Charlie Hein
Postmaster
   
Reged: 11/02/03
Posts: 6247
Loc: 26.06.08N, +80.23.08W
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Welcome to the August 2007 Cloudy Nights Imaging/Sketching Contest poll!
Each month the best images selected from the individual Cloudy Nights Imaging and Sketching forums will be presented for the userbase to vote on. The monthly winner receives the coveted Cloudy Nights t-shirt! At the conclusion of the poll, the entry with the highest total will be the winner of the contest..
Please choose your favorite out of all the images. This poll will remain open through Saturday, September 15th at midnight EST.
Here are the entries for August!
Beginning Imaging's Finalist - Jared:

Image of NGC6960--The Witch's Broom Nebula--captured by Jared Willson on the night of August 18/19, 2007 in Mill Valley, CA
Losmandy GM-8 mount; William Optics FLT-110 APO @ f/6.5 (TEC); SBIG ST-2000XCM one-shot color camera w/ AO-7 adaptive optics; WO field flattener
x8 five minute exposures clip combined in Equinox Image (Mac) Post processing in Photoshop CS3 including: color recombine and balance; levels; curves; de-noise; cropping; unsharp mask; contrast.
Film Astrophotography's Finalist - AstroBobo:

Orion, from Petrova gora (Croatia). Single 60min exposure, Kodak E200, Pentax 6x7, 75mm Takumar lens closed to f/6.7. Taken this january.
DSLR & Digital Camera Astro Imaging & Processing's Finalist - Mike B.:
 Click the image to see a hi-res enlargement (1708x1140 pixels, 1.35MB.)
M22 Globular Cluster in Sagittarius
Location: Maurice, LA Date: Aug 7th, 2007 Telescope: Meade 8" f/4 Schmidt-Newtonian w/MPCC Camera: Hutech Modified Canon 350XT w/IDAS-LPS Front Filter Mount: Atlas EQ-G w/EQMOD Guiding: 102mm F/5 Achro, 2x Barlow, DSI Pro, PHD Guiding Exposure: 25x120 sec @ ISO 1600 Processing: IRIS, PS, Gradient XTerminator & Noel Carboni's Astronomy Tools
CCD Imaging & Processing's Finalist - Dean:

Deep Dumbbell (M27)
Dean Rowe Bailey, Colorado 08/09/2007 & 08/10/2007 585 minutes HaLRGB 315:90:60:60:60 Ha 45 minute, L 10 minute & RGB 15 minute subs Ha binned 2x2, LRGB binned 1x1 12.5" RCOS @ F/6.5 on an NJP ST10MXE with CS 10nm Ha & Astrodon LRGB filters
Other image sizes & Ha only: http://deanrowe.net/astro/main.jsp?image=images/m27_deep
Solar System Imaging's Finalist - swalker:

Venus recorded in Ultraviolet light over the course of 5 1/2 months. Two telescopes used; a 10" f/5 newtonian, and a 12.5" f/5.1 newt. Cameras used were a Lumenera LU075 and a Imaging Source DMK21AF04. The images span from January 28 2007 through July 16 for the last image. Please click on this link to view the full resolution image: http://masil-astro-imaging.netfirms.com/SWI/UV%20montage%20flat.jpg
Sketching Forum's Finalist - Jaycin:

2007 August 12 0730-1030 UT Jason Aldridge M31, NGC869 & NGC884
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Beginning Imaging's Finalist - Jared:
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Film Astrophotography's Finalist - AstroBobo:
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DSLR & Digital Camera Astro Imaging & Processing's Finalist - Mike B.:
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CCD Imaging & Processing's Finalist - Dean:
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Solar System Imaging's Finalist - swalker:
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Sketching Forum's Finalist - Jaycin:
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--------------------
Weston CSC:
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Erix
Toad Lily
   
