October 2009 Volume 16 Number 4 Page 1

Some Thoughts about No Frills #15 Don Surles First, has it really been fifteen years since the first No Frills? Remember the fun we had that weekend at the Youth Camping Area…with nothing but a pup tent, scope, and good company? The admission was $5.00…and with the “excess” dollars (after paying the Park) we spent the remainder on fresh corn and watermelons. Later I learned that some of our participants’ digestive systems were over stimulated with combination of watermelon and fresh corn! Lucky for us the “facilities” were close to the camping area. BTW…the weather was superb that first No Frills. For this No Frills, I spent the last few days getting “organized”. And indeed, I was pretty much ready for the event’s arrival until Thursday morning when I learned it would be necessary for a quick trip to my “electrocardiophysiologist” due to an infection in a recent incision site. That was one event I had not factored into the No Frills equation. So, bottom line, I arrived at T-hoe bit later than usual. One of my tasks was to obtain corn on the cob for the event; so I arranged for a local Amish farmer to have 100 ears of corn ready Thursday at noon so that I could pick it up on the way down to T-hoe. The Amish lady and I loaded the corn into my trailer…she was curious what that large round thing was (it was the “bonnet” of my 25” Obsession). So, we had a discussion about the telescope, how it works, and what a star party is. She insisted that her husband see the scope and went off to the next barn to find him. Well, he came out and she asked him what he thought the “bonnet” was…he studied for a bit and I could see he was keyed on the focuser. Then, a bit unsure he said, “Well, I’m not sure about how to use it but there is a water hose connection here” as he pointed to the focuser. The family is very nice and I just may take the scope out to their farm so they can see the stars. Thursday was cloudy with just enuf breaks in the clouds to suggest a weather change was coming. Indeed, as the sunset thru the field of dry cornstalks I could see red which said clear skies should arrive soon. And shortly after dark the sky did open with a beautiful bright Milky Way from horizon to horizon and we actually had a couple of great hours of star gazing before the fickle weather of land twixt two bays clouded us over. So, with a retreat to the coffee pot we resumed our star gazing under the sheetmetal roof of the coffee barn. Then most of us retired to our respective Hil-ton facilities for some sleep. After two or three hours of sleep I dragged myself out of bed at 5:15 AM to find a beautiful sky with Orion in command…my 25” dew drenched scope showed the Great Nebula in all it’s glory…God, what a sight! There is justice in the world of stargazing. Thank you Jerry Truitt for providing a great chicken/vegetable soup for our Thursday dinner…you did good! The corn on the cob was also enjoyed by all for all three days. Now, there were a couple of conversations in the barn that are worthy of repeating. Both originated with our past president and charter member Lyle Jones. The first had to do with batteries for a laser collimator…apparently Lyle’s collimator refused to work and he de-cided to change the batteries which are small button batteries less than the diameter of a dime. But he insisted he had

(see Don on page 5)

Star Gazer News

Newsletter of the Delmarva Stargazers www.delmarvastargazers.org

From the Prez… Out next meeting is October 6, at 7:00 PM in Mallard Lodge. Please join us for a great time spent learning about our Universe and Delmarva Star Gazers. Please bring a friend or family member…anyone interested in astronomy is always welcome. Also, please bring your ideas for making our hobby more enjoyable for each of us…the old timers and the younger members, and since most of us are either old or old timers we should focus on what challenges us so that we can sustain our organization for the younger folks who will hopefully drift our way. Ideas are always welcome along with the commitment of time and resources required to bring those great ideas to fruition. That’s how DSG works…we all adopt the great ideas and pitch in to make them realities. See you at the meeting. Don…

