Ausalba
  • Tempus fugit
  • Photography
    • 3D stereo
    • Portfolio
  • Astronomy
    • Sun
    • Moon
    • Other Solar System
  • Contact

New light through old glass

15/10/2011

 
Some years ago (just 13 years after the discovery of quasars, as it happens), my dear old Dad bought a second-hand telescope at auction. It was a Charles Frank 6-inch reflector, CF then being a company based in Glasgow's east end. I'd proved my lasting interest in astronomy with a pair of smaller telescopes in previous years, and he clearly felt the time was right for me to have a serious-sized instrument. (I think my brother Colin was given a ham radio around the same time, but he couldn't see Saturn with that, so I reckon I got the better deal.)

The outskirts of a city the size of Glasgow was not the ideal place for astronomy, but it could have been worse. Planets, galaxies and nebulae revealed themselves to me, and in time I wanted to photograph what I was seeing through the eyepiece. Trouble was, I didn't know much about photography, except how to release the shutter on a Box Brownie; talk of 103a-O and FP4 type II, and exposures in blue light, seemed like so much exotica. The only course of action therefore, was to learn about photography. Little did I know that the photography would supplant astronomy as the major interest, for quite some time.

I tried to take photographs through that telescope, my first attempt being with a 126 cartridge glued into an aerosol can cap lined with foam rubber, which fitted the eyepiece focuser on the 'scope. I did manage a pic of the Moon, but it was a crude result which I don't recall trying to improve upon; the fact that I'd achieved something seemed to be enough for the time being.

I soon bought a 2nd hand Praktica, and attached that to the scope with a suitable mount. I got some fuzzy snaps of Jupiter and Saturn, which I took along to the Airdrie observatory for feedback and advice (I think I bumped into someone associated with that place at an exhibition somewhere in Glasgow purely by chance). When I proffered my amateurish pics, they asked me how I got such good results -- which was a bit disappointing, as I knew they could be so much better than they were. I never did much more photographically with that 'scope, until last week.

The main motivation for buying a Canon 30D was to use it on the Brisbane Planetarium's Zeiss refractor. However, it's 21 km from home, so not exactly handy for a few quick snaps. I'd had the mirror on my 'scope realuminized a couple of years ago, and it was begging to be used properly for the first time in years, so I dug out the adaptor, did a bit of minor surgery to bring the primary mirror further up the tube, and attached the 30D. At this point, I did not have the 'scope on its mount, as I couldn't be bothered dragging it out of the garage and round the back of the house, so my first tests were done with the 'scope propped up on two chairs and a small wooden stool; hardly ideal, but good enough for a test. Results can be seen here and here.

Comments are closed.

    Author

    I take photographs, sometimes with obsolete technology. I look at the night sky. I drink coffee, and whisky (Scotch, or possibly Irish). I read and sometimes write. I Tweet, occasionally (@ozalba). I might ruminate and fulminate from time to time.

    Archives

    January 2012
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011

    Categories

    All
    Art
    Astronomy
    Books
    Children
    Christmas
    Coffee
    Diy
    Driving
    Free Time
    Friends
    Gps
    Grumpy
    Moving House
    Pain
    Photography
    Sun
    Work

    RSS Feed


Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.