David Strange

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Viewing 20 posts - 21 through 40 (of 89 total)
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  • in reply to: Sky and Telescope magazine #618431
    David Strange
    Participant

    I realise I could go digital, but it’s a bit hard to lug a PC with a 27 inch monitor out to a dark sky site to read on location.

    Chris[/quote]

    You can always download a digital copy onto your phone or tablet for in field use.

    David

    in reply to: Problems creating a new topic #618163
    David Strange
    Participant

    Many thanks Andy. I see both images are duplicated, you can delete those if you wish.
    David

    in reply to: Supernova in M101 ! #617421
    David Strange
    Participant

    Just back from a college reunion and saw this new sn-alert. Here is an image I took of M101 with a Tak 100DF and ASI533MC 20 x 120s on 11th May 2023. Pre-supernova?

    David

    in reply to: Bob Mizon #617223
    David Strange
    Participant

    Paul, that was only a private school party that visited La Palma then, but it has triggered a few other hairy moments i shared with Bob.
    I remember that many of the hire cars then had completely bald tyres. On one occasion I ran over a large rock which smashed the oil sump, but was very grateful for a replacement car within half an hour. Another time myself and Bob were driving down fron Roque de los Muchachos one very foggy night early in the morning. The fog was so thick that Bob had to lean out the window and direct me in case I drove over the edge. As we rounded one corner a massive articulated truck rounded the bend on our side of the road, he had to to get his backend around! As it went by we realised it was the main body of the Liverpool Telescope being transported up the mountain!

    David

    in reply to: Bob Mizon #617057
    David Strange
    Participant

    Had many enjoyable astro-adventures with Bob over the years. One of the most memorable was a couple of nights on the JKT in La Palma with sixth form students from Thomas Hardye’s School some 20 years ago. Here is Bob with staff and students with our host Javier Mendez at the JKT for a night’s imaging. The other shot is Bob outside the fire exit from our lodgings in a Spanish hacienda!

    David

    in reply to: Suck or blow #615331
    David Strange
    Participant

    I’ve wondered about the three fans fitted in the back of my RC10. I have never bothered to use them, do they serve a purpose when imaging?
    I’ve never noticed a difference. Should they be switched on before a session to equalise temperature inside the tube?
    Any RC owners welcome to comment!

    Thanks
    David

    David Strange
    Participant

    This is my only record of anything moving through the field of view of a 28mm lens with 30s exp.
    No rocket plume but a solitary aircraft at azimuth 239deg altitude 20deg at 23:18hr last night.
    An unhappy Cosmic Girl returning to Newquay perhaps!? Imaged from East Devon.

    David

    in reply to: Last night’s planetary observations #612610
    David Strange
    Participant

    I too was looking at Jupiter last night, and found this view very disconcerting!
    Callisto now passing to the south of Jupiter and no longer transiting (South at top in image).

    David

    in reply to: Fireball 23.40UT #610297
    David Strange
    Participant

    Update on this:
    At least nineteen UK cameras caught the event – though some cameras were too close and got blinded, and others only caught a flash or a short part of the event. The event was also captured on several FRIPON/SCAMP cameras in the UK and France.
    We’ve exchanged data with our colleagues in Canada and Europe and independent re-analysis is in progress. We take this approach to improve our confidence in the results. At this time it looks pretty promising and we’ll keep everyone informed.

    The fireball was picked up on the following UK cameras:
    UK0002, UK0006, UK000H, UK0020, UK0024, UK0025, UK002V, UK003C, UK003M, UK003N, UK004X, UK0051, UK005V, UK0067, UK006S, UK003E, UK003F, UK003N and NLO.

    NLO video here:

    https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/30s0z7w0tlqtman1z5vrd/h?dl=0&rlkey=mj01p5vy56outzcglrbli9kxy

    in reply to: Fireball 23.40UT #610291
    David Strange
    Participant

    Yes, was captured on NLO camera:

    https://twitter.com/nlospam/status/1524674840547966976

    David

    David Strange
    Participant

    My daughter (non-astronomer) saw and picked up this this circular cloud during twilight on 21st April 21.31h BST moving eastwards across the sky. I guess it was also a fuel dump, but much more entertaining to suggest it was a toilet dump from the ISS!

    David

    in reply to: Two Large Sunspots Groups #609827
    David Strange
    Participant

    Hello Lyn,

    Here is a whole disc image of the Sun taken this afternoon at 14:51h UT 19th April with a Solarscope 70mm

    Cheers
    David

    in reply to: Mystery lens and optics tube? #585179
    David Strange
    Participant

    It’s looking increasingly likely that this is the missing Mond lens. It’s aperture is 17 cm and the focal  length seems to be around 120cm when bringing a ceiling light into focus on a screen, which agrees with the original specification in NLO Handbook 1935. We have also found some numbers inscribed into the rim of the lens carrier but cannot read them clearly enough yet. The lens also fits comfortably into the front of the telescope tube. It does look like a petzval lens as you suggest Dennis, so my only query is was the original lens a petzval? We also believe that the accompanying guidescope is also original to the Mond. We believe it is the bottom section of a longer instrument which you see in the above photograph. I thought it just had its lens missing but now believe another longer brass tube holding the objective lens was located over the end of this short one.

    in reply to: Mystery lens and optics tube? #585165
    David Strange
    Participant

    Denis, we have a meeting on Friday to discuss and plan the re-instatement of the Mond telescope. We shall do a comparison of lenses then. We have been busy with a general refurbishment of the NLO entrance foyer, and the Mond is the next item on our to do list. I’ve just found this Jim Lockyer lantern slide of the Mond as new, taken at the Cooke works circa 1931. Interesting that Robert Mond paid £2171-5-9 for it which is £161,457 in today’s money.

    in reply to: Mystery lens and optics tube? #585163
    David Strange
    Participant

    Hi Denis, Do you know who was the author of this blog post? There is much useful information here and |I would like to credit him/her, but it seems anonymous as far as I can tell.

    https://srmmt.blogspot.com/2005/01/sir-robert-mond-and-history-of-norman.html   

    Thanks David

    in reply to: Mystery lens and optics tube? #585136
    David Strange
    Participant

    I could find no manufacturer’s engraving or any stamp or symbol to say who made it. David

    in reply to: Mystery lens and optics tube? #585134
    David Strange
    Participant

    Denis, that’s fantastic news if it’s true! Really opportune as well, as we are now starting to plan for the Mond’s installation.

    If it helps, here is a picture of the other end of the 7″ lens tube. Thanks very much for that information. David

    in reply to: CDA Award 2022 #584951
    David Strange
    Participant

    I gave a recent talk to the NLO History Group a few weeks ago showing a few scanned images from this lantern slide collection which gives an idea of what this project will involve: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O895siyOq7E&t=276s

    David

    in reply to: CDA Award 2022 #584949
    David Strange
    Participant

    Hello Denis,

    I shall certainly suggest them as part of the project. We have recently started a refurbishment of the NLO foyer and the next project is to set up the Mond as a special exhibit. Thanks for those nice photos!

    David

    in reply to: 100 year old postcard finally delivered to NLO! #584884
    David Strange
    Participant

    Here’s my image of V476 Cyg. One hour’s exposure and no expanding shell visible!

    David

Viewing 20 posts - 21 through 40 (of 89 total)