M20, The Trifid Nebulaand M8, The Lagoon Nebula

I went back and re-shot M20 (top) and M8 (bottom) together from TSP. One of my best deep sky photos.

Southern Milky Way

Looking back toward the center of the Milky Way galaxy from the Texas Star Party.

Earthshine

The Moon is 2.67 days old here. The bright star is 52 Geminorium, in Gemini.

Moonset From Texas Star Party

The 31-hour-old new moon sets over the trees at Texas Star Party on Wednesday:

Two More From Texas Star Party

First up is M20, the Trifid Nebula. A much nicer shot than the one from two years ago.



Next is M16, the Eagle Nebula. I really should have spent more time on the focus on this one. I may reshoot it if I have time. Definitely looks different with the modded camera than it does in this shot from last year.



Both shot with the AT80EDT on the LXD650 mount, guided with PHD. Modified Digital Rebel XT @ ISO 1600. The guiding on the mount seems to be dialed in just about right; I'm getting nice round stars, and as I flip through each exposure, it looks pretty much just like the previous one. Yay me!

Texas Star Party 2008

OK, so I'm a day late reporting. Send me a bill.

According to the GPS:
Avg Speed: 65.8
Max Speed: 77.3
Trip Time: 6:47
Total Distance: 447 miles

I didn't see a thermometer when I got here, but it was probably about 100°. I think the official term is "fookin' hot." Somehow managed to avoid passing out from the heat and the altitude while I got setup, and even managed to sneak in a nap before it got dark. Nothing special to report about Sunday night, except that it's really dark here. =)

Monday night was some of the best skies I've ever seen. The seeing was just so-so, maybe 3-4/5, but the transparency was just outstanding. Twilight ends about 10:00 p.m., so it takes a while to get started. Nice display of zodiacal light at sunset. I'll try to find the gegenschein tonight, but I'm not sure I'd recognize it if I saw it.

I finished the regular observing program, "Globular Glory" last night and got my pin. I was inspired by the folks observing next to me with a 20-inch dob, and decided to do the list without using goto. I almost made it, but there were 2 objects I needed a little help with. It was pretty rewarding though to use some skills to find things.

Meanwhile, I had the camera shooting away in the 80mm and made this photo of M8, the Lagoon Nebula. Just a little better than the first two times I've shot it. =)



AT80EDT on the LXD650 mount, guided with PHD. Modified Digital Rebel XT @ ISO 1600.

Another Look at the Landing

From the JPL web site:

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera acquired this image of Phoenix hanging from its parachute as it descended to the Martian surface. Shown here is a 10 kilometer (6 mile) diameter crater informally called "Heimdall," and an improved full-resolution image of the parachute and lander. Although it appears that Phoenix is descending into the crater, it is actually about 20 kilometers (about 12 miles) in front of the crater.

If You Didn't See It Already

This is by far one of the most amazing photos I think I've ever seen: 

NASA's Mars Phoenix Lander can be seen parachuting down to Mars, in this image captured by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. This is the first time that a spacecraft has imaged the final descent of another spacecraft onto a planetary body.

From a distance of about 310 kilometers (193 miles) above the surface of the Red Planet, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter pointed its HiRISE obliquely toward Phoenix shortly after it opened its parachute while descending through the Martian atmosphere. The image reveals an apparent 10-meter-wide (30-foot-wide) parachute fully inflated. The bright pixels below the parachute show a dangling Phoenix. The image faintly detects the chords attaching the backshell and parachute. The surroundings look dark, but correspond to the fully illuminated Martian surface, which is much darker than the parachute and backshell.

I Can't Believe I Didn't Already Know This

Did you know you can sing "Amazing Grace" to the tune of Gilligan's Island?

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That sav’d a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see

Meanwhile, it's just over a week until the Texas Star Party, and I'm getting all excited. I think I have most of my gear together, except Ian broke one of my red flashlights. My fault, really, for leaving it in the back seat of the car. I'm planning on taking the LX200 and the the AT80EDT/LXD650, so I expect to have a full car. Oh, and I got a rack to put the bike on the roof. It had better be a good trip, 'cause if gas keeps going the way it is, it may e a while until we make the trip again.

A Useful Astronomical Accessory

I have a little 7 amp-hour 12-volt battery that I use to power a red neon light out in the observatory--the battery is a "jump starter" from Radio Shack. Turns out it's also useful for when your child plays in your car and leaves the headlights on and you find it dead the next morning on your way to work. Imagine, using a jump-start battery to start your car!

Voter I.D.

There's been a bunch of talk recently about requiring a government-issued photo I.D. along with a voter registration card at a polling place, and the various problems associated with doing so. I see a solution, and it's so simple I can't be the only person thinking this: 

Make the voter registration card a photo I.D. 

How hard can that be? Hell, my Sam's Club card has my picture on it, surely the State of Texas can figure it out. And you want to go one better? Engineer it in such a way that residents of a border state can use it as I.D. to leave and enter the country from their home state instead of a passport.

Fourth Saturn of the Year

First halfway decent seeing in weeks--3/5 according to CSC. Compare this one to the one I shot when Saturn was at opposition. The rings aren't nearly as bright as they were with the sun falling directly on them.

Sadly, This Describes My Job

Nation Demands Easier Instructions

WASHINGTON, DC-Decrying needlessly confusing directions for the use and assembly of countless products, citizens across the nation are organizing advocacy groups to demand that American manufacturers simplify the instructions they place on packaging.

No joke. I did a 4-page instruction for a pair of pliers.

The Furminator

This was after the second session; we're maybe a third of the way done.

A Sort of Small Bigness

Jenna Bush discussing her upcoming wedding on Larry King Live:

"[It will be] outdoors, very small wedding, you 'know, very small, all relatives, our families, really, kind of big," Jenna Bush said.

I guess she gets it from her dad.

A Modest Proposal

Now that spring is fully here, it's time to think about baseball.

Baseball has simple rules: Nine players, not ten. A grass field. A wooden bat. That's all.

So what the deuce is the deal with college baseball? They can't get even one of those things right. "The designated hitter digs in; here's the pitch--tink! It's a screaming grounder up the middle as it takes a fast hop off the artificial surface..."

So I hereby propose that college "baseball" be re-labeled as college "baseball-flavored sport," just like "chocolate" milk and American "cheese."

Messier Marathon: The Movie

Ralph Menga and Frank Boecker put together this wonderful video highlighting their Messier Marathon this year. That's a lot of shooting in one night--my hat's off to these two fellow Mac astronomers for giving it a go!

A Joke To Pass The Time

Until there's something more interesting to say, enjoy this funny bit:

A man goes to a shrink and says, "Doctor, my wife is unfaithful to me. Every evening, she goes to Larry's bar and picks up men. In fact, she sleeps with anybody who asks her! I'm going crazy. What do you think I should do?"

"Relax," says the doctor. "Take a deep breath and calm down. Now, tell me, exactly where is Larry's bar?"

100 Objects

The family & I took advantage of that great weather and went to Canyon of the Eagles an the Eagle Eye Observatory last night. This is the time of year for staying up late for a Messier Marathon, and I nearly made it. I managed to view 100 out of the 110, not a bad night's work. I really should have tried last month, but the weather wasn't cooperating, so there were a couple already below the horizon at sunset. I pooped out about 4:00 a.m., so I missed some early morning ones, but in between I saw a trove of goodies. I didn't make notes, but I recall the Sombrero Galaxy (M104), the Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) and Bode's & Cigar Galaxies (M81/82) as particularly stunning.

Something I Haven't Seen Nearly Enough Of

Guess where we're going tonight? =)