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[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Catching the Transit of Ganymeade's Shadow by chance

17 January 2013

Working the "Adler After Dark" event this month, I had the 10" Meade fork mounted scope out in the bitter cold showing our museum visitors the Moon and M42.

(Astronomers and space enthusiasts like Deep Space Objects - but is lost on the general public .)

I was focusing on the Apollo 11 landing site and other points of interests on the Moon - showing them first on the tablet - then in the eyepiece...which thrilled our visitors...

During this viewing, I heard a fellow telescope operator mention that Ganymeade was casting a nice shadow. Figuring I should take advantage of the 10" of aperture, I slewed over to Jupiter - showing a nice sharp planet with good banding, satellites...and a crisp shadow...

Using the simple Polaroid pocket camera...I'm surprised of the details I was able to tease out - just with hand holding the camera to the eyepiece...

Not bad imaging for handheld stuff. I need to create a make-shift holder for this neat little dark horse Polaroid pocket camera.


Also...

During this "Adler After Dark", it was Sci-Fi night and I guided Storm Troopers and Ghostbusters through the Chicago skies....

It's the way I roll... ;D

[scottmason]

That first moon shot-holy cow!

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Scott,

That first lunar shot was a quick capture with the Polaroid pocket camera....

Rather bulky and the controls clumsy, I hand held the camera to the 1.25" 25mm eyepiece in a 6" Dob that one of my fellow Telescope operators was using, (just commandeered it like that), and snapped away.

With minor post processing, it came out well, without tracking...but even straight out of the camera, the image was pretty darn crisp. This camera works very well on Solar and Lunar imaging...and maybe even major planets...but I need to build me a holder of sorts and really see what this pocket camera can do...

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

More of the Troopers at the Adler here:

www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/22782-adler-planetarium-after-dark/



Fun stuff!