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MtnGoat
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PostThu Jun 24, 2010 9:29 am 
A pretty good deal on an 8" Schmidt Newtonian with capable mount and seven eyepieces, $350 in Ballard

Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock. - Will Rogers
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MtnGoat
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PostThu Sep 09, 2010 3:58 pm 
Some stuff from this summer...
The fantastic Andromeda Galaxy. My buddy Jeff brought his Nikon D90 over and we mated it up to my 6" Schmidt Newt. Wow is all I can say. Wow. About 30 minutes of 60 sec exposures.
The fantastic Andromeda Galaxy. My buddy Jeff brought his Nikon D90 over and we mated it up to my 6" Schmidt Newt. Wow is all I can say. Wow. About 30 minutes of 60 sec exposures.
triffid sf10 0811-1210 stckd 60x18
triffid sf10 0811-1210 stckd 60x18
M22, one of the closest globulars to Earth at 10.5k lights, and the brightest in the northern hemisphere. Faint but still easily visible to the eye in decent skies. It's a bit crispy, I may have burned it in processing.
M22, one of the closest globulars to Earth at 10.5k lights, and the brightest in the northern hemisphere. Faint but still easily visible to the eye in decent skies. It's a bit crispy, I may have burned it in processing.
Cocoon Nebula, A pretty nice shot I think.
Cocoon Nebula, A pretty nice shot I think.
The famed Bubble Nebula. 3 hrs 30 minutes of 60 second subframes. All I need is more aperture, higher res camera, and a better mount. Heck, I'd settle for one of those. Sigh.
The famed Bubble Nebula. 3 hrs 30 minutes of 60 second subframes. All I need is more aperture, higher res camera, and a better mount. Heck, I'd settle for one of those. Sigh.

Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock. - Will Rogers
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Backpacker Joe
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PostThu Sep 09, 2010 4:31 pm 
Those are fantastic Chris.

"If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide." — Abraham Lincoln
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tigermn
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PostThu Sep 09, 2010 4:35 pm 
Didn't see this thread before. That's some cool stuff. Looks like stuff you'd see in a book. Thought about getting into the telescope hobby a couple of years ago but never bit the bullet and bought one. When I was a kid my dad made as I recall a 6 inch refractor telescope and we used to gaze for objects out there.

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MtnGoat
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PostThu Sep 09, 2010 4:40 pm 
It's great fun. Merely have realistic expectations if you're going to be using the Mark I Meat Imagers installed in your noggin, and the universe is then your oyster. Hardware is now pretty danged cheap for pretty good stuff, CL is the place to shop. Note the wide field 8" on a computer mount with 7 eyepieces I linked a few posts back. It went that day, but they are out there. If you're patient, you can snag a decent starter scope for under $100. here's some worthwhile stuff from today... http://seattle.craigslist.org/kit/spo/1944055894.html http://seattle.craigslist.org/sno/for/1943161962.html

Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock. - Will Rogers
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tmatlack
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PostSat Sep 11, 2010 4:54 am 
All, My wife is very involved in science state testing for 10th graders. This year is the last year for the state's general science HSPE test in physical, earth/planetary, and life sciences. Next year, all 10th graders go to a end-of-year assessment in just life sciences and must pass for a high school diploma! Alas, I believe the earth/planetary and even phy. sci. will go away. tom PS: end of course test in life sciences was a legislative decision, not an educational personnel decision.

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touron
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PostWed Nov 24, 2010 12:47 pm 
Maybe this best fits in MtnGoat's thread Apollo 11 at 500 frames per second

Touron is a nougat of Arabic origin made with almonds and honey or sugar, without which it would just not be Christmas in Spain.
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MtnGoat
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PostWed Nov 24, 2010 11:45 pm 
Good enough for me! Great stuff, thanks.

Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock. - Will Rogers
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MtnGoat
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PostTue Feb 01, 2011 10:46 pm 
It is officially brass monkey cold and i've been out in it for a while, with hours to go. My quarry tonight is the Horsehead, perversely best visible on the coldest nights. I managed to lock on, and i've got 40 minutes on it so far. here's the view of the control panel 8 minutes in.
This is what you see as you do astrophography. So far 8 60 sec shots are stacked up.
This is what you see as you do astrophography. So far 8 60 sec shots are stacked up.

Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock. - Will Rogers
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analogkid
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PostThu Feb 03, 2011 11:11 am 
My ten year old daughter and I have been out the past couple of nights looking at constellations and various stars (naked eye viewing). Clear and great viewing with us being in new moon phase. Would really like to get a good pair of binocs. It would be cool to have a star party up in the Pilchuck trailhead parking lot during the summer.

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MtnGoat
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PostThu Feb 03, 2011 11:27 am 
A lot of neat stuff can be seen with a decent pair of binos. I suggest you wait until big 5 has a sale on it's Zhumell brand, and then go pick up a pair of 7x50's, for like $30. Do NOT get the 'ruby coated' lenses. You want binos with the barely visible,deep green and slightly violet coatings. Make em unbox at least 5 pairs of the same ones and go through them one by one for focus smoothness, individual eye focus smoothness, and alignment. The first thing to do when grabbing a fresh pair is shake the crap out of it...if anything rattles, back it goes. Out of five, you'll find one pair you don't want right off the bat, two more with issues, and a couple it's tough to tell apart that are noticeably better. The more you can pick through, the better pair you'll wind up with.

Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock. - Will Rogers
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PostThu Feb 03, 2011 11:32 am 
Thank you for the tips. I've been trying to filter through what a reasonable pair can be picked up for and what qualities to fuss about.

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MtnGoat
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PostThu Feb 10, 2011 12:23 am 
The brass monkey, the well digger and I are having a conversation about who is colder. They make good arguments but I seem to have the symptioms of both, so I win, or is it lose. Just got some lunar shots before it set, now I am trained on galaxy NGC2903, 20 million years distant. It is big, bright, and beautiful. Sweeping, dusty armed spiral galaxy, when aiming I could easily see it in the binoculars I aim the imager with. It is going to make a great shot. *it is very cold now, but i have completed the first 42 minutes
The spectacular spiral galaxy ngc2903. 60 seconds x 42 images
The spectacular spiral galaxy ngc2903. 60 seconds x 42 images

Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock. - Will Rogers
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Ziploc
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PostThu Apr 21, 2011 4:16 pm 
Hey MtnGoat. I know weather hasn't been the greatest but if you have any new pictures to share they would be appreciated!

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MtnGoat
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PostThu Apr 21, 2011 4:39 pm 
Is this some kind of cruel joke!? LOL this was part of what drove me to post the lousy spring thread. When it hasn't been snowing, it's raining. When not raining, it's foggy. When not foggy, it's a high cloud deck. It can be clear all day...and cloud up promptly at dark. It has done this to me numerous times now. The only time it has not sucked due to cloud cover is when the full moon is out. Happens every time, too. I swear it's intentional. End of rant, result? Not a single observing night since Feb 10 when I posted the last pic. Three full moons ago. Yes, I'm a leetle peeved. As per usual, in the last few days the moon has showed up again and sure enough, two of the clearest nights i've seen since Feb. Totally blown out by that damned roving light polluter called the moon. I'd get rid of it if I could.( Probably said that before. ) Some objects are only visible, due to their location, and mine, for a couple months a year. Usually I get at least a shot or two at them. Not this year. I've missed an entire batch of spring objects and sow now can only hope I am luckier next year. Well, tonight may be a change...it's actually looking decent out and a 1AM moonrise, which gives me plenty of time...althought the summer curse is on it's way, it's not astro dark until 9ish. But I'll whine about that some other time when I'm not enjoying the warmer days. Anyhow, nice to know you want more, I'll supply as soon as I can! I see you're nearby, you'd be welcome to come out and see how the game is played and do some actual observing as well if you're game for it sometime.

Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock. - Will Rogers
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