Upcoming Events: Meeting ! Oct 6

th 7 PM Mallard Lodge

Observing ! Oct 16th Dusk Equestrian Cntr

October 2009 Volume 16 Number 4 Page 2

The Great Asian Total Solar Eclipse of 2009 Kent Blackwell On July 14, 2009 Robert Hitt and I drove to Washington Dulles airport to board a plane to Seoul, South Korea. From there we would catch another flight to Beijing China. Then it was another three-hour bus ride to Tainjin China to book passage aboard the Costa Classica cruise ship. All in all it was nearly 40 hours of travel time. By the time we were aboard the ship it had been 50 hours since we’d had any sleep. By 8:00 pm July 14 the Costa Classica set sail for Cheju South Korea, with the follow-ing day being a full day at sea. That full day gave us ample opportunity to catch up on sleep and to relax. The third day would be our first port of call, the town of Cheju, a volcanic island 64km off the coast of South Korea. Before we were allowed entry into Korea each of us had to pass through quarantine inspection, an inspection consisting of both an infrared camera as well as having our temperatures taken. We all passed the test, and that was a relief. I surely didn’t want to be stuck in South Korea and miss the rest of the cruise and the eclipse! Until the year 1200 Cheju was known as Tamra. During the long period of the Joseon dynastic (1392-1910) the island was used to house political exiles. Tourism has only developed in the last few decades, as the area was practically inaccessible from the rest of the Empire for political reasons until a century ago.

From the center of Cheju rises Mount Hallo, a now extinct volcano that formed the island over the course of five eruptions. We visited an interesting local market in town, with a variety foods of which I have never seen before. Some of the edible delights included roasted squid. The fourth day we sailed into the port of Kogoshima Japan. Kagoshima is Kyushu’s southern-most major city, and the capital of Kogoshima Prefecture. The city is often compared to Naples due to its similar mild climate, palm tree lined streets, relatively hot-tempered inhabitants and Sakurajima, Kogo-shima’s Vesuvius. As early as the mid-16th century Francisco Xavier arrived here to become the first person to introduce Christianity to Japan. Kagoshima Prefecture, which spans 600 kilometers from north to south, is blessed with a mild climate and the rich and diverse natural beauty of unique islands such as Yakushima, volcanoes such as Sakurajima, lush forests and an abundance of hot springs. The views

atop the volcano Sakurajima were simply amazing. July 21 would be another full day at sea, and a perfect opportunity for a dress rehearsal for the eclipse the next day. The Costa Classica would sail at the same course speed and the time of day so each of us would know where the eclipse would be rela-tive to where we set up our equipment. The day was also filled with enrichment lectures about what to expect during the eclipse. Prior to eclipse day the weather had been mostly cloudy and hazy. We were delighted to be treated to a gorgeous sunrise eclipse morning. In fact some reported seeing the green flash as the sun rose at 4:59 am. The sky was deep blue, with puffy white clouds. Even more amazing, the Pacific Ocean was like a lake, with hardly a ripple in the water. As we sailed past the island of Iwo Jima everyone was busy setting up telescopes and positioning deck chairs and lounges where they would watch the eclipse. The captain of the Costa Classica positioned the ship at 25-deg. 15.1’ 6.6” N. latitude and 142-deg. 04’14.1.” E. longitude, a position that would allow us to view the eclipse longer than anyone else on earth, 6 minutes and 42.3 seconds. One person calculated that if someone had run from the aft end of the ship forward they would have gained .34 seconds and would have seen the eclipse longer than anyone on earth. Thank goodness no one acted irresponsibly and did that! The next eclipse of this duration will not occur until the year 2132. First contact was at 11:03 am. It’s so fascinating watching the first tiny bite being taken out of the sun by the moon. It would be over an hour before 2nd contact, the beginning of totality. The tension grew immensely as the moment of totality approached. With the sun at nearly 85-degrees altitude one had to look toward the zenith to view totality, not too comfortable for refractors or binoculars. The view of the eclipsed sun in my 80mm f/8 telescope was just incredible! There’s nothing in nature that can compare to a total solar eclipse, whether you view it in a telescope, binoculars or just the naked eye. During totality the temperature dropped from 96F to 84F. The Sky Quality Meter read 13.33 at mid-totality, which is comparable to civil twilight. Last year’s eclipse over the Arctic Circle was considerably darker. I began snapping pictures using a Canon 20Da, and a 80mm f/8 TMB telescope. Since this eclipse was nearly seven minutes duration I had ample time to get some great views and take many images. By 3rd contact I had snapped over 300 pictures. Emotions ran high as 3rd contact occurred, producing the most awesome diamond ring I have ever seen. I also saw a large prominence, a surprise since the sun has been so inactive.

