A Darker View

Modding the HBS

Just checking to see if I got the wiring right. Some modifications to the telescope HBS, Hydraulic Bearing System, to allow for a slower startup. Some new hydraulic valves installed by Mark, a few new relays added by me, and the job is done. Hopefully less sputter and spitting on startup to keep the oil off the drive tracks. The system is a classic relay logic controlled setup, seriously old-school.

Modifications to HBS — Just checking the wiring in HBS

Whiffle Tree

Full Moon

Full Moon will occur today at 03:52HST.

As lunar perigee occurs only a couple hours ahead of full moon this will be the best supermoon of the year. Perigee will occur at 01:23HST, just before the 03:52 full moon. This leads to a modestly larger and brighter full moon.

Continue reading “Full Moon”

Segment

On the Keck 2 Dome

During the morning meeting we discuss our plans for the day. This is done to coordinate activities, to insure we will not get in each other’s way during the day. This also lets everyone know if we are doing anything that might have a safety concern, so we can watch out for each other. With this last part in mind I noted that I would be climbing to the top of the Keck 2 dome.

All I needed to do was to take some photos and make some measurements. We want to install some weather instruments on top of the dome, given the harsh mountain conditions this must be properly planned and approved. This was a nice day, not a cloud overhead, warm and sunny, and no wind. A perfect day for climbing the dome.

After the meeting Denny approaches me. “Can I come?” he asks. Denny is our network manager, in charge of our computer systems, he has never had an opportunity, or reason, to climb the dome. The top of the dome is just a bit spectacular, and it is a beautiful day, I can not blame him for wanting to go.

Continue reading “On the Keck 2 Dome”

Obsession in the Twilight

Obsession at Kaʻohe — The 20″ Obsession telescope awaiting full dark at Kaʻohe, on the side of Mauna Kea

Star Party Gallery

Observing at the VIS — A line of big ‘scopes to greet a huge Saturday crowd at the MKVIS

All The Big Dobs — Almost all of the big dobsonian telescopes to be found on Hawai’i show up at the VIS for the night.

Happy Solar Viewing — A family enjoys a view of the Sun in the telescope

Steve Dillinger’s 20″ Dob awaiting full dark at Sentinel, AZ with Venus and the Moon shining behind

Solar Viewing — Visitors enjoy great views of an active Sun at the 2012 Waimea Planet Walk

Setting Up — Maureen setting up for some public observing to support Keck’s Evening with Astronomers

New Telescope Happy — Olivier beside his new telescope, a 12″ Orion Dobsonian

Setting Up the 'Scopes — The telescopes are nearly ready, now to wait for dark!

Lasers at the VIS — Green lasers in use at the Mauna Kea VIS nightly observing with the Milky Way high overhead

Telescope Line — The telescope line at Sentinel for the 2005 Sentinel-Schwaar Star Gaze

Visitors enjoy telescopes under the star at the Mauna Kea VIS

Astrophoto Setup — The NexStar 11″, the TV76mm and a Canon 60D setup for astrophotography at the MKVIS

GyPSy in the Night — The 11″ NexStar GPS telescope, GyPSy set up at Ka’Ohe

Messier Marathon Mosiac — The observing field at the Farnsworth Ranch, with the Silverbell Mountains in the background and Kitt Peak just visible at far right. The field is unusually green after heavy spring rains. The clouds are rapidly departing to the east.

Students Under the Stars — A group of local school students with the 20″ telescope

Kealakehe Star Party — Cliff sets up his 24″ scope on the next target.

Chris Collimating the Monster — Chris Fuld collimating his 40.5 inch dobsonian

Camping Under the Stars — A camper and telescope set up under a starry sky

Telescopes at OSP — A trio of telescopes awaiting darkness at Oregon Star Party

Princess at the Telescope — A princess looking through the telescope while we were set up at the King’s Shops

Scope at Sunset — Bright sunset colors silhouette a telescope at Oregon Star Party 2013

Small telescopes at Lick — Local amateur astronomers set up their own telescopes behind the main building at Lick Observatory

C14 Sunset — A telescope set up on the grounds of the Mauna Kea resort awaiting dark skies

Astrophotography — A trio of telescopes set up for astrophtography at the Mauna Kea VIS

Tony and Stars — Tony shows a group of enthusiastic student views with his 12.5″ dob.

Sharing the Sky — Maureen sharing her telescope with guests at Keck’s Evening with Astronomers

Ken and Ann Jones oberving with their 18″ at Oregon Star Party 2013

Laser and Stars — Deb pointing out the star βPhoenicis to VIS volunteer Joe McDonough

Star Party at Cliff's — Debbie Goodwin gazes at Saturn through a C-14 at an evening star party in Waikoloa

Mauna Kea Observing — My 18″ telescope Deep violet set up under the stars at the MKVIS.

Telescopes at OSP 2013 — Telescopes at Oregon Star Party 2013

Ready to Marathon — The author waiting for dark at the 2005 All Arizona Messier Marathon with my usual visual setup including Deep Violet

Mauna Loa Observing — Observing from the Mauna Loa research station, the trace of red lights in 116 x 20sec exposures, the AMiBA telescope is in the background

Observing Table — The observing table during visual observing, all the necessities… charts, guides, binoculars, observing notebook and something to drink.

20" f/4 Obsession Telescope — The restored 20″ Obsession telescope set up at Hale Pohaku on the side of Mauna Kea

Eclipse Revelry — Everyone at the VIS was enjoying the night!

Ocean Entry

Lavafalls — Lava from the Kilauea volcano enters the ocean at Kamokuna

Heliconia

Election Day

Tomorrow is election day. A day so many of us have been awaiting, and dreading. This election has seen so much rancor, so much passion, it is difficult to measure by any past standards. Tomorrow it will be over in one way, and I suspect, just starting in others.

I Voted sticker, image credit: Wikimedia

I will not be joining the line at our local polling place. Not because I do not want to vote, but rather as I have already voted. I stopped by the Waimea Community Center last week and voted early.

This election is too important and life has a way of disturbing any plans. Not that my vote will decide the presidency, that will have already occurred by the time polls close in Hawaii. But rather it is too important to me personally. I can not abide the thought of not having voted in this election, an election where so much is at stake for our country.

There is only one acceptable outcome tomorrow… That Trump loses hard. That our country rejects hate, rejects divisiveness, rejects racism, and rejects the lies. I, like so many others, will be watching the election results very closely tomorrow, sweating the results from each battleground state. It will be a long day.