Some Awesome Books (with Links) - All highly recommended!

Here are some wonderful books; which I've owned, read, and enjoyed!
Each of the following books are very good - However, I cannot praise 'Touring The Universe Through Binoculars' enough! I simply adore the book.

I hope to post more book recommendations in the near future - There are several more must-have's. Some of which I've written about (mini-reviews) on this blog in the recent past.

If you happen to own a 4" refractor, this one is a must have! Because the Author used a 4" refractor for the observations when writing this book - Excellent!
'The Messier Objects' By Stephen James O'Meara

If you enjoy binocular astronomy (as I do) you should already have this book! If you don't: Get yourself a copy immediately - You will thank me for it! 
'Touring The Universe Through Binoculars' By Philip S. Harrington

If you enjoy sketching the objects seen through your telescope (or binoculars), this is THE book to get - It features multiple (expert/experienced) Authors, each highly skilled in the art of Astronomical Sketching!
'Astronomical Sketching A Step By Step Introduction' (By Various Authors)
  
...And - This book, from Steven Tonkin (an Author whose work I've always admired) has recently been announced. You owe it to yourself to check it out.
And if you're a fan of binocular Astronomy (as I am), then it's a no-brainer!

Also, I believe I've written about this book here before (also by Stephen Tonkin) it is called 'Binocular Astronomy'.

Projects which are currently in progress, are:

• Review of The CLS Clip-In Light Pollution Filter from Astronomik (this blog).
• Review of The Echo Meter Touch 2 Pro bat detector from Wildlife Acoustics (Bat Detector Reviews blog).
• Review of The SQM-L (Sky Quality Meter) from Unihedron (this blog).
• The Omegon Night Vision Device Alpheon+ NV 4.5x40 (Bat Detector Reviews blog).

Clear skies! 

The CLS-CCD Filter From Astro-Shop has Arrived!

I'm very happy to report the arrival of the CLS-CCD Filter, from Astro-Shop in Germany.
As is always the case, whenever a new piece of Astro equipment arrives, there has been nothing but cloudy skies & rain/thunderstorms. 
So, I've been unable to test it yet...
For now, I'll post some Pics I took of the filter - It arrived professionally packaged/well-protected (see below). It looks very promising, I'm looking forward to testing... 

The professionally packaged CLS-CCD Filter, by Astronomik on the right. The Optolong "CLS" version of it, on the left.

The Optolong "CLS" Filter

The Astronomik CLS-CCD Filter

The quick Pics above were taken of a ceiling fan, fitted with CFL (Compact Fluorescent Tube) bulbs; with a point & shoot camera. Consumer grade CFL bulbs are proposed to emit full-spectrum light.

As soon as I get a clear night, there will be more to report.

Clear skies!

Upcoming Product Review - The CLS-CCD Filter from Astro-Shop

The next product to be tested and reviewed here, will be the (original) CLS-CCD Filter (Clip-In for my Canon T5i).
Which can be seen Here from it's true place of origin.
(Site is in the German language, use Google Translate, if needed).

I'm looking forward to doing a shoot-out between the original, high-quality CLS filter and the inexpensive copy from Optolong...
I have a "CLS" clip-in filter from Optolong here, which I've been using...
I purchased it, used, via Cloudy Nights

And I've been assured, by a representative from Optolong, that the layers, optical coatings and etc. have remained unchanged 
for the past eight years.
So, in other words - There is no difference between an Optolong "CLS" filter purchased eight years ago, and one purchased today.

I'm really looking forward to the arrival of the CLS-CCD Clip-In Filter from Astro-Shop.

Clear skies!

Book Review: The Deep-sky Imaging Primer, 2nd Edition

I'm so glad to have found this book! It's definitely one of the best I've seen so far, on the subject of Astrophotography - And I wanted to share this discovery right away!

Here is the link to the book on Amazon, where I bought mine: 
The Deep-sky Imaging Primer, 2nd Edition

As received from Amazon, the book arrived sealed in a cardboard pouch. It is a softcover book and is a easily manageable, comfortable size.
Price - (at the time of this writing) is $42.70 U.S. Dollars.

