Graf Astro von Blinkenlights Jr. (Douglas Triggs)

Graf Astro von Blinkenlights Jr.

RIP Graf Astro von Blinkenlights, my William Optics Fluorostar 91 with which I did the bulk of my astrophotography when I was starting out... It died the same day as the Marshall Fire which burned the bulk of Superior, Colorado to the ground at the end of December 2021. It wasn't the fire (which was on the other side of the town I live next to), but it was the same wind that caused the fire to be such a disaster; the 60MPH winds here (they were a bit stronger where the fire started) blew it over and busted the focuser. So I replaced it.

And nine months later, after replacing the scope, the focuser, and adding a rotator (and a guide scope that I think I got after it was busted); after taking a month to verify it was busted before that; after shorting out my RST-135 and getting the board replaced; after discovering I couldn't bring it to focus, adding an extension tube, then discovering I couldn't bring it to focus in the other direction; after getting an AP Mach2 mount and still having nothing to mount on it (though first light was on the RST-135 to make sure I had a known good platform before easing in the Mach2, which was just as well because it actually didn't work the first try); after adventures getting the right adapters to use the reducer; after finally getting the right combination of extension tubes that worked, well... Here it is:

Graf Astro von Blinkenlights Jr., my new fast refractor, a Skywatcher Esprit 100ED and its myriad accessories, may it live forever. So far you're doing a great job, kid!

Final
Original
B
C

B

Title: Ready for Fall Imaging

Description: Now that the lawn is dying, time to move out into the back yard away from obtructions.

Uploaded: ...

C

Title: In Winter Quarters

Description: Winter is here. Basically given up on guiding, and need a bigger dew heater for the main tube.

Uploaded: ...

	Distinct awarded users	Total awarded images
Image of the day
Top picks
Top pick nominations

	Image of the day	Top pick	Top pick nominations	Total submitted
Deep sky
Solar system
Extremely wide field
Star trails
Northern lights
Noctilucent clouds
Landscape

	Image of the day	Top pick	Top pick nominations	Total submitted
Backyard
Traveller
Own remote observatory
Amateur hosting facility
Public amaeteur data
Professional, scientific grade data
Mix of multiple sources
Other
Unknown

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