First Light – M94 with New Scope and Camera
It’s always exciting to try out a new setup for the first time, although the net result is generally a picture of all the work that needs to be done…
Observatory Up and Running
After a truly horrible Spring with major snowstorms (>30cm) followed by major rainstorms (>70mm) we’ve finally gotten enough warm weather to melt the snow that was locking up my observatory…
DIY Photometric B and V Filters
I’ve been interested in photometry for quite a long time, starting in the early 2000s when I bought a photometric V (visual spectrum) filter paired with a monochrome camera to…
Digging out for Spring
So as Spring approaches my thoughts turn towards getting the observatory up and running. This year has been a particularly heavy year for snow, so the first sight as I…
Printing Eyepiece Cases
Eyepieces need cases, but it’s expensive to buy a bunch of different sizes for different size eyepieces, particularly for 2” “hand grenade” sized eyepieces like the 18mm TeleVue Nagler and…
Is Starship A Carbon Disaster?
During a presentation I recently made to my local RASC Winnipeg Centre an interesting question was asked: how much greenhouse gas emissions comes from a launch of Starship including the…
Kiln-ing Time During Winter
I seem to have a lot of Pyrex mirror blanks on hand and grinding it all into mirrors at the current size seems a bit of a waste. Most of…
The Penguin and the Egg
This image of distant interacting galaxies, known collectively as Arp 142, bears an uncanny resemblance to a penguin guarding an egg. Data was collected on the evening of February 2,…
3D Printing for Astronomers
UPDATE: I am now posting my 3D designs at: http://3.99.76.122/3d-printing-for-astronomers/ I have to say 3D printing is a mind blower. If you can envision it, work some easily learned 3D…
Micro-Observatory Initial Designs
With my suburban Winnipeg back yard getting brighter and brighter, I need to move my automated telescopes somewhere else that’s under dark skies. As part of that project I’ll be…