I have become a bit of a comet addict in my astrophotography, and with so few opportunities to take advantage of clear skies in Cumbria, have neglected my other targets in favour of these elusive and challenging subjects. Yesterday evening I determined to spend time away from comets and catch myself a couple of galaxies. … Continue reading
The recent weather patterns have tested the patience of many observers and astrophotographers in the UK, but on the night of 18 January, it was most definitely our turn for clear skies. I drove to the church car park at Old Hutton at around half past five, to find three colleagues from the Eddington Astronomical … Continue reading
Images have been pouring in from around the world of this most photogenic comet, which is already around 4th magnitude and visible in the night sky of the northern hemisphere. After many frustrating evenings of cloud hopping, or being completely defeated by the inclement weather, or having the comet’s delicate tail features drowned out by a … Continue reading
Following the amazing performance of the refreshed AZ-EQ6 mount a few nights back, I started to wonder what the theoretical limits of polar alignment might be, given the practicalities of turning the mount’s adjustment knobs in the field. I had managed a six-minute shot of Vega – see my last post – with no trailing, and no … Continue reading
I’ve been having a really troubling time with my new AZ-EQ6 equatorial mount. I say new, but I bought it about a year ago – second hand – and it has puzzled and infuriated me ever since. First up, the previous owner had snipped the power supply cable and wired it to a mains adapter. No … Continue reading
Not sure if this constitutes a win or a loss, on balance. It was a rare clear night on Saturday, after the weather system of the last week had passed, and it left in its wake a crystal clear arctic air mass with low humidity – low for Cumbria, that is, of which more later. I … Continue reading
