starsinmyeyes

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Posts posted by starsinmyeyes

  1. Posted · Edited by starsinmyeyes

    Spaceweather.com

     

    A huge sunspot has developed on the sun and another one is forming. So that means aurora alerts for people living in the high latitudes of the northern and Southern hemisphere. May extend to middle latitudes if we are lucky.

     

    Follow the above link to see photos of sunspots, updated daily, from the orbiting observatory SOHO. Site also shows areas of the Earth which may see aurora. A service it provides is space weather phone where for a fee you can receive a phone call to alert you to aurora which may occur in the following few days.

  2. Posted

    I would love to win the lotto so I can set up a 'you beaut' observatory, on a beautiful piece of land with lots of natural scenery/wildlife and crystal clear dark skies. The observatory would have everything I could possibly need. I would employ people to look after the bed and breakfast side/day tour side while I conduct the nightly tours of the universe and get to stay up all night marvelling at the sky! Of course I would want my observatory/bed and breakfast to have plenty of clients visiting.

     

    That is my ultimate dream job!

  6. Posted

    Comet Hyakutake 1996

     

    One night I remember walking outside and looking over the top of my house's roof. I looked up and as I hadn't planned to go outside and it was such a surprise. The comet's tail seemed to be so close (as though I could touch it) and seemed to stretch as long as my house roof (blue gas) and the tail was the most beautiful blue with a faint edge of pink. The head of the comet wasn't as eye-catching as the tail. I don't know what made this comet seem so clear and ethereal; the seeing may have been exceptional. With the comet positioned in front of Scorpio it was an incredible sight. Even today I wonder if I really saw this as the colours and size were amazing. B)

     

    Comet Hyakutake Image

    Number 2

     

    Leonid meteor shower 1997 or 1998? Lounging on the beach from midnight until dawn watching these meteors zip by. Exciting and incredible.

     

     

    Number 3

    Comet Hale-Bopp Great comet to watch night after night.

  13. Posted · Edited by starsinmyeyes

    It's very clear to me that we have people who have very sophicated level of skills in using computers to develop websites, movies, and jpegs/gifs , using programs......

     

    If you come across stumbling blocks like me while trying to extend??? overload?? your technology skills, post your problem (small or large) here and then if anyone out there can post a hint, tip or link which may or may not help us improve it will be greatly appreciated...Your skills do not need to be advanced to post hints or tips... lateral/creative thinkers, people with a sense of humour, shy, handy people, technologically challenged ... everyone is welcome to contribute.... Many heads are better than one.

     

    My Problem

     

    The children created a school webpage using Frontpage then uploaded successfully using FTP.

     

    Then created claymation movies stacking jpegs taken with a digital camera into Quicktime Pro. The movies are great but we can't share them with a wider community.

     

    Tried to upload Quicktime movies into Frontpage. Uploaded successfully but Quicktime movie doesn't show on the website. (empty box with cross) Does this mean the movie link in the page is not right? Or have I inserted Quicktime movies into Frontpage the wrong way. I used Insert/videos. I tried to save one Quicktime movie as avi. and it showed when uploaded but awful quality. Normal Quicktime movies haven't uploaded successfully.

     

     

    Can anyone post a hint, link or email a bottle of scotch to me?

    Thanks for your time.

     

    I hope I can help someone with a technology problem somewhere down the track.

  14. Posted

    I think we have some very technologically talented people on this site. Need online tutorials for all of the wonderful effects I see everytime I open this site. My technology skills would go through the roof and I could apply them to ST and not just to work. Dream on......

     

    Keep playing, I marvel at what you can do. :o

  17. Posted

    Up to my eyeballs in work. Thoroughly swamped, pipped off and tired..... when the channel I'm watching premiers the next season of DS9...as I'm sitting here. Yeah! Some one listened to my prayers. Instant mood lift. Yippee. :force:

     

     

    Last DS9 episode I saw was about 2 years ago. Episode is Shadows and Symbols...Which season does it belong? Pity I haven't seen Tears of the Prophets yet. Has anyone managed to work out the episode listing on the updated Startrek.com site? Can't seem to get the sliding bar to list all of the episodes for the season. Frustrating.

     

    Anyway :)

  18. Posted · Edited by starsinmyeyes

    Took a reasonable picture of Mars through the scope last night with a blue filter on the eyepiece. Funnily enough the image improved vastly when some high-level cloud came across and cut out more glare. :laugh: Can anyone tell me how I can post the picture here? The image button asks for a URL and I don't have my own page to host the picture.

  19. Posted

    Thanks Trekzone for posting your pictures of Mars. I might try the digital camera to the scope and see what I get. I know amateurs are fiddling with their digital cameras and getting great pictures by installing fans to cool the camera and reduce electronic noise. Since I'll be borrowing the camera, I don't think I will be fiddling around with it.

     

    Enjoy Mars. It's an incredible colour!

  23. Posted

    I don't usually bag Star Trek...but A Night In Sickbay....Yuck!

     

    This episode came in so left of centre that I couldn't see the reason for this episode in the development of the Enterprise World. Why focus on Phlox's grooming habits. I know about tongue scraping but to see one of my fav. characters grooming routine- YUCK - and the supposed sexual tension between T'Pol and Archer.....not the reason why I watch Trek.

     

    Now 'The Seventh' that was a much better episode.

  25. Posted

    I wouldn't buy one just for the Mars opposition as you will regret it.  It took me three years of steady research, talking to other amateurs and taking opportunities to look through different types of scopes and sizes of scopes to finally decide.

    I agree completely, actually to your entire post. It is a difficult process to go through...

     

    starsinmyeyes, What is your opinion on a Meade 6" Reflector? I have had that scope since my 10th birthday, and one day I hope to maybe get a better stand for it, since the one it had/has is rather clumsy and difficult to move around.

     

    Is your old mount german equatorial, altazimuth or ??????? What really bugs you about it? Talk to others and see if there is a solution to the problem or do all mounts suffer the same problem in some form. I tend to find that the sturdier mounts are too heavy to cart around and the more portable mounts tend to vibrate. If you buy a different mount think about: Do you want it to be portable? Is it easy to put together in the dark? Does it wobble or flex? If the scope is bumped how long does it take for the vibrations to settle down? Ask around and sus out the different mounts.

     

    I don't know about the Meade 6" Reflector. I like reflectors as they are light buckets and are great for seeing faint deep sky objects, fine for planetary observing and you get more aperature for the price you pay. Other people disagree and like refractors or schmidt-cassegrains. I also have a 16" dobsonian reflector which I have to coliminate quite often. Do you have to coliminate your reflector quite often or not?

     

    Mounts- I have a Meade 10" Schmidt Newtonian on a german equatorial mount. The scope is good value for its level of sophisication and will satisfy my interest for a long time to come. Even though it is a good scope, the mount is a tripod type and is easy to carry because it is light, a lot of vibration does occur. The vibration does settle down quite quickly and the mount is sturdy.

     

    Click for Spoiler:

    sn-series_lxd55.gif

     

     

    I like pier mounts but they are less portable or are for a permament setup and for larger scopes.

     

    Click for Spoiler:

    16eq_starfinder.gif