David Swan

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Viewing 20 posts - 81 through 100 (of 307 total)
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  • in reply to: C/2020 F8 (SWAN) #582463
    David Swan
    Participant

    So I went to the Daily Mail for the latest authoritative information on C/2020 F8 … and to my great surprise came across some commentary by Nick!

    in reply to: C/2020 F8 (SWAN) #582460
    David Swan
    Participant

    This is great, thanks. Good to see it has arrived in the northern sky. It is obviously quite a bright object (would you say mag 5 – 6  is about right?) from looking at the stars that are visible in your image. Unfortunately we’ve had a lot of cloud at the NE coast these past weeks, and I haven’t been able to observe for some time. I’m ready with binoculars and a DSLR. The latest images do show a dust tail, which I hope develops further.

    in reply to: C/2020 F8 (SWAN) #582446
    David Swan
    Participant

    Hergenrother (credible observer) reported mag 5.7 at 2020/05/13.46

    in reply to: Raspberry Pi Camera #582402
    David Swan
    Participant

    Thanks for posting this, Grant – I am quite interested in the all-sky cam set up.

    in reply to: Large TV Dishes #582393
    David Swan
    Participant

    It is BAA member Robin Leadbeater at the Three Hills Observatory.

    in reply to: C/2020 F8 (SWAN) #582390
    David Swan
    Participant

    I look forward to this one meeting expectations: Gideon van Buitenen forecasts it reaching m1=2.5 at perihelion; Jon has it a little dimmer.

    There must be a way of exploiting my surname if this does become a significant object and enters the news. Presumably the tabloids would appreciate my commenting on the matter, purely by virtue of my name not knowledge of the matter at hand?

    in reply to: Very bright Starlink train #582323
    David Swan
    Participant

    Still has satellite leaving Algieba in Leo for Arcturus in Bootes.

    (50MB file)

    https://1drv.ms/u/s!Agvxu8wNOxpAgRgHDKnjqn6jR6aj?e=JufwyL

    in reply to: Another comet bites the dust? #582321
    David Swan
    Participant

    [External link]

    https://twitter.com/Yeqzids/status/1252256328841523200

    Likely first glimpse at Y4 by the HST.

    in reply to: Very bright Starlink train #582307
    David Swan
    Participant

    How annoying I missed the train – the skies are great this evening, and I was just waiting for it to get a little darker before going out. C/2019 Y1 is looking very nice this evening.

    in reply to: Crew Dragon launch #582300
    David Swan
    Participant

    Thanks for posting this. My interpretation of this is that because the ISS has a visible pass over the UK on 27th May (it’s expected to be at 21:20), then it is reasonable to suppose that an object launched just a little later on an intercept path might become visible in our skies too. (I am not an expert, so do let me know if this isn’t correct 🙂 ). Anyway I hope Dragon is visible on that day – if so, I’ll be looking up!

    David Swan
    Participant

    Thanks – I hadn’t seen this, and it is pretty much on the topic I expected! So the near IR pattern has continued as expected.

    David Swan
    Participant

    There is indeed something weird going on: I saw Betelgeuse go back to the top, and clicked on it only to be confronted with an old message. I thought there might be some comments on its evolution up to the end of the Orion season.

    in reply to: Another comet bites the dust? #582263
    David Swan
    Participant

    That is very impressive Nick. It is great to see those components – four fairly distinct ones. The sky was excellent this evening and I was pleasantly surprised with how – overall – C/2019 Y4 looked on individual subs, so I did a stack of 32 x 20s (2020-04-11T21:39:41 / Middle of exposure).

    in reply to: Another comet bites the dust? #582244
    David Swan
    Participant

    It has passed on! This comet is no more! It has ceased to be …and joined the choir invisible. THIS IS AN EX-COMET. (Well not quite.)

    10 x 20s, not great transparency, 2020-04-08T20:50:20.164 /UT of midpoint of exposure.

    in reply to: Unidentified moving object in field of C/2019Y4 (ATLAS) #582131
    David Swan
    Participant

    I agree with Denis. I got all sorts of artifacts like this with Hyperstar imaging until I got the right filter. Also, I’ve done a 30arcmin MPCChecker job and there wasn’t anything around.

    in reply to: Twin meteors #582083
    David Swan
    Participant

    Nice! I like the website you’ve got going, too.

    in reply to: Imaging onto a Mac… #581987
    David Swan
    Participant

    Hello,

    I have a few ASI cameras and am familiar with ASIcap. I’ve been using the Studio suite for (I think it’s) two weeks now, but am not impressed with the live stacking app (issues around autocalibr with flats and darks) or the Img app (not configurable enough). I would get started with ASIcap for your 290mc: that app is just a little bit more configurable with regard to setting gain and offset etc. Once you get familiar with it, you’ll be able to capture both high frame rate planet videos and image stacks for things like small bright DSOs. I’m happy to put together a brief walkthrough if you wish.

    in reply to: Comet approaching the Double Cluster #581972
    David Swan
    Participant

    T2 is in closest conjunction with the Double Cluster over the next few days. Managed to capture an image this evening during a break in clouds. I’ve finally got the ASI294MC spacing right for my Hyperstar. It has only taken a year’s work, on and off!

    in reply to: When does the new decade begin ? #581971
    David Swan
    Participant

    Quite.

    in reply to: When does the new decade begin ? #581968
    David Swan
    Participant

    This argument is analogous to that been grammar descriptivists and prescriptivists. Oliver Kamm did, for some years, lay into the latter in his characteristically trenchant style in the Pedant column of The Times. IMHO, the community overwhelming thinks that 2020 is the first year of the new decade, and therefore it is the first year of the new decade. We are not talking about constants of the universe here. Nonetheless, I am willing to tolerate pedants who think otherwise. This isn’t Twitter 😉

Viewing 20 posts - 81 through 100 (of 307 total)