(see Eclipse on page 3)

How to Join the Delmarva Stargazers: Anyone with an interest in any aspect of astronomy is welcome NAME________________________________________________________________________________________ ADDRESS_____________________________________________________________________________________ CITY, STATE & ZIP______________________________________________________________________________ E-MAIL ADDRESS (If any)_________________________________________________________________________ Do you need the newsletter snail mailed to you (Y/N)?___________________________________________________

Please attach a check for $15 made payable to Delmarva Stargazers and mail to Kathy Sheldon, 20985 Fleatown Rd, Lincoln, DE 19960. Call club President Tim Milligan at 410-841-9853 for more information.

October 2009 Volume 16 Number 4 Page 3

Surrounding the Costa Classica were two Japanese cruise ships, the Fuji Maru and the Asuka II. Each ship sounded their horns to signify a successful eclipse, and we returned with a loud blast of our horn. When someone asked me what I thought of the eclipse I couldn’t help but have tears in my eyes describing my thoughts. Several people sent glasses of champagne to Robert and me, and it was most welcomed. Preparing for an eclipse can cre-ate much tension, so those glasses of champagne came at a perfect time as the eclipse came to an end. We had helped a few eclipse virgins so they showed their appreciation by treating us to a round of drinks. One thoughtful person even brought me a cold Corona. In my opinion the only way to see a solar eclipse is on a cruise ship. First and foremost is the maneuverability of a ship. In this case our onboard meteorologist Allister Ling picked just the right place for us to view the eclipse. If you’re on land and are ham-pered by clouds there’s little you can do, especially if unfamiliar with the territory around you. The best reason, though, for a cruise is that all the passengers become like a family prior to eclipse day. After the eclipse we’re all brought even closer together. If you’re viewing an eclipse from land more than likely you won’t know anyone around you. There’s a certain intimacy aboard a ship. Some people I met this last trip I’ve known since sailing on the P&O ship Canberra in 1973! It seems every year the eclipse “groupies” crowd grows. This year there seemed to be slightly fewer eclipse chasers than previous years. Several reasons account for this, no doubt

the economy being the primary reason. The fact one had to travel half way around the world is certainly another. Actually, it turned out to be quite nice. With only 1000 passengers on a ship designed for 1400 made for a very relaxing cruise. There was rarely a crowd in the breakfast or lunch line, and there was al-ways ample deck space both on eclipse day as well as days to just relax in the sun. The day after the eclipse was another full day at sea, and gave us time to assemble our photo-graphs for a show-and-tell held in the ship’s auditorium. It’s amazing how digital photography has changed eclipse chasing. In the old film days one never knew what they captured until returning home and sending the film out to be processed. That’s all changed. I was showing the results of my totality images before the partial phase of the eclipse was finished. Within two hours I had a selected series of pictures stored on a

