Bill Jones Astrophotography

Walking Horse Astronomy

(The story of a boy, his dog, a camera and horses that eat his astrophotography stuff)

HELLO! and Welcome to Bills Ever Evolving Saga of Astrophotography.
My Observatory was one of the POD"s ....somewhere high on the Astralplane in Tennessee. Now I have a 16 x 16 Rool Off Roof built by Backyard Observatories. I HIGHLY recommend Scott and his fine crew. I can't explain how nice it is to have a working warm room on hand!
Well, I've been down for remodeling so to speak.....
New setup as below....
Equipment Wise:
New
Takahashi FSQ 106 Astrograph-
http://www.takahashi-europe.com/en/FSQ-106ED.php
Tak EM400 Temma 2m
http://www.takahashi-europe.com/en/EM-400.php
QSI 583wsg
http://www.qsimaging.com/583-overview.html
Robo Focus automated with FocusMax Software
Autoguider-Orion Starshoot Autoguider

Older Equipment
I am still using a CGE 1100 with a Meade ED 80 f6 on top. I alternate prime focus and guiding between the two depending on target.
Most Previous photos with Canon Rebel Unmodified XTi.
New Pics with HUTECH MODIFIED CANON XTi
(Canon Rebel XTi (400DH) spectrum enhanced camera with built-in astronomical UV/IR blocking filter (Type Ib) )
Guiding via Phd with Shoestring adapters and Meade DSI Pro Camera
Focus and calibrations and processing with ImagePlus, AstroTools, PhotoShop, GradientXTerminator, NEAT image and what ever I can fine under the kitchen sink.

A Beautiful Night with a Good Cigar(which I can rarely afford since I got into astrophotography :), My Scope, My Dog and the Surrounding Beauty and Tranquility of the Heavens ...I Love It !!
I hope you enjoy em' half as much as i do trying to make em'...bill

Motto:nil sine numine

The harmony of natural law] reveals an intelligence of such superiority that, compared with it, all the systematic thinking and acting of human beings is an utterly insignificant reflection. Everyone who is seriously involved in the pursuit of science becomes convinced that a spirit is manifest in the laws of the Universe- a spirit vastly superior to that of man, and one in the face of which we with our modest powers must feel humble."
Albert Einstein
Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass; it’s about learning how to dance in the rain.
Vivian Greene

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched.
They must be felt within the heart.

We are here and it is now. Further than that all human knowledge is moonshine.
-- curmudgeon H.L. Mencken

Four stages of acceptance:
(i) this is worthless nonsense;
(ii) this is an interesting, but perverse, point of view;
(iii) this is true, but quite unimportant;
(iv) I always said so.
Journal of Genetics Vol. 58, page 464 (1963