Category Archives: Articles

A brand new Paramount ME is on its way to the New Forest Observatory

Well it wasn’t a two week wait to see what happened – I crumbled just a few days after the last mini-WASP report and ordered up a Paramount ME from Kieron at SCS Astro – it is due to be … Continue reading →

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Statrep on the mini-WASP deep-sky imaging array

It’s been about a year since my last report on this project, and that last article actually said very little 🙂  I am on the point of putting my hand in my wallet (you cannot begin to understand the amount … Continue reading →

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Modification to the basic Celestron wedge

I was recently asked about a problem in maintaining polar alignment due to a heavy scope being cantilevered all over the place on a wedge.  The standard Celestron wedge (which I use) would also give you problems as the heavy … Continue reading →

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Greek Astronomy

I spent last week at an electronics Conference in Athens, Greece. Amazingly, from the Acropolis I could see two observatories – one actually down in the town (!) and another far away on a hilltop overlooking Athens.  I don’t think … Continue reading →

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How not to raise your house valuation

Here’s how the two beer can pinhole cameras look on the South-facing wall of my house.  I hope we are not intending to sell within the next year or so as potential buyers may be put off by the sight. … Continue reading →

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Ultra long sub-exposure photography

I have just made up 2 beer can pinhole cameras (see Justin Quinnell’s website to see how to do this) and fitted them to a wooden frame on a South-facing wall of the house.  I have opened the shutter (removed … Continue reading →

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New H-alpha filter ordered – broadband 35nm bandwidth

Conventional narrowband filters (12nm or smaller bandwidth) do not work with the Hyperstar III system due to its very low f#.  The cone angle of the rays passing through the filter are so far from normal incidence that the actual … Continue reading →

Posted in Equipment, Hyperstar and SXVF-M25C, News | 4 Comments

Dragonslayer!!!!

Sir Patrick Moore hosted one of his legendary St. George’s Day parties from his Selsey home.  The camera-shake was real as he wielded his Sword of St. George with a little too much enthusiasm 🙂

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Sir Patrick Moore receives his copy of Star Vistas

My son Adam Parker recently graduated with a degree in Journalism and has been writing articles for local newspaper, the Lyminton Times.  In today’s edition there is an example of his work where he describes our recent visit to Sir … Continue reading →

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Sir Patrick Moore receives his personal copy of Star Vistas

On 10th February 2009 Greg Parker, Adam Parker & Noel Carboni visited Sir Patrick at Farthings to present him with a joint-author signed copy of Star Vistas.  Sir Patrick was in fine form and gave us the keys to his observatories … Continue reading →

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