computer jump drive and ready to show at the presentation. The next port of call was Kobe, Japan. Upon arrival a large military band stood at attention on the dock playing Sousa marches. Imagine that, a Japanese band standing at attention playing American march music to a predominantly American group of cruise ship passengers. Kobe is the capital city of Hyogo Prefecture and a prominent port city in Japan with a population of 1.4 million. While the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake diminished much of Kobe’s prominence as a port city, it remains Japan’s forth-busiest container port. Kobe is known for having a somewhat exotic atmosphere by Japanese standards. A modern fully automated monorail, called Portliner is located only yards from the port where the Costa Classica was docked. A quick ride on the Portline took us to the main train station in Kobe, and from there we could travel most anywhere in Japan by train. Our first city of choice was Kyoto. Kyoto is a very historical city and so much to see it’s impossible do to so in only a day or so. We selected several castles and temples to visit . The best way to get around all of Kyoto is by city bus. A one-day pass cost 500 Yen, about $6 US, a real bargain. Perhaps the most famous historical site is Nijo Castle, built in 1603. Nijo Castle is one of the finest examples of the early Edo period and the Momoyama culture in Japan. The Honmaru (Inner Palace) was added to the castle complex in 1626 upon the orders of the third Tokogawa Shogun, Lemitsu. Photography is strictly forbidden inside the buildings but is al-lowed outside the buildings and in the Ninomaru Gardens We visited three other castles and temples that day. By 8:00 pm it was time to return to the ship. Since I had skipped lunch and dinner you can imagine how starved Kent was! I simply went to the dining room on the ship and ordered three of every entree on the menu. The ship docked overnight in Kobe so after dinner it was time to explore Kobe’s nightlife. Friday night was very active in the heart of the city, a city full of vibrancy and excitement. Virtually everything was for sale on the streets of Kobe, including the world re-nowned and very pricey Kobe steaks. The next day we explored the Japanese city of Osaka, home of the famous Osaka Castle Park. I’m sort of a model railroad buff and was delighted to see a Japanese rail fan club had set up live miniature steam trains in the courtyard outside a museum and was giving little kids rides on the trains. The look on those kids’ faces was priceless as the miniature steam locomotives carried them across the courtyard. Osaka Castle Park is a huge site, and has had quite a turbulent history. In 1496 a high-ranking monk of the Joudoshinshu sect had a monastic residence built near the site. This eventually grew into the large temple known as Osaka Honganji. The temple boasted great power and influence until 1580 when it yielded to Nobunaga Oda during his campaign of national unification and it burned to the ground. After his death Hideyoshi Hashiba took control of political affairs and began construction of a castle at the site.

(Eclipse from page 2)

(see more Eclipse on page 4)

Your 2009-2010 Officers Office Officer Phone email President Don Surles 302-653-9445 President-elect Jerry Truitt 410-885-3327 Secretary Michael Lecuyer 302-284-3734 Treasurer Kathy Sheldon 302-422-4695 Past President Tim Milligan 410-841-9853

October 2009 Volume 16 Number 4 Page 4

However, after his death political control moved to Tokugawas and the castle fell during the Summer War in Osaka in 1615. The castle was reconstructed in 1931. The area around the castle was damaged during the bombings of WWII but have been restored and turned into a historic park. It took most of the day to see Osaka Castle and we had to be back on board the ship by 6:00 pm to set sail for our final port, Tianjin, China. It would take 2-1/2 days at sea to reach Tianjin but that gave ample time to relax, and time to pack for the long trip back home. Tianjin is a small Chinese city, comprised of only 11 million inhabitants. Per-haps the most famous tour site near Tianjin is the Great Wall of China in Jixian County to the north. Since we’d already been there a few years ago we opted to tour the town of

Tanggu, a much smaller city of only 2 million. Robert and I loved walking around the town. It’s refreshing to visit such a place with no other westerners. It was the epitidemy of a non-touristy city. In fact, we couldn’t find any-one who could speak English but the almighty electronic calculator is all that’s needed when you find something you wish to purchase. A trip through the local market was, well, colorful and educational to say the least. We found everything from fried octopus on a stick to blue goose eggs. Maybe I’ll wait until I get back on the ship to eat dinner. Well, the dreaded trip back home was the next day. We would have to ride three hours on a bus from Tianing to the airport in Beijing. Because a serious traffic accident had a major highway closed it took five hours. We were already tired and the trip home hadn’t even started yet. Once at the Beijing airport I craved a good old American hamburger. A Big Mac cost less than a US dollar and French fries about the same.

