don't; just like all hobbies. Asking such a question is pointless, as the draw is obvious for those with inquisitive minds and can never be explained to those that don't care.
Title: Re: Getting into astronomy (06/16 - updated with Jupiter photo!)
Post by: Keranu on June 16, 2008, 10:32:41 AM
Why the Xbox Live Vision Camera? Why not the PSEye? Are you BIASED????????? :wink:
LOL....because the Playstation Eye doesn't have drivers for the PC (I have the PS3 Eye). I just finished a test of the XBLVC and it's good to go...and should be clear skies tonight!
Not for nothing but what is so interesting about looking at stars?
We live in a galaxy full of billions of stars & planets...and our galaxy is just one of billions of galaxies in the universe...this alone should spark interest in what is in the sky at night! There is much more to see than just plain old stars as well - there are dozens of galaxies, nebulae, star clusters, and our own planets that are visible right from your back yard. Being able to view all of these objects with your own eyes make them seem real than just looking at them in photos.
Hey those super-earths are only 42 light years away...we could get a signal there fairly quickly at light speed (42 years is "quick" when you are talking about space!) Active SETI (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_SETI) should send them a signal...
Title: Re: Getting into astronomy (06/16 - updated with Jupiter photo!)
Post by: Joe Redifer on June 16, 2008, 03:15:33 PM
I'm sure there is plant life on those "Super Earths" and very likely some weird-ass animals as well. They'd probably be way stronger than us due to the likelihood of the crushing gravity they must have.
Actually, wouldn't there HAVE to be some form of plant life on an earth-type planet? Also, you can bet there are bacteria in the waters. It may not be as bad as the water in Tijuana, but I'm sure there are organisms in it.
Title: Re: Getting into astronomy (06/16 - updated with Jupiter photo!)
Post by: awack on June 16, 2008, 03:40:39 PM
Some people think there is possibility of life underneath the surface of Europa, one of Jupiters moons.
Another thing about the largest of the super earths is that it must have taken god almost 57 days to make :pray:
Title: Re: Getting into astronomy (06/16 - updated with Jupiter photo!)
Post by: ceti alpha on June 16, 2008, 03:44:46 PM
Why are they calling these planets Super-Earths? Do they know there's water on these planets, or do they just know that they're rocky planets and not the typical gas giant they usually find? Anyway, I love hearing about the discovery of new extra-solar planets. And only 42 light years. :shock: Truly awesome.
Ah, OK. Here's an article from Space.com. It says that it's unlikely that there's life on these planets, but again, still a very cool find.
I think Earth is the ONLY planet that has living things. NASA is just wasting their time and the government's money putting 2XL in Mars. :lol:
Nintega,go troll elsewhere,mainly youtube where you belong.
@ Aaron,yea I thought you might like that new bit on comcast news,def interesting stuff. If I come across others Ill def post links here. :)
Title: Re: Getting into astronomy (06/16 - updated with Jupiter photo!)
Post by: Pcenginefx on June 17, 2008, 06:10:32 AM
So this brings up another item that I've been participating in - SETI. Anyone else doing any active SETI number crunching here? I currently have 11 PCs crunching radio data from SETI and am working on making a (cheap) server farm just dedicated to distributed computing (for when I decide to stop doing SETI work). The first PC for the farm is coming in a few days and this is what I got:
$49.95 - IN WIN IW-BT611T.300SL Silver Best Performed 0.8mm SECC Japanese Steel metal MicroATX Desktop Computer Case 300W Power Supply (http://c1.neweggimages.com/NeweggImage/productimage/11-108-060-02.jpg) $39.99 - PC Chips A1G5 Micro ATX AMD Motherboard $19.99 - Wintec Ampx 1GB RAM $34.99 - Excelstor Jupiter Series ESJ8080S 80GB HDD $77.00 - AMD Athlon 64 X2 5200+ Brisbane 2.7GHz CPU TOTAL: $221.96 (with shipping from Newegg is $249.86)
What's great about this PC is that it is cheap, low power, small form factor and has a fairly powerful dual-core CPU. For a number crunching machine this is perfect.
