What have you been up to lately?

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Butterfly Maiden Great Britain
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Re: What have you been up to lately?

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Post by Butterfly Maiden »


Over the weekend, Sophia and I were laying in our sun loungers in our back garden looking up at gorgeously clear skies.

However, this week the weather seems to have changed for the worse. Today we have cloudy skies and high winds. Rain is expected later this morning :(

I don't think we will be sky watching tonight, but the next few days look a bit more promising.
Vanessa

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Re: What have you been up to lately?

#342

Post by Butterfly Maiden »


On a brighter note, it is an exciting time of the year for New Forest life.

The ponies that are allowed to graze freely all around the Forest are mares. Each year around this time stallions are released into the Forest to mate with the mares.

This process is to ensure the true breed of the New Forest ponies is allowed to continue.

On 9 May twenty stallions were released in specific areas of the Forest. The names of the stallions for this year and the locations released can be found on this website - New Forest Pony Stallions. The stallions will be active until 11 July when they will all be taken away again.

The gestation period is around 11 months, so next Spring we will be seeing some lovely new additions to the pony stock in the Forest.

The welfare of ponies grazing on the Forest is monitored by five Agisters, employees of the Verderers of the New Forest, so they will all be checked out to make sure they are healthy and able to freely graze the Forest.

In the meantime, I have my first client due to arrive shortly for some lovely nail art to be done, so I will have to get ready to work :roll:
Vanessa

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Re: What have you been up to lately?

#343

Post by pakarinen »


Spent some time this morning with the 80mm, but twilight came on so early my session was quite brief. I *really* have to reset my body clock to stay up later so I can get some observing in after dark.
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Re: What have you been up to lately?

#344

Post by Ylem »


I have been trying to outsmart seed eating squirrels, so far squirrels 30, me 0
Clear Skies,
-Jeff :telescopewink:


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Re: What have you been up to lately?

#345

Post by GCoyote »


Yesterday I transplanted some lilacs, edged the sidewalk, fixed a couple of spots under the privacy fence, and mowed the lawn.

Today I felt it.
Any metaphor will tear if stretched over too much reality.
Gary C

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Re: What have you been up to lately?

#346

Post by OzEclipse »


Prepping for Armageddon

Eleven days and counting! :Astronomer1:

After 3 years, it appears that my 3-day tracked astrophotography workshop might finally go ahead.

The workshop is pitched at enthusiast terrestrial photographers who want to try some astrophotography with a DSLR or Mirrorless camera and a small tracker. Our first attempt in February 2020 was foiled by massive fires that left eastern Australia shrouded in thick smoke, our second attempt in May 2020 was stomped on by COVID. Third attempt was June 2021, delayed due to rain, then the rescheduled workshop was cancelled due to many month long COVID travel restrictions that prevented the clients in Canberra, travelling out here.

Finally, here we are 2022.

After the past couple of years, the workshop is schedule to proceed on a long weekend, May 27-May30. That weekend has 30 hrs of dark sky. COVID precautions are in place. If we are delayed by weather, the following weekend, June 3-6 is a fallback. 24 hrs of dark sky and Moon 14%, 21% and 30%. Failing that, the new moon later in June is the final attempt at running this then I'll give up and cancel.
Screen Shot 2022-05-16 at 1.39.40 pm.png
Screen Shot 2022-05-16 at 1.38.38 pm.png
Among the COVID precautions is a low limit on enrolments so that participants don't need to share bedrooms. The consequence is that there isn't sufficient budget to hire people to assist with catering so it's all on me, 3 nights, 4 days, of being instructor, demonstrator, field guide, chief cook kitchen hand and dish-pig. If I don't post again, you know I'll have expired from an exhaustion induced heart attack! :lol:

The workshop comes with a 45 page reference booklet. Thanks to the many delays, it has gone through multiple revisions.
This is the table of contents.
Table of contents.pdf
(66.53 KiB) Downloaded 26 times
Wish me luck!

Joe
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Re: What have you been up to lately?

#347

Post by Butterfly Maiden »


Okay Joe, good luck :pray:

You definitely have your hands full for that one-man show.

I hope all goes well for you.
Vanessa

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Re: What have you been up to lately?

#348

Post by turboscrew »


Good luck from here too, Joe!
- Juha

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Re: What have you been up to lately?

#349

Post by carastro »


I have been taking a break from imaging since the beginning of April. It is galaxy season and apart form my kit not being suited to small galaxies, I live in Bortle 8 and LRGB is not doable from here. Plus the nights are so short. Will get going again as soon as I can see some NB targets appearing over the roof tops at a reasonable hour.

Carole
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Re: What have you been up to lately?

#350

Post by turboscrew »


carastro wrote: Fri May 20, 2022 12:47 pm I have been taking a break from imaging since the beginning of April. It is galaxy season and apart form my kit not being suited to small galaxies, I live in Bortle 8 and LRGB is not doable from here. Plus the nights are so short. Will get going again as soon as I can see some NB targets appearing over the roof tops at a reasonable hour.

Carole
Somehow I can understand...
- Juha

Senior Embedded SW Designer
Telescope: OrionOptics XV12, Mount: CEM120, Tri-pier 360 and alternative dobson mount.
Grab 'n go: Omegon AC 102/660 on AZ-3 mount
Eyepieces: 26 mm Omegon SWAN 70°, 15 mm TV Plössl, 12.5 mm Baader Morpheus, 10 mm TV Delos, 6 mm Baader Classic Ortho, 5 mm TV DeLite, 4 mm and 3 mm TV Radians
Cameras: ZWO ASI 294MM Pro, Omegon veLOX 178C
OAG: TS-Optics TSOAG09, ZWO EFW 7 x 36 mm, ZWO filter sets: LRGB and Ha/OIII/SII
Explore Scientific HR 2" coma corrector, Meade x3 1.25" Barlow, TV PowerMate 4x 2"
Some filters (#80A, ND-96, ND-09, Astronomik UHC)
Laptop: Acer Enduro Urban N3 semi-rugged, Windows 11
LAT 61° 28' 10.9" N, Bortle 5

I don't suffer from insanity. I'm enjoying every minute of it.

