What do you do when you want to practice your astronomy hobby and your own yard is full of trees. You seek out another observing location. After finding a possible site and getting permission from the owner to use it I waited for the next clear night to try it out. I will be looking forward to trying this site out in the future. Being only 8 miles from the house this may be a very favorable location.
Equipment carried for typical astronomy observing
Cygnus, Lyra, and part of Vulpecula From the new observing site
Saturn is on the left and Jupiter is the brighter star on the right.
Make sure gps is the time source on StarSense and time and date correct
Make sure tracking is on sidereal time not solar
So when I did this in my last astronomy session when I had StarSense move the telescope to Jupiter it was several degrees south of Jupiter. I also discovered the telescope would track Jupiter and Saturn better on sidereal time then solar time.
The purpose of this article is to help me document what I am learning about photography and maybe help someone else. I am also learning my Cannon T5i camera. I am trying to learn how to photograph at night so I can take pictures of stars. I am also trying to learn WordPress so I can write better articles for the Raleigh Astronomy Club in my position as content manager. The first thing I learned is I need to use a remote control. That is it the second thing I need to learn how to use. Fathers Day 2020 I woke up around 4:00 AM and discovered it was clear. I was staying in the guest house of my friends rental unit, his family was in the main house. I had left my tripod over there and decided not to retrieve it. So I found a chair to set the camera on and tried to get a picture of Jupiter and Saturn.
So my question is how do you focus at night. I guess I am need to learn how to find a far off light in the middle of the night. Another question is why does the camera’s shutter release not work when I am out at night sometimes. I found out the answer to that question. I changed the setting to Al Servo and it seemed to work better but I don’t want auto focus.So in word press how do I insert a photo. This picture is a picture of Venus near sunrise.
2020/06/15 Weird dream last night. The post office found some lost packages and called me to inspect them. The label looked fine and it was addressed properly no reason they would have been lost all those years. Sometimes relationships can be that way. We let little things get in the way. Look at the big picture do you know where you will be spending eternity? Are you worried about things on this earth that will rust and decay? Check out my testimony page.
2020/06/12 So today I decided to start listening to spiritual things on my podcast in addition to astronomy. My search terms included the word evangelist. And the first thing that came up was a podcast on How to prey perhaps for the first time. No it is not my first time but it sure feels like it sometimes. I found this podcast interesting. The dynamics of the three speakers, the questions they came up with. I hope it helps someone. I had asked this question at a zoom service that my church was having Tuesday night, I found it a coincidence that this item came up first. Be sure to navigate over to My Testimony Page to learn more about my spiritual life and to learn how you can walk with Jesus.
I monitor amateur radio frequencies that include EchoLink on Carolina 440 System Node number 42704. I also monitor the Amsat talk group on DMR, 98006. I Hope to hear you on the air and clear skies! DE N4MQU
It took a lot of planning to see the first Shuttle Launch in 1981. I did everything by the book. I was living in Norfolk, VA and I had to write for a launch pass I believe it was through our congressman but not quite sure. I received my pass and it was on the Atlantic Causeway. Well what do you know we had delay after delay they discovered the tiles on the underside of the Space Shuttle Columbia were coming off. The tiles were used to dissipate the heat as the shuttle came in for re-entry. Luckily my employer was supportive of my need for them to be flexible in my vacation schedule.
At some point I had two friends from the Richmond area indicated an interest to go for the launch also. I know them from our common interest in the astronomy hobby. This was an excellent match and we were able to share the drive and expenses and celebrate the event after it happened. So not sure where to go from here. I missed seeing all the Apollo launches in person but for some reason I didn’t want to miss the first space shuttle launch. I have a scrap book full of articles about various space events. The way the US has done its transition since Apollo has been short sighted. We should have continued building our manned space program and not cut it off after the moon landings were cancelled. The last Apollo mission was the ASTP in 1974. This was the reason I really wanted to attend the first Space Shuttle launch. It had been six years since the last manned launch.
Now I don’t remember much of the trip down to Florida but I do remember the day of the scheduled launch day. It was a beautiful day. All the launch preparations were going smoothly. As we got into the space center started getting crowded. Well that is when the things started to go wrong. The crowd control was non-existent and parking at our designated area was unorganized. We did find a spot and once we got settled it seemed to be ok. We must have been hearing mission control audio and other than that we had to wait. My father had taught me to get to events early. We were following the launch activities and the count got down to t-9 minutes and holding. Well the launch didn’t proceed as needed.
Apparently the computers were not talking to each other.
So we had to leave our parking area and ended up going to Disney World along with everyone else. That day was the most attended day at that time. Florida refused to waive the toll road fee to help elevate the congestion.
Our activity for the balance of the time is not remembered by me but on the re-scheduled launch day we were there once again early and it was anther beautiful day. I don’t know the inside story but something happened between the original scheduled launch and the re-scheduled launch the organization of the parking and traffic control at the cape was fantastic. We were once again parked but this time everything was in a neat line and organized. This time everything for the launch went smoothly. It was my first launch. I believe it was my friends first launch too. Anyway I remember seeing the launch feeling the power and I watched the spacecraft as it changed into a star like object as it got into the upper atmosphere.
I had always intended to attend other launches and did attempt to see one with my nephew but they had an extended delay due to an oxygen leak in the cabin. Fast forward when the shuttle program was cancelled I decided to attend the last shuttle launch. At that time they weren’t sure if they would launch the launch on need vehicle after the last scheduled launch of STS-134. Atlantis was prepped on the pad for STS-134 for a launch on need vehicle. So at the time of STS-134 was launched I was there. For the launch of Atlantis my nephew Nick decided he wanted to go so we were there for that. Please see my future story about the last shuttle launch.
This area has a unique organization for individuals interested in Short Wave Listening and Scanner listening. The group is a special interest group of The Raleigh Amateur Radio Society club. They are on facebook at Tarheel Scanner/SWL Group. We have toured multiple 911 centers as a group and I have been privileged to attend many of them. A couple of years ago we had a tour of the ABC11 TV Studio in Durham, NC. Here is the YouTube link or you may look at below.
All my hobbies seem to involve detecting the invisible that happens to be the name of my YouTube channel. I have some videos on there.
It is difficult for one person to operate the radio and the camera. But getting the audio is important. Equipment used is the arrow satellite antenna and my Icom 7100 VHF/UHF/HF Radio.
Even kids can do it here is a special event station
