NIGHT SKY IMAGES
Here are some of the most amazing amateur backyard sky photos we've ever seen. Some could pass as Hubble shots! . . . amazing, and some more cool links too.
ASTRO GEAR BUY & SELL
A great resource for backyard astronomers of any level. Includes links to all the GTA retailers.
PHOTOPTIC SKY SURVEY
This is one of the coolest sites we've come across in a while. A huge amount of work and imaging time was involved. Allows you to zoom around the entire night sky!
STARFEST
Canada's largest observing convention.
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Pictured above is one of my favourite telescopes - NOT FOR SALE just yet - I still find it quite manageable !
This photo was taken at StarFest 2015. We got there early on Monday to get a good spot because by Friday night the entire campground was quite full. The entire field in the background - and elsewhere - was packed with tents and telescopes !
This telescope is mostly homemade, as I built it using components from a variety of manufacturers - a real "frankenscope"!
For technocrats the specs are as follows:
- 412mm (16 1/4 ") f/4.5 Split Tube, Split Ring Newtonian.
- Two piece tube assembly (originally Orion).
- Discovery mirrors - enhanced aluminium (3.1" secondary).
- Stanley Development Corp. custom split ring equatorial mount with dual axis drive.
- Starlight Instruments Feathertouch 2" focuser, both low profile and easy grip 1-1/4" adapters with
compression rings, internal brake option, custom machined curved base with levelling option, 1-1/2" travel.
- Internal and external light baffles.
- Three 12VDC cooling fans (200ma each) powered by dew controller
- Kendrick Dew Remover System for Telrad, secondary, two 2" heaters and controller.
- Comments at observing sessions and star parties include; "Best view I've seen tonight", "That's the way it should look", "Wow !",
At a Starfest in the late 1990's some time, I was set up next to my buddys Abe with his C-14 and Charles
with his 7" AP when Terence Dickinson came by to
have a peek and said, "This is a good telescope"
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These beautiful telescopes are made by Normand Fullum from Quebec. Every year he brings a different
one to the star parties. They have 7 coats of marine spar varnish, two coats of polymer wax and are true
works of art, as pleasing to look at as they are to look through ! |
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CLEAR SKY CHART
This is a great reference for backyard astronomers to determine, to the hour, when favorable viewing conditions will exist. You will also find all kinds of further cool links to things such as when the International Space Station will fly over and can be seen with the naked eye.
RADAR PRECIPITATION LOOP
This is one of the best, most current and accurate sites for determining to the hour or better, when rain or snow will start and stop. Better than TV weather images.
SATELLITE IMAGE LOOP
Great, almost real time images from space to determine trend for the next day or so.
Again, much better than what you see on TV.
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This is the Orion EON 120 APO, an amazing little
scope which is real handy when time or bulk is an issue. The razor sharp views of the moon, planets and
brighter deep space objects are astounding. Shown here is the set up with the binocular viewer, an
absolute necessity that shouldn't wait until you've run out of things to buy. Very low spousal approval factor on these as you'll need two of every eyepiece that you use in it!
Below are are some photos with this set up and a Canon 60d.
Click on the photos to view larger image:
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M27: Just like to point out this unique, maybe one of a kind shot. Quite often when doing astrophotography, you will get a satelite trail going through the frame off to the side or in a corner but no one has seen them going right through the middle of the target object, this one being Messier 27, a nebula created when the central star blew off its outer layers. The same thing will happen to our sun in a few billion years. Will never get a shot like this again. Enjoy!
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I just thought I'd throw this in as an example of most backyard astronomer's unwavering optimism. This was
taken in the late afternoon and some people thought I was crazy for not packing up as there was rain,
thunder and lightning at the lower right in the distance. As it turned out, the last clouds blew away about
halfway through twilight, leading up to what became an awesome night! |
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Here's a shot of my buddy Abe at the Huronia Star Party with his Celestron 14" telescope. This was one of the biggest, heaviest instruments on the field and he brought it up in the trailer behind his motorcycle (in the background)!
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