Some four hours later we were on Asiana Air headed for the two-hour flight to Seoul, South Korea. After a two hour layover the next leg of the trip in-volved a 12-hour flight from Seoul to Los Angeles, California. Ah, we’re almost home. The flight from L.A. to Dulles Air- port in Washington D.C. was another five hours. After arriving at Dulles we had to pick up our car and drive home, another four-hours. Once again, we had each been awake over fifty hours. Was it worth it? You bet it was. Would we do it again? You bet we would. Robert Hitt and I celebrated our exeligmos by ob- serving three consecutive eclipses of the same Saros, in the years 1973 off the coast of Africa, 1991 near the Baha Peninsula in Mexico and 2009 off the coast of Iwo Jima! We may miss the eclipse of 2010, an eclipse whose track takes it across Easter Island and the Pacific Ocean. We’ve both been to Easter Is-land and it often clouds up in the day. The only ship planning a cruise is the Paul Gauguin. Even if it wasn’t already sold out the cheapest cabin is $10,000. The eclipse everyone should consider is in 2012, whose path of total-ity takes it across northern Australia and the Pacific Ocean. It was a long and difficult journey getting to the expedition but well worth it. We are both very fortunate indeed to have wit-nessed thirteen of the most awesome spectacle nature has to offer, a total eclipse of the sun.

(More Eclipse from page 3)

No Frills Star Party Gabe Jennings My name is Gabe Jennings and I am 7 years old. I had a great time at the star party. My dad and I got there on Friday and set up our tent. It was very awesome to look at the Black Brant rocket launch from our camp site. I did not like the corn harvesters. They got my telescope very dusty which freaked me out. It was nice to look at M17 in Mr. Surles' 25 inch telescope. It looked like a pillar of gas. I also saw M13, M15, M31, M32, M110, and M101. Helix nebula is similar to ring nebula but bigger & 6.5 magnitude that's bright! At 9:30 I got sleepy and went to sleep. On Saturday my mom and little brother and my dog Bernie came. We took a nature walk during the day which was fun. For supper we had hush puppies and fish which was delicious! We walked around and looked through telescopes and that was the day when the Black Brant rocket launched. When it ended everybody shouted and screamed! We looked at Jupiter and saw the great red spot, the Io shadow, cloud bands, and the Galilean moons. Sunday is the day we left. It was very sad. I can't wait for the next star party!

October 2009 Volume 16 Number 4 Page 5

Magazine Subscriptions As a paid member of DMSG, you can sign up/renew your S&T or Astronomy mags through the club for a discount over private rate. S&T, reg. $42.95, is $32.95 thru DMSG, Astronomy, reg. $44, is $34. See Michael Lecuyer for details.

