Bathurst Observatory

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It was busy weekend, observatory maintenance and the local Astronomy Club (Bathurst and District Astronomical Society, BADAS) booking out Saturday. While the club chatted, I just popped the camera and 50mm lens on a tripod and imaged the Southern Cross and Eta Carina region of the Milky Way. 

I am just waiting on a few things before posting tours in advance. There is a much needed hazard reduction burn(s) taking place in the area over coming weeks. The smoke from burning will impact upon tours, so I am just waiting on details of the dates of these. As it turns out the ideal conditions for burning are generally those ideal for astronomy! It may end up I have only a day or twos notice that a tour will be ok to run without smoke. I will keep everyone posted. 

In other news, we will soon get an upgrade to facilities here after a friendly plumber looks like they will install the much awaited toilet in a month or so!
Some nights after a tour, I am too tired to connect the camera to the telescope, so I pop the camera on a spare tracking mount with just a 50mm lens. A few nights ago, I imaged the larger Magellanic galaxy. This is one of the stunning highlights of the southern skies!

I'll post March tour dates during the coming week, however, I do know March 1st is one of them!
Stephen Holland asked if I could image the International Space Station (as it passed on the evening of the 10th of Feb). I have not imaged the ISS for sometime as the telescope I use for it is large and heavy. After injuring my back a year ago, I haven't been able to lift it. With things much better, I decided that yes, I would set it up again for this pass. It was very windy, but the result is ok.
Don't forget I only have tours for the 16th and 17th this month (busy month!). The local astronomy club met at the observatory on the evening of the 9th. I kind of left the telescope to image on its own while we all talked astro stuff. The focus drifted a bit, but the telescope did manage to capture this image of nebula NGC 2174 during this time.
I finally had a night in the observatory to do some imaging well beyond our solar system. On Friday 2nd Feb I imaged the rather eerie nebula M78 in Orion. After some time not needing the software that does all this, I found there were some issues I'll work on today, but luckily I have work arounds! (I hate when everything normally is just a click and and talks to each other. Last night one of the programs was like, "nup, I hate that telescope, I am not talking to it!")

I am not as available as I had thought this month!!! Tours in mid Feb (16th and 17th).
Not overly happy with tonight's image of Jupiter, but it has been a long time since I have been at the big scope. At present, Jupiter is low in the northern sky and that means a lot more turbulent  atmosphere to image through (the lower something is, the more atmosphere to have to deal with!). Not the Io to the lower right. Calisto is also very faintly visible.
My first clear night since just before Christmas!!! No deep sky imaging with a bright Moon in the sky. So.... turn the telescope to the Moon instead.!!! 18th January
A haven't shared an image for a while, as it has been way too cloudy!!! So I dug into my archives just to keep you all interested. Enjoy the Running Chicken Nebula, from about two years ago!!! I'll have to do this one again soon!
February tour dates will be posted late next week!
I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and I am looking forward to seeing folks again in January (tour dates posted soon).
I had another chance to image Jupiter on the 15th! The moon Io is to the left.
With December tours announced in the last post I made, I thought I'd test out the observatory (as I have not been able to use for a while with injury and weather). A bit rusty on imaging Jupiter I admit, but it is my first Jupiter of the year! 4th December.
While I await another MRI (getting old), I have sat down to plan a large research telescope we have all the parts to complete other than the telescope tube to hold them. I have tried contacting local sheet metal fabricators but alas they have never replied or not interested (a bit sad). So while I sit contemplating, if you are a sheet metal worker interested in making a tube about 1900mm long and 470mm diameter with four strengthening bands, let me know via message!!! I can then start saving for it. Ps a larger version of the one pictured.
I had an opportunity late last night to set up for an image of galaxy NGC 253. Atmospheric conditions were terrible! It was windy and a lot of churring about in the sky. However, this is the result. Not overly impressed but it is a nice side on and dusty spiral galaxy.

Tours for the rest of October 8:30 pm. Book via message or email.
Tours are available on October : 20th and 21st

(I had hoped to have the 14th, however, that date looks to be in doubt)

I'll post November tours soon.
Sorry to keep boring folks with images of Saturn, but I was pleased with this one taken on the 28th September. I think its my clearest of recent images.
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