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Triangulation and Orbit Determination

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Ray Taylor

Skirlaugh, North Yorkshire

Coming Soon

Camera / Lens Combination:

Genwac 902H / Cosmicar Pentax 3.8mm f0.8, Az 310.6, Ev 57.7

Watec 902H / Cosmicar Pentax 3.8mm f0.8, Az 62.8, Ev 58.7

Camera 3 (Details TBC)

 

     

Until recently I would have described myself as "Radio Amateur First, Amateur Astronomer Second" but that dividing line is now rather blurred. I first became interested in astronomy, particularly meteors, as a consequence of two events.

Back in 1965 I saw the famous Barwell Meteorite when I lived in Leicestershire (when not attending College). Then in 1966 I watched an episode of The Sky at Night where the wonderful, though sadly departed, Patrick Moore was discussing the forthcoming Leonids meteor shower and encouraging viewers to "Get their cameras out and have a go!" So I did and have not really stopped since.

Most nights when I get the opportunity to observe, I will always set up at least one DSLR camera on a small equatorial mount complete with wide angle lens and interval timer cable release specifically to take meteor photographs. I have an array of Canon EOS 350D and 550D cameras with a selection of Canon lenses. However, my success with meteor photography is not so good; my site is under the flight path of commercial airliners so I have many images of aircraft, not to mention Iridium Flares and the ISS

Finally I have a 200mm f5.6 x 1000mm Newtonian telescope with an EQ6 GOTO mount, which I control via Stellarium.

I have dabbled with the use of the FunCube Dongle to monitor radio meteor scatter from GRAVES however when I go on the “local radio amateur natter channel” I interfere with the reception. So the system now sits in the observatory gathering a bit of dust until I can improve the signal filtering.

When I read the NEMETODE article in the Journal of the British Astronomical Association I could not resist the opportunity to participate. Here in Skirlaugh in rural East Yorkshire I have a relatively dark site looking towards the north-west right around to the east - being the North Sea coast there is very little light pollution.

I have three cameras in operation: Skirlaugh NW, in "landscape" mode, Skirlaugh NE, also in "landscape" mode (NB these two cameras effectively overlap on the North heading, yielding a mutual FOV which extends to the zenith) and Skirlaugh SSE, in "portrait" mode - although fully operational, I have not yet finalized a permanent heading for this camera.