Conjunction of Moon and Jupiter

This topic has 30 replies, 19 voices, and was last updated 17 April 2013 at 22:29 by JamesF.

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18 February 2013 at 20:53 #22474
Sub Mandrel
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@submandrel
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18 February 2013 at 20:53 #112497
Sub Mandrel
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@submandrel
Clear skies tonight so anyone who wishes they'd seen the earth-grazing asteroid a few days ago you can make up for it by seeing the Moon and Jupiter very close together.

Unfortunately when I have zoom so both are in the viewfinder my camera won't focus properly, but I have a pics of both of them from about 20 minutes ago.

This isn't really off-topic as optics and photography have often featured in the pages of ME, and my question would be – any suggestions for getting digital cameras to work with telescopes?

Neil
18 February 2013 at 21:00 #112499
V8Eng
Participant
@v8eng
I think it's called "digiscoping" try a search for it.

I thought about it for ocasional bird watching some time ago, but could not work out if my camera was suitable, so did not take it any further.

Edited By V8Eng on 18/02/2013 21:18:25
18 February 2013 at 21:20 #112504
Sub Mandrel
Participant
@submandrel
My camera was reluctant to work with the scope (itself a 30mm lens with an eypiece converter on it). I've had feeble results with binoculars and my compact digital.

I've heard of mounts that unite camera and scope – such a thing should be easy enough to make, if I knew how they work!

With the 'scope' I could see three of jupiter's moons just now.

Neil
18 February 2013 at 21:36 #112508
Phil P
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@philp
Thanks for the heads up.

I have just had a great half hour outside in the freezing cold with our telescope.

It must be one of the clearest nights we have had for months.

Phil
18 February 2013 at 21:59 #112511
Hi Speed Scrap
Participant
@hispeedscrap
I noticed that great sight here (Melbourne, Oz) too, amazing.

But your moon is upside down!!

Dave.
18 February 2013 at 22:34 #112513
V8Eng
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@v8eng
T

Edited By V8Eng on 18/02/2013 22:39:28
18 February 2013 at 22:46 #112515
John Stevenson 1
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@johnstevenson1
Posted by Hi Speed Scrap on 18/02/2013 21:59:51:

I noticed that great sight here (Melbourne, Oz) too, amazing.

But your moon is upside down!!

Dave.

Obviously not fit for purpose ?
19 February 2013 at 01:50 #112524
Gone Away
Participant
@goneaway
Posted by Stub Mandrel on 18/02/2013 20:53:50:

…… anyone who wishes they'd seen the earth-grazing asteroid a few days ago

See it here if you want.
19 February 2013 at 10:07 #112536
V8Eng
Participant
@v8eng
Apologies for my last posting , I was part way through editing it and got called away.

Anyone looking to couple cameras and telescopes might find these useful.

http://www.srb-griturn.com/index.asp

http://www.digiscoping.co.uk/?Cat=Home

An Internet search engine will reveal lots of other dealer sites, and useful information on the subject.

Edited By V8Eng on 19/02/2013 10:09:04
19 February 2013 at 14:05 #112569
Ed Duffner
Participant
@edduffner79357
Hi Neil,

The adaptor you mentioned is a T-Ring or T-Adaptor and depends on the type of camera you have e.g. DSLR or Compact. I use a T-Ring with my DSLR for astrophotography and these connect the camera body directly to the telescope focusing tube (on an SCT scope) without the need for a camera lens.

The DSLR adaptors have a thread on one end to attach to a scope and the other is machined or threaded to fit to the camera's lens mount. This setup basically makes the scope a long focal length lens.

The compact camera adaptors are usually just a sleeve that threads onto a scope and allows the smaller diameter (non-detachable) compact lens to slide into the tube and is secured with some kind of locking screw or clamp, or just held in place with the camera mounted on a bracket of some form. I've not used this method but I'm sure there wil be many articles on line to show the setup and different ways to achieve focus.

Digiscoping is a term more used for birding or wildlife study.

I'm hoping to make an equatorial mount when I can get hold of a lathe and have a better understanding of machining and gears etc. The "seeing" here in Bristol was a little misty but I did notice the two objects last night.