Reged: 12/25/04
Posts: 19922
Loc: Ohio, USA
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Oh, man. Another hard decision month! Wonderful job everyone!
-------------------- Erika
10" LX200 Classic, ETX70-AT, DS Maxscope 60mm, 12" Truss Dob, Orion ED80, WO Binoviewers, 10x50's and 7x50's Binoculars, Rebel XT 350
Having Fun in the Sun!
More solar fun: 2007 July - tracking NOAA10963
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johndouk
member
Reged: 08/24/06
Posts: 24
Loc: Athens, Greece
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WOW !
All interesting theme subjects. A magnificent film single shot Orion, a stunning M22 floating among thousands of stars (with modest equipment), an amazing M27 with a unique artwork halo around, a beautiful Venus trip in the sky and all others ... I am totally lost between them...
Congratulations to all !!! You made our decision hard once more, indeed !!!
-------------------- John
______________________________
Think positive
www.AstroForum.gr
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MichaelW
Pooh-Bah
   
Reged: 06/03/06
Posts: 1398
Loc: Cartoon City, Nirvana
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Simply awesome! I have to get back into my observatory. Darn work and other things keep getting in the way. But thanks for wonderful entries to keep my fire lit.
-------------------- Michael W
Backyard Astronomer @ Washoe Zephyr:
Arizona Sky Village:
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ViliMax
newbie
Reged: 05/04/07
Posts: 1
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Venus is my favorite... very difficult job ...
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Dipole
sage
Reged: 12/21/06
Posts: 374
Loc: Right behind you
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Wow, another set of awe inspiring images!
Could we have a category "Images that really flopped" so I have a shot?
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Mark Costello
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 03/08/05
Posts: 927
Loc: Matthews, NC, USA
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All of these are amazingly nice pictures, each one has to represent a great deal of effort and patience. The photos of the Witch's Broom and M27 to me have an eerie 3D look to them. The high resolution achieved with those Schmidt-Newtonian reflectors continues to leave my jaw hanging.
Really good work all! The only thing is that it's all the harder for me to vote. The 3D quality of the Witch's Broom picture swings it for me. It appears I can almost reach out and touch that wisp of cloud....
-------------------- Mark Costello
Matthews, NC
Wife, son, three daughters, two dogs, ... and
Souped up & Tuned Burgess 102mm refractor on a CG5 & Celestron 7X35's
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Illinois
professor emeritus
Reged: 12/18/06
Posts: 528
Loc: near Chicago, Illinois USA
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THEY ARE SOOOOOOO GOOOOOOD!!!!
HOW CAN I VOTE JUST ONE???? Witch's Broom and M22 look superb! I never see M27 in great details, Venus is look great and not easy to photograph! M31 look so details by own hand to draw a picture and require high skill to look at the deep sky object! Jaycin know and experience how to look at the deep sky objects!
All can be easy to be in any astronomy magazines! Hard to do just one vote!
-------------------- Astronomer since 1975!
Meade 16" Lightbridge Dobsonian
Orion 10" SkyQuest Classic Dobsonian
Tele Vue Eyepieces
Orion Expanse Wide-Field 6mm eyepiece
4.5" F5 Reflector since 1982!
Orion Narrowband and SkyGlow filters
Member of IDA, let's fight light pollution!
Old Edmund 6"F8...donated to cousins
Super Polaris C8...donated to Byron Observatory in Illinois
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nickthegreek13_7
super member
Reged: 07/09/07
Posts: 160
Loc: Crete, Greece
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Fine images, all they are! Wish I could vote more than just one.I had a really hard time choosing between the Orion single shot and the M22.But eventually, I went for the second one, as it has a greater resolution and also had more work done on it.
-------------------- And there was light...!
GSO 8" f/6 Dob
Baader Hyperion 5mm,13mm & 21mm/Super Plossl 25mm
Televue Barlow 2X
Baader OIII & UHC-S
Observing under 4 mag Skies
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Gail Bleser
journeyman
Reged: 08/21/07
Posts: 5
Loc: South Florida
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Quote:
Welcome to the August 2007 Cloudy Nights Imaging/Sketching Contest poll!
Each month the best images selected from the individual Cloudy Nights Imaging and Sketching forums will be presented for the userbase to vote on. The monthly winner receives the coveted Cloudy Nights t-shirt! At the conclusion of the poll, the entry with the highest total will be the winner of the contest..
Please choose your favorite out of all the images. This poll will remain open through Saturday, September 15th at midnight EST.
Here are the entries for August!
Beginning Imaging's Finalist - Jared:

