Use Powerball $2 ticket, and wait for $1,000,000,000 winnings to build larger observatory and AIP4WIN analysis of stars in Big Dipper in meantime

Greetings from Palmia Observatory

Well, it hasn't quite been a week yet, but time is passing very quickly and I wanted to be sure I got a blog out this week before the Powerball drawing tonight.  I couldn't resist making a $2 investment for a possible payout of over a billion dollars.  I've already got big plans for all that money.  I think about 99% will be allocated to

Determining star magnitudes by relative comparison with standard candel stars and check up with local OCA experts for camera linearity tests

Greetings from Palmia Observatory

Well, the El Niño weather has brought so much rain that this week's photos are technical charts and graphs based on an astro image captured last week.  Sorry about that, but performing astro photometry and doing technical analysis ties observation together with astrophysical theory.  This makes a good combination and It's fun too, so stay tuned in.

Remember last week I showed an image of Polaris and my measured estimates of some of the stars in the neighborhood.  In one image you could even see

Things (even batteries) go wrong for amateurs and professionals, keep going anyway (but keep everything warm), Operating the touch screen with gloves is problematic, Polaris, first attempt at measuring star magnitude, and Barlow and focal length adapters

Greetings and Happy New Year from Palmia Observatory

We hope everyone is off to a good and happy start at this new year.  This is the time to reevaluate our goals and progress.  My goals at the observatory for this coming year are to (1) Continue with ongoing physics and cosmology study and build more experience with making astronomical observations, (2) develop some science type observation plans, which can actually contribute to the amateur input to valuable professional astronomical studies, (3) make measurements of the visible magnitude changes associated with variable stars and eclipsing binary stars, and (4) move more fully into measuring spectra from stars and other objects.

To meet these goals, a few new skills and equipment are required.  First,

Use of commercial spectrometer flops (mostly), need to do system analysis (before purchasing stuff), bright moon in the sky

Greetings from Palmia Observatory

Well the craziness of the holidays is winding down and it's time to consider some observing.  Sadly, I find the out of the normal nighttime weather so cold, and even the daytime temperatures and wind so much to interfere with solar observing, that it's hard to get up enough excitement to take the scope out.  Also Resident Astronomer Peggy and I have been so exhausted by taking Astronomer Assistant Ruby out for her hourly break from

Observatory under attack by Astronomer Assistant Ruby, Hard times with Lie Algebra, Setup using commercial spectrometer, See you at Black Star (if we surve Ruby)

Greetings from Palmia Observatory

This Saturday night at Black Star Canyon might be our next scope night if the weather cooperates.  It's not yet clear if Resident Astronomer Peggy can attend or not because we are under attack by the cleverly hidden DNA hidden inside our recently acquired Astronomer Assistant Ruby.  I mentioned last week that our friends cleverly concealed the true nature of our new assistant and now we are facing the real Ruby.  We almost need