March 28, 2004
luna from the patio
I'd hoped to get to some Ask Asa answers this evening but I couldn't pull myself inside and now I'm too tired :) Maybe tomorrow. Here's what had me distracted:
I may try to take some Jupiter photos tomorrow night if it's clear and dark but with my tiny scope, they won't be particularly dramatic.
What kind of rig did you use to take that photo?
I've always been a big fan of astronomy, but I've never really been moved to get some of my own gear until I saw that photo. Very cool.
Posted by: Joshua on March 29, 2004 07:10 AMHere's how I do simple astrophotography:
http://bensinclair.com/archives/000090.php
Groovy Asa. For those who may not have astronomy software, this is a cool tool from Sky&Telescope:
http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/planets/article_830_2.asp#
Open the Jupiter's Moons Java script. You'll be able to put a name on the moons you can see with even the most simple telescope and the right magnification.
I like that picture. What kind of telescope do you use? I'm a "naked-eye hobby star-gazer" from germany, but every now and then I think of buying a small telescope. Perhaps that is a question for "ask asa". What kind of telescope do you recommend for the novize (in a rural area, not too much light pollution).
BTW, do you know stellarium (stellarium.free.fr)? It's the best open-source astronomy-package.
Cheers, Bernd
Posted by: Bernd on March 29, 2004 10:34 PMYou can't just post that amazing photo and not tell us how you did it.
Posted by: Stephen on March 30, 2004 06:46 AMBernd, Stephen, it's just a little 80mm f/11 refractor and I take photos by (literally) holding my cannon 2 megapixel point and shoot camera right up against the eyepiece :-)
Posted by: Asa Dotzler on March 30, 2004 09:57 AM