Astroblog: My images from International Observe the Moon Night (Saturday 28 October, 2017)

Monday, October 30, 2017

My images from International Observe the Moon Night (Saturday 28 October, 2017)


Single image, 1/80th second ASA 800, Canon IXUS, infinity to infinity focussing, 10 mm eyepiece on 8" Newtonian with tracking. Click to emgiggen	5 images taken as the first, then stacked in RegiStax 6. Not a marked improvement (click to embiggen). Ptolemaeus, Alphonsus and Alpertragus are the three prominent caters just right of the centre. The straight wall at bottom right is ... straight wall.

After an afternoon of cloudthe skies finally cleared for International Observe the Moon Night. I set up my 4" adn 8" Newtonians for observing, but no one wanted to join me (SmallestOne and his mate were exhausted for bike adventures and MiddleOne was out partying after School finishing). The Moon was in an excellent position high above the horizon, which made locking on to them with Newtonians a pain (inbvolved lots of kneeling/lying on the ground, squinting then trying to reach to scope controls with tiny science arms.

After joing my family for obligatory family TV, I tried some astrophography, using my new(ish) Mobile Phone with lens combinatiosn i hadn't tried before (I typically use the 20 mm Lens and point a mobile phome through it is rather easy), I alo used a mode high power lens for my workhorse, the Canon IXUS. Bdidn't use the webcam beciuase it took too ong to set up the laptop.

Anyway, with fairly simple cameras I think I managed halfway decent images for the night (I also looked though the scopes with my very own eyes, magnificent). The Moon is accessible to people with even very basic equipment.

Often we get fixated on the nebula and clusters, and forget the joys of our humble, nearest companion. But even as a jaded astrophotographer, the Moon is still a delight.


Xperia Mobile phone, unguided exposure, 20 mm lens on 4" Netwonian	Xperia Mobile phone, guided exposure, 10 mm lens on 8" Newtonian (click to embiggen and compare with image above)	Xperia Mobile phone, guided exposure, 5 mm lens on 8" Newtonian (click to embiggen)