3d Europa transit 20100828

 

Make sure you click image titles for a larger view.  They're fitted for the web.com main page rss feed!

                Be sure to try to cross your eyes and make the moon pop out!

As Mitch Duke can attest to we've had some good seeing around here the past week. I attribute it much to a stalled high bounded by Hurricane Earl, which thankfully is only brushing our coast and not bashing it!

Anyway in a vain effort to compete with the world class images popping out of the wood work, I offer my humble 8" from night 1 of 4 ( a personal best).

I also grabbed some Uranus shots this night too, which I'm still assembling.

I will probably post the remainder of my work up on the new website:

http://maphilli14.webs.com/ 

Be sure to try to trick your mind and or cross your eyes on this one as it WILL make the moon pop out in front of those shark tooth shapes in the sSEB.

                                              150% sized!

                                          Mono channels

Uranus with 4 or 5 moons

You decide if I got elusive Miranda or not.  I found some Flea3 tips from Anthony Wesley that might help me net out a better set, including needed darks too!

RGB:

Here's the mouse over version with NASA's JPL overlay.  It wasn't spot on aligned, so either I was off on the time or speed of light delay.

http://maphilli14.webs.com/Astronomy/8-Webs/SolarSystem/Uranus/2010/Mouse-Over-Template.html

Witch's Broom Nebula

Ton's of great Astro weather here of late.  Here's the coolest Deep Sky Object I got from last night.  I got some other's and LOTS of Jupiter photos to get to, but thought this was worth a post of it's own!

Michael Alexander Phillips' Star

On December 25, 1993 I was given a gift of a International Star Registry star named Michael A. Phillips.

On July 2/3, 2010 I found and photographed it!

Here's the high-res photos and star charts.

Akule Sketches

Rings & Sonotube the 1st trial

Not the full weight, only about 23.5 lbs total for the rings and empty tube. The rings are about 6lbs and the tube is about 16.5lbs. The tube didn't fit as it's about 1in larger in diameter than the final product, which I hope isn't an issue for measurements and handoff to the aluminum fabricator. It's also a rough cut in half as the product was shipped in 12foot lengths, so it's about 6 feet instead of about 5 for the final. Just barely fits in the garage! Phew!

Newt News: Focuser ARRIVED

Package arrived 2010.07.22

It's a work of art and more beautiful than the photos show!