The book's contents are very well arranged. 

This particular book would be ideal for someone who is interested in improving their understanding, as well as their skills in the art and science of Astrophotography.

I have purchased and read many books on the subject of Astrophotography, and Astronomy in general. And at some point, I will post reviews of all of them here.
But, this book has earned a place at the top of my list, along with only a couple of others.

Exemplary photos may be found throughout the book, as well as excellent screenshots from Astrophotography software. There are several before/after comparison shots of Astrophotography images throughout. 

This is only a partial review - I actually have a lot more to write and share about this book. But, I wanted to at least get the word out about this book (for now); and the sooner the better. Like most amateur astronomers, I tend to buy a lot of books on the subject. Especially the subject of Astrophotography, because I need all the help I can get! 

I've purchased more than my fair share of books which failed to impress me, many which were only marginally helpful, and several which were complete wastes of money.  So if I can save a few people some money, then let me go ahead and post about this excellent book right away. 

This book is wonderful - and will make a  great addition for many astrophotographers. It contains very useful and practical information - You won't be disappointed. 
Much more will be added to this review, in the near future! Stay tuned... 

Clear skies!

A Few Of My Most Recent Images

I'm definitely overdue for the sharing of some images...
These are...Umm...not very good. But, they are the best I've been able to do for now.
They are the pics which I share with my friends and family, which is why I tend to label the objects. Well, I've come a long way from my film days.

Stack of 13 frames, less than 40" each.

You can see how my post-processing skills need a lot of work...

This is a stack of only 10, 20-second shots,

The North American nebula (NGC7000) Stack of 26 frames.

The above shots were made with an Astro-modified Canon T5i, using very inexpensive lenses, on the homemade, motorized barn door tracker.

Clear skies!

Finally! A Decent Lens For My Canon T5i 📷

To make a long story short, until now, the only 2 lenses I had for use with my (Astro-modified) Canon T5i were:

• A very beat-up Canon 75-300mm with plenty of small scratches on the front element, and a missing AF/MF switch. However the seller was a very nice guy: He knew that I was pretty desperate to get a lens (any lens) just so I could start shooting right away. So he found it for me, and gave it to me for $20.

Sometime later, I got myself...

• A new Yongnuo 50mm F/1.8 - Which has a housing made from plastic, and has lousy (soft) optical properties. Yes, I know, I know, it's only a $50 lens which was made in China.

I hope to post some of the resulting images from each of these two lenses very soon. I've finally managed some which aren't too awful...

And so, today, my new Opteka 85mm F/1.8 "portrait lens" arrived
I chose it, mainly because it was $99.95 - and I'm on a low budget.
Luckily, just about everything I'd read about it was positive.

Well, the lens arrived (from B&H) today, and it looks very promising. I'm very excited to try it out; but of course, I don't even have to mention what the weather will be like for the next few days, do I?

Well, I hope to add a bit more to this post later, and...write some new blog posts about some of the other things going on.
Oh, and books! ...A few short book reviews will be coming...

Clear skies!

Electronically Assisted Astronomy...

I just stumbled upon this gentleman's site.
And absolutely love his work; especially his writing.

He very eloquently (and amusingly) describes the typical plight of urban amateur astronomers. I've recently become very interested in EAA, and just learned of the existence of this software.

He is the creator of AstroToaster - An extraordinary camera controlling application, that anyone interested in EAA will eventually discover. As for me, I'm very excited about it, and will be going back to that Site right now; to absorb everything I can about this (relatively) new method!

Much more to follow (when I'm on an actual keyboard).

Clear skies!

A Document On Nebula Filters, And A Book On Astro Sketching

I've always been a huge Fan of the light pollution filters made by Omega Optical (I usually order them from DGM Optics). If interested, check-out This great PDF document (found via the "Mega-Nebula Filter Site" linked to above).

