Comet Photos
[17-Oct-2024] Found the comet from home. its barely visible to the naked eye and much higher and further south than it was Sunday.

Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS)
[13-Oct-2024] Was able to find the comet pretty easily right at 8pm from Kleman plaza. Its a little south of due west and about the same altitude a Venus. Tail point almost directly up. Nucleus was bright and star like in binoculars.

Total Eclipse

[08-Apr-2024] Total eclipse photos from Newport, VT. Was just beside the Whipple Point Lighthouse replica in a part on the lake shore. Skies were clear, a few high level clouds came in during totality, but not enough to effect anything. There were thousands of people all over town. The town was having some eclipse event but I didnt make it to wherever the program was. Was able to see both Jupiter and Venus during totality. The drive from Syracuse over to Newport covered some areas with a lot of snow. Some of the locals said it had snowed 10 inches last Thursday and it was still left on the fields and such.

USSF-52 Falcon Heavy

[28-Dec-2023] Didnt plan on watching but it was clear and the alert came on the phone. Except for the airplane this was possibly the best launch Ive seen from home. Rocket cleared the trees just over the church lights (die church) at 2:07. Separation of the side boosters was visible and was able to follow them for a while afterwards as well as following the main booster until MECO and then again when the secondary fired. Stopped shooting at apr 3min, before the secondary stared up but caught it again until over the low gap. Was also able to see the second burn of the side boosters through the trees but no photos. Photo has the church lights on one side and nearly full moon on the other ISO was 400, F5.7 153 seconds but could have started about 30 seconds later and ended later also. 26mm to get entire length of trail. There is another one at 11 but its not a heavy.

Annular Eclipse

[14-Oct-2023] The whole point of the vacation was to be somewhere I could see the annular eclipse. That looked like southern Utah for the best weather and fewest clouds because as Craig says I have PTSD over the traffic from the last eclipse. Bought a new camera, and a Intervalometer (it takes scheduled pictures on its own) and a tripod. Built a solar filter for the camera. The parking lot was full when we arrived but all those people apparently went to the sunrise view point, more came after we got there and they were parked along the road. We go the last spot in the actual lot. Hiked all that up to the natural bridge before dawn, watching the sun rise over the rocks behind us. Set it everything to take photos. There were a few clouds but they were not an issue. Dont like how any of the photos with the new set up turned out. All the photos are from the old camera and the cell phone. They are of the eclipse you just cant tell.

Perseids fail again
[13-Aug-2023] On Thursday clear sky clock said it would be clear all night. Moon want in the way. Stayed up to nights prepping camera. Got kids to go camping. So it rains abt 8pm. Then is cloudy. There was a hole till about am and we say 7 whole meteors before it clouded over completely and stayed that way till about 9am.

Starlink Sat pass

[09-Aug-2023] Was setting up to test the new camera for this weekend. Went out front to get bug spray and looked up to see a starlink sat pass. Amazing. Ran through the house to grab the camera and Take photos on whatever setting its had. Managed to get two. Spent about an hour outside after that. saw 3 meteors and took some photos of the Lyra area that came out pretty well despite not having a working clock drive. Bulb, F3.5 1600iso and 30 seconds is pretty good. Had to warm up the lens because it was getting dew on it. Deleted a bunch but kept some. Need to read the manual and figure out how to focus. All the way right seems best. Photos.

Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF)
[28-Jan-2023] Pretty easy find now that is climbed above the trees and its clear. Tried the last couple fo nights but clouds and it being less than 12 degrees above the horizon meant i could not find it. Its 24 degrees now and between the dippers.

Worst Leonids ever
[19-Nov-2022] Missed the peak last night because it was cloudy. There was a secondary peak tonight predicted for 1-1:30am. Clear all day, clear at 9pm but already down to freezing. Clear at 12:30. Got all bundled up, layers, hot packs, balakava, big winter coat. Walked outside at 12:59. Completely clouded over.

Nov 8 Lunar eclipse
[08-Nov-2022] Got up at 3, 4 and 5:30. At 3am there were some clouds which were moving swiftly and cleared off witin 10 minutes the other times it was clear. At 5:30 watched until the moon got to the tree line.

May eclipse photos
[08-Nov-2022] Photos from the May eclipse.

SpaceX USSF-44 (Falcon Heavy)

[01-Nov-2022] Pretty sure I just saw this from out the window at work. Some research says it was straight to GTO so I think it was a steeper trajectory than usually. What I saw looked very much like a rocket and at the right time in the right place but much higher than most launches (the mere fact I could see it from work meant that). What I saw was between 90 and 120 degrees East and abt 15-20 degrees high before it vanished in the tree.

No Persieds
[14-Aug-2022] Cloudy at bed time, cloudy at 2aam cloudy at 5am so bad couldnt even see the full moon. Two days in a row. Sunny and clear the next day.

tau herculids
[31-May-2022] Spent an hour outside starting at 12:40. Saw 16 all seemed to come from Bootes. That more than I have seen in some established showers. It was partly cloudy when i started but cleared up nicely. Had it not been a work night would have stayed out longer.

Comet Leonard
[22-Dec-2021] Weather finally cleared up so was able to look. Found it down and to the left of Saturn abt 7pm. Unimpressive binocular object.

Lunar Eclipse
[19-Nov-2021] Overcast at 2:30am, could find the moon but couldnt even tell it was eclipsed. Overall better at 4:30 but a patch of clouds right over the moon. Nice and clear by 5:10, watched to the end. Scanned the sky for Comet Leonard but didnt find it, might need to actually use a chart to see where it is since the chart I saw was for it in a week or more.

Leonids
[17-Nov-2020] Saw 9 between 4:30 and 5:30 seemed a really slow rate. The last was nice and bright. Also saw a half dozen satellites including one nice one that flared.

Crew-1
[15-Nov-2020] Watched another Falcon 9 launch from home. Fog started to roll in just before launch so pictures didnt come out. Was able to follow it really high.

Mars is freaking huge
[17-Oct-2020] Made an attempt to find Uranus. Didnt, nothing in the area to guide me. Mars however is bright and its disk is huge. Also got a great view of M33 Triangulum Galaxy in the binoculars don't ever remember it being so interesting.

Comet Neowise
[19-Jul-2020] Like clockwork it clouded over every night this week except Sunday right at sunset and right in the area where the comet was. It was finally visible tonight, again just at the edge of naked eye but very good in binoculars.