Image of NGC6960--The Witch's Broom Nebula--captured by Jared Willson on the night of August 18/19, 2007 in Mill Valley, CA
Losmandy GM-8 mount; William Optics FLT-110 APO @ f/6.5 (TEC); SBIG ST-2000XCM one-shot color camera w/ AO-7 adaptive optics; WO field flattener
x8 five minute exposures clip combined in Equinox Image (Mac) Post processing in Photoshop CS3 including: color recombine and balance; levels; curves; de-noise; cropping; unsharp mask; contrast.
Film Astrophotography's Finalist - AstroBobo:

Orion, from Petrova gora (Croatia). Single 60min exposure, Kodak E200, Pentax 6x7, 75mm Takumar lens closed to f/6.7. Taken this january.
DSLR & Digital Camera Astro Imaging & Processing's Finalist - Mike B.:
 Click the image to see a hi-res enlargement (1708x1140 pixels, 1.35MB.)
M22 Globular Cluster in Sagittarius
Location: Maurice, LA Date: Aug 7th, 2007 Telescope: Meade 8" f/4 Schmidt-Newtonian w/MPCC Camera: Hutech Modified Canon 350XT w/IDAS-LPS Front Filter Mount: Atlas EQ-G w/EQMOD Guiding: 102mm F/5 Achro, 2x Barlow, DSI Pro, PHD Guiding Exposure: 25x120 sec @ ISO 1600 Processing: IRIS, PS, Gradient XTerminator & Noel Carboni's Astronomy Tools
CCD Imaging & Processing's Finalist - Dean:

Deep Dumbbell (M27)
Dean Rowe Bailey, Colorado 08/09/2007 & 08/10/2007 585 minutes HaLRGB 315:90:60:60:60 Ha 45 minute, L 10 minute & RGB 15 minute subs Ha binned 2x2, LRGB binned 1x1 12.5" RCOS @ F/6.5 on an NJP ST10MXE with CS 10nm Ha & Astrodon LRGB filters
Other image sizes & Ha only: http://deanrowe.net/astro/main.jsp?image=images/m27_deep
Solar System Imaging's Finalist - swalker:

Venus recorded in Ultraviolet light over the course of 5 1/2 months. Two telescopes used; a 10" f/5 newtonian, and a 12.5" f/5.1 newt. Cameras used were a Lumenera LU075 and a Imaging Source DMK21AF04. The images span from January 28 2007 through July 16 for the last image. Please click on this link to view the full resolution image: http://masil-astro-imaging.netfirms.com/SWI/UV%20montage%20flat.jpg
Sketching Forum's Finalist - Jaycin:

2007 August 12 Fantastic photo's all!!! Hopefully one day we will be here with one of our photos. Gail B.
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WadeVC
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/02/05
Posts: 2323
Loc: Lodi, California,
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Congratulations to all finalists!! As usual, the choices were difficult and all are excellent!
Good luck!
--------------------
Orion XTi10 f/4.7
Meade NGC 70mm f/10
Orion UltraView 10x50 Wide-Angle Binoculars
My Sketch Gallery
My Astronomy Blog
A wise man can see more from the bottom of a well than a fool can from a mountain top.
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Nick Cook
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 01/28/06
Posts: 1010
Loc: Somerset, England
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Great entries as always, but for sheer detail this time for me it has to go to Mike B and M22!
-------------------- Meade 14" RCX + Astro Physics 0.75 Reducer (27TVPH)
Meade 5000 ED80 APO (Guider/widefield)+ WO 0.8 Reducer
William Optics Zenithstar 66 Petzal
SBig STL11000M + AO-L + 3" Pyxis Rotator + 3" PDF Focuser
Canon 20Da + IDAS Filter
Pulsar 9ft Dome
www.nick-cook.net
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CollinofAlabama
scholastic sledgehammer
   
