Observing Log for Mike Durkin
5/31/2014 about 9:30PM-2:00AM
Locust Valley, NY
Transparency: 9/10, Seeing 4/5
Temperature: about 50-60 degrees
Equipment: Hutech modified Canon Rebel T3i, Celestron Ultima 8 with PEC..
Testing out my new laptop and the astrophotography setup. I had to install a couple of additional
programs to get everything working. I decided to use the globular cluster M5 as a target, even
though by the time I was finally ready to start imaging, it was only about 45 degrees high in the
west. I also wonder if I needed to collimate since the stars did look a little bloated even though
my focus seemed to be good.
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Image of Globular Cluster M5 Camera: Hutech modfied Canon Rebel T3i Telescope: Celestron Ultima C8 Location: Locust Valley, NY Exposure: 14x90 seconds. Calibrated with dark and flat frames. Processed with Deep Sky Stacker, Photoshop and Astronomy Tools plugin |
5/31/2014 about 12:30AM-4:00AM
Locust Valley, NY
Transparency: 8/10, Seeing 4/5
Temperature: about 55-65 degrees
Equipment: Hutech modified Canon Rebel T3i, 10x50 binoculars and 70mm refrator.
Visual measuerments of variable stars Z UMa, ST UMa, VY UMa, τ4 Ser, and α Her.
Also took DSLR measurements of δ Sco, κ Oph, AC Her, and P Cyg.
5/24/2014 about 11:00PM-12:30AM
Jones Beach, NY
Transparency: 6/10, Seeing 2/5
Temperature: about 55-65 degrees
Equipment: 10x50 binoculars and a couple of small telescopes.
Went to Jones Beach Nature Center and met up with George S. and Gene Z. Observed Beehive cluster, M4
and I think Ptolemy's cluster. Gene had a scope set up on Saturn and I was able to see one, maybe two moons.
Then we observed Mars, but the magnifaction was too small to make any significant features.
I was about to observe some variable stars, but the sky got very bad and then we left.
5/15/2014 about 1:00AM-3:00AM
Las Vegas, NV
Transparency: 6/10, Seeing 4/5
Temperature: about 60-70 degrees
Equipment: Hutech modified Canon Rebel T3i
While on vacation in Vegas, took some DSLR measurements of R Lyr and P Cyg.
Conditions were far from ideal. I was in the hotel parking lot with severe light pollution.
There was a full moon out, and I was using a cheap tripod. Even with that I was able to
get some reasonable measurements.
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