bought exact replacement batteries…but they were almost the diameter of a quarter, i.e., the replacement batteries sim-ply were the wrong size and would not fit. Lyle was unconvinced. So, we compared his collimator to mine…which had never been disassembled and we still could not convince Brother Lyle…then PJ Riley actually put a set of correct batter-ies in the collimator and voila! It worked and Bro Lyle was at last convinced the quarter sized batteries did not belong in his collimator. But he insists he bought replacements based on what he took out of the collimator. The other event had to do with insects and red light. It seems Lyle was attacked by an enormous preying mantis while he was observing Thursday night and decided to see what the attacker was by shining his red light on the intruder. His description of the critter sounded like he had seen an alien…the eyes had concentric circles and there were long antennae waving wildly. You had to be there and hear this one first hand…and you should beware of the enormous preying mantis especially if you are a male stargazer ‘cause you know what the female does to the male after mating. Friday morning we had an unexpected wake up call. The grain drier located about five miles from our site de-cided it was time to begin drying and apparently someone forgot to install noise mufflers. The entire field was awakened – we actually thought the combines had come to begin harvesting the corn next to us. Friday’s dinner was provided by Dave Wells…he made his famous chili and no one went away hungry. Thanks, Dave, for your great chili. And we had more corn on the cob. Our group must be getting older…there were lots of conversations about various illnesses and associated treat-ments. No one talked about hot movie stars…so it is safe to say that libido was not overflowing at this star party. Friday afternoon was gorgeous. The sky was so clear and so blue…one seldom sees a sky any bluer. So as the sunset we anxiously prepared our scopes and equipment for a night of what we expected to be a beautiful night un-der the stars. The first kink Mother Nature provided was a very heavy dew accompanied by a light fog. Then the west, south and north horizons seemed to be getting whiter and higher…by 11:00 PM they were very noticeable and by mid-night the sky was completely covered…a few minutes later we heard rain drops on the roof of the coffee shack! No one could believe such a weather change in so little time. However, by 4:00 AM the skies were clear and Orion again ruled the morning sky. Saturday was gorgeous all day long. We enjoyed the sun, cool temps, a fish fry with real hushpuppies and corn on the cob. The sunset clear and the observing field was again preparing for a night of beautiful stargazing. This time the only Mother Nature “surprise” was the normal T-hoe drenching dew. As I sat waiting for darkness my senses picked up the increasing song of the crickets punctuated by an occasional flock of honking Canada geese…and the sweet smell of the matured cornfield which had been cut during the afternoon by a huge combine. Yes, to many of our attendees the cornfield may not have smelled sweet but I am a farm boy and I recognize the smell of a newly harvested cornfield as a thing of pleasure. Shortly after 7:30 PM we were treated to an “Event”. Over the years No Frills has had it’s share of events…all sky auroras, balloon rallies, comets, meteors, hurricanes, military aircraft refueling mid-air after 9/11, etc. This time it was a rocket launch from Wallops Island…we watched the “burn” and a few minutes later the release and accompanying cloud of gas that was supposed to imitate a noctilucent cloud. It was very pretty and all were impressed at this special No Frills bonus event. Saturday night did not disappoint those who managed to stay wake and who also had the necessary anti-dew equipment. It was a beautiful night…temps dropped down to 45F just before dawn and it was clear. I got out of bed at 4 AM and again was wowed by Orion and Venus. As Sunday morning progressed the Delmarva Star Gazers went into auto mode as the star party preps were reversed. The coffee house was cleaned of equipment and food, swept, the trailer was reloaded and inventory taken. What a great group of people! Y’all make life a pleasure and I can’t wait until the next event.

(Don from page 1)

Are you doing something ‘Astronomical’? Be it re-building a telescope, scratch building

some component, astrophotography, or just observing; why not share with the club.

write up a brief article and send to dmsg_pjr@yahoo.com Send your astro photo with a brief description to dmsg_pjr@yahoo.com

October 2009 Volume 16 Number 4 Page 6

The Dipper lies low, the Pointers a little east of north. They direct to the Pole Star. Between the Pointers and Pole Star lies the tip of the Dragon's Tail. Sweeping around the Little Bear (Ursa Minor) we find the stars of the Dragon (Draco) curving back by the star δ to the Dragon's Head, with the two bright eyes, γ and β. Above is the inconspicuous constellation Cepheus; and somewhat higher, the stars of Cassiopeia, α and β, marking the top rail of the Seated Lady's Chair. Low down in the northwest Hercules is setting. Above is the Lyre, with the bright steel-blue Vega; and above that the stars of the Swan (Cygnus), which has sometimes been called the Northern Cross. Nearly due west we find the Eagle (Aquila), ζ and ε marking its tail, θ the head. Above the Eagle is the pretty little constellation Delphinus, the Dolphin. In the southwest, rather low, is the Sea Goat (Capricornus); above and to the south of him the Water Bearer (Aquarius), with his pitcher, marked by the stars, α, γ, and ζ. The head of the Winged Horse, Pegasus, now upside down (in fact, he is seldom otherwise), is just above this group. The "Square of Pegasus" will be noticed high up, due south. The star α of Andromeda, one of the corners of this square, used to be also called δ of Pegasus. Much attention need not be directed to the Phœnix, low in the southern horizon. The River Eridanus is coming well into view; and the great Sea Monster (Cetus) now shows finely, his head at α and γ, his paddles at ζ and τ. The Fishes (Pisces) are above; the Ram (Aries) above them and eastward, lying toward the southeast; then the Triangle (Triangula, or the Triangles, according to modern maps), and the Chained Lady (Andromeda) too nearly overhead to be very pleasantly observed. The great nebula in which the new star recently appeared is near the point overhead. The grand giant Orion is rising in the east; above him the Bull (Taurus) with the Pleiades. Low down in the north-east the Twins (Gemini) are rising; above is the Charioteer (Auriga), and above him the Rescuing Knight (Perseus), "of fair-haired Danae born." The Camelopard is hardly worth noticing, except as marking a barren region of the heavens.