Reged: 11/24/03
Posts: 892
Loc: Lubbock, Texas, USA
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Wow! This is the HARDEST one I've ever voted on. M22 and the Veil are just SPECTACULAR! If either of those win, that's fine with me. I couldn't resist voting for swalker's Venus, especially so soon after the eclipse and catching the crescent Venus on the morning of the 28th. Great job, all three.
The Orion wide angle is really cool,the sketch of the And-Cass region is quite nice, and the Dumbell is REALLY extended. This was one great contest! Some spectacular talent out there amongst our virtual cosmic artists.
CDS
-------------------- Coelum Serendum
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TwareESP
journeyman
Reged: 11/06/06
Posts: 13
Loc: Barcelona, Spain
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Ohhh!! Deep Dumbbell (M27)Great image, spectacular photo. Appreciation gas wave expansive in center.
Excellent work.
-------------------- http://www.astronomia-esp.com
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john D
All you have to do is ask!!
   
Reged: 08/05/07
Posts: 4254
Loc: Midlothian, VA
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Congratulations finalists!!!!!!GREAT shots guys!
-------------------- Meade ETX-125EC (SEPT.7)
Meade LXD55
Orion 90mm mak-Cass (4SALE look in S&S)
Celestron NS GOTO mount (4SALE look in S&S)
Philips SPC900NC webcam
MY BLOG
-Midlothian VA
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Icarus
super member
Reged: 05/05/07
Posts: 115
Loc: Sioux Falls, SD
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All of you did an excellent job. Very difficult decision, thanks for sharing your talent.
-------------------- Antares "Vixen Spec" 105mm f/14.3
Celestron C102HD f/9.8 - GSO 10:1 Crayford
Kasai 80mm f/11.25
Orion 203mm f/4.9 Reflector
Atlas EQ-G Mount/ADM Losmandy Saddle adapter/GPS/GoTo Controller
SkyView Pro Mount - TrueTrack Single Axis Drive
Baader Genuine Orthoscopics 5mm,6mm,7mm,9mm,12.5mm,18mm
TeleVue 2" 2x Powermate
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Rev2010
Pooh-Bah
   
Reged: 09/25/06
Posts: 1122
Loc: NYC & Bayonne, NJ
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Man this was indeed hard! They're all excellent. M27 and Venus were my favorites. I like Venus in the small image but was surprised the large version was a bit soft and fuzzy. I really wanted to choose M27 but in the end am extremely impressed with the Venus photos and they look sharp in the smaller version so it got my vote. But great work to all of you!
Rev.
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Meade 10" LX90 LNT
TeleVue Panoptic 22mm
Baader Hyperion 17mm
Televue Nagler 12T4 & 9T6
WO 40mm SWAN
WO 2" Dielectric Diagonal
DGM Optics NPB filter
Lumicon OIII filter
Baader Moon & Skyglow filter
Celestron 15x70 Binocs
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helpwanted
Carpal Tunnel
   
Reged: 07/04/07
Posts: 1605
Loc: Phoenix, AZ
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beautiful work by everyone!!!! hard to vote for just one!!!
-------------------- XT8 (8" f6)
EPs: Hyper, Pan, Axiom, SPL, TMBs
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mysky
member
Reged: 09/06/07
Posts: 84
Loc: CN
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totally lost myself between them...
wonderful!!!!
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svorc
newbie
Reged: 04/12/06
Posts: 3
Loc: Maryland
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Jared Willson's NGC6960 Witches Broom nebula is the best!!
Steve Ott svorc@myactv.net
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Asbytec
sage
Reged: 08/08/07
Posts: 216
Loc: La Union, PI
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I echo the replies in awe of the great views. Simply professional. To think not so many years ago, when I was a kid, these would be taken by professionals with big optics.
The pic of the Dumbbell Nebula is nearly Hubble quality...LOL
The sketch of M32, well...I have never been under skies that allow that detailed a view using an 8 inch or even larger. However, I have seen the star cloud on many occasions. But, to be capable of seeing that detail under Florida skies is amazing in itself.
Bringing out all the nebulosity in Orion is simply a feat and well done.
But, I think, if I had to choose...and I did have to choose, the most innovative photo is the phases of Venus. It does a fantastic job of bringing out the motion of Venus as an inferior planet. It illustrates not only beauty, but it captures the solar system in motion as well.
That being said, I am a deep sky sort of guy myself. So, if I had another vote, the shot of M27 would be my choice for (very close) second place. I have never seen it in that amount of glory in any photo, including Hubble images.
All shots are fantastic, and sorry that in the way contests are held there can be only one first place. All are certainly worthy.
-------------------- 11" Celestron SCT
La Union, Philippines
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Starman1
Postmaster
   
Reged: 06/24/03
Posts: 10719
Loc: Los Angeles
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All are excellent, though the labeling of the sketch is a disaster, with NGC206 identified as the Double Cluster. Still a great sketch, though.
I went with my visceral reaction to the shot and chose the M22 shot. What focus!
But the Venus shot was unbelievably good. And I've only ever seen one M27 shot that went deeper. And the shot of the 6960 side of the Veil was a REALLY good beginner's shot. Argh! They were all good, dagnab it.
-------------------- Don Pensack
12.5" Truss Dob, 5" Maksutov
Sustaining Lifetime IDA member, TeleVue junkie
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iblis
admirer of the sky
   
Reged: 07/12/06
Posts: 2241
Loc: Germany
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I'm very impressed by swalkers Venus pictures in uv, an hard work over a long time, I assume.
-------------------- Grüße von Iblis
The Universe is not only queerer than we imagine; it is queerer than we CAN imagine.
(Haldane)
and here I observe that universe
The sky is my heaven !********** ********
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guydickinson
journeyman
Reged: 02/17/06
Posts: 5
Loc: Dorset. UK.
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What an impossible choice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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star toucher
member
Reged: 12/16/06
Posts: 20
Loc: Eolia, Missouri
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This never gets easy...
-------------------- Dark, Steady, Transparent Skies...
StarToucher
Celestron C-8
Celestron 80mm ST
Orion XT-10
Burgess 20x100 Binocs
Burgess Parallelogram Mount
Starmaster 14.5 DOB
ScopeBuggy
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Luna
journeyman
Reged: 04/04/07
Posts: 7
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They're all so wonderful. What a magnificent universe we are part of!
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aav4bz
journeyman
Reged: 08/06/06
Posts: 9
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These are the hardest yet!!! Jared won my vote, but the sketches always win my heart. Great work from all involved!
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sky treker123
newbie
Reged: 01/08/07
Posts: 2
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M 22 globular cluster is very good. so are all the others
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PhilG
Pooh-Bah
   
Reged: 01/27/05
Posts: 1081
Loc: Denver, CO - USA
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Excellent work everyone. A very tough decision...
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Jaycin
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 07/09/06
Posts: 2140
Loc: SW FLorida, USA
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Quote:
All are excellent, though the labeling of the sketch is a disaster, with NGC206 identified as the Double Cluster. Still a great sketch, though.
Don,
I don't mind constructive criticism, but the labeling of my sketch is correct. You might want to take a closer look. The main body of the sketch is a naked eye view of the constellations Andromeda, Cassiopeia, and Perseus. The insets are of M31, and the Double Cluster at 37X. Both of which were naked eye objects that night.
Thanks for the nice comment.
-------------------- Jason
Zhumell 8" Dobsonian
60mm Meade Telestar
Sketching the Cosmos
Messier countdown: 102 down, 8 to go!
Yalta Observatory- North Port, FL
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Jaycin
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 07/09/06
Posts: 2140
Loc: SW FLorida, USA
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