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NASA Image of the Day

The latest NASA "Image of the Day" image.

Watching History Unfold
Guests look on from the terrace of Operations Support Building II as space shuttle Endeavour launches on the shuttle program's last planned night launch. Endeavour launched from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39A to begin the STS-130 mission early Monday, Feb. 8, 2010. Mission STS-130 will deliver a third connecting module, the Italian-built Tranquility node and a seven-windowed cupola, which will be used as a control room for robotics, to the International Space Station. Image Credit: NASA/Paul E. Alers

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Townsville Astronomy Group

Polar Alignment without Polaris

Written by Vince Legge
Saturday, 30 January 2010 15:24
An updated tutorial by Vince Legge I am referring throughout to the use of a German Equatorial Mount (GEM). You will need a magnetic compass, one that you can read down to 1° increments, a device for measuring angles, and a little basic handyman skill but we’ll get to that as we work through the technique Also you will need to determine the Latitude and
Last Updated on Sunday, 31 January 2010 08:26
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Tuning up a Synta Crayford focuser

Written by Vince Legge
Saturday, 26 December 2009 09:17
Tuning up a Synta Crayford focuser Most of the earlier standard 2” Crayford focusers as fitted to Skywatcher/Orion and other Synta made scopes have a particular machining fault. Here’s an easy fix. The example pictured is from a refractor, but the same applies to reflectors. If you have one of these its worth taking a close look at it.
Last Updated on Saturday, 26 December 2009 10:16
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Marking Out and Setting Up Azimuth/Altitude Inscriptions On Dobsonian Type Telescopes

Written by Nicpadre
Thursday, 12 November 2009 01:51
Marking Out and Setting Up Azimuth/Altitude Inscriptions On Dobsonian Type Telescopes (Also a Quick and Easy Way Of Setting Your Telescope To North) Hey guys, Nic here. As promised, finally got my act together, and have put this little piece to paper (as it were). No stuffing around straight into it the process is pretty painless and not time consuming nor does it need a great deal of technical skill, but to help you out I will go through it stage by stage.
Last Updated on Sunday, 15 November 2009 05:45
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Venus, a quick, non complex look

Written by Lex
Thursday, 19 November 2009 23:13
VENUS – A Quick non-complex Look! Named after the Roman Goddess of Love and our nearest planetary neighbour after our own natural satellite the Moon, it orbits at a mean distance of around 108 million kilometres from the Sun. The ancients saw Venus as a paradise, the home of the Goddess of Love and beauty etc. Some had it as a place of opulence with lush botanical growth and huge expanses of water filled swamp land, while others saw it as a vast desert (dune like) setting with large mountains and valleys. The folk in highplaces and of different cultures
Last Updated on Thursday, 19 November 2009 23:34
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A Budget Home Observing Platform and Pier

Written by Vinnie
Monday, 21 September 2009 19:30
A Budget Home Observing Platform and Pier I guess for most of us the ultimate dream is to have that big observatory in the back yard. Unfortunately though, too often it is just that; a dream that likely will never be fulfilled. There are more basic ways to make home observing simple and easy, though, on a surprisingly small budget.
Last Updated on Monday, 21 September 2009 19:57
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