So why am I doing this? Well I'm currently hooked on increasing my SETI rank for daily work units done. I currently rank 39,308 out of about 835,000 active users..mostly because I have a quad-core and 5 dual-core machines crunching 24/7. If you have never seen a SETI stats page, check mine out...it will show you more stats data than you can shake a stick at: http://boincstats.com/stats/user_graph.php?pr=sah&id=416925
On another note, I went back outside last night with the webcam/telescope and recorded video footage of the moon and Jupiter. Let's just say that the video footage of Jupiter was way worse than I was expecting (no moons visible, very blurry). I'll post up some video later tonight.
Title: Re: Getting into astronomy (06/16 - updated with Jupiter photo!)
Post by: ceti alpha on June 17, 2008, 08:10:57 AM
That's awesome Aaron. I've considered doing the ceti...err...SETI thing.
Title: Re: Getting into astronomy (06/16 - updated with Jupiter photo!)
Post by: Keranu on June 17, 2008, 10:36:40 AM
I used SETI for a little bit, but stopped using it because of the used up memory.
Title: Re: Getting into astronomy (06/16 - updated with Jupiter photo!)
Post by: Pcenginefx on June 18, 2008, 06:01:50 AM
If you haven't tried SETI in a while (say years) then you should check it out now - it's part of BOINC (an open-source software for volunteer computing and grid computing) so you don't download SETI's client anymore, but just the BOINC client, then tell it what projects you want to be part of then off it goes. Makes it really easy to see exactly what you are doing for the project and if you want to help crunch other projects, the BOINC client makes that easy as well (for example you can tell the client to crunch SETI for 1/2 day and another project the rest of the day).
There is also cool little add-on apps you can run with it as well like SETI Mapview, which shows you a skymap displaying what part of the sky you are crunching, as well as finished work units and the signal strength for each unit (green means no signal detected, yellow and red are sent back to SETI for followup.
(http://www.bjoernhenke.de/smv/skymap_big.png)
There's another project that just came online called Milkyway@Home which is the research in modeling and determining the evolution of the Milkyway galaxy (http://milkyway.cs.rpi.edu/milkyway/) but there are a ton of projects that anyone can help out computing. For a complete list, go here (just mouse-over the project titles for a description): http://boinc.berkeley.edu/projects.php
Title: Re: Getting into astronomy (06/16 - updated with Jupiter photo!)
Post by: Pcenginefx on June 18, 2008, 10:54:34 AM
"The Universe and the search for ET"...very good recent History Channel documentary!
Title: Re: Getting into astronomy (06/16 - updated with Jupiter photo!)
Post by: ceti alpha on June 19, 2008, 02:59:52 AM
Thanks for posting this stuff Aaron. I think I'll -*gasp*- download this documentary and watch it tonight. I love space documentaries. I actually have a special folder in my computer/xbmc called "space documentaries". If you know of any other cool docs, don't be shy. 8)
Title: Re: Getting into astronomy (06/16 - updated with Jupiter photo!)
Post by: Pcenginefx on June 19, 2008, 07:49:39 PM
My cheap dual-core box just came in and it's running SETI now. Estimated workload looks good but will have to wait a few days to see what this baby can crank out. Funny thing is that this $250 PC looks like it might match the work my $2000 iMac is doing :O
I'm using sci-fi related naming for all these new machines and have decided the first box to be named "Celestra":
Title: Re: Getting into astronomy (06/16 - updated with Jupiter photo!)
Post by: Joe Redifer on June 19, 2008, 09:22:13 PM
You forgot to add the RAM specs. Also the video card and sound card specs are a must. Also the sticker needs specs for the cooling fan and maybe the all available external connectors like USB, Firewire, etc. :)
Title: Re: Getting into astronomy (06/16 - updated with Jupiter photo!)
