It's the Moon!

[T-Cut]

Finally got me observatory done and with a permanent rock solid mount, I'm now able to do a bit more looking and imaging than I could before. Setting up a ten inch Meade on a tripod every time was more than my old bones would allow, so it was a wise move. Basically a sectional assembly steel shed, on a raised steel frame with castors. It pushes away on guide rails fastened to the concrete deck. Anyway, you don't want to know that. Here's a few recent shots.



Yes it's the Moon. And it's Big!













TC

[Gate Keeper]

That’s got to be the closest photos I have ever seen on the forum, excellent clarity and no noise or pixelation. Am I right in thinking you once posted up some photos of the International Space Station?

[Jim Jamieson]

Fantastic shots there. In the last photo just at the bottom in the centre there’s a black object that looks like it’s moving as it shows a tracer behind it.

[Rocket]

Great job. Years ago i did astronomy but not with a telescope as big as yours. Fantastic.

[T-Cut]

Originally Posted by Gate Keeper

Am I right in thinking you once posted up some photos of the International Space Station?

Afraid not. I had a go at making a video a few years back using the orbital elements of the ISS to drive the scope. That part worked quite well, but everything else was just frantic. The tracking wasn't perfect 'cos I didn't set up the mount very well. So, trying to correct the aim and keep an eye on the monitor while the target zooms out of shot is very demanding. I'd also set the gain too high so all I got (when I got it) was a white silhouette streaking right to left and up and down.But you could tell it was the ISS alright. Basically, you have to prepare well in advance and just keep trying.

I thought I'd best practice my camera work on something easier (ie 'stationary'). Of course nothing in the sky is actually stationary because the Earth's rotating, but they're a bit easier than ISS. Anyway I had a go at deep sky imaging of Messier 57 (The Ring Nebula in Lyra) and that was reasonably good for a first effort.




And here's Comet Holmes, remember that?



This was captured with a Philips webcam.

TC

[T-Cut]

Originally Posted by Jim Jamieson

Fantastic shots there. In the last photo just at the bottom in the centre there’s a black object that looks like it’s moving as it shows a tracer behind it.

The two small craters at the lower centre are called W.H.Pickering (on the left and much older) with Messier on the right. The older crater has partially masked the debris splatter from Messier which came in at a low angle from the right. Note the elliptical outline. So, simply craters I'm afraid, no aliens in this shot.


As a way to grasp the scale, the circular crater at centre is 44 miles in diameter.



TC