Astronomy photos

ironsides

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Feb 13, 2009
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We discovered aliens setting up a base (that we destroyed) and that is why all transmissions of the impact went fuzzy/blank.

They are coming, we got them mad.


NASA smacked two spacecraft into the lunar south pole Friday morning in a search for hidden ice. Instruments confirm that a large empty rocket hull barreled into the moon at 7:31 a.m., followed four minutes later by a probe with cameras taking pictures of the first crash.
But the big live public splash people anticipated didn't quite happen. Screens got fuzz and no immediate pictures of the crash or the six-mile plume of lunar dust that the mission was all about. The public, which followed the crashes on the Internet and at observatories, seemed puzzled.
NASA officials touted loads of data from the probe and telescopes around the world and in orbit. But most of the photos they showed during a Friday morning press conference were from before the crash. The crash photos and videos were few and showed little more than a fuzzy white flash.

NASA probes hits moon twice; few pictures yet - Yahoo! News
 

#juan

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Aug 30, 2005
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My son had his big telescope set up and ready with the camera but whatever happened was not in sight. I wonder if they had Hubble looking at this as well? If Hubble didn't see anything, nobody did.
 

ironsides

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My son had his big telescope set up and ready with the camera but whatever happened was not in sight. I wonder if they had Hubble looking at this as well? If Hubble didn't see anything, nobody did.


Looks like nothing for the amateur to see.

There was no giant plume of debris, no mighty crash, no crystals of ice thrown kilometres high. "Deep Impact" this wasn't.
Moon crash - 'Deep Impact' this wasn't - Channel 4 News


Moon crash produces much data, little drama - Space- msnbc.com
 

#juan

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I don't suppose there is any way they could have missed the moon...;-):lol:
 

#juan

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Here is a shot of Jupiter from a week or so ago:

The black dot on the left is the shadow of Io. The white dot to the left of the shadow is the moon Io.

Ten years ago that photo of Jupiter would have been about as good you could get from a ground based telescope.
 

ironsides

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Feb 13, 2009
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Ten years ago that photo of Jupiter would have been about as good you could get from a ground based telescope.

Very good shot of Jupiter. I just picked up a Celestron 60 LCM Computerized Telescope, now to add the camera bracket to it. Saw it at "Toys R Us" while shopping for the grandkids. How big is your son's telescope?
 

#juan

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My son and I have been astronomy buffs for thirty years. We have had some amazing telescopes over the years.......some were junk and some were great. He is lobbying for a sixteen inch Schmidt cass right now. He has to sell the 10 inch first.

My biggest concern with a new telescope is whether or not I can carry it.:smile:
 

#juan

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Very good shot of Jupiter. I just picked up a Celestron 60 LCM Computerized Telescope, now to add the camera bracket to it. Saw it at "Toys R Us" while shopping for the grandkids. How big is your son's telescope?
Every once in a while Toys-r-us puts either a Meade or Celestron small refractor on sale and they are usually all snapped up in a couple of days. Great first scopes. Have you taken any pictures yet?
 

ironsides

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Every once in a while Toys-r-us puts either a Meade or Celestron small refractor on sale and they are usually all snapped up in a couple of days. Great first scopes. Have you taken any pictures yet?
Not yet, my wife is making it part of my Christmas presents along with the camera. (the camera is the unknown) :)
 

#juan

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My son and I were talking about Toys-R-Us sales of telescopes a few weeks ago. The two biggest telescope manufacturers; Meade and Celestron support these sales and it probably creates quite a few new astronomy buffs and customers. Serious astronomy hobbyists or professionals always need a bigger telescope.
 

ironsides

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No question bigger is better, were just limited by portability. I plan on linking the telescope to a laptop and running it remotely most of the time. Hope to get something bigger next year.
 

Ariadne

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Aug 7, 2006
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Are you ready for the lunar eclipse

I want to photograph it, but I did a test run and there is too much light ... going to the camera store Tuesday for a lesson in shutter speed, aperature, and settings.