verano 2025

Early hours of tomorrow: the sun will be overhead on the Tropic of Cancer, at its most northerly sky position and so giving the longest day of the year at Alicante.

sv550 1x field flattener woes

From here, we can see that using the ff meant for the 102mm f7, we need less backspace,
Here we are at around 50mm from the m48 thread. Better than at 55mm. Still thinking...

globular cluster m13 in hercules
veTEC571 on sv122    26x4min @ hcg100
process StarTools

process SetiAstroSuite

vega
6x10s

focus settings

m57 ngc6888

 95% moon so can't expect much. Lucky to get a bit of each of these I suppose.
 Gradient? Awful.
 Noise? Worse.

5 hours until sunrise. For this...

planetary nebula m57 in lyra
veTEC571 on pn208    16x4min @ hcg100

supernova remnant ngc6888 crescent in cygnus
veTEC571 on pn208    63x4min @ hcg100

m39 and ngc6229

 Unspectacular globular and in your face foreground cluster. The moon becoming too bright for comfort.

globular cluster ngc6229 in hercules
vetec571 on pn208    30x4min @ hcg100

open cluster m39 in cygnus
vetec571 on pn208    30x4min @ hcg100
process startools

process setiastro

mediterranean haze

 Hopeless night. In between patches of haze...

Gave up at 01:00

globular cluster m13 in hercules
veTEC571 on pn208    15x4min @ hcg100
process StarTools

process SetiAstroSuite

budget newtonian modifications

Bringing a budget skywatcher to astrograph level

• fit 6 new springs (1.2mm wire for 130mm/150mm, 1.4mm for 200mm and 1.6mm for 254mm) That's three replacement springs and three extra springs using the locking screws as retainers, leaving the latter loose
• remove the 7 flexible rubber washers in the focuser and fit a paper gasket to the focus spindle plate instead or -much easier- fit a proper r&p focuser without the rubber.
• remove the primary retaining clips
• set the tube rings  as far apart as reasonably possible on a Losmandy dovetail
• tie the top of the rings with 3mm wall aluminium profile. Rectangular 40mm x 20mm is ideal
• fix any guide telescope rigidly to the top rail
• to prevent lateral movement, remove the slippery sw cork and refit the mirror to the cell over double sided adhesive silicone pads to coincide with the now absent cork
• fit black electrical tape around the joint between the mirror cell and tube
• cover the closed end of the tube with an opaque black shower cap.
• line the inside of the tube with black velvet
• 130mm only: remove 11mm of the focus tube barrel; the end which is closest to the secondary.
• fit a one-piece light alloy or 3d printed  polycarbonate secondary spider
• paint the edges of the secondary mirror, the exposed white inner surfaces of the mirror cell, th inner surfaces if the focuser and the protruding fasteners inside the tube matt black

ngc6888

 Two -partial- nights on this; partial as it's too low at the start of astro darkness.
Do something else until it gets high enough.

supernova remnant ngc6888 crescent in cygnus
atr533 on gso203    56x4min @ hcg100

process siril

process setiastrosuite HOO