Day 78 Sunday 8th June 2014

Details of what is happening in the Sky from 6th June to 14th June

Day 77 Saturday 7th June 2014

 A hot day which turned cloudy/misty by the time it was dark. The Moon was visible through light cloud. I managed to get the C14 OTA up the steps to the observing platform and mount it onto the PME saddle via the Losmandy dovetail. I set up the power supplies and USB cables - running the three cables - USB for PME and C14, USB for the CGEM and mains power for both into the little office with external access from the house. I had to set up the power for the active USB cables, the cameras the focuser and the mounts themselves.

Back in February I gave a list of what I was going to do in Spain. I now have a modified list as I have purchsed additional equipment.

Telescope Setup 1:

A: To use for Supernova searching by monochrome imaging of 100+ galaxies per clear night.

B: To take images of open clusters using B and V filters for determination of cluster distance and age.

Celestron C14 - this is the OTA that I purchased several years ago on Ebay. It is a very old model but the optics are still perfect. I saved a considerable amount by buying this old 'scope. I added Bob's Knobs to faciitate collimation and have 2 mirror locks and use an external focuser.

Finder 'Scope - I use the finder from my 4" Meade OTA on the C14. I also use a Telrad finder which is switchable between scopes  - I find this an excellent piece of kit. I must say I find it extremely difficult sometimes to set up the C14 if I have lost alignment between finder and main 'scope! It can be remarkably difficult to find even a bright star in the C14 with its high focal length. I am hoping that the Telrad will help with that. 

Paramount ME - the C14 will be mounted on the ME. This is a heavy piece of kit but I managed to get it from my dome into the truck singlehanded. I was very careful to avoid back injury!!

Tripod - I am taking my Meade Giant Equatorial Tripod to mount the ME and C14. This is a very heavy piece of kit and a very awkward shape to move but again I managed to get this into the truck on my own.

Focuser - I will be using a TCF-Si focuser that is very easily controlled from my laptop using CCDsoft.

Camera - I will be using my SBIG ST9XE to image galaxies as part of my Supernova Search.

Telescope Setup 2:

To use for colour imaging of deep sky objects using a modified DSLR

Telescope - Meade 4" Refractor. I purchased this from Telescope House in Farringdon London many years ago - it was lying on the floor in a corner and I managed to get a good deal on it.

Finder 'Scope - I have a Telrad which is sufficient for my requirements with this scope.

Mount - I use a Celestron CGEM (original) which is a good value mount that I have previously taken to Spain and have used it with a 12" Meade SCT successfully.

Camera - a piggy backed modified Canon 40D with a variety of lens options. I have just obtained an inexpensive 300mm lens (f/5.6) with a X2 Teleconverter that I will use for the first time on this trip.

GuideScope - I have a new SkyWatcher 80 GuideScope that is mounted on a SkyWatcher Guide Mount that allows two axis adjustment to align the main and guide scopes.

Guiding Camera - I have a new "ZWO ASI120MC Colour 1/3" CMOS USB2.0 Camera with Autoguider Port" that I have yet to try.

Telescope Setup 3:

For visual observing of brighter deep sky objects and double stars

My third telescope is a TAL1  4 1/2 inch reflector that I use for visual observing and for demonstration purposes. An excellent 'scope that has a Telrad finder mounting option.

Telescope Setup 4:

To use for visual lunar observations.

This is an ETX 90 telescope from Meade that is very good for Moon work and Solar Eclipses. 

I also intend to carry on the work I am doing to image objects with remote telescopes - in particular using telescopes in New Mexico and at Siding Spring in Australia.

I am also taking my equipment for wildlife photography - particularly birds - and hope to improve my skills in taking wildlife images.

The Moon on D-Day and my telescopes on 6th June this year.

On D Day 6th June 1944 it was important for the airborne landings that the were illuminated by non-artificial light to maintain secrecy and so a date was chosen on which the Moon was full. The 5th was the original choice but bad weather delayed the assault until the next day.  I used the SkyX to illustrate the situation at midnight on the 5th/6th June 1944.

Back in 2014 a dull, cool and cloudy start to the day but it soon brightened and warmed up. Althought not fully organised yet I want to start to set up the Paramount Tripod today. It gets extremely windy up here - especially in the winter months. As I am here until the end of November I need to make sure that the tripod and mount are securely tied down. For that purpose I have brought with me some securing straps.

