The Dutch Observatory

Monday morning the sky was filled with thousands of small puffy clouds despite the CSC forecast, but Tuesday morning the transparency was a lot better despite a worse forecast but far from prefect.  Brian Comb reminded me on using a higher focal length, which I had not done on Jupiter this season yet.  Here two images made at F/22 using the Meade 140 2x barlow. 

Jupiter this morning 2010-06-25 at 5:34:15 ET, 15 minutes before Europa crosses the central meridian. 

Played around a bit with Stellarium and Stellarium Scope.  Using the remote controls for the CPC.  while doing this, I used the moon to do some images, which I have not done in a while.  Looking throug the view finder some very bright crates stuck out.  Here two images.  The first one from Mare Crisium with the very bright crater Proclus at the rim of Palus Sumni.  The second image is Copernicus and Kepler at the 8:30 H position.

Jupiter in the morning of 2010-06-23.  The GRS is about to transit the CM.  this was the last image but it has some indications of ringing.  This ringing problem becomes evidenced at a frame rate of 60.  The DMK works best if the frame rate is less than 60. 

Had another chance to image this morning.  Jupiter, this time with Io approaching on the right. 

We had an outreach event Saturday evening, so I did not make it up to image on Sunday morning, but today was alright.  We had a little ground fog, but the seeing and transparency were OK.  Here the first image I took this morning.  Subsequent images got worse as the sun started to rise.  Io is starting its transit at the following limb as its shadow is appraoching the GRS.

Imaged Jupiter this morning.  Transparancy was variable as a layer of thin high clouds kept moving through.  The SEB can faintly be seen but is distinct in the green and blue images.  Io is just getting ready to finish its transit just below the GRS at the edge of the planetary disc.

Two days of work on the observatory and one evening / early morning imaging.  Romaine finished painting and the Observatory looks a lot more finished, now that the trim is on the building and painted.  Also the slip joints on the sides and the front are installed.  Finished this morning the roof.  Still needed some fasteners to hold the top down.  This afternoon we had a lot of rain and it did not leak.  So far so good!   I probably imaged my last Saturn for the season  last Monday and my first  Jupiter for this apparition.  Still need to process them, but I guess after the meeting this weekend I should have time for that again. 

Yesterday, Saturday, was a pretty busy day.  Made a lot of progress although it does not look so in the pictures.  The roof rolled off as far as I need it to clear the trees in the west.  Started on the slip-joint on the side of the roof to keep the bugs out.  Adjusted the openings for the wheels to run throught the track and started the double inside insulation to create the vent channels under the roof, and Romaine started the painting of the outside of the building. 

It has been a few weeks since my last image session.  Various reasons: Clouds, Rain and……. being busy building my observatory.  The goal was to make a transportable building that we could disassemble if needed if we move.  So the construction had several requirements that a normal observatory construction does not have to consider.  I elected the roll-off roof design, which I felt is the easiest to build and operate.  Today is the first time where everything was lined up and ready to checkout how the roof rools off.  Because the rail stops were not installed yet, and it started raining (again), I rolled it only back a foot or so.  I needed only one finger to do this   So I am pretty happy so far.  Still a lot to do, but check out the gallery of what’s done so far.  Click here for “A dream comes true” gallery.