Welcome to Cassiopeia Observatory
In 2004, we purchased our "retirement land" in Oracle, Arizona, elevation 4370'. From March 2005 to April 2009, I would visit our land about once a month with a tent and 1 or 2 telescopes, and stay a night or two. In June 2009, we completed construction of our new home, and in August 2009, my new permanent observatory was completed. It then seemed like an excellent time to give the observatory an official name instead of calling it "Oracle Observatory", as it had been since 2005.
So why "Cassiopeia Observatory"? Most astronomers have learned to identify the constellation Cassiopeia by the "W" shape formed by its brightest stars. Actually, some times of the year it looks like a "W" and other times a "M". Hmmm. W. M. Or rather, M W... Hey, that stands for "Mike Weasner"! At least, that is how I've seen it since I was a teenage amateur astronomer in my Southern Indiana hometown. Hence, the observatory name is very appropriate. The Cassiopeia Observatory logo, seen in the photograph above showing the Milky Way rising over the observatory, has the bright stars of the constellation Cassiopeia at two times a year, depicting the "M" and the "W".
Reports
iPhone Imaging: Venus; Final Collimation 16 May 2012 iPhone Imaging: Mars and Saturn 15 May 2012 Using Observer Pro Horizon Data in SkySafari; Sun with AR1476 13 May 2012 Sun AR1476, Venus Crescent 12 May 2012 iPhone & D7000 Imaging: Venus, M99 Galaxy, Saturn; DSO Observing 11 May 2012 POD iPad Platform 8 May 2012 Short Observing Session: Venus, Saturn, M99 Galaxy 8 May 2012 Catchup Reports: Magnification Tests, "Super Moon" 7 May 2012 ETX-125AT Lunar & Planetary Observing & iPhone Imaging 4 May 2012 D7000 DSLR and 8" LX200-ACF: Venus, Moon 3 May 2012 Moon, Venus, ISS, and Copernicus in 3D 2 May 2012 Crater Copernicus, ISS 1 May 2012
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ISS (!!!), Moon, Arcturus Spectrum Tests 30 April 2012 New iPad (Retina Display) at the Telescope, D7000 ISS Imaging 29 April 2012 D7000 DSLR Imaging: Moon, Venus, ISS, Spica Spectrum, 5 Galaxies 28 April 2012 Nine Hour Session: Imaging Venus, Moon, & Many Galaxies 27 April 2012 Venus, Thin Crescent Moon 23 April 2012 NGC3190 Galaxy, Coma Galaxy Cluster Attempt, and Saturn 22 April 2012 Finally Back in the Observatory: Imaged NGC3190 and NGC5248 Galaxies 21 April 2012
Visit to Kitt Peak & Observing with WIYN 3.5m Telescope 24 March 2012 M95 Galaxy Supernova SN 2012aw & Spectrum 22 March 2012 D7000 Imaging: Green Flash, Zodiacal Light, M95 Galaxy Supernova, M96 Galaxy 21 March 2012 D7000 DSLR Imaging: NGC2371 and NGC5248 16 March 2012 D7000 Imaging: NGC2683, NGC2970, NGC2964, NGC3226, NGC3227, M109, NGC2371, Saturn 15 March 2012 D7000 DSLR Photo: Jupiter, Galilean Moons, Venus Conjunction 14 March 2012 Imaging: Jupiter-Venus Conjunction, NGC 2438, NGC2440, Comet Garradd 13 March 2012 ETX-105PE & 8" LX200-ACF Observing, Planets & Moon Imaging 11 March 2012 D7000 DSLR Imaging: Sun, Venus, Mercury 9 March 2012 How I Do Astrophotography 7 March 2012 Imaging: Venus, Sunset, Mercury, Moon, Mars 5 March 2012 D7000 Imaging: Moon, Good ISS Sequence Thru Telescope 3 March 2012 Imaging: Moon, Jupiter, ISS, Mars; First POD Roller Desk Use 1 March 2012
POD Roller Desk 29 February 2012 Moon, Venus, Jupiter 27 February 2012 Imaging: Venus, Jupiter, Moon, Mars 26 February 2012 D7000 DSLR Imaging: Planets, Moon, NGC2419, NGC2997, NGC4631, NGC3201 25 February 2012 D7000 DSLR DSO Imaging: NGC2207, M42, M63, NGC4038 22 February 2012 More DSO Imaging: NGC3626, 3132, 4449, 5005, 4038, M106, M63 19 February 2012 D7000 DSLR DSO Imaging: NGC1637, NGC2261, & NGC2217 18 February 2012 Imaging: Venus, ISS, Zodiacal Light, Milky Way, NGC1600, 1637, 1501, 1569, & 2261 12 February 2012 ETX-70AT Observing, 8" LX200-ACF DSO Observing 11 February 2012 Simple Dome Mod, Venus and Uranus Conjunction 10 February 2012 iPhone Crater Clavius, D7000 M92 and Comet Garradd 3 February 2012 iPhone Moon, Visitors 1 February 2012
iPhone Moon, Asteroid Eros 31 January 2012 Crater Theophilus at Sunrise, NGC891 Galaxy, NGC2467 Nebula 29 January 2012 Venus & Moon, NGC278, NGC1977, M67, NGC2775, NGC3521 27 January 2012 Venus and Crescent Moon, NGC278 Galaxy 26 January 2012 D7000: NGC278, M79, NGC1999, NGC1977, M78, NGC2537, IC2233, NGC2440 20 January 2012 21 DSOs Observed 19 January 2012 IC2118 (Witch Head Nebula) 18 January 2012 New Clock Failed; NGC185, NGC1535, & NGC281 (Pacman Nebula) 14 January 2012 New Observatory Clock, DSO Observing 11 January 2012 Cassiopeia Observatory Weather Station 10 January 2012 Full Moon 9 January 2012 Lunar South Pole Region 8 January 2012 ISS, Crater Pythagoras 7 January 2012 Crater Aristarchus and Vallis Schröter 6 January 2012 Crater Gassendi, ISS, Io Transit 5 January 2012 Copernicus, Jupiter Dual Moon Shadows, and Meteor Watching 4 January 2012 