----- I'd like to take this opportunity, to just briefly mention a new must-have book!
I'll write a full Review of it here, for the blog, in the near future. -----
So, just the bare minimum for now:

I'm very happy to report, that Rony De Laet, an amatuer Astronomer who's work I've greatly admired for many years - Has written a book! 'The Casual Sky Observer's Guide'
I bought (the electronic version of) it immediately! And, I simply love it!
I highly recommend it! (Hopefully, Santa Claus will bring me a paper version of the book for Christmas?)

I have been following his impressive, and very inspiring Website for many years...
Besides the fact, that the Author is obviously a binocular fanatic (like me!) -- He also produces amazing and inspiring pencil sketches! Using Binocs, of course!

In a nutshell: What impresses me most, is his minimalist approach in regards to equipment.
He has been able to do all of this, mainly with just two pairs of binoculars. Two pairs, of what many amateur Astronomers might consider modest binocular models. In other words, not "Alpha" model or super-expensive units.
A pair of 8x56's and a pair of 15x70's (along with a SkyWindow mirror mount).
Very inspiring.

It is basically something that I would love to be able to do: Choose just two pairs of binoculars, to be used for any and all observing (and sketching).
In fact, I'm working on doing just that...
I've always seemed to be spending too much time comparing the performance of various binoculars -- Instead of simply investing in two good pairs, and using them (instead of always scrutinizing their optical abilities).

To be continued...

Incidentally, I've noticed that The SkyWindow looks like it's available for order
once again - The Website was undergoing renovations for a while there... 

Clear skies!

VHT Nebula Filters From DGM Optics

The VHT Nebula Filters from DGM Optics - First impressions

Just a short Post, for now.

You can see the full line of (1.25") nebula filters available, from DGM Optics Here Of course, they are also available for 2" eyepieces.

As I mentioned in my previous Post: The pair of Garrett Optical 100mm binoculars were in need of some nebula filters...More specifically, the pair of (stock) 1.25" eyepieces needed filters. And, I wasn't 100% sure which types I would go with, this time around. These binoculars are much larger than any pair I've used before.

I was originally thinking: A pair of (1.25") GCE's (again)... Unless, (I thought to myself) after consulting Dan: He might suggest something different this time? Perhaps NPB's? I was anxious to find out.
Well, I did ask Dan (of DGM Optics [via e-mail]) and he recommended The VHT's. And it made a lot of sense to me. Here's a Link to the Info page, for the various filters.

Here is the transmission curve, from Omega Optical, the manufacturer: 

Also, from Omega Optical's Site regarding The VHT's:

"An excellent Nebula filter for smaller scopes (4-6 inches aperture) where light gathering and throughput are at a premium. It is also quite effective with larger scopes."

I have been very intrigued, with the measured spectral information shown here on DGM's page. The white graph on the lower right is of GCE Filter.

I also can't help wondering exactly what the measured spectral results would be, for my actual filters. That would be neat.

I haven't had many nights of good seeing, in which to thoroughly test them - But so far, the VHT's have been able to boost the contrast, on the few nebulae that I've tried them on.

And, finally, for astrophotographers - Here are some examples of how these filters help when imaging.
You'll see links to some Reviews of DGM nebula filters Here.

I plan to post a short Review of these filters here, in the near future.

Clear skies!

Finally: A Binocular Telescope!

I'm very happy to have "picked up" visual Astronomy observing again.

F/5.3 100mm Garrett Optical

I finally managed to get a nice pair of (early model) Garrett 100mm Binocs. And, I'm going to need a new pair of nebula filters for them.
I was shopping around, just looking, etc. 
But, it didn't take long for me to realize, that I'd be best off with a pair from DGM Optics! Duh!

So, my next Post, will be about the selection and use of nebula filters for this instrument...
Along with a short review.

This Post, will be will be a bit more dynamic, and will be growing...As I add sketches; and eventually write a full review of them. Below, are some of my very first attempts at sketching.

Pencil sketch of M1 The Crab Nebula, Garrett 100mm Binoculars, at 41x. Under the Bortle 8 Skies of Bronx, NY.

M1 Using 100mm Binocular Telescope, from Garrett Optical, @41x

More to follow...