Post by: Michael Helgeson on June 20, 2008, 02:42:21 AM
You forgot to add the RAM specs. Also the video card and sound card specs are a must. Also the sticker needs specs for the cooling fan and maybe the all available external connectors like USB, Firewire, etc. :)
RAM I might add, but the rest doesn't matter in my case...video and sound are on the mobo and makes no difference to the speed of the number crunching.
Space.com Phoenix Lander Thread (up-to-the-minute discussion on the lander and events) http://www.space.com/common/community/forums/?plckForumPage=ForumDiscussion&plckDiscussionId=Cat%3ac7921f8b-94ec-454a-9715-3770aac6e2caForum%3abf7b9387-46b4-47ed-ad5b-34a5350b82ecDiscussion%3a9a92d6c4-86a5-4b35-8183-6c97a30c6f8c&plckCategoryCurrentPage=0
Title: Re: Getting into astronomy (06/16 - updated with Jupiter photo!)
Post by: guyjin on June 20, 2008, 05:43:58 AM
Title: Re: Getting into astronomy (06/16 - updated with Jupiter photo!)
Post by: ceti alpha on June 26, 2008, 02:42:18 AM
Neat.
It's amazing to see Jupiter even like that, but you must be super happy to now be able to see Jupiter and all its colourful gas clouds.
Title: Re: Getting into astronomy (06/16 - updated with Jupiter photo!)
Post by: Pcenginefx on June 26, 2008, 04:20:51 AM
Actually ceti, I can't see the gas clouds yet :( (the Vivitar only makes Jupiter look like a brownish dot). I hope to get my new scope by Aug/September timeframe so you will see some really amazing stuff then.
Title: Re: Getting into astronomy (06/16 - updated with Jupiter photo!)
Post by: ceti alpha on June 26, 2008, 04:57:37 AM
Oh crap, yeah. I forgot you haven't actually got that telescope yet. #-o I was thinking of the Saturn pic you posted up on the first page of the thread. hehe. I can't wait to see how the images turn out when you finally get the new scope. 8)
Title: Re: Getting into astronomy (06/16 - updated with Jupiter photo!)
Post by: nectarsis on July 02, 2008, 08:12:41 AM
Voyager 2...V'ger baby :dance: or V'gers relative :wink:
Title: Re: Getting into astronomy (06/16 - updated with Jupiter photo!)
Post by: Pcenginefx on July 02, 2008, 12:00:15 PM
Ah cool, thanks nec for the update on V'ger hehe. So if the solar wind is like 17,000f, Voyager can withstand it? Is solar wind present in all areas of space or are there currents? I don't really have a good understanding of how solar wind works in space.
Title: Re: Getting into astronomy (06/16 - updated with Jupiter photo!)
Post by: nectarsis on July 02, 2008, 12:06:35 PM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_wind
Title: Re: Getting into astronomy (06/16 - updated with Jupiter photo!)
Post by: ceti alpha on July 02, 2008, 12:21:35 PM
lolmax @ V'ger :lol:
Title: Re: Getting into astronomy (06/16 - updated with Jupiter photo!)
Post by: Pcenginefx on July 02, 2008, 12:26:15 PM
Title: Re: Getting into astronomy (06/16 - updated with Jupiter photo!)
Post by: Joe Redifer on July 02, 2008, 12:29:23 PM
I hate wind.
V'ger has a long way to go in the next 250 years.
Title: Re: Getting into astronomy (06/16 - updated with Jupiter photo!)
Post by: nectarsis on July 02, 2008, 12:43:06 PM
Sorry BOSS MAN ;), wasn't even try and tackle that one..lol My step dad is also still at work, so I couldn't readily get a simplified answer.
Title: Re: Getting into astronomy (06/16 - updated with Jupiter photo!)
Post by: Pcenginefx on July 02, 2008, 01:07:48 PM
NP nec...no need to type out something that is easily linkable.
