* The Official Astronomy & Universe Thread *

Tibbz2 · 5 Jan 2013 at 16:43

There are 2 screw threads that stick out of the tube and there are holes in the base of the mount on the sight, you place the screws through the holes then use 2 fastening bolty things that screw on to tighten it. The trouble is the mount base is curved in the same way as the tube, so when you tighten the screws it always fits into the same position.

Cosimo · 8 Jan 2013 at 17:28

REMINDER

simulatorman said:
Stargazing LIVE is back on Tuesday 8th January and the following two evenings.

At 20:00 (Episode 1) then 21:00 (Back to Earth 1) on BBC TWO and BBC HD:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01py6vh

Spook187 · 8 Jan 2013 at 17:40

simulatorman said:
REMINDER

Aww yes Sim, i already bags the telly for the week

Admiral Huddy · 9 Jan 2013 at 22:36

Clear sky tonight. Had a good look and i think I've spotted Jupiter - quite clearly but need confirming.

Just slightly to the top right of Orion, there's a small red star. I'm taking that is Aldebaran part of Taurus... then further to the right still a very bright star.. looking at the map, this appears to be Jupiter.

edit - yes it has to be . there's a row of three stars to the right of that that make part of the seven sisters M45

Hilly · 9 Jan 2013 at 22:44

Sounds about right. o find Aldebaran you find Orion. Find Orions belt and look for the 4 stars which encase it. The top left one is beetlegeuse (and is very red). You follow that every so slightly up and go to the right. That's Aldebaran. Jupiter should be north of that within Taurus

http://earthsky.org/brightest-stars/aldebaran-is-taurus-bloodshot-eye

explains it

Spook187 · 11 Jan 2013 at 02:26

Check this out guys, sorry if it's been posted before.

http://workshop.chromeexperiments.com/stars/

Jongo · 13 Jan 2013 at 17:26

Actually had some fantastic clear skies last night and managed to get some excellent images although my polar alignment was slightly off.

First is M42 The Orion Nebula, probably my favourite image so far.

M42 Orion's Nebula by JHarris88, on Flickr

Next up is the Pleiades

M45 The Pleiades by JHarris88, on Flickr

Finally I managed to find M81 & M82 didn't manage to get as many exposures as I would have liked but either way I think it turned out fantastic.

M81 & M82 by JHarris88, on Flickr

Spook187 · 13 Jan 2013 at 17:28

Nice one Jongo

Tibbz2 · 13 Jan 2013 at 17:38

Awesome Jongo! Wish I could take photos, shame I lack the experience, skills and money

Maybe in the future.

Mik3 · 13 Jan 2013 at 22:53

Great images Jongo, what equipment are you using?

Jongo · 13 Jan 2013 at 23:00

Mik3 said:
Great images Jongo, what equipment are you using?

Skywatcher 150p on a EQ3-2 Mount.

Taken with a Canon 1100D attached to the scope. Its not the best setup but astrophotography but its a starting point, just need to work on my polar alignment and I should be able to get a lot better images

NickK · 14 Jan 2013 at 00:57

I'm currently sat here on M42.. 9x10 minute subs, 10 sec subs, 4 second subs in Luminosity.. next it's just finishing 9x10 minute subs in Red... then I might call it a night!

Jongo · 14 Jan 2013 at 12:03

NickK said:
I'm currently sat here on M42.. 9x10 minute subs, 10 sec subs, 4 second subs in Luminosity.. next it's just finishing 9x10 minute subs in Red... then I might call it a night!

Cant wait to see it I love the really long exposures people do of M42.

Cosimo · 14 Jan 2013 at 12:05

Jongo said:
Skywatcher 150p on a EQ3-2 Mount.

Taken with a Canon 1100D attached to the scope. Its not the best setup but astrophotography but its a starting point, just need to work on my polar alignment and I should be able to get a lot better images

What exposure settings are you using?

Vita · 14 Jan 2013 at 12:24

I really like those images Jongo. Good work.

Jongo · 14 Jan 2013 at 12:40

simulatorman said:
What exposure settings are you using?

For M81 & M82
1x15s
9x10s
2x25s
5x30s

All at ISO 3200.

M45

15x15s
5x30s
1x60s

All ISO 3200 again.

M42

10x15s

ISO 1600

a lot of it was mainly experimenting to see what results i could get since my polar alignment was a bit off and my hands were freezing so I couldn't be bothered to redo it, but once stacked they all turned out rather well

Trig · 14 Jan 2013 at 13:24

If the Universe is expanding, what is it expanding into?
Is it destroying stuff on its way the same way a normal explosion would?

mrk · 14 Jan 2013 at 13:28

Trig said:
If the Universe is expanding, what is it expanding into?
Is it destroying stuff on its way the same way a normal explosion would?

Nobody knows and it's likely nobody will ever know (getting to the edge of our* Universe).

*If you follow the multi-Universe theory!

Trig · 14 Jan 2013 at 14:51

Would be interesting to know just because stuff like that interests me..
Maybe everything that goes into a black hole gets dumped outside of our universe and thats what we are expanding into...

My other interest is the distance away that the Voyager probes are, if we could travel at the speed of light they are less than 18 hours away, yet were launched in the 70's...

Wonder if the human race will ever see them again..

mrk · 14 Jan 2013 at 15:05

What goes through a wormhole could get dumped somewhere else but a black hole's centre is known as a singularity, a single point of zero volume but infinite density.

This quote makes you wonder what it must feel like:

Observers falling into a Schwarzschild black hole (i.e. non-rotating and no charges) cannot avoid being carried into the singularity, once they cross the event horizon. They can prolong the experience by accelerating away to slow their descent, but only up to a point; after attaining a certain ideal velocity, it is best to free fall the rest of the way.[57] When they reach the singularity, they are crushed to infinite density and their mass is added to the total of the black hole. Before that happens, they will have been torn apart by the growing tidal forces in a process sometimes referred to as spaghettification or the "noodle effect".[58]

*** The Official Astronomy & Universe Thread ***

* The Official Astronomy & Universe Thread *