Calvin Speaks The Truth

Exoplanets

Courtesy XKCD.

Elon Musk: The Real-Life Tony Stark

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Venus Transit 2012

There's a little black spot on the sun today.

Heritage Park Observatory, Cedar Park, TX
Exposure: 2 @ 1/500, ISO 100
Camera: Canon Digital Rebel XT (350D)
Scope: C11 @ f/6.3
Mount: CI-700
Guider: none
Filter: Baader visual solar film
Software: Photoshop

Two-frame mosaic. Color adjusted in Photoshop; the Baader film actually has a blue tint to it.

Saturn 2012.4

Patience pays off.

Heritage Park Observatory, Cedar Park, TX

Camera: PGR Flea2

Scope: Celestron C11, TeleVue 2.5x Powermate

Mount: Celestron CI-700

Filter: Orion LRGB

Software: AstroIIDC, RegiStax, Photoshop

Saturn 2012.3

Looks an awful lot like the last one.

Heritage Park Observatory, Cedar Park, TX

Camera: PGR Flea2

Scope: Celestron C11, TeleVue 2.5x Powermate

Mount: Celestron CI-700

Filter: Orion LRGB

Software: AstroIIDC, RegiStax, Photoshop

Saturn 2012.2

The forecast was for 4/5 seeing, but I don't think it was that good. Maybe 3/5, but no better than average.

Heritage Park Observatory, Cedar Park, TX

Camera: PGR Flea2

Scope: Celestron C11, TeleVue 2.5x Powermate

Mount: Celestron CI-700

Filter: Orion LRGB

Software: AstroIIDC, RegiStax, Photoshop

Mars 2012.4

Another cloudy day on the Red Planet. This shot is resized 150%.

Heritage Park Observatory, Cedar Park, TX

Camera: PGR Flea2

Scope: Celestron C11, TeleVue 2.5x Powermate

Mount: Celestron CI-700

Filter: Orion LRGB

Software: AstroIIDC, RegiStax, Photoshop

Saturn 2012.1

Heritage Park Observatory, Cedar Park, TX

Camera: PGR Flea2

Scope: Celestron C11, TeleVue 2.5x Powermate

Mount: Celestron CI-700

Filter: Orion LRGB

Software: AstroIIDC, RegiStax, Photoshop

Mars 2012.3

I've never seen clouds like these.

Heritage Park Observatory, Cedar Park, TX

Camera: PGR Flea2

Scope: Celestron C11, TeleVue 2.5x Powermate

Mount: Celestron CI-700

Filter: Orion LRGB

Software: AstroIIDC, RegiStax, Photoshop

New Web Site Up

Finally got a new web site up for Jeffrey Phillips Design. Check it out!

Mars 2012.2

Better conditions, but still not as good as I would have hoped. I've seen the blue on the sides in other folk's pictures, so I guess it's a real thing and not an imaging artifact.

Heritage Park Observatory, Cedar Park, TX

Camera: PGR Flea2

Scope: Celestron C11, TeleVue 2.5x Powermate

Mount: Celestron CI-700

Filter: Orion LRGB

Software: AstroIIDC, RegiStax, Photoshop

Mars 2012.1

That's just, ungh. But it's as big as Mars is going to get this year. Really crappy seeing for the opposition--maybe tonight will be better.

Heritage Park Observatory, Cedar Park, TX
Camera: PGR Flea2
Scope: Celestron C11, TeleVue 2.5x Powermate
Mount: Celestron CI-700
Filter: Orion LRGB
Software: AstroIIDC, RegiStax, Photoshop

xkcd: The Orion Nebula

Also on the agenda: what's with his hips?

Don't Stop Believin'

Don't Stop Believin' Demo (60 sec)

Even though Garage Band's been around for a few years now, I'm still amazed at what one guy, with only limited talent, can produce sitting alone at his desk.

Job Hunting

A little too close to reality to be funny.

How to Make Tape

1. Get a tape-making machine.

2. Turn it on.

My Poor Child

Rub some dirt on it. You'll be fine.

Stratocaster

100% vector art. Drawn with Adobe Illustrator CS5.

M42, The Orion Nebula

There's a reason this is one the most-photographed deep sky objects.


Heritage Park Observatory, Cedar Park, TX
Exposure: 20 x 30 sec (10:00) @ ISO 400, 10 x 300 sec (50:00) 10 flat, 10 dark
Camera: Canon Digital Rebel XT (350D) (modified)
Scope: AT6RC, AT2FF field flattener
Mount: CI-700
Guider: AT80EDT, Meade DSI
Filter: Astronomic CLS
Software: PHD Guiding, Nebulosity, Photoshop