David Swan

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Viewing 20 posts - 141 through 160 (of 316 total)
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  • in reply to: Star map/atlas #581684
    David Swan
    Participant

    Cambridge goes to lim 6.5, S&T to 7.6. You mention an atlas which goes deeper, so these may not meet your requirements.

    in reply to: Star map/atlas #581683
    David Swan
    Participant

    I really like my Sky and Telescope Pocket Sky Atlas – you could get the Jumbo version which is simply larger format. I also have the Cambridge Star Atlas fourth edition by Wil Tirion. If you want me to send you representative pics of the charts, let me know.

    in reply to: An independent discovery of Neptune ? #581678
    David Swan
    Participant

    You could simply describe the spectrum and make attributions to chemical composition. Rather than go the whole hog to object ID. And post your comment under the pseudonym Urbain Le Verrier.

    in reply to: 2020 Handbook – Phases of the Moon #581675
    David Swan
    Participant

    You are quite right. Had not looked at that section until your prompting. Oops. Ah – this had been noticed after printing. You can download the one page PDF with the corrections from this website. Click on the publications tab.

    in reply to: An independent discovery of Neptune ? #581671
    David Swan
    Participant

    You probably know this but I’ve just put the coordinates and time into MPChecker and it doesn’t output Neptune. I guess it is in the name.

    in reply to: A meteor trail? #581668
    David Swan
    Participant

    Ignore some of the mess ASIcap has put into the FITS header. I usually acquire using Maxim, but I was experimenting with camera settings last night, and it is much easier in ASIcap. Mono sensor ASI178MM. 2.4um pix, 1.26″px. FL 392mm. C8 Hyperstar. Sub exp = 20s.

    ?Meteor 

    https://1drv.ms/u/s!Agvxu8wNOxpAgQiU7zZ-xLYBmUDN?e=4iTdAI

    ?Trail 

    https://1drv.ms/u/s!Agvxu8wNOxpAgQdiYPPxno7v10T8?e=Y9xjyv

    in reply to: A meteor trail? #581667
    David Swan
    Participant

    Yes, of course. I’ll prep the bias/dark/flat calibrated FITS for you. I have been experimenting with higher gain, so the dynamic range is terrible though! Just post if there’s any other info you need. Suffice it to say, I have decided 180 gain with the Hyperstar / ASI178MM config is not a good idea.

    in reply to: An independent discovery of Neptune ? #581662
    David Swan
    Participant

    A transient loss of common sense?

    in reply to: An independent discovery of Neptune ? #581659
    David Swan
    Participant

    Ha, similar to the Mars episode. I see you have appended a comment.

    in reply to: Christmas Meeting #581656
    David Swan
    Participant

    Fantastic – I will be tuning in. My thanks to Nick and to all others involved in the technical aspects of setting this up.

    in reply to: Transit of Mercury #581583
    David Swan
    Participant

    There’s something rather terrifying about this image. Perhaps it is the impression of a widely dilated pupil that is disconcerting. It looks like the intro to one of those ‘behind the camera’ BBC documentary segments.

    Indeed, Mercury is visible – so the eastern limb is at the top, I guess.

    in reply to: Transit of Mercury #581578
    David Swan
    Participant

    I am pleased to hear you observed the transit, Philip. The weather over the UK is not settled at the moment! My basic set-up was not up to showing the more subtle features on the solar disc, but I’m sure we’ll see drawings and images filtering through over the next few days that corroborate your obs. There certainly has been a dearth of sunspot activity in the past weeks! I just had to focus on the edge of the disc and hope for the best.

    in reply to: Transit of Mercury #581574
    David Swan
    Participant

    There are some nice images of the event captured by the atmospheric imaging assembly of the solar dynamics observatory here:

    https://mercurytransit.gsfc.nasa.gov/2019/

    in reply to: Transit of Mercury #581567
    David Swan
    Participant

    It certainly appears to have winglets and a third engine at the base of the vertical stabiliser.

    in reply to: Transit of Mercury #581566
    David Swan
    Participant

    A bit of fun – here’s what I was seeing on the laptop at and around the critical moment! https://youtu.be/-ZnLqdqZ73g

    in reply to: Transit of Mercury #581564
    David Swan
    Participant

    Ingress between clouds

    in reply to: Transit of Mercury #581562
    David Swan
    Participant

    Likewise, lots of cloud and very windy. Nightmare having to keep changing the exposure time in FireCapture. One frame – soon after ingress – with timestamp on image (the filename pertains to the avi).

    in reply to: Transit of Mercury #581559
    David Swan
    Participant

    The Hyperstar is out, secondary mirror in, focal reducer/corrector attached, telescope collimated & imaging of sun tested. Yes, I know where the north, south, east and west are now! Hope the weather cooperates…

    in reply to: Transit of Mercury #581558
    David Swan
    Participant

    Hello Philip,

    Thanks for letting us know. The weather forecast is dreadful for NE England unfortunately. But if I do get a good photo…

    David Swan

    David Swan
    Participant

    Thanks Mike. These sorts of things are very interesting.

    “Other images include views of Wadesborough (8), Judge Bennett, “principal among inhabitants at Wadesboro”.”

    You can’t imagine a report talking about a principal inhabitant nowadays!

    Nice to meet you in London at NewSciLive.

Viewing 20 posts - 141 through 160 (of 316 total)