I didn't take any pictures this week, but that gives me an opportunity to post a photo (or photos) that I took a few weeks ago.

While I was on vacation in early July, one of my goals was to take the opportunity to set up the telescope I bought from Aravind, figure out how to use it, and try to take some photos with it.

Well, the weather didn't quite cooperate, and neither did my sleep schedule, so I only got to try it out once. Also, since I got kicked out of my favourite viewing location, I haven't found a good clear field to set up in, so I decided to stick to my front lawn. Unfortunately, between the tall trees and my neighbour's tendency to leave a 100 Watt front porch light on all night, I can't see much from my front lawn.

I perservered though, and managed to get a couple of preliminary shots. I didn't have my laptop set up so focusing was a bit of a problem and involved a lot of guessing. However, the first images turned out OK, considering my impatience and lack of attention to detail.

The three best images I took are below:

• The top image is the Greate Globular Cluster in Hercules, one of my favourite objects.
• The middle image is Jupiter and the four Galilean Moons, Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto.
• The bottom image is a correctly exposed photo of Jupiter, just barely revealing its cloud bands (the moons are too dim to see in this photo).

Technical details: This photo was taken with my Rebel XT + Meade LX90 at 2000mm, ISO 1600, f/10 for 1/10th of a second (top), 1 second (middle), and 1/200th of a second (bottom).

Comments

Cool!  How did you get kicked out of your favourite viewing spot?  

Apparently conservation areas close at night... and a park ranger spotted me
taking photos one evening.  He let me off with a warning the first time, but
said he would charge a fine the next time he caught me out there.  We chatted
for a bit because he was a photographer too, but I got the impression that he
was being serious, so I haven't gone back since.

So, I can't go onto private
property because that's trespassing, and I can't use public property because
apparently it is off limits at night.  So I either have to befriend someone
with a huge field in the middle of nowhere, or I have to go buy a huge field in
the middle of nowhere... which is practically impossible in Southern Ontario
because it is either all farm land which is expensive because the government
expects you to grow food, or it is not farm land so it is expensive because
it's one of the few spots that you can actually build a house.

Anyway, I'm
still kind of annoyed.	I guess it's time to give up on the outside world,
build a fence around my property and start yelling at anyone who gets to close
to my land.

Yea I like the fence idea!  You can start your own club, then go talk to the
city (or county where appropriate) and get a permit to use the area for
astronomy purposes.  We have the same rules regarding parks here in the bay
area but the various clubs (like the San Jose Astronomical Association) has
permission to use certain parks beyond sunset for astronomy purposes.  You
could try getting something like that, though it does seem like work and
hassle.  

So... any interest in buying a nice plot of land in the middle of
New Mexico :)  I guess its a little far for weekend viewing.