Title: Re: Getting into astronomy (08/12 - updated with Perseid/Pleiades photos)
Post by: Pcenginefx on August 12, 2008, 07:32:19 AM
The Perseid meteor shower peaked last night - anyone else do some stargazing? I was out with my wife from 12-2:30am in our back yard and saw about 40 meteors...some really bright (leaving smoke trails). Managed to get one meteor on camera:
During the same time, Pleiades came up over the horizon and took a snap of that as well (my snap on the left and a random telescope photo is on the right for comparison):
Title: Re: Getting into astronomy (08/12 - updated with Pleiades & Perseid Meteor pixs)
Post by: nectarsis on August 12, 2008, 07:45:36 AM
:-k Suddenly I have the urge to drive a Subaru :lol:
Title: Re: Getting into astronomy (08/12 - updated with Pleiades & Perseid Meteor pixs)
Post by: Joe Redifer on August 12, 2008, 01:50:20 PM
I have a hard time getting into constellations. I have a freakin' awesome and crazy-insane imagination, but even I cannot see how they can come up with a roman soldier on a horse carrying a shield and a spear wearing detailed armor and whatnot from only 3 or 4 stars. In fact, constellations annoy me. It's not like cloud watching!
Title: Re: Getting into astronomy (08/12 - updated with Pleiades & Perseid Meteor pixs)
Post by: Dark Fact on August 12, 2008, 02:58:25 PM
Quote from: Joe Redifer
I have a hard time getting into constellations. I have a freakin' awesome and crazy-insane imagination, but even I cannot see how they can come up with a roman soldier on a horse carrying a shield and a spear wearing detailed armor and whatnot from only 3 or 4 stars. In fact, constellations annoy me. It's not like cloud watching!
Says the Ninja man who just looked like he downed a whole bottle of tabasco sauce. :roll:
Anyway, those are some phenomenal pics, Aaron! :clap: Stargazing is something I've always wanted to do on warm quiet summer nights. Stars and space in itself is something that has always fascinated me. I was considering getting a telescope but they've always been out of my price range. :? Maybe in the future I can get something but for now, I'll just stick with my naked eye on warm summer nights.
Hope the new telescope you're gonna get will allow us to see Jupiter's eye. :)
Title: Re: Getting into astronomy (08/12 - updated with Pleiades & Perseid Meteor pixs)
Post by: Pcenginefx on August 13, 2008, 07:28:24 AM
What's your price range Dark Fact? I ask because Orion has very good scopes in just about any price range. For example, here is one:
This scope can see planets with detail, as well as deep space objects. Is easy to move around as well which makes it a great starter scope or a good secondary scope if you already have one. Orion has lots more scopes (http://www.telescope.com (http://www.telescope.com/)) and a free catalogue if you haven't seen it yet.
I originally wanted to go with an Orion dob, but looks like I'll be going with the Meade LXD75 Newtonian+DSI II for long exposure tracked imaging. I'm expecting to get some amazing galaxy shots as well as seeing Jupiter's eye(s) :)
Title: Re: Getting into astronomy (08/12 - updated with Pleiades & Perseid Meteor pixs)
Post by: ceti alpha on August 13, 2008, 07:40:01 AM
See, now that's something I'd like to start out with right there. Affordable, but can actually see objects in detail.
Title: Re: Getting into astronomy (08/12 - updated with Pleiades & Perseid Meteor pixs)
Post by: Joe Redifer on August 13, 2008, 12:46:09 PM
Too bad there aren't any telescopes that can see the leftover landers that are still on the moon. That would rock!
Title: Re: Getting into astronomy (08/12 - updated with Pleiades & Perseid Meteor pixs)
Post by: guyjin on August 13, 2008, 01:41:56 PM
Actually, I think I saw a picture of one of the moon landers seen from earth... but it just looks like a grey dot with a shadow.
Title: Re: Getting into astronomy (08/12 - updated with Pleiades & Perseid Meteor pixs)
Post by: Dark Fact on August 13, 2008, 02:59:52 PM
Hey, I recently found $150 in a separate wallet that I forgot that I put there long ago. :lol: Maybe now would be a good time to save it up for that telescope. :)
Title: Re: Getting into astronomy (08/12 - updated with Pleiades & Perseid Meteor pixs)
Post by: Joe Redifer on August 13, 2008, 03:43:41 PM
Quote from: guyjin
Actually, I think I saw a picture of one of the moon landers seen from earth... but it just looks like a grey dot with a shadow.
