To discuss this fascinating hobby with other amateur astronomers around the world in terms of why you enjoy your hobby so much.
Please include details of:
1. The equipment you use including binoculars, telescope (details), mount, eyepieces, filters, planatarium program/s, other aids etc.
2. Your main observing location, including Northern or Southern Hemisphere, plus latitude and longitude.
3. Weather, as in is it clear/partially cloudy/misty/mostly cloudy etc.
4. The seeing conditions in terms of atmospheric turbulence, light pollution and brightness of the night sky and where it is worst.
5. Whether you are on your own, or with fellow amateur astronomers/friends/relatives/social groups/public etc.
6. Whether you are members of an Astronomy Group,or Society.
7. Why and how you became interested in astronomy and what keeps you hooked?
Four categories:
Visual observing - As in at the eyepiece in the old fashioned way! Include as much detail (as above) as you can, plus how long you observed for what the objects were and why those objects?
Sketching - As in visual observing, but where you decide to record what you are observing. Include as much detail as you can about the object you sketched and why you decided to sketch it. How long the sketch took. Was it black pencil (grade of pencil as in how hard or soft it is H and B grades) on white paper, or chalk, or white pencil on black paper, anything you noticed as you were observing and sketching etc. Any additional equipment you used such as rubbers, blending tools etc. Include images for the enjoyment of all those who are members of the group.
Video astronomy, electronically assisted, live viewing astronomy - Include details as above, but add why you chose to use this technique? Are you controlling the scope and camera from outside or inside via cables or wifi? Is it on an equatorial mount, a pier or inside an observatory? What camera and software are you using (CCD or CMOS, resolution, sensor size, pixel size etc). Is the camera mono, in which case include details of RGB filters and filter wheel used as in is it manual or electronically controlled) or colour? Planetarium program used if any. Capture software program used (such as Starlight live with Starlight xpress cameras). Post image processing software usedmsuch as Registax etc. Who you are observing with? Is it an outreach event and if so are you on your own, or is someone helping you, or are you helping them? Include images for the enjoyment of all those who are members of the group.
Imaging with long exposure settings and extensive post processing - Include details as above, plus details of camera/s, whether it is mono (in which case include details of RGB filters and filter wheel used as in is it manual or electronically controlled) or colour, guide scopes, whether you're controlling the scope and camera from outside or inside via cables or wifi? Is it on an equatorial mount, a pier or inside an observatory? Guide camera, planetarium and guiding programs, imaging programs, post imaging processing pregame with as much detail as possible about what you are trying to achieve in terms of the final result and how much time is devoted to the processing. Include images for the enjoyment of all those who are members of the group.
My equipment includes 3 telescopes:
Meade 10" (254mm) primary mirror LXD55 SN10 f4 wide field Schmidt Newtonian with UHTC coatings. I completely revamped it in summer of 2014 including fitting a Revelation Astro 10:1 Crayford focuser, home made Plop (software design program) optimised 6 pt primary mirror floating support cell, fully flocked tube and improved secondary mirror adjustment mechanism.
Orion Optics 8" (200mm) primary mirror VX8L f6 Newtonian with 1/10 wave pv Optics, 10:1 Orion Optics Crayford focuser, fan cooled 9 pt primary mirror floating support cell with the tube flocked opposite the focuser.
Lyra Optics 102 4" (102mm) f11 refractor with 10:1 Crayford focuser with 2" diagonal. Tube fully flocked and baffled.
Several mostly second hand eyepieces via UK Astronomy Buy & Sell: Plossl 40mm, Skywatcher Nirvana 28mm 82 FOV, Televue (TV) Nagler T4 17mm 82 FOV, Celestron Illuminated Reticle 12.5mm, SMC Pentax XL 10.5mm, Kellner 9mm, TV Plossl 8mm, Fujiyama HD-OR Ortho 6mm, Williams Optics SPl 3mm, Celestron X-Cel LX 2.3mm, Celestron 8-24mm zoom. 2 2x Barlows (TV and Celestron Ultima). Astro adapted webcam, Starlight Xpress Ultrastar wide field CCD camera.