|
Welcome!
The information at this web site reflects my personal interests in amateur astronomy. There are features here for newcomers, for do-it-yourselfers, for deep sky observers, and for astrophotographers. Your comments are always welcome.
Clear skies,
Jeff DeTray
Solar Eclipse — 2017
|
|
The total solar eclipse of August 21, 2017, was one of the most-observed astronomical events in history. Learn how to view and capture images of an eclipse with simple equipment. Click for details.
|
Clear Sky Clock
The Clear Sky Clock is a prediction of when Astronomy Boy's Black Swamp Observatory will have good weather for astronomical observing. Click for details.
|
Getting Started in Astronomy
Got a new telescope? Thinking of buying one? Don't know what your next step should be? Check out Astronomy Boy's guide to getting started in astronomy, including telescope buying advice, lists of informative websites, astronomy clubs and organizations around the world, and public observing opportunities throughout the United States.
CG-5 Mount Improvements
The CG-5 German equatorial mount is a Chinese-made clone of the well-known Vixen Great Polaris (GP) mount. Although the CG-5 is quite popular, many examples suffer from sticky movements in both the right ascension and declination axes. Astronomy Boy shows you how to smooth out the motions of your CG-5. Also available: SkyTee-2 Mount Rebuild
Build a Barn Door Tracker
A barn door tracker (also known as a Haig or Scotch mount) is a tracking camera mount that lets you get started in astrophotography, even if you don't own a telescope. Check out Astronomy Boy's barn door, along with all the information you need to build your own.
Homemade Eyepieces
If you're looking for a build-it-yourself astronomy project, but constructing an entire telescope seems too complex, how about making your own eyepieces? It's surprisingly easy to do if you have some basic woodworking skills and a few common tools.
|
|
|
|
Constellation Portraits
The stuff of myths and legends, the constellations of the night sky tell stories as old as mankind. As these photos demonstrate, it's easy to make beautiful constellation portraits with simple equipment.
Equatorial Mount Tutorial
Puzzled by your German equatorial mount? These animations show how to point your telescope to any part of the sky.
Comet Hale-Bopp
The winter and spring of 1997 brought a bright comet to our skies. As these photos show, it was easy to capture beautiful images of Comet Hale-Bopp on film without complicated equipment. Enjoy the pictures, and be ready when the next bright comet comes our way!
SAA 100 Deep Sky Catalog
The most famous catalog of deep sky objects was compiled by Charles Messier in the 18th century. Several years ago, participants in the Sci.Astro.Amateur newsgroup nominated a new list of the 100 best non-Messier objects for amateur telescopes, the SAA 100.
|
|
|