No Frills XV

October 2009 Volume 16 Number 4 Page 7

Skymap 16 Oct 09 10PM

October 2009 Volume 16 Number 4 Page 8

Transit of Io across Jupiter September 19th, 2009 (Io is visible to the right of Jupiter)

by Randy Smith I took this photo at the “No Frills Star Party”. This is only my fourth attempt at planetary photography and as you can see from the results, planetary photography is really easy! Actually you’re not taking a photo; you are capturing a video movie, choosing the best frames, and stacking those frames into a single photo. I used a Philips web cam with an IR filter and adapter to get this photo, if you want a turn-key solution, get a Celestron NexImage camera for $100 and it will work just as well. If you want to just play around with a web cam you already own; cut the bottom from a film can, remove your web cam lens and tape the film can to the web cam. Here on the east coast the hardest part is getting good seeing. Seeing is really important for great images. Seeing is usually best just after dusk or just before dawn with the planet as high in the sky as possible. SkyTools3 is useful for figuring out your schedule. Sky Charts is also useful and is free. Here are the Basic Steps to do Planetary Imaging 1) Set-up tracking on your telescope, connect the web cam to the PC, and load K3CCD. 2) Locate and center the planet in a high power eyepiece (I use an 8mm). 3) Swap the eyepiece for the web cam and re-center the image (raise the web cam gain to make this easier). 4) Add a Barlow lens to the web cam and again re-center the image (aim for F20-30 magnification, I use a 2x barlow with my F10 scope). 5) Focus on Jupiter’s moons or Saturn’s rings (leave the gain high). 6) Lower the gain, set the frame rate to 10FPS, and make the other necessary camera settings. 7) Using the K3CCD software, start a video capture and capture 120-180 seconds of video (any more and Jupiter’s fast rotation will cause blurring. 8) Load the video into the Registax software and let it find the best frames in the series, stack the good frames, and then you manually sharpen the resulting image. HARDWARE USED FOR THIS PHOTO Asus 1000HE Netbook PC with WinXP (7-hour battery) Celestron CPC800 (8” F10 fork mount SCT) Celestron 2x Ultima Barlow Philips SPC900NC webcam ($50) Moog eyepiece adapter ($20) Baader IR cut filter ($60) SOFTWARE USED K3CCD v1 (free) http://www.pk3.org/Astro/index.htm?k3ccdtools_download.htm Registax v5 (free) http://www.astronomie.be/registax/ Great Red Spot Transit Table 2009 http://www.skyandtelescope.com/skytel/beyondthepage/41085997.html ClearSkyClock http://cleardarksky.com/csk/prov/Maryland_charts.html SkyTools3 ($100) http://www.skyhound.com/skytools.html Sky Charts/ Cartes du Ciel v3 (free) http://www.ap-i.net/skychart/ Xplanet Planetary Images 1.2.1 (free) http://xplanet.sourceforge.net/windows/ (ties into Sky Charts) If you would like more details on planetary photography feel free to contact me at RL dot SMITH at GMAIL dot COM

Moondark is on hiatus. The column should return soon. Look here or keep an eye out on the Moondark web site ).

Astrophotos by Members and Friends

Photo by Joe Morris

Filter # exposures Time (sec) Binning Temp

Clear 32 420 1 -25

Red 16 210 2 -25

Ha 4 1800 1 -20

Blue 16 210 2 -25

Green 16 210 2 -25

Total time 8.5 hrs L RblendGB

Taken at Arizona Sky Village Feb 2009

Telescope -- AP 130 refractor

Camera -- SBIG ST 10 XME