Clear skies!

Star Atlases: The Good, The Bad, And The Not-So-Good...

Just a quick heads-up: I recently purchased some "printed Astronomy materials" - A few books and...Star Atlases, etc. Including the 'Bright Star Atlas' 2000.0 by Wil Tirion: I bought it, because I read a recommendation for it, on some binocular Astronomy site (I believe).
From what I read, it was supposed to be great...Well, the fact is, I don't happen to like it very much... It seems as though there are many Deep Sky Objects missing/not shown.

I'm not sure "what happened" when this atlas/book was produced; because other publications that Wil Tirion has worked on are excellent! So, I don't get it..

Luckily, it was only ~ $14 (shipped) from Amazon. So, first & foremost, I just wanted to start with this one: It's on my "Not-So-Good List" 

On the other hand, 'The Pocket Sky Atlas', from Sky&Telescope - Is awesome! Excellent images, useful Legends and measuring scales. One of them, represents a Telrad sight. The atlas is spiral-bound, and conveniently sized. I use it all the time, as my main sky chart. Nice, accurate, and detailed:

...Beautiful cover too! :)

And, another really good publication -

Binocular Highlights: 99 Celestial Sights for Binocular Users (Sky & Telescope Stargazing) [Spiral-bound]

Being a die-hard binocular Astronomer, I really love this book! Highly recommended...I can't say enough good things about it. It is a delight. For example: I really love how Gary Seronik simply comes right out and states, that 10x50 binoculars are, in fact the best size to get (and why). Outstanding!

I recently noticed, that another favorite Author of mine (Stephen Tonkin) also recommends 10x50's as the best size overall... And, one of his most awesome books, is now in it's Second Edition - It is simply a must-have!

 

Clear skies!

The Best Kept Secret In Nebula Filters! DGM Optics!

Just a quick post, to let you know, that I've ordered a pair of innovative new "nebula" filters from a company called DGM Optics. http://www.dgmoptics.com/ Not only are these filters priced lower than many other companies' offerings - But, according to the excellent reviews (on Astronomy forums, etc.) they perform better than filters from the other well-known companies! (It's true - I've seen it myself now, using my 8" Dob). You can check out this Link , to order filters. OIII filters are currently on sale!
I have ordered a pair of their GCE filters for use on a couple of pairs of binoculars, for spotting DSO's.
GCE stands for Galaxy Contrast Enhancement! Neat, huh? These are the only filters currently in existence, that are actually indicated for the image improvement of Galaxies! I think this is great, and I'm really looking forward to receiving them!

Check out the transmission plot:

...Very interesting...
Here is their e-bay Link where you can read more about these, and other filters. Their NPB - Narrow PassBand nebula filters have been tested & compared by several experienced amateurs - And the general consensus is, that they are the best contrast-enhancing nebula filters currently available!

And, here is a Link to a full review/comparison done with the GCE filter by an expert, on the CloudyNights Web site. Since originally starting this post, The filters have actually arrived, and I even got a chance to test them; a little bit...The filters were shipped out to me on Monday; and arrived on Wednesday. Since we've got a full moon, I wasn't able to really check out their performance. But, I screwed both filters onto the threaded EP barrels of my brand-new 10x50 Garrett Signature Series binocs. And, they seem to: Darken the background sky, Allow a nice amount of light through (compared to OIII's for example), And I like the way they render most stars a hot purple-ish hue (it's a nice change from the usual green of other filters).
These GCE filters are perfect for binocular use! 

Full Review:

Possibly the best kept secret in nebula filters, the GCE filters from DGM Optics

I live in a heavily light-polluted area, right in one of the five boroughs of New York City. It's unfortunate; But, like other (dedicated) urban observers, I don't let it stop me from enjoying visual astronomy. For me, it's DSO's; In fact, it's almost always been DSO's for me. Except of course, for that first year... With the first small refractor kit - Back when I was 14 years old: During my first year of observing, I went for planets and the moon. Well, I'm 48 now - And I'm a confirmed chaser of faint fuzzies. It also seems that I appreciate and enjoy binocular astronomy more and more each year. I'm always on the lookout for that next instrument (usually Binos these days), or an accessory to help me fight light pollution. Generally, anything that will give me a bit of an advantage help me to locate and view fainter and fainter DSO's.

