I almost decided to hit the Mellow Mushroom for a beer but instead just went on home and got ready to set up the Scope and take some pictures.
I messed around with some computer stuff first, then watched a little TV. Around 6:30 I started to setup the scope and stuff outside, it was already around 36 degrees (F) and dropping fast. First I pulled out an extension cord, plugged in the camera and mount AC adapters, brought out the metal table, and then setup and leveled the telescope mount. I then mounted the OTA (optical tube assembly or telescope), and added the T-adapter and camera T-ring to the focuser on the scope. My brother then helped me collimate the finder scope using one of his eyepieces and a flip mirror (later in the evening he gave me an extra (3rd) one he had, he’s really nice that way!). I’m going to have to do it again later since we only did it with an object less than 100 yards away (it should be more like a mile or so). By this time it was dark enough to see the north star (Polaris) so I polar aligned the CG-5 mount. Had a little trouble with this since there were a few clouds moving to the east right over the top of the celestial north.
I then began to align and calibrate the GoTo on the mount. Most of the stars I’m familiar with are in the Southern sky, Betelgeuse, Rigel, Sirius so I was just using them and Brian started his sarcastic way of saying I was doing it wrong, I knew that I wouldn’t get a really good calibration but exact GoTo was not something I was really worried about. I told him I knew that it wasn’t as good but I wasn’t worried about that and he took it as if I was telling him he didn’t know anything. Funny thing is I know and do ask him about almost everything I do for the first time or at least get his opinion, I may not use it but I think that is my choice.
Finally, with my hands nearly frozen I had the scope basically aligned and began to set up a picture taking sequence. I did a 6 photo run for 10 minute exposures with 5 minutes between them in order for the camera to do it’s noise reduction. It was too much and there was a lot of wiggle, and some drift. I hadn’t done any drift alignment so I expected this. I then did a six shot run with 60 second shots and only got two that were not streaked at least a tiny bit. This may be from the mount movement, improper alignment (drift) or maybe the mirror since I did do the exposure delay but not mirror lockup.
NEXT: Use the 2X converter with the camera to get a bit closer to the nebula, and then possibly try another nebula or star cluster. M17: the Omega Nebula, M31: Spiral Galaxy, M20: Trifid Nebula
I stopped in at the Mellow Mushroom for dinner and a few beers before heading home to view/photograph the lunar eclipse. Amanda was there along with Kat (Katheryn?). A fellow server (the dude) had called in and wasn’t going to make it, he had called earlier and another server told him he wasn’t on the schedule. Nicki called while I was finishing my beer and was at the house hoping to get her tax forms printed so she could get them sent out tomorrow. I finished my beer and becoming a little pissed off at the news about Obama. Seems his wife has NEVER been proud of America/Americans or politics except for the people wanting her husband to be president. Personally, I feel he may be the anti-Christ.
By the time totality occurred the clouds had came in quite heavily, and stayed that way for some time. Around 10:45 it started to clear up a bit and I got some more shots like the one above with Saturn in the lower left-hand part of the frame. The shot to the left is one just as totality was complete and the lower right edge is beginning to emerge from the Earth’s shadow. It was after 11pm by then so I started packing up and getting the stuff inside. I was tired and sore (all the bending and standing on my feet for the last 2-3 hours, I’m not as young as I used to be.
