I saw this on Cloudy Nights and thought it may be a fun thing to hopefully get some banter on! Thought it may be good to post this here to show the beginners and all, that we astronomer's are humans too!!
It's Bloopers we have made once/twice/several times, during an Ob that should not have happened in the first place according to Astronomy 101! Some examples from Cloudy Nights were like, forgetting to remove the Bhatinov mask during a whole nights of AP!-eye piece fell out while slewing, thought it was in focus but forgot to check with test shot!-forgetting to remove the Scope Lens cap after taking several Dark frames...and shooting the whole night!...are just a few!
Anyone out there with similar or better bloopers??? Would be fun to hear them. Hope you can share!
Thnks!!
The Bloopers!!
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timatworksg
- Posts: 767
- Joined: Mon Feb 01, 2010 9:42 pm
- Location: Pasir Ris
ok,..I'll get the ball rolling!! Here's mine!
I've been trying my hand at AP and practicing as many nights as I can from my home balcony! As I have 2 scopes, I also have two 2" to 1.25" adapters. One is with 'T'-threads. As they both have hole covers, the non 'T'-thread adapter is plugged into my C8 while the threaded one is in my 80ED. As I always use my 80ED for AP, I just remove the adapter with T-ring attached and mount it to my DSLR, slot it back into the scope. When I want to visual, I remove DSLR, un-mount adapter, re-slot into scope and attach diagonal. Been doing that several times till it was routine.
Realizing I have another adapter, I one night decided to use both so switching from DSLR to Diagonal would be less a hassle and nothing to mount/un-mount! Did Alignment, Slewed, centered, switch to DSLR, focus to marking on focuser, take TEST shot! Blank! Try again. Blank!...huh?? check focus....it's correct as per the marking on the crayford Tube! Try again,...Blank! Extend exposure to 15secs...Still blank!! Did I loose the star?? Check....no! try again....Blank! By then many assumptions creep in and frustration as well! Maybe my DSLR is time to die? My focus is out?? My Lens has Dew...can't be??!! Whats wrong??
It's getting late so I tear down contemplating what went wrong. Re-move DSLR, re-park scope, remove scope, remove counterweight, grumble, remove adapter from DSLR, took a glance.....BUGGER!!! The cap was still on!!! When I used to use one adapter, the T-ring is not attached and the cap is visible as HELL!! But when the T-ring is on, the cap is kinda, recessed away from view in a dark balcony!!
Clear night, Blooper, torn down, re-set up???.....nah! Goto Sleep kicking myself to bed!!!...Doh!....Doh!....Doh! (insert Homer Simpson voice)
I've been trying my hand at AP and practicing as many nights as I can from my home balcony! As I have 2 scopes, I also have two 2" to 1.25" adapters. One is with 'T'-threads. As they both have hole covers, the non 'T'-thread adapter is plugged into my C8 while the threaded one is in my 80ED. As I always use my 80ED for AP, I just remove the adapter with T-ring attached and mount it to my DSLR, slot it back into the scope. When I want to visual, I remove DSLR, un-mount adapter, re-slot into scope and attach diagonal. Been doing that several times till it was routine.
Realizing I have another adapter, I one night decided to use both so switching from DSLR to Diagonal would be less a hassle and nothing to mount/un-mount! Did Alignment, Slewed, centered, switch to DSLR, focus to marking on focuser, take TEST shot! Blank! Try again. Blank!...huh?? check focus....it's correct as per the marking on the crayford Tube! Try again,...Blank! Extend exposure to 15secs...Still blank!! Did I loose the star?? Check....no! try again....Blank! By then many assumptions creep in and frustration as well! Maybe my DSLR is time to die? My focus is out?? My Lens has Dew...can't be??!! Whats wrong??
It's getting late so I tear down contemplating what went wrong. Re-move DSLR, re-park scope, remove scope, remove counterweight, grumble, remove adapter from DSLR, took a glance.....BUGGER!!! The cap was still on!!! When I used to use one adapter, the T-ring is not attached and the cap is visible as HELL!! But when the T-ring is on, the cap is kinda, recessed away from view in a dark balcony!!
Clear night, Blooper, torn down, re-set up???.....nah! Goto Sleep kicking myself to bed!!!...Doh!....Doh!....Doh! (insert Homer Simpson voice)
I know for photography some forget to put in CF/SD card coz its in the PC reader during last use....and in settings they do not "lock camera when no card". So just shoot and when you switch off the cam the images all gone. LOL!
And there really is nothing you can do once you reach the site and found that you forgot the cards.
And there really is nothing you can do once you reach the site and found that you forgot the cards.
Using my Baader Hyperion 24mm eyepiece at a relatively dark site. After sometime, found the rubber eye guard missing (it was designed to be easily removed for camera mounting purposes). Used a torch light and tried hunting for it a long time. In the end, realised the rubber guard was just folded back nicely on the eyepiece! LOL. 
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swat_pup6433
- Posts: 310
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I to had an ordeal with the vixen sphinx mount. We lugged the sxd + scope all the way to ecp and then forgot to bring counter weights. -.- In the end we ended up tying bottles of sand there. Was able to do some astrophotography though. innovation +1.
Once, my junior was using the dobsonian and had it pointed at the zenith. Being relatively new to astronomy, he unscrewed the eyepiece out, leaving the 1.25 " adaptor there. The next person who used it forced another eyepiece in and the previous adaptor bounced off the secondary and made a nice mark on the primary mirror.
Once, my junior was using the dobsonian and had it pointed at the zenith. Being relatively new to astronomy, he unscrewed the eyepiece out, leaving the 1.25 " adaptor there. The next person who used it forced another eyepiece in and the previous adaptor bounced off the secondary and made a nice mark on the primary mirror.
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timatworksg
- Posts: 767
- Joined: Mon Feb 01, 2010 9:42 pm
- Location: Pasir Ris