Dr Andrew Smith

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  • in reply to: ZWO ASI 533MM-Pro CMOS Camera for Photometry? #619017
    Dr Andrew Smith
    Participant

    Hi Ian, I don’t have info on that model camera but I used a ASI 294 MM Pro for exoplanet photometry. My results are in the AVSO database under SAJB and compare well if not better that those with CCDs. Where NASS has added them to their database the results are comparable.

    Hope this reassures you about CMOS.

    Regards Andrew

    in reply to: BAA Journal – have your say #617905
    Dr Andrew Smith
    Participant

    I would assume it will allow the other answers to be filtered by these factors to see if different groups would like to see different things. I seem to recall it’s called segmenting the market.

    Regards Andrew

    in reply to: Equipment available at PixelSkies #617864
    Dr Andrew Smith
    Participant

    Lars – I have sent you a PM

    in reply to: Watec 902H2 Ultimate giveaway #617863
    Dr Andrew Smith
    Participant

    I have some lenses that may be some use if not ideal. I have two Schneider c mount lenses one is 23mm f1.4 and the other is 35mm f 1.9. I also have a micro 4/3 lens, with a female t thread permanently attached to it, it is 25mm f0.95.

    Free to any member who wishes to try them.

    Please PM me if interested.

    Regards Andrew

    in reply to: Aply 600 and guide module for sale #617852
    Dr Andrew Smith
    Participant

    Sold

    in reply to: Aply 600 and guide module for sale #617848
    Dr Andrew Smith
    Participant

    Sorry double post. Nit sure how it happened please remove. Regards Andrew

    in reply to: Equipment available at PixelSkies #617842
    Dr Andrew Smith
    Participant

    Paul, PixelSkies is a telescope hosting facility in Castillejar Spain. Its web site is here https://www.pixelskiesastro.com/ .

    You can see my kit in some of the photos. It has been developed with more “sheds” since these photos were taken.

    It is run by two of the most helpful people you could wish to meet. I have nothing but good to say about the facility.

    Regards Andrew

    in reply to: A possible cosmological paradigm? #617152
    Dr Andrew Smith
    Participant

    Hi Ken, in your paper you propose that ” converged to sufficient accurace” equates to the uncertainty principle. However, this is well known not to be the case. The uncertainty in quantum mechanics is not reducible to some classical analogue.

    Indeed classical mechanics is based on the simplest probability theory where the sum of the probabilities add to one while while QED is based on the next more complex one where the sum of squares of the probability amplitudes add to one.

    String theorists claim they have achieved the unification you seek Unfortunately, it requires 10 dimensions. Signs of these extra dimensions are being looked for in LHC data. See this https://cerncourier.com/a/the-lhcs-extra-dimension/ for example. Time will tell.

    Regards Andrew

    in reply to: Use of Non-Technical Units in astronomy #616693
    Dr Andrew Smith
    Participant

    I find it difficult, to the point if not trying, to visualise any measurement outside my direct experience. It matters not if it’s a technical unit or not.

    Does anyone have a good feel for a light year or 10 football pitches? I certainly don’t.

    Regards Andrew

    in reply to: NEQ6 and TheSkyX #615267
    Dr Andrew Smith
    Participant

    Glad you have fixed it. These kind of issues are a real pain to diagnose and fix.

    Well done.

    Regards Andrew

    in reply to: Journal delays #614868
    Dr Andrew Smith
    Participant

    I went with the PDF, I prefer it. Even my ‘The Sky at Night’ is the Kindle version. I decided to embrace the digital age. I can’t remember the last physical book I read. Maybe Dostoyevsky.

    Not got to replaceing 12 telescopes with the virtual observatory thought? 😊

    Regards Andrew

    in reply to: Composite images #614857
    Dr Andrew Smith
    Participant

    It seems to me that the purpose of all image processing is to create an image that makes certain aspects of the image available and clear to the human eye. For example choice of colour palette, highlighting edges etc.

    They are not intended for making measurements on except in certain special cases eg. distaces between edges. Measurements would be done on the correctly processed linear image.

    This is as true for an image prepared for the BAA Gallery as one prepared for a scientific journal.

    Regards Andrew

    in reply to: A Christmas Photonic Teaser #614730
    Dr Andrew Smith
    Participant

    If the Xmas quiz is not challenging enough for you you might like to investigate the modern view of what a photon is.

    They certainly don’t stream from a star to your eye and most states of the quantum em field don’t have a number operator (you can’t say how many photon it has) and to cap it all they don’t have a position operator (so can’t say where they are).

    Try Googling “The concept of the Photon revisited ” for an interesting discussion. The text is quite accessible without the maths. The paper us by Muthukrishnan · 2003 ·

    Regards Andrew

    in reply to: Finder / comparison star charts #613806
    Dr Andrew Smith
    Participant

    I download to a Win PC with no issues. Regards Andrew

    in reply to: Finder / comparison star charts #613777
    Dr Andrew Smith
    Participant

    I have subsequently found a Java App “SeqPlot” on the AAVSO site here https://www.aavso.org/seqplot. I had to download a Java runtime to use it but it produces nice plots and tables photometric data for choice of companion stars. I think it was also mention during the Zoom meeting.

    Regards Andrew

    in reply to: Finder / comparison star charts #613694
    Dr Andrew Smith
    Participant

    Thanks Andrew

    in reply to: Redshift #610435
    Dr Andrew Smith
    Participant

    I think that Robin is right in advocating the operational definition of red shift as fundamental.

    In reality this is what we measure and the interpretations are model dependant (cosmological, relative velocity or gravitational for example). They are often mixed together and only individually present in simple situations.
    Regards Andrew

    in reply to: Moon solves Hubble tension #609565
    Dr Andrew Smith
    Participant

    Nice rebuttal. I especially like the claim to non-linearity always effective in my view.
    Regards Andrew

    in reply to: Moon solves Hubble tension #609552
    Dr Andrew Smith
    Participant

    Glad to see at least some members have a sense of humour. Regards Andrew

    in reply to: NEQ6 and TheSkyX #585125
    Dr Andrew Smith
    Participant

    No. Image link your photo then go to Telescope->Start up->Star Synchronisation.  It’s the last option.  I have not tried this as it would disrupt my model.  You may need to have clicked on the linked photo on the sky display to make it active but again not tried it.

    Regards Andrew 

Viewing 20 posts - 1 through 20 (of 230 total)