From: "Terrence R. Redding, Ph.D." <tredding@mac.com>

Date: November 9, 2009 4:53:38 AM MST

To: Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com

Subject: Re: [Astro_IIDC] I would like to image the ISS in about two hours with a LX200R


Mark, I hardly know my business.  I am still on a steep learning curve.  But I am able to do mutual events, grazes and occultations at will.


My next occultation is November 11 - so I have a few days to do other things.  I would like to do some astrometry - but with a hurricane in the Gulf I may have mostly clouds.


Attached is a screen shot of the asteroids easily viewable this morning.  Most are mag 11 or  brighter.

Mail Attachment

Terry - W6LMJ - 14.287 


Terrence R. Redding, Ph.D. 

Redding Observatory South, West Palm Beach, Florida

http://olt.net/learningstyle/Site_2/Learning_Style_Research.html

How do amateur astronomers learn?


American Association of Variable Star

Observers (AAVSO): RTN http://www.aavso.org/


On Nov 9, 2009, at 6:38 AM, Mark Gaffney wrote:

Hi Terry, 

You obviously know your business! I`m going on Milton`s stop motion animation of Eros. It seemed to be a very small object & Eros is a relatively large asteroid isn`t it? You certainly wouldn`t see many surface details!? I have looked up various Asteroids on The Sky X & Sky Tools 3 Pro (granted I perhaps wasn`t looking at the most favourable time) & the ones I found were very indistinct. But you`re right Magnitude 18 is very deep. I`d be interested in seeing any shots you have of these objects. I just updated my Database on Voyager & the pop up window was telling me it`d take some time to complete the 400,000 of them! I thought I read somewhere that 2-3 weeks ago there was one that passed very close to the Earth-is that right? Are you using Astro IIDC for guiding? I did look up one of your specialist sites you posted at one stage. I think it was called Project Pluto.

Mark.

On 09/11/2009, at 1:05 PM, Terrence Redding wrote:

Using a PC164CEX-2 with a LUX of .0001, I can see the asteroids at a about visual mag 10.5  in real time with a 70mm scope hung under my 14" LX200R.  With one second exposures using a WAT-120N+ on the Vixen ED80sf I can I can see about visual mag 12.  With the 14" scope I can hit about visual mag 18.


With Astro-IIDC and 15 second exposures I can reach deeper.  But I need guiding to stay on the target.  So the answer is yes, I can see the asteroids.


Terry


On Nov 7, 2009, at 10:01 PM, Mark Gaffney wrote:

 

Hi Terry, 

Can you actually see these asteroids?Why not try your DMK camera on the Moon for practise! That`s what I`ve been doing with my new Scorpion mono camera, if you have time to look at the other threads eventually. By the way the last time I looked the seller on eBay still had another PGR Scorpion 1628 x 1236 pixel mono camera for sale ending in 3 days for only $385 as well as a similar 1360 pixel one for a little cheaper; http://cgi.ebay.com/Point-Grey-1600x1200-CCD-B-W-Scorpion-Camera-100-NEW_W0Q

Hope the link is OK! Lots of people on Astro IIDC have been snapping these up! It`s basically a higher resolution version of your DMK mono camera with added perks...Did you see Alan Friedman`s Blue Fireball Sun picture taken with one of these & his excellent cosmetic job on one of my moon images (also taken with the Scorpion) a few posts back...


Mark.

On 08/11/2009, at 12:45 PM, Terrence R. Redding, Ph.D. wrote:

Mark,


Thank you for pointing me in the right direction.  I had just enough cloud cover that I was not able to see the ISS, let alone image it.  But still it was fun to be energized for the attempt.  I still have a few more hours to spend in the observatory, and may try mounting the filter wheel - or just focus on imaging a few asteroids and think a bit about astrometry which I also hope to be able to do with Astro-IIDC.


Again, thanks for the reply.  I wonder if it is a two scope effort, both pointed at the ISS.  One for tracking and the other for imaging?



Terry - W6LMJ - 14.287 


Terrence R. Redding, Ph.D. 

Redding Observatory South, West Palm Beach, Florida

http://olt.net/learningstyle/Site_2/Learning_Style_Research.html

How do amateur astronomers learn?


American Association of Variable Star

Observers (AAVSO): RTN http://www.aavso.org/


On Nov 7, 2009, at 7:13 PM, Mark Gaffney wrote:

Terry, 

Alberto from Italy has done it on this group. I`ve seen a stop motion movie he made of it recently. Look at the first 2 entries in Files>Other. His "call sign" is Richter...I`ve just been looking at The Sky X & Voyager. They both have it listed under ISS Zarya. As to how you`d track it seems a little difficult to me given my limited time at present!


Mark.

On 08/11/2009, at 6:58 AM, Terrence Redding wrote:

I am curious as to best way to track the space station while imaging?

Terry - W6LMJ