Not even the Hubble telescope has enough resolution to see something so small on the moon.
Title: Re: Getting into astronomy (08/12 - updated with Pleiades & Perseid Meteor pixs)
Post by: Pcenginefx on August 13, 2008, 07:46:15 PM
Hey, I recently found $150 in a separate wallet that I forgot that I put there long ago. :lol: Maybe now would be a good time to save it up for that telescope. :)
There you go! Now you only need $100(ish) more and you can get it. YOU CAN DO IT!
Actually, I think I saw a picture of one of the moon landers seen from earth... but it just looks like a grey dot with a shadow.
Not even the Hubble telescope has enough resolution to see something so small on the moon.
Yep, this is true. You'd think it can see something that small on the Moon but it wasn't made for that purpose.
On a different topic, has anyone ever tried to view an Iridium flare? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iridium_flare) I tried tonight but it must not have been high enough over the horizon to view it. http://www.heavens-above.com/ has the exact times and dates you can view Iridium flares in your area. There is another bright one in Seattle this Saturday morning at about 4:37am which I will try to catch on camera/video.
Title: Re: Getting into astronomy (08/12 - updated with Pleiades & Perseid Meteor pixs)
Post by: guyjin on August 13, 2008, 11:08:05 PM
These were the pictures I was thinking of, but they were taken from lunar orbit.
Title: Re: Getting into astronomy (08/12 - updated with Pleiades & Perseid Meteor pixs)
Post by: Joe Redifer on August 14, 2008, 08:40:16 PM
That's pretty cool, actually. I wonder what version of Photoshop they used to HOAX AND DECEIVE all of us since, of course, it was all fake and stuff. Kidding!!!
Title: Re: Getting into astronomy (08/12 - updated with Pleiades & Perseid Meteor pixs)
Post by: Pcenginefx on August 16, 2008, 01:33:20 AM
Finally after 3 days of trying, I saw an Iridium Flare this morning at 4:37am...the flare only lasted at -8 mag for a few seconds then faded considerably over the course of 20 seconds then was out of sight. Also tried to get video of it but was unable to (I think...will have to review the tape).
Title: Re: Astronomy Stuff (08/16 - updated with Iridium Flare pix)
Post by: Pcenginefx on August 22, 2008, 10:40:38 AM
I've created a new blog for all of my upcoming astrophotography stuff called "Neighbors Beyond" which I posted my first entry: http://neighborsbeyond.blogspot.com/ I'll be updating there first from now on but will still post stuff here as well.
Title: Re: Astronomy Stuff (08/16 - updated with Iridium Flare pix)
Post by: Dark Fact on August 26, 2008, 04:43:09 PM
Cool beans. Looking forward to seeing more stuff from you, Aaron. :)
Heh, so that's what Iridium flares look like...go figure.
Title: Re: Astronomy Stuff (08/16 - updated with Iridium Flare pix)
Post by: ceti alpha on August 27, 2008, 01:50:10 AM
Awesome blog Aaron. I have it bookmarked and will be making frequent stops to check it out. :)
Title: Re: Astronomy Stuff (08/16 - updated with Iridium Flare pix)
Post by: Dark Fact on August 27, 2008, 05:14:06 AM
Bah! #-o Forgot to bookmark! ](*,)
Title: Re: Astronomy Stuff (08/16 - updated with Iridium Flare pix)
Post by: Pcenginefx on August 27, 2008, 05:34:40 AM
Thanks guys! I'm still in the "gathering equipment" phase for my upcoming telescope so I can't wait to get everything together and start taking photos/video of cool stuff. I'm updating the blog daily right now so keep coming back :D
Title: Re: Astronomy Stuff (08/16 - updated with Iridium Flare pix)
Post by: Michael Helgeson on September 06, 2008, 04:24:28 AM
after months of research, i finally settled on these puppies and took the plunge:
http://www.oberwerk.com/products/100bt45.htm
don't be surprised if i don't hit you up for some sight-seeing tips ;)
Nice binoculars there CosMind! I have a slightly smaller model from Orion (the 20x80 GiantViews which you can see at my blog here: http://neighborsbeyond.blogspot.com/2008/09/whats-in-package.html). I have a photo of what I'm able to see with my 20x80 here as well: http://neighborsbeyond.blogspot.com/2008/09/update-to-september-2nd-stargazing.html.
