Visit to the International Latitude Observatory

Yesterday my wife and I needed to drop off our aging poodle Lucy for dental surgery at the Center for Veterinary Dentistry and Oral Surgery in Gaithersburg. The surgery was to take about 3-4 hours, and so after we arrived at around 7:45AM, we had some time to kill. Our ultimate location was Capital Quilts (directly across the parking lot from the Veterinary Center), but it didn't open until 11:00.

So we headed over to the Silver Diner RIO in the new RIO Lakefront Mall where we had a wonderful breakfast/lunch. We then took in the sights of the small lake/pond, this after I spent 15-20 minutes searching for my car in the parking garage. Turns out I entered from a different side and got disoriented. This is what happens when you reach the senior years!

But just prior to getting to the quilt shop, we headed to a small park that Joan had researched as a possible site to visit - an interesting astronomy related site called the International Latitude Observatory. Nestled right in the middle of a small area called Observatory Heights lies the Observatory Park, just across from Gaithersburg High School. A small park, with only about eight parking spaces on the small street, surrounds the International Latitude Observatory. 

Built in 1899 the Gaithersburg Latitude Observatory became part of an international project to measure the earth’s wobble on its polar axis. The Observatory operated from 1899 to 1982, when satellites replaced human observers. It is still active, however, with GPS systems using survey markers installed on these grounds to make periodic course corrections. Fully restored in the 1980s, the observatory building, the meridian mark pier, and the five geodetic monuments scattered throughout the park are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Unfortunately (or maybe not) the observatory building was gated off and locked, but it was a nice place to visit. 

View along the Meridian line

The Observatory

Meridian Mark Pier
used to align the telescope

Markers representing one of the other four locations

We finally got to the quilt shop where we both spent some money (amateur astrophotography is not the only hobby that can drain your budget!). I needed some supplies for items I'm designing and sewing for sale in my shop, Maryland Fiber Arts, LLC. Joan picked up some nice yardage as you can never have enough fabric. She creates quilts for sale in the shop.

Lucy was picked up around 1:00 or so, and we headed back home. She is doing fine considering she had ALL her teeth extracted! But she is not a happy camper!! We continue to remind her that recovery will take some time and then all will be good. I'm not sure she is convinced.

Hubble is Back!

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope is back in business, exploring the universe near and far. The science instruments have returned to full operation, following recovery from a computer anomaly that suspended the telescope's observations for more than a month.

New images have been downloaded showing some interesting odd galaxies.

See Phys Org for more details on the fix and the new images.

Adding the WO GT102 to the EdgeHD - Tandem Scopes

With the summer nebulae making their return I need to switch to my wide field refractor to capture these colorful deep space objects. Problem is, removing the 11" Edge from the mount requires a bit of effort and then the mounting plates need to be readjusted. Once the plates are done and the GT102 mounted I need to rebalance the scope. If I then decide I need to photograph planets this summer, or even some small planetary nebulae, the whole process repeats, as I remove the GT102 and add the Edge.

Ever since I got the new AP1100 mount I've been toying around the idea of mounting both OTAs in tandem. The mount can handle up to 110 pounds and I figured the two scopes would come in around 60 pounds including the camera and guide scope. That way I could just cover the two scopes when not being used and leave them on the mount. I could then image from either one just by moving the camera from one OTA to the other. A little bit of rebalancing may be needed, but that shouldn't be too hard.

So this past week I ordered a new 18lb counterweight. It arrived last Friday. I then mounted a dovetail plate on top of the Edge, and with two ADM clamps on the WO GT102 it was mounted on top of the Edge. The 50mm guide scope sits atop the GT102. With all the camera equipment attached I needed the new 18lb counterweight as well as my 5lb one to get the whole system balanced. Now all I need is some clear nights to check everything out. 

The only other issue that needs addressing is the cover. The existing Telegizmo 365 cover could work, but it would be a tight fit and would not reach to the bottom of the pier. I contacted Telegizmo to see about ordering a custom fitted cover. I await their response. Based on my measurements a new cover would allow me to keep ALL the equipment (Power supplies, computer, dew controllers, power distribution panel, etc.) out covered and protected.

So it goes. Hopefully, new summer nebulae images will soon be on the way.

My Attempt at the Pillars of Creation

Back in July and August of 2020 I imaged M16, the Eagle nebula, which contains, at it's center, what has become one of the Hubble telescopes famous images - the Pillars of Creation. I used my EdgeHD11 telescope to close in on the central portion of the nebula where the pillars reside.

The processing of the image took much effort, and every time I completed the final image I was not pleased with the results. 

Last week I tried a new technique for processing these images and together with some new software I was finally able to get a good result. So here is my version of the Pillars of Creation, in narrowband, Hubble palette.

M16 - Pillars of Creation - July/August 2020
EdgeHD-11 at f/11 with ASI1600mm pro
13 hours Ha, O3, S2 Narrowband w/RGB stars added

Complete details can be found at Astrobin