Regards,
Ed.
19 February 2013 at 14:58 #112574
David Littlewood
Participant
@davidlittlewood51847
Sid,

Many thanks for posting that link: as I imagine many others did, I went out with my binoculars several times on Friday night, only to see an unrelieved bank of dense cloud every time. I don't imagine, even if it had been clear, that I would have had as good a view of it as the one in that recording.

David
19 February 2013 at 15:07 #112576
Gone Away
Participant
@goneaway
David,

Lot's of good stuff on the APOD site. One of the first places I visit each morning.
19 February 2013 at 20:50 #112617
Sub Mandrel
Participant
@submandrel
Thanks all.

V8 some useful ideas on those sites – interesting taht t-mount is still used for DSLRs – I have a 300mm standard and a 500mm mirror lens with t-mount, so presumably just an adaptor would give me som impressive lenses.

The two pics above were taken on my Nikon bridge camera with 4X digital zoom – effectively 2400mm so about 48x. Apparently Gillieo made do with 20x so I takes me 'at off to 'im, I does!

Neil
11 April 2013 at 12:28 #116627
Sub Mandrel
Participant
@submandrel
Yesterday morning the sun was very weak through the thin cloud not long after sunrise. I got this pic with the camera set at 80ASA, leaning on a car roof:

Very pleased with the sunspots – never caught those before. They match up with the live picture on NASA's SOHO site, but for some reason they have a slightly sharper picture than mine!

Neil
11 April 2013 at 15:53 #116643
Russell Eberhardt
Participant
@russelleberhardt48058
Nice one Neil. I've never dared point my camera at the sun like that for fear of burning out the ccd sensor. Here's the moon taken a couple of years ago when I was playing with my new bridge camera:

Russell.

Edited By Russell Eberhardt on 11/04/2013 15:54:44
11 April 2013 at 19:58 #116656
Sub Mandrel
Participant
@submandrel
Nice balance with the sky, Russell. I would not are zoom in on the sun, but it was so weak you could look directly at it.

Neil
11 April 2013 at 21:22 #116664
Robert Dodds
Participant
@robertdodds43397
For you moon watchers out there I was sent this link to a full moon over Wellington NZ.
```
**LINK** 
```
I was impressed by it anyway.

Bob D
12 April 2013 at 09:26 #116686
RICHARD GREEN 2
Participant
@richardgreen2
KLAATU BARADA NIKTO

Edited By RICHARD GREEN 2 on 12/04/2013 09:29:48
12 April 2013 at 10:04 #116690
mark mc
Participant
@markmc72333
I used to try my hand at astrophotography a few years back before children etc. still have my telescope and camera stuff safely tucked away, but here's a few shots i was quite happy with.

Edited By mark mc on 12/04/2013 10:06:44

Edited By mark mc on 12/04/2013 10:08:05

Edited By mark mc on 12/04/2013 10:09:01
12 April 2013 at 11:06 #116696
Joseph Ramon
Participant
@josephramon28170
All looks a bit nebulous to me

very impressive, Exactly what equipment do you have? A star-tracking equitorial mount would be a good project.

Joey
12 April 2013 at 14:48 #116706
RICHARD GREEN 2
Participant
@richardgreen2
IT'S LIFE JIM,…….. BUT NOT AS WE KNOW IT………………
12 April 2013 at 19:17 #116730
mark mc
Participant
@markmc72333
Not got the must fancy stuff but it works not to bad . The scope is a skywatcher 8inch reflector mounted on a heq5 tracking mount, the camera is a cannon 350d mounted to the scope on a t-ring. Abit hard to focus as can be seen but works ok. those shots were really 10-15 long exposures all stacked one on top of the other.
13 April 2013 at 11:20 #116765
Ian S C
Participant
@iansc
If you go back in the Model Engineer there are articals on making telescopes ie., 1941 W.E. Moorhouse Constructing a reflecting telescope, or 1912 Grinding Mirrors, so telescopes have been with ME for over 100 years. Ian S C
13 April 2013 at 12:19 #116769
Sub Mandrel
Participant
@submandrel
I know someone who went to night school and ground up their own mirror, many years ago. He found the whole process so soul destroying that he never had it seilvered, let alone built a frame for it. He has an off the shelf digitally controlled scope, but feels that being able to 'dial in' a position is fantastic in some ways, but takes half the fun out of it!

Neil
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