For a few brief years (while in my late 20's) I was fortunate enough to own and use some fine optical instruments: A TeleVue Pronto (70mm refractor), along with Televue and Takahashi EP's; Fujinon 7x50's & 16x70's - Both with proprietary screw-on Fujinon nebula filters, as well as an 8" Dobsonian with lots of nebula filters... I took a short "hiatus" from astronomy for a while (while pursuing other hobbies), and ended up selling all of my high-quality equipment.

Today, my equipment consists of the following: Bushnell 8x30's, Barska 15x70's, Garrett Signature Series 10x50's, Celestron 80mm Spotting scope (20-60x), Bushnell 5" Truss Tube Dob, Apertura AD8 8" Tweaker's Dream Dob, Standard Bushnell & Apertura EP's, Tripods, and lots of Nebula filters...
My latest accessory purchase, was a pair of unique "nebula" filters from a company called DGM Optics. Not only are these filters priced lower than many other companies' offerings - But, according to an excellent review I read, they perform better than filters from the other well-known companies!
I ordered a pair of their GCE filters for use on a couple of pairs of binoculars, etc., to help me in spotting DSO's.

GCE stands for Galaxy Contrast Enhancement! Neat, huh? Of course, I was initially very intrigued by them.
Well, it's true - I've seen it for myself now; using a pair of them on my Garrett Signature Series 10x50 binoculars (and also on EP's, with my 8" Dobsonian).
I have no affiliation with DGM Optics, by the way (aside from being a satisfied customer).
Here are the filters screwed onto the threaded eyepiece barrels of my 10x50's - This is basically their permanent location now.

As far as I know - These are the only filters currently in production, that are actually indicated for the image enhancement of galaxies! I think this is great! And although (as one would expect) the difference isn't jaw-dropping - So far, I have seen a noticeable improvement when viewing several of the brighter galaxies: M31, M51, M101. And I'm really looking forward to using them on many more (smaller & fainter) galaxies!
These filters are great for use on small aperture instruments - especially Binoculars. One of the reasons for this, is that they allow a generous amount of light through (while blocking light pollution, of course).

At a quick glance, they could be considered close to a 'Broadband' type of light pollution filter - As opposed to say, a UHC-type for example. I suppose the only popular filters that they could be compared to, would be the 'Deep Sky' types. However the GCE's actually do improve the view on galaxies in my heavily light polluted backyard.
I've never taken the time to accurately determine what the NELM is at my observing site. But, I would say it's about magnitude 4 (maybe 4.5, on a really good night!). Using the GCE filters on my Garrett 10x50's, mounted on a good Manfrotto tripod set, I've been able to see (and confirm) the following objects: The Rosette nebula, The Christmas Tree Cluster, The Eskimo Nebula (NGC 2392), IC 405 & 410, and Pk219+31.1. There are a few more faint nebula that I thought I may have seen, using averted vision - But, cannot confirm 100%, so I haven't listed them.
This was just during the first few weeks since their arrival.

The GCE's give all objects under observation an interesting hue of magenta. Sort of a pinkish/purple, that I happen to find pleasing. It doesn't seem to be as restrictive, or distracting as other nebula filters that I've used. Anyone who has an assortment of nebula filters in their collection knows what I'm referring to.

In addition to my 10x50's, they perform very well when carefully taped to the eyepieces of my cheap Barska 15x70's. I also use one with my 8" Dobsonian when scanning/searching for DSO's, using wide-field (30 & 25mm) 1.25" eyepieces. They work very well on my higher-power EP's also (10 & 9mm).

I was going over my Astronomy notes recently...And realized, that there are some interesting technical details about these nebula filters that I can share. This is info copied directly from DGM Optics, hence the quotations: My comments are italicized.