I'm happy to say that I finally ordered my telescope (the Meade LXD75 SN-8" UHTC)...looks like this scope is VERY popular as I tried to order from 3 different places online just to get it!
I'm happy to say that I finally ordered my telescope (the Meade LXD75 SN-8" UHTC)...looks like this scope is VERY popular as I tried to order from 3 different places online just to get it!
hoo! is that really a 'scope or is it some sort of heavy artillary? ;) that's rad, indeed.
regarding photography, do you just put your camera lens to the 'scope and snap the shot, or do you have some special attachment that links your camera up to the 'scope?
Title: Re: Astronomy Stuff (08/16 - updated with Iridium Flare pix)
Post by: Pcenginefx on September 18, 2008, 03:38:11 PM
I have two means to take photos - one is with my Canon XTi SLR camera, and the other is with the Meade Color Deep Sky Imager II. Both have advantages & disadvantages:
Canon XTi: +High Resolution (10Mp) +Can take "wide field" images (great for taking photos of larger objects) +Price/resolution ratio is well worth it -Can't hook up to a computer for real-time preview -Have to hold down the shutter button for 30+ second exposures -Needs optional adapter & T-Mount to attach to telescope -Post processing will be a BIG pain without some kind of astrophotography software
Meade Color Deep Sky Imager II +Attaches directly to any telescope (and when I say "any", I mean any over $100+) +Has output to a PC for real-time preview, capture control, focus and star tracking +Easy post-processing (and believe me, you will have to post-process your images!) +Can use optional nebula and skyglow filters +Has ability to take very long exposures -Low resolution for the price (<1Mp) -Expensive ($600+) -Post-processing software can be confusing without tutorials -Optional nebula & skyglow filters are expensive -Not as "wide field" as the Canon XTi
To learn more about the Meade Deep Sky Imager II, check out my blog post here: http://neighborsbeyond.blogspot.com/2008/09/one-way-to-image-deep-space-objects-dso.html
And further info about my Canon XTi w/mounts is here: http://neighborsbeyond.blogspot.com/2008/08/barlows-slr-and-secret-package.html
Title: Re: Astronomy Stuff (08/16 - updated with Iridium Flare pix)
Post by: ceti alpha on September 18, 2008, 06:41:58 PM
Very nice!!! =P~
Title: Re: Astronomy Stuff (08/16 - updated with Iridium Flare pix)
Post by: CosMind on September 19, 2008, 05:21:49 AM
@pcenginefx
thanks a ton for the infos :)
Title: Re: Astronomy Stuff (08/16 - updated with Iridium Flare pix)
Post by: ceti alpha on September 24, 2008, 08:25:44 AM
Mysterious "Dark Flow" outside the visible universe affecting large galaxy clusters. :shock:
Title: Re: Astronomy Stuff (10/19 - updated with Moon photo)
Post by: Michael Helgeson on October 19, 2008, 11:38:35 AM
Thats very crisp man :). I meant to post this but forgot, glad you bumped this up, got me to remember: http://www.astronomy.com/asy/default.aspx?c=a&id=7529
Title: Re: Astronomy Stuff (10/19 - updated with Moon photo)
Post by: ceti alpha on October 21, 2008, 04:46:16 AM
That's an awesome image of the moon Aaron. Very, very sharp.
That's a cool article as well Mike. It's crazy to think that eventually the universe will consist only of black holes.
Title: Shuttle Launch Tomorrow!
