Total Lunar eclipse tonight.

[Buldric]

Total lunar eclipse tonight at 3:37 AM(starting at 1:51 AM). I still dont have an imager, so I'll have to improvise. What I've done is taken a "no name" webcam, and some electrical tape...and yea, you see where this is going. It seems to work...somewhat, but because I need the direct connection for focus, the eye peice lense can only be so large, and so....magnification is quite large . I've been testing the setup just focusing on the tree's outside, and it seems to work kinda, but it is hard to tell because the air curents, both outside, and within the telescope...being near noon and all... But I'll still try to take a video of the eclipse, and see what I can do with it. *shrugs* (stupid video will be around 18Gb large....I hate AMCAP...)

I don't have a laptop yet, so I'll have to run an extension cord for my PC, and lug all that out there, heh, but hopefully it will work in the end....hopefully. Its an extremely poor setup by any standards, but its better than nothing. If nothing else, I'll just take my normal camera and take some pictures, heh. I'ts odd however, because I'ts supposed to happen at 3:37 AM...but the moon has been setting around that time, so Im not sure if I will be able to see it, even if nasa says so, it might be behind a treeline. In which case I'll have to abandon the telescope, and run to the schoolyard up the road as fast as I can with my camera....
I'll let you guys know the results after they happen!

The hope is to stay awake long enough now...

[Darryl]

Hi Buldric,

I just got home from camping so I am sorry I didn't welcome you aboard sooner. Welcome!

I hope to take a look at the eclipsed moon early this morning. If the information I looked at a few weeks ago was correct the moon should be visible for the entire event for us. You may have to take a run to that school yard.

Regards,

[Buldric]

Alright, as you may have guessed, the whole webcam idea bombed. Though probably not from the main points you think! I was able to securely tape the webcam to the back of the eyepiece, and focus it very well. However, it was never meant to be a DSI, and the noise was so bad some of the noise took more space than stars 0.o . That combined with the fact that it was around a 0.5 Megapixel camera turned out fairly poor results. I couldn't even identify M13 with it, though it was able to split mizar on the screen, lol. Oh well, and I just found out that my camera is full, and I cant seem to delete them, though I'll give it an honest try later, I really want to get some photos. I'll post any pictures, and/or reasoning for lack of pictures tomorrow!

[dpab]

Ive got a lot of photos from that night ,some i have to work with and do a mosaic to fit several shots into one shot.
Do you use Registax for working with the webcam AVI ?
this one of the moon just after it went dark.

[Buldric]

There was no point in using Registax, it wasn't normal "noise" it was "$14 web cam looking at the night sky" noise.... Too bad i didnt have the camera i have now, oh well, time to picture other things