"The Galaxy Contrast Enhancement™ filter aids in the visual observation of galaxies and milky way dust clouds and dark lanes. The GCE filter takes a different approach to enhancing galaxy observation by allowing high transmission through nearly the entire visible spectrum while rejecting only the harmful light pollution wavelengths. Because of those attributes it also is a very good general purpose LPR filter, unlike traditional wideband filters, which exclude most of the red portion of the visible spectrum. - I like this very much, because until now, it seemed that you couldn't "have your cake & eat it too" - If you used a broadband filter, from other manufacturers, some of the desired wavelengths were getting blocked as well (especially the desired red).

"Specifications
The GCE filter design stresses maximum optical throughput utilizing state-of-the-art optical thin-film designs and materials. This filter is a “first surface” hard oxide thin-film and is much more durable and long lived than laminated “soft film” designs used by several famous makers." - I'm also very happy about this, no one wants a light pollution filter with a surface that will deteriorate over time.

"They are also much less prone to the internal reflectance problems that plague laminated filters. Laminated filters can produce a very undesirable “doubling” of stellar images often with one of the doubles being red. Contrary to popular belief, this image doubling is not due to the red sideband component that many nebula filter designs produce, but in many cases is due to laminated glass not being exactly parallel to the protective cover plate after lamination. Many laminated filters display this annoying characteristic." - After learning about this, why would anyone want to buy an inferior nebula filter again? I won't be!

"This filter averages around 1% Transmission (optical density of 2) through the rejection region from 540 to 590nm, and average transmission greater than 90% Transmission in the passbands, and greater than 75% at the 656.3nm H-Alpha line. The design yields a filter with a very symmetrical shape and high optical throughput, for maximum enhancement of nebula with a minimum of loss of stars in the field of view.
The substrate is quartz and has measured total wavefront values of .25 waves. - I find this fact awesome. These filters don't use plain glass as their substrate; it's Quartz!
The combination of first surface optical thin-film technology and a polished, flat substrate enables this filter to be used with high magnification, a real plus for small planetary nebula." - And, finally, this last part - about being "a real plus for small planetary nebula" It just so happens, that I have become very interested in hunting planetary nebula recently So, I was also happy to read this.
If there is any area that has room for improvement, it would be with the (1.25") metal filter housing. The small notches on the outer diameter of the filter housing: These serve to provide a better grip, or traction for a user's fingertips (while screwing the filters on or off of EP's). It would be nice, if they could be made to be less likely to slip between fingertips. My other nebula filters seem to be easier to hold on to, by allowing fingertips to gain a firmer grip. The actual filter cells on these GCE's could be considered "low-profile" when compared to the Zhumell brand filters, for instance.
As for me: One of the joys of using this GCE filter - Is that I simply leave a pair of them screwed into the threaded EP barrels of my Garrett signature series 10x50's - And, I just leave them attached all the time. I don't find my views of Asterisms, or Open Clusters darkened very much at all. Yet, they improve the views of all DSO's at same time. They constantly help me to detect nebulas (of all kinds), which I simply could not/would not see without the filters in place. I've actually tested this quite a few times.

It would be great, if someone who has other name-brand "Broadband" LPR filters (or DeepSky/SkyGlow types) could also do some tests verses the GCE filter...
The smallest (good-quality) binoculars I currently have, are my Garrett 10x50's. But, I believe these filters would also perform well on smaller Binos (if one were willing to experiment) - Which would be great when scanning for/observing even larger, diffuse DSO's. In fact, I believe I just gave myself an idea for a future project...
In conclusion, I just wanted to share my experiences. I happen to be a huge fan of binocular Astronomy (and nebula filters!). And, hope that fellow Astronomers, who have similar interests, will find these GCE's to be a useful addition to their equipment.

Dan, of DGM Optics is dedicated to his customer's happiness. It's not only obvious, but very nice of him to be very accommodating. . And, I appreciate it a great deal.
So, I can report that ordering/dealing with Dan at DGM Optics, has been a pleasure. Keep an eye on their Website, their VHT Nebula filters should be going on sale soon! 

