iSad

The Mac basically made my job possible. Sure, there have been designers and illustrators and photographers and musicians and creative people forever, but it was that box that made it possible to play in so many sandboxes, to explore so many things, to marry technology and creativity. So thanks, Steve.

I'm sad there won't be, "and one more thing" this time.

Jupiter & Europa, 2 October 2011

Here's one more from the other night, this time with the moon Europa nearby.

It occurred to me; two of the greatest planetary imagers in the world are Facebook friends. Suddenly I'm embarrassed to post these. I sometimes feel like a kid putting his pictures up on the refrigerator and calling them art.

Jupiter, 2 October 2011 Reprocessed

I don't see any point in making more Jupiter pictures this season!

I take that back--I still want to get detail on Ganymede. I've seen it done, but not often.

Jupiter, 2 October 2011

This is why I stayed up late tonight.

Jupiter, 1 October 2011

Jupiter, 1 October 2011

It's been a long, hot summer. When the temperature is still over 90° at 11:00 p.m., my interest in astronomy wanes. But we've finally gotten a little break in the weather, so I pulled out the C11 and stayed up late to make this thoroughly uninspiring shot of Jupiter. The sky looked pretty steady naked-eye, but the focus kept drifting in and out.

Heritage Park Observatory, Cedar Park, TX
Exposure: 500 frames each L, R, G, B
Camera: Point Grey Research Flea @ 640x480, 16-bit
Scope: Celestron C-11, Televue 2.5x Powermate (f/25)
Mount: Celestron CI-700
Guider: none
Filter: Orion LRGB set
Software: AstroIIDC, Registax 6, Photoshop