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Re: What have you been up to lately?

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Post by Refractordude »


Added a little to much beneficial bacteria and got a bloom. Also had a little cotton looking fungia problem that has gone away with a 8 gallon water change. The filter that I am using just cant get the job done at removing organic waste from the water. So I have upgraded to the Seachem Tidal 35. I added a cheapo filter for extra carbon filtration until the Tidal 35 arrives. As you can see in the third image the green carolline algae has covered the rocks. This will eventually turn purple which is what I wanted, but now I prefer the green. There are pinpoint purple spots all over the green carolline algae. Perhaps some of the rock will stay green.
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Re: What have you been up to lately?

#352

Post by Ylem »


We finally got some spices growing, basil, rosemary, lavender, chives, oregano and coriander :)
Clear Skies,
-Jeff :telescopewink:


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Re: What have you been up to lately?

#353

Post by turboscrew »


Refractordude wrote: Sat May 21, 2022 9:10 pm Added a little to much beneficial bacteria and got a bloom. Also had a little cotton looking fungia problem that has gone away with a 8 gallon water change. The filter that I am using just cant get the job done at removing organic waste from the water. So I have upgraded to the Seachem Tidal 35. I added a cheapo filter for extra carbon filtration until the Tidal 35 arrives. As you can see in the third image the green carolline algae has covered the rocks. This will eventually turn purple which is what I wanted, but now I prefer the green. There are pinpoint purple spots all over the green carolline algae. Perhaps some of the rock will stay green.
Looks nice, but what's going on in the last picture?
- Juha

Senior Embedded SW Designer
Telescope: OrionOptics XV12, Mount: CEM120, Tri-pier 360 and alternative dobson mount.
Grab 'n go: Omegon AC 102/660 on AZ-3 mount
Eyepieces: 26 mm Omegon SWAN 70°, 15 mm TV Plössl, 12.5 mm Baader Morpheus, 10 mm TV Delos, 6 mm Baader Classic Ortho, 5 mm TV DeLite, 4 mm and 3 mm TV Radians
Cameras: ZWO ASI 294MM Pro, Omegon veLOX 178C
OAG: TS-Optics TSOAG09, ZWO EFW 7 x 36 mm, ZWO filter sets: LRGB and Ha/OIII/SII
Explore Scientific HR 2" coma corrector, Meade x3 1.25" Barlow, TV PowerMate 4x 2"
Some filters (#80A, ND-96, ND-09, Astronomik UHC)
Laptop: Acer Enduro Urban N3 semi-rugged, Windows 11
LAT 61° 28' 10.9" N, Bortle 5

I don't suffer from insanity. I'm enjoying every minute of it.

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Re: What have you been up to lately?

#354

Post by Refractordude »


turboscrew wrote: Sat May 21, 2022 9:21 pm
Refractordude wrote: Sat May 21, 2022 9:10 pm Added a little to much beneficial bacteria and got a bloom. Also had a little cotton looking fungia problem that has gone away with a 8 gallon water change. The filter that I am using just cant get the job done at removing organic waste from the water. So I have upgraded to the Seachem Tidal 35. I added a cheapo filter for extra carbon filtration until the Tidal 35 arrives. As you can see in the third image the green carolline algae has covered the rocks. This will eventually turn purple which is what I wanted, but now I prefer the green. There are pinpoint purple spots all over the green carolline algae. Perhaps some of the rock will stay green.
Looks nice, but what's going on in the last picture?
It is a bacteria bloom that is harmless to my two fish and feather duster. I have all my power heads pointed at the surface to maximize oxygen. The bloom will go away shortly.
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Re: What have you been up to lately?

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Post by Butterfly Maiden »


Sophia and I went for a lovely walk in the Forest at Beaulieu this morning.

The weather was glorious - hot, dry and sunny.

I took a few photographs, and have put a couple of them in the 'Photography' thread (entry #666 :eek: )
Vanessa

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Re: What have you been up to lately?

#356

Post by Ylem »


Lazy day, watching the hockey game on the tele, Canes vs Rangers.
Clear Skies,
-Jeff :telescopewink:


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Re: What have you been up to lately?

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Post by GCoyote »


Mowed the lawn this morning before it hit 90 and ahead of the line of storms looming on the radar.
Any metaphor will tear if stretched over too much reality.
Gary C

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Re: What have you been up to lately?

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Post by SkyHiker »


Went hiking for the first time since the Alisal fire last year burned it down. On TV it was a veritable inferno but I was pleasantly surprised at how the creek area had withstood the fire. Higher up there was a lot of damage but that was mostly a shrubby area with great views and the growth started coming back. The views were still great, the hills were green, so it was fine considering what happened not too long ago. I used to hike this 4 hour hike with 2000+ ft elevation every weekend, glad to be back.
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Re: What have you been up to lately?

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Post by UlteriorModem »


Had my pre-op exam for Cataract Surgery yesterday. Seems I am a good candidate.

Right now I am essentially blind in my right eye and it should be a vast improvement I am told.

Scheduled for surgery second week of June!

I look at it as an investment to improve my Amateur Astronomy and RC plane flying :)
Tom

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Re: What have you been up to lately?

#360

Post by helicon »


Sounds good Tom. Good luck with the procedure. My mother had it done a few years ago and says it is wonderful to be able to see so well again.
-Michael
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