Clear skies!

Light Pollution Filters

This Link appears to be, the only place where the Ice Lipo filter is tested & discussed.
I use it myself.

Some notes from back in 2011:

First visual observing session - 3/10/11 Using Barska 15x70 binocs on low-cost tripod.
Observed Globular star clusters M13 and M92. The Hercules Cluster was pretty easy (of course). M92 was very faint, however.

More Great Binocular-Related Links!

This fellow has created some amazing sketches:

Collection of awesome sketches, made with Binocs

PDF document discussing binocular mounts

And, if you feel like reading some intricate details, about each Deep-Sky Object:

http://www.starman.co.uk/book/hba-home.htm

http://www.lightandmatter.com/binosky/binosky.html

Great Binocular Links!

http://www.saguaroastro.org/content/Great-Objects-for-Rich-Field-Telescopes.htm

http://www.stargazing.net/david/binoculars/index.html

A couple more very brief Book Reviews

---

I've recently read, and found the following two books to be excellent!
And, can recommend them:

Binocular Astronomy (Patrick Moore’s Practical Astronomy Series)
Author: Stephen Tonkin
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 1846283086 - Excellent! A+++

Viewing the Constellations with Binoculars
250+ Wonderful Sky Objects to See and Explore
Series: Patrick Moore's Practical Astronomy Series
Author: Kambic, Bojan
2010, X, 510 p. 204 illus., Softcover
ISBN: 978-0-387-85354-3 - Great book, only half-way through it, but really like it so far! Great tips & reference info.

Clear skies!
-Al

Old film photo - Corona Borealis

Recently found an old film AP pic I took. I'm afraid I don't have a lot of info on this one.
I can tell you it was taken years ago, using Kodak ISO 200 Slide Film, and scanned with an Epson scanner. It may have been taken with a Pentacon Six, Medium Format camera, but again, I'm not sure. I had to significantly reduce it, just to upload it. Orig. size was over 96MB!
Just a random shot of the area near the constellation Corona Borealis (seen on the left-hand-side of the pic).

A Brief Post On Being disabled.

I suppose I should touch on the subject of how it's been, living with my disabilities. It's been about 2 and a half years now. I basically use this Blog for posting pictures to show my Family/Friends.
But, for those of you who didn't know: My two main problems are: 7 damaged discs in my spine and Fibromyalgia. In my case, back surgery is not an option. I must be on quite a few different meds, for the rest of my life. There are just a ton of things that I just can't do anymore.
In fact, the list of things I can do, is very short. *sigh*
So, I don't want to dwell on it too much, here on the Blog. The reason I mention it, though; is that I found that even some simple Astrophotography was too much for me to do. So, as far as Astronomy goes: I've gone back to just trying to do some visual observing. And, found that even this can be very painful. Again, I'm very limited in what I can do.
In any case, eventually, there will not be many astrophotos being posted on here : (
...But, I will be posting updates (Simple logs) of my visual observing sessions. And any accomplishments that I may achieve.

First visual observing session - 3/10/11 Using Barska 15x70 binocs on low-cost tripod.
Observed Globular star clusters M13 and M92. The Hercules Cluster was pretty easy (of course). M92 was very faint, however.

Tried Film Astrophotography again...

I tried tripod-mounted film Astrophotography again...Yes, a bit of Déjà vu here. I basically only ended up exposing ~1 roll of film per camera. And, for some cameras; I didn't even get to shoot any film - That's how fast I changed my mind, and started listing them on e-bay. I hope to post some of the results soon...
I believe I've only got about a handful of "viable" prints to show for it -For the whole ordeal, and all the inconvenience, etc.

Well, this was my 2nd (low-budget) film camera collection, when it was at about it's "peak"
Just before everything was sold (on e-bay):

I did have a Petri 1.9 in pristine condition (not pictured) - And, I didn't get a chance to even shoot one roll of film through it.


Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
-Albert Einstein

*sigh*

Some "Quick & Dirty" Book reviews

It's been quite a few years since I sold all my Astronomy books. There were some good ones in my collection. I've always especially loved books by Philip Harrington
(http://www.philharrington.net/). In fact, I still have (and read) the 1st Edition of his Star Ware.

Well, I've been reading a lot lately... Since I've become very interested in Visual Astronomy again, I've bought several books. And, I thought I'd list them here, and give my quick impressions of each.

Visual Astronomy in the Suburbs: A Guide to Spectacular Viewing (Patrick Moore's Practical Astronomy Series)[Paperback]: Excellent, highly recommended. I love this one. I also like the fact that the subject of Image Intensifiers. The subject is new to me, and really interesting. Even though I have owned and used a Meade CCD camera before.

Binocular Astronomy (Patrick Moore's Practical Astronomy Series) [Paperback]Stephen Tonkin (Author):
Awesome, just as good (maybe better) than the book above! Just great - A wealth of information.

Real Astronomy with Small Telescopes: Step-by-Step Activities for Discovery (Patrick Moore's Practical Astronomy Series) [Paperback] Michael Gainer (Author):
Not a bad book, but not fantastic either. Honestly, I was a bit disappointed with this one.
While reading this book, I get the feeling of actually being discouraged from attempting any visual observing. The Author seems to dwell on the negative side of observing from light-polluted areas.

The Urban Astronomer's Guide: A Walking Tour of the Cosmos for City Sky Watchers (Patrick Moore's Practical Astronomy Series) [Paperback]Rod Mollise(Author):

I loved this book! I actually haven't finished reading it all yet. But, I can highly recommend it. It is the exact opposite of the book reviewed above ^ This book is simply excellent! I give it an A+

Well, that's it for now. More book reviews will follow, at some point in the future...

Rod Mollise (Author)

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One of several old Barn Door Trackers...

Here are some old pics I came across, of one of the Barn Door Trackers I had.
I tried to get it to work...but literally blew out transistors on the circuit board because the camera was too heavy. I went through two Stepper Motor controller boards, before I gave up and sold it.

The Andromeda Galaxy

Taken with a Canon 50mm lens, attached to Meade DSI CCD camera.

~200 exposures of 2.8 seconds each, stacked using Nebulosity software.

Messier Object M16

The "eagle" is not visible, since this is a very wide field shot. It is a very small dark area of nebulosity deep inside the nebula - and a camera lens isn't going to show it, It would need more magnification (i.e. a telescope).

Messier Object M23

A multiple-update post -

Going to try to fit in a lot of developments, in one post - In a nut shell:
After many attempts at Astrophotography with 35mm film, I moved to Medium format.
After many attempts with Medium format cameras, lenses and Kodak E200 slide film: I still didn't produce any images that I'd say are even worthy of posting here. They just weren't anything special.
So, we're going to skip all the pics of medium format cameras, lenses and the images they produced, since none of them were anything "to write home about".
Sold all my medium format cameras, lenses, film and mailers.
>>>>Fast forward>>>>Decided what the heck - And took the plunge into CCD imaging.
Got a used Meade DSI-C (one shot color) CCD camera used, off e-bay for a little under $200.
Bought an SLR lens to CCD adapter from Mogg adapters in the land down under for ~$70 (shipped) and started up the steep learning curve...
To make a long story short - I've been having a lot of fun! Been using both 50mm and 135mm fast Canon lenses (from my Canon AE-1). I've been getting some nice results - especially considering that none of my exposures have even gone much more than 5 minutes total.
I'm still just a beginner in the world of CCD Astrophotography, and have a long way to go.
But after only a few weeks -I finally have a really nice image (for a beginner) that I can post here. It was taken from my light-polluted backyard, in Bronx NY.
It is of Messier object, M17, the Swan Nebula:





This was taken with the Meade DSI, a Canon 135mm F/2.5 lens, set at F/4, A stack of 87 2.8 second exposures, stacked using Nebulosity's Drizzle feature. (Drizzle was developed by NASA to be used for the Hubble Space Telescope's images). The image has been saved in JPG format and compressed from it's original un-compressed format for easier uploading, viewing, etc.