This is one set of four that I have brought with me.

I started to set up the telescope equipment as shown in the following images

Day 75 June 5th 2014 Early start to see the stars

I got up at 4.30 to go out and see the sky as I knew the Moon would have moved out of the way.

I was disappointed for a second or two as I thought there was a band of cloud but then realised it was the Milky Way!

From the high point I was able to get a 360 degree view. The area generally to the South was dark but to the North East particularly there was a lot (relatively speaking) of light pollution from the Garrucha general area coming inland.

In the South East Antares was glowing red well over the Sierra Cabrera Mountain range and its parent constellation of Scorpius. To its right Saturn was visible in Libra and further to the right there was Mars in Virgo.

Overhead the Summer Triangle was a little lost in all the stars in the Milky Way track. I struggled for a second ot two to spot Lyra - wishing I had a telescope set up to have a quick look at the Ring Nebula.

Lower down to the East I could see the Andromeda Galaxy pointed out to me by the Square of Pagasus running into Andromeda. One two three stars up and there it was. A little disappointing as the sky was quite "bright" in that direction.

Ursa Major was to my left looking North and Cassiopeia to my right.

Day 73 June 3rd 2014 - In Cabrera again

Having stayed in my small apartment overnight I obtained the keys for my new location and transported my equipment etc a bit at a time up the mountain. A repetitive process involving loading the very small lift until it was full (no room for me) then walking up the 4 flights of stairs in the tower to press the lift button and wait for another load to arrive. I had to do that many times. I left the heavy stuff until the next day.

This is the old view of the sky from the Adelfa terrace  - my small apartment (see previous blogs)...

and this is the new house

 

 and the views from the main observing platform.

 

The pole is part of the lightning conductor that was put up when the main house dome was struck by lightning.

Day 72 Monday 2nd June 2014. Back in Spain today.

It is 8.11 am and I am due to fly from Manchester to Murcia Airport this afternoon -  with my son and family taking over my house.

This is the situation with aircraft at Manchester at this time. Plane Finder lets you see real time aircraft positions anywhere in the world!

At Murcia Airport (very small) there are no aircraft but to the North Alicante looks busy at 08:16 with several aircraft on approach.

This is a closer view of Alicante at 08:20 with two aircraft approaching and one departed. The airline, flight number, speed and height are shown - amazing!

My truck is at the Murcia airport parking (Plane Parking). It has been there since the end of April so I was worried last week that it might not start following a previous flat battery problem. A quick email and they sent someone off immediately to check that it would start. All was OK by a prompt return email. I know that they will be at the airport to pick me up and take me to my truck which will be washed and ready for me to get straight on to the AP7 motorway a very short drive away. That's what I call service!

Tomorrow I will start to transfer telescopes and equipment from my small apartment to the new location.

This shows both properties - the apartment is to the right of my truck and the new location is indicated.

This is my predicted view of the sky tonight in Cabrera but this view will need tweaking to match reality - I can adjust the horizon view to match the sky exactly. The view includes the tower shown in the first photograph.

Unfortunately a technical fault meant that my aircraft did not arrive in Manchester until about 4.30 in the afternoon (should have been a 1515 departure) so I did not arrive in Cabrera until after 11 pm local time.

Sunday 1st June - The Pleiades using my Sony Alpha DSLR

Imaged Friday, February 24, 2012

The Pleiades 5 minute exposure with Sony Alpha DSLR and 150mm lens piggybacked onto Meade SCT at ISO 3200.

Saturday 31st May 2014 - Looking back to Comet C_2010_S1_Linear

Friday 30th May 2014 - 2013cs remotely Imaged from Siding Spring

Using a V filter a 5 minute remote exposure was taken using T9 (Siding Spring) of 2013cs. Using the V comparison stars shown in VPhot a V magnitude of 2013cs was determined as 13.979. This is slightly fainter than the predicted peak magnitude for 2013cs of 13.84 (based on a typical predicted magnitude of -19 for a Type 1a [ Link ] ).

See David Bishop's "Latest Supernovae" discovery details on SN 2013cs here.

See Stan Howerton image of Sn 2013cs on 20th May 2013 here.

 

 

Thursday 29th May 2014 - NGC 2451 300 second exposure Telescope T13 Siding Spring

 

 

 ASTROMETRIC SOLUTION