Post by: Pcenginefx on November 13, 2008, 10:20:54 AM
Space Shuttle launch tomorrow at 7:55PM EST/4:55PM PST.
LIVE LAUNCH STREAM INFO: http://neighborsbeyond.blogspot.com/2008/11/shuttle-launch-info-sts-126-this-friday.html
I'm planning on watching this at work for the first time in HD (Comcast HDNet chanel 123) but you can also watch the launch starting at 2:30PM PST online (stream info above).
Title: Re: Astronomy Stuff (11/13 - Shuttle Launch Friday!)
Post by: Joe Redifer on November 13, 2008, 10:33:42 AM
There aren't many more times we'll be sending up the Space Shuttle. It is 30 years old and the fleet is definitely due for retirement. Aaron, you are in Washington state... that's only a hop, skip and a jump away from Florida. Walk down there and watch it in real life! :P
Title: Re: Astronomy Stuff (11/13 - Shuttle Launch Friday!)
Post by: Pcenginefx on November 13, 2008, 11:02:15 AM
Oh believe me, I want to see a live launch. I've been to KSC twice but never during a time of a launch....you really need to live there to see it because they scrap or move the launch date so often it is really hard to fly down for something like this.
Title: Re: Astronomy Stuff (11/13 - Shuttle Launch Friday!)
Post by: Necromancer on November 14, 2008, 01:30:25 AM
There aren't many more times we'll be sending up the Space Shuttle. It is 30 years old and the fleet is definitely due for retirement.
But this one is only 17. She's not even legal yet!
Title: Re: Astronomy Stuff (11/13 - Shuttle Launch Friday!)
Post by: Lord Thag on November 14, 2008, 04:16:52 AM
Yeah, they need to retire the space shuttle and start building particle cannon armed star cruisers. How else am I going to be able to take over the galaxy? :lol:
Title: Re: Astronomy Stuff (11/13 - Shuttle Launch Friday!)
Post by: ceti alpha on November 14, 2008, 04:28:22 AM
Yeah, they need to retire the space shuttle and start building particle cannon armed star cruisers. How else am I going to be able to take over the galaxy? :lol:
Don't hold your breath. NASA is retiring the shuttle in favour of 1960s style rockets. :roll:
It's unfortunate that NASA doesn't get the funding it deserves, but with today's economy, NASA is going to probably be put even further on the backburner. I guess I can't complain, since I don't pay taxes in the US. heh Our aerospace program is terribly underfunded as well. It's pretty bad when private companies are ahead of NASA.
Title: Re: Astronomy Stuff (11/13 - Shuttle Launch Friday!)
Post by: Lord Thag on November 14, 2008, 04:44:44 AM
Very true ceti. The ironic thing is that much of our current technology came from the space race. It's a shame we don't have a reason to push space flight. Imagine the resources we could mine from all of those dead moons and planets.
Besaides, I'd really like a Battlestar or Star Destroyer to tool around the solar system in. Planetary bombardment is so much fun :twisted:
Title: Re: Astronomy Stuff (11/13 - Shuttle Launch Friday!)
Post by: Pcenginefx on November 14, 2008, 09:49:48 AM
Live Shuttle coverage has started....we are OK TO GO (in 2 hours).
Update: Cabin pressure test starting. NASA says no issues blocking launch at this point.
Update 3:41PM PST: Planned count hold starting. NASA says 80% chance of launch (20% chance of weather causing issues). Whiteroom crew leaving pad. We are OK TO GO.
Update 4:36PM PST: HDNet cable coverage has started. Launch is a OK TO GO in 20ish min.
Update 4:41PM PST: Someone might not have secured a door in the white room and NASA is investigating.....update again, the door is not secured. :| Looks like they will launch with the door unsecured so it will just break off....
Update 4:51PM PST: LET'S LIGHT THIS CANDLE!
Everything looked great for launch....ET sep just occured.....they are in space :D
Title: Re: Astronomy Stuff (11/13 - Shuttle Launch Friday!)
Post by: SignOfZeta on December 28, 2009, 11:14:58 AM
I thought I'd bump this thread since I got a Celestron PowerSeeker 80EQ for Xmas. I didn't get around to putting it together until tonight and now I'm geeked to stare at shit.
Title: Re: Astronomy Stuff (11/13 - Shuttle Launch Friday!)
Post by: guyjin on December 28, 2009, 02:29:22 PM
I thought I'd bump this thread since I got a Celestron PowerSeeker 80EQ for Xmas. I didn't get around to putting it together until tonight and now I'm geeked to stare at shit.
The sky is the world's biggest, highest-definition screen, after all :)
Title: Re: Astronomy Stuff (11/13 - Shuttle Launch Friday!)
Post by: SignOfZeta on December 28, 2009, 05:39:49 PM
OK so I went outside tonight to mess around with things. I've got a lot to learn about this stuff.
The moon (no stars are visible since its supremely overcast this week) is in a weird spot right now, especially in my neighborhood with all the trees and houses and stuff. By the time its dark its so high in the sky my tripod can barely point my scope at it. Therefore I decided to wait until it had passed overhead completely. I went out there again (btw, its 19ºF here right now) and by this time it had descended a bit too far, so I had to view it through some trees. Since there are no leaves now though, the trees are just sticks.
Anyway, the view is AMAZING! You can see all the craters and shit and its crystal clear. Yes, very "HD".
Tomorrow I'm going to try to catch the moon in daylight/dusk and see how that works. I also need to see what I can do about the shakiness of this tripod. Since I just put it together tonight there might be some things I can tighten down. At the same time I can definitely see the experts always say the quality of the tripod is in many ways more important than the quality of what sits on it.
Title: Re: Astronomy Stuff (11/13 - Shuttle Launch Friday!)
Post by: Pcenginefx on December 30, 2009, 06:33:28 PM
Saw some great stuff these past few nights from our place in Seattle - Mars (comes up to the East during the evenings), Jupiter (to the south/southwest), about 3 or 4 star clusters, Pleiades and a faint galaxy.
Title: Re: Astronomy Stuff
Post by: SignOfZeta on December 30, 2009, 08:32:53 PM
Absolutely no viewing tonight since its snowing several inches, but I did do some research on how to use the German Equatorial Mount so...no more struggling to point straight up!
My basic opinion of this telescope so far is that they obviously cheaped out on several things to make it fit into the low price point, but they made it count where they could. The tripod is a bit shaky, but totally usable. The viewfinder is really cheap, but also totally usable. The barlow lense...basically its garbage. I expect to never use it. The mount however is very nice, and the optics in the scope, 90º and eye pieces are very nice. So really the only thing lacking is the tripod, and even that is something I don't plan to upgrade for a while.
I think I'm going to check out the local club, University Lowbrow Astronomers, which is in good with the school and has open access to a 24" reflector (the viewfinder on which is bigger than my actual telescope) and is somewhat out in the country.
Title: Re: Astronomy Stuff
Post by: guyjin on December 31, 2009, 10:15:28 AM
The barlow lense...basically its garbage. I expect to never use it.
what is it, and what's wrong with it?
Title: Re: Astronomy Stuff
Post by: SignOfZeta on December 31, 2009, 03:31:55 PM
It
Quote from: guyjin
what is it, and what's wrong with it?
A Barlow lens is something you add between the scope's body and the eye piece to increase overall magnification. This one is 3x, so it triples whatever magnification you currently have based on the main lens and eyepiece. In theory they are great but this particular one is really cheap. Its all plastic, possibly even including the lens itself (!) so clarity is abysmal. One person wrote something online about how it was probably included just so that Celestron could compete with "Christmas garbage" scopes that sell themselves primarily on magnification power. In real world use magnification power alone is almost meaningless, and with something as small as this 80mm lens, it isn't going to let enough light in to really work well at its maximum magnification of 525x. In all honestly I'm having the most fun using this thing at its lowest magnification.
When I actually get a non-snowy night and I get a chance to take it into the countryside, then maybe I'll be interested in magnification power more.