New Equipment - Part 2

With a clear sky and full moon I decided to spend the majority of the early evening on Dec 29th to get the remaining software device drivers installed on the new NUC.  Needed to have the equipment connected to do that, so I had to set up the telescope. For some reason I decided I would replace the EdgeHD11 with the GT102 APO that night as well since I eventually want to image some winter nebulae. 

One lesson I should have learned by now is that you shouldn't try to do everything at the same time. I had completely forgotten that in order to mount the GT102 I needed to reset the mount point of the dovetail plate on the mount. By the time I got the mount reset, plate screwed down, and telescope balanced, I had spent about 2 hours of time. I did eventually load the software drivers and configured everything to run on the new NUC. It was time to run a short imaging run to test things out. But by the time I was set, the clouds moved in. Oh well, at least I'll be ready for the next clear night, hopefully soon. 

New Equipment (aka, a Christmas Gift)

Merry Christmas to all. I trust you all had a wonderful Christmas. 

With the Great Conjunction now over (I'm still a little bummed that I didn't get any photos) its time to start working on the next full year of astroimaging. Both 2019 and 2020 have taught me that NUCs (Next Unit of Computing) mini PCs work really well as pier-side computers for running your telescope equipment. But it also taught me that, like in all other areas of technology, astro gear improves over time. My Minisforum GN34 NUC has served me well over the past months, but there were plenty of nights when the unit's speed and capacity were strained with what I was trying to push through it. So I asked my better half for a new one for Christmas, and she knew just which one to get!

So today, after the rest of the activities were done, I started to load up my software on my new BeeLink U57. This unit boasts a 5th Generation Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of memory, a 256GB SSD and of course plenty of USB3 ports, WiFi, BlueTooth and Ethernet 1000 Mbps LAN, all in a box 124mm x 113mm x 41mm. Comes with Windows 10 Pro, so remote logins are easy.

Software is all loaded and tested. The speed is a large improvement over the GN34. Now I just need some clear skies to put it through the paces. The only annoying part of the adventure so far has been the discovery of the power connector on the NUC. I have custom cabling that runs all my 12v power to my telescope equipment thru Anderson Powerpole connectors and 2.1mm plugs. Of course, Beelink decided that their unit would use a 2.5mm plug. So for this weekend I'll need to run the unit via the supplied 120v to 12v adapter until my new cables come from Powerwerx.

Great Conjunction

No images for me - the weather just would not cooperate, at least for imaging.  Tried again on the 22nd but no luck.  Some friends dropped by and we all got to view the conjunction for a few minutes while there was a short break in the clouds.  My GT102 with 13mm and 8mm eyepieces provided a wonderful view.

Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn

You know, rare astronomical events events occur whether we can see them or not!  Yeah, profound statement (well, maybe not too profound).  But, regardless, such is the life of an amateur astronomer.

Had the telescope and camera gear out on the 20th (since the weather forecast for the day of the event was for overcast skies).  Set up just outside Westminster MD, on the parking lot of my church.  It was very cloudy, but the Lord provided a sliver of clear sky so that I (and the guests I had with me) were able to see the 'near conjunction' visually.  Getting the camera set-up was problematic, and by the time I had the system up and running (software glitches), clouds covered the scene. 

The view was awesome!  Both Jupiter and Saturn were clearly visible, displaying their respective details - Jupiter's cloud belts and Saturn's magnificent ring system. The GT102 (with only 703mm focal length) only provided a small planet size, but no matter, both planets (and a collection of Jovian and Saturnian moons) were present in the same eyepiece field of view. It was worth it!

With Tuesday night promising some clear skies I will try again to image this wonderful event. Yes, they won't be as close as on the 21st, but still should make for a great shot if I can get both planets and the moons to show up in the same image.

The Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn

Jupiter and Saturn Conjunction - Dec 21, 2020

Just after sunset on Monday, December 21, 2020, our two largest planets will come closer to each other than they have in almost 400 years. A conjunction happens when planets appear very close to one another in the sky because they line up with Earth in their respective orbits. Over the past few weeks, Jupiter has been closing in on Saturn's position. And on December 21st they will be the closest since 1623. 

Will they appear as a single "Christmas Star"? Not likely. If you have good eyesight you should be able to make out two distinct points of light, with Jupiter outshining Saturn by 10 times in relative brightness. Look southwest, about a half-hour after sunset (5:15 pm). The planet duo should be visible in the darkening sky. You will need a clear view as the pair will only be 15 degrees above the horizon. Binoculars and small telescopes will reveal a splendid sight, and with sufficient magnification you'll be able to see both planets — Saturn with its famous ring system and Jupiter with its cloud bands and Galilean satellites — simultaneously in the same field of view!

Typical field of view in a moderate telescope at 350x

I will be attempting to photograph this event from my location in Maryland. Using a William Optics GT102 refractor and ASI462 camera I should be able to capture both planets in the same frame.

More detail about this event at Space.com