ASIGN Observatory II is back on track!

Wanna make a scope? Or better still, grind a mirror yourself. Or, you have some good tips in making a really useful accessory? This is the place to show what your hands can do...
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Gary
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Re: ASIGN Observatory II is back on track!

Post by Gary »

Awesome scope! [smilie=good-job.gif]
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"The importance of a telescope is not how big it is, how well made it is.
It is how many people, less fortunate than you, got to look through it."
-- John Dobson.
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Barry
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Re: ASIGN Observatory II is back on track!

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Get this - I sold all my pro photography gear to buy all this, then I had to get a pro photographer in to take these photos for my website and Facebook group.... go figure...

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Airconvent
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Re: ASIGN Observatory II is back on track!

Post by Airconvent »

Mate, get a Pentax and save more money ! :)
Looks nice and cosy in there. I think your Ironman Armour would make a nice decorative piece in there too (just like those Jaoanese Samurai armour on display). It should be placed next to a mini-fridge holding the cold beers :)

Have fun in your ovservatory cum den...
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Barry
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Re: ASIGN Observatory II is back on track!

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Here's my first go at planetary photography through the new scope. I still have to multiply the focal length out to around six metres to get the best image scale, but here is is at nearly two and a half metre focal length.

Here you see Jupiter and a couple of it's moons. Ganymede on the right is casting a shadow on the surface atmosphere of the Jovian giant.

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bornfree
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Re: ASIGN Observatory II is back on track!

Post by bornfree »

droolz!! beautiful~
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Barry
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Re: ASIGN Observatory II is back on track!

Post by Barry »

Ok here you go. :thumbup:

After 30 hours of cutting, drilling, bolting and painting, ASIGN Observatory II is now sporting a very stylish pergola and banister over the front entrance.

And a bonus little screen grab of Johanna Griggs from the Better Homes and Gardens team with me on the observation deck.

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Airconvent
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Re: ASIGN Observatory II is back on track!

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Cool, Barry ! You didn't ask her to smash a champagne bottle on the wall? :)
Looks like you have been multi-tasking. I though you were too engrossed in IronMan Mk2... :)
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Barry
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Re: ASIGN Observatory II is back on track!

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Airconvent wrote:Cool, Barry ! You didn't ask her to smash a champagne bottle on the wall? :)
Looks like you have been multi-tasking. I though you were too engrossed in IronMan Mk2... :)
The IM suit is a cloudy night activity, not a gorgeous day off activity. :mryellow:
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Barry
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Re: ASIGN Observatory II is back on track!

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1. It's been couple of nights of rapid progression at ASIGN Observatory II. First night I got collimation of the mirrors sorted out.

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2, 3 &4. Last night I had a fellow astronomer visit and help me through configuring of all the software that runs the telescope and cameras. Here's a few shots of the setup.

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5 and finally, here's the first image (60 second single exposure) out of the new telescope through the deep space imager. It should be noted that there was nearly a full moon up and the mist filled the sky with poo. I can't wait to get a clear moonless night on some distant galaxies!

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Gary
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Re: ASIGN Observatory II is back on track!

Post by Gary »

Red rings never looked so good! Good job!
http://www.astro.sg
email: gary[at]astro.sg
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"The importance of a telescope is not how big it is, how well made it is.
It is how many people, less fortunate than you, got to look through it."
-- John Dobson.
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