[Plamadude30k]

So apparently fark no longer likes picasa. I can’t post any images from there at all. Here’s the message fark gives me:

Throwing away URL (insert url here) due to SSL warning: Peer hostname match with certificate not verified: 403 Forbidden

Guess I’m stuck with flickr now.

[Plamadude30k]

Brilliant, man. I think the grades weren’t necessarily a bad idea, but a bunch of us regulars ended up with Fs (myself included) because of gaps. It would be really difficult to design a fair, consistent system of grading that really worked. I don’t think anybody expects you to spend that much time on it!

[Plamadude30k]

See Canon users aren’t just the debbil, they’re also hipsters.

Does this mean we can hunt them for sport?

Oh, can we?! Please? Pleeeeease??

[Plamadude30k]

I think the strict spirit of the theme is to have people go for 15 minutes (say, plus or minus a minute) and photograph what’s there. As long as the shots fit that requirement, then they’re good, whether you’re aiming for a spot, just exploring, or using archival footage. Obviously we can’t police the travel time-we’re all on our honor to abide by that rule.

[Plamadude30k]

By all means, go on different outings-go in three different directions from your house and find some interesting things near you if you like. The point is not a single outing (which you could do as well), the point is more to find interesting things that are near you.

[Plamadude30k]

I’m forced to conclude that it’s a problem with Picasa. I guess I’ll be switching back to flickr-this is just unacceptable.

[Plamadude30k]

Yeah, a 20″ could almost do research grade stuff, if set up properly. I think I’m really more like the top gear guys, though-I get to rent the supercars and drive them around all I want, but I don’t own any. Personally I’ve got a 2002 Kia Optima (Celestron 6″) and my pride and joy-a custom model 70 hp engine that I’ve got in the garage waiting for me to finish a car around (A 4.25″ mirror and telescope parts that I either built myself or scrounged. For example, I ground and aluminized the mirror and machined the eyepiece holder and focuser from scratch, but I found a big cardboard tube and a secondary rig to use with them).

[Plamadude30k]

And now they mysteriously appear to be back. SO CONFUSED.

EDIT: Aha! Thanks, Els, you’re the best.

[Plamadude30k]

Did both. No change. Can anybody else see my entries? They’re supposed to be on page 2, near the bottom.

[Plamadude30k]

Hey, my entries are all gone! Fark says (deleted: Broken/missing image), but they haven’t moved or changed on picasa. What’s going on?!

[Plamadude30k]

I think our high point will be Piute pass at 11423′, so I’ll expect some snow. We’re plenty bear prepared, and I’ve got my trekking poles, which are great for fording. As for the bear bags, I believe they don’t allow them anymore because the bears learned how to get at them. The canisters, however, are so bear proof that studies are showing that the bears have learned to just ignore them. Thanks for the info.

[Plamadude30k]

So which of you two is going to be the first to hack into the Hubble operating system and take that for a spin? Or is that now too aged to be worth it?

I could just apply for time on it. Come to think of it, I have a project idea that would be perfect for Hubble…

Hmmm…

[Plamadude30k]

You can get a tour at both Subaru and Gemini on Mauna Kea. You should go. It is amazing. You cannot get a tour (or really anything) at Keck, which is really disappointing, but really that’s fine-Subaru is better.

EDIT: I forgot to mention-Subaru DOES have a ‘look through’ (eyepiece) mode. They built an eyepiece plate for the commissioning and the princess of Japan got to look through it. Apparently the crew had fun with it for about a week before they started science observations. Now, I just got to look through the Bok 90″ on Kitt Peak not too long ago-we did the whirlpool galaxy (M51) which has to be one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen. Subaru is 3.6 times larger in diameter, 13 times larger in light gathering ability. I can’t even imagine what that would be like.

[Plamadude30k]

Some great shots in here, looks like you had a great time! Did you happen to see any indication of the snow levels a little further south (near Bishop)? I’m leaving for my backpacking trip there in 15 days, and I’m a bit worried about that-big snow year.

[Plamadude30k]

Chupa-and then my friend Rita blows past both of us in a Bugatti Veyron (she just got a job as a night operator at Subaru-my favorite telescope in the world, and currently the seventh biggest optical telescope in existance!). I actually like the car/telescope analogy, but the big, world class observatories make almost everything I’ve used look like a collection of old Hondas. A 1.55 meter is actually pretty small. Even a 2.3 meter isn’t considered huge. The 3-4 meters are the workhorses these days.

Getting the stars to show up brightly is all about optimizing aperture/shutter/iso settings and being VERY careful with white balance. Other than that, I guess you just have to pick your site and subject carefully, but that’s the same for any photo. As for the blending of the colors, it’s just light pollution from Tucson (or Tucson and Nogales in the shots from Kitt Peak). I do have some older shots with subtle coloring due to the zodiacal light, but you need an EXTRA dark site for that.

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