David Swan

Forum Replies Created

Viewing 20 posts - 21 through 40 (of 302 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • in reply to: Following JWST through Orion to L2 #585057
    David Swan
    Participant

    I acquired a set of frames last night: 2021-12-29T21:17:18 – 2021-12-29T21:25:46

    Really pleased to get it, as the weather here (for astronomy, anyway) has been so poor.

    https://1drv.ms/v/s!AmVPu5waSVQujUm14QmkUhMqHGiZ?e=ccmLJi

    in reply to: New Dwarf Nova in Gemini #585053
    David Swan
    Participant

    Conditions weren’t great – certainly not photometric quality – but I imaged the field and the image gives a ballpark indication of brightness (certainly consistent with Forth’s obs). Midpoint 2021-12-29T21:44. PA 297deg; 80′ x 60′.

    in reply to: Following JWST through Orion to L2 #585041
    David Swan
    Participant

    Happy Christmas all! Fingers crossed that JWST launches without a hitch today, and that the whole sequence of further manoeuvres (and unpacking) goes as planned. The weather forecast for NE England over the next week shows a lot of cloud unfortunately. But I would love to image it whilst en route to L2.

    in reply to: Sky and Telescope Reborn? #584784
    David Swan
    Participant

    Hi Grant. I have enjoyed the recent issues. Richard Wright, Rod Mollise and Dennis di Cicco know what they are talking about: the test reports in S&T are generally more incisive than those in the other mags. Bob King is very good with his celestial calendar. The general articles: the one on Saturn’s moons in September was excellent, as was the one on RW Aur in August. Mat Wedel’s binocular stuff is useful for me when using my RASA for lazy but enjoyable EAA (I get a couple of degrees).

    I don’t know how helpful this little commentary was, but it is still my mag of choice.

    in reply to: Sky and Telescope Reborn? #584783
    David Swan
    Participant

    No problem getting the mag up here in one of the outer provinces – from the local WH Smith.

    in reply to: GK Per (Nova Per 1901) #584758
    David Swan
    Participant

    I can confirm this Gary.

    Astrometrica gave mag 12.6 (clear with V zeropoint)

    in reply to: Comet C/2020 R4 ATLAS developing features #584146
    David Swan
    Participant

    Thanks for letting us know. I’ll get on it as soon as possible – from the forecast, it looks like Sat eve may be clear where I am.

    in reply to: SN 2021hpr #584083
    David Swan
    Participant

    This SN is in a lovely host galaxy. Picture taken 10 Apr.

    in reply to: Nova Cas 2021 #583988
    David Swan
    Participant

    Wow, it’s bright – and so nicely placed in Cas next to M52 and the Bubble Nebula! I carried out a 41 x 5s stack this eve: not scientifically useful, but a pretty pic, I think.

    in reply to: possible supernova AT 2021gmj in NGC3310 (UMa) #583977
    David Swan
    Participant

    Astrometrica puts it ~ mag 15.6

    in reply to: possible supernova AT 2021gmj in NGC3310 (UMa) #583976
    David Swan
    Participant

    Captured at 20:32 UT this evening (20 Mar).

    in reply to: ZWO and Skywatcher #583736
    David Swan
    Participant

    Getting the spacing right can indeed be a faff. I’m sorted also with my RASA 8: a 7.5 mm spacer has given me nice circular donuts all the way to the corners of my largest sensor. My calculations suggested 12.5 mm would be required to get me there, but no – trying and testing got me to the solution. Phew!

    in reply to: possible supernova AT 2021aai in NGC 2268 #583728
    David Swan
    Participant

    Thanks Robin.

    On the topic of atypical phenomena, others may be interested that there is a nice article on transients, written by Anna Ho, in the December 2020 issue of Scientific American. Amongst other things, she talks about SN2018gep and the famous ‘cow’, which spawned many strange illustrations of floating cows, AT2018cow.

    in reply to: possible supernova AT 2021aai in NGC 2268 #583726
    David Swan
    Participant

    I captured the transient this evening (2021/01/16 20:30) – it is still dimmer than the nearby field star.

    in reply to: possible supernova AT 2021aai in NGC 2268 #583725
    David Swan
    Participant

    Do you have any guesses / good ideas about what it might be, Robin?

    in reply to: Two comets at an eclipse #583713
    David Swan
    Participant

    Impressive contrast.

    in reply to: Astronomy during lockdown #583672
    David Swan
    Participant

    My observing has been quite badly affected by lockdown. I have a yard that is light polluted and affords access to only a very limited part of the sky. Normally I would go to a observing spot closer to the sea, which is much darker and has better sky access, but I have been wary during the stringent lockdown periods – even though it is just myself at the scope.

    Of course I am not saying this is significant disruption in the grand scheme of things (before there is a pile-on).

    in reply to: Update to member pages #583507
    David Swan
    Participant

    Superb – thanks Dominic for all your hard work.

    in reply to: Jonathan Shanklin honoured #583458
    David Swan
    Participant

    Congratulations, Jonathan. I think we should use the area and volume of the glacier as the ‘in-house’ BAA standards for the dimensions of minor bodies. Probably not very stable standards, mind… Better stick with Giraffes and the principality that is Wales.

    in reply to: Nova in Perseus #583407
    David Swan
    Participant

    Whoa, that’s bright. Unfortunately it is (still) really cloudy here.

Viewing 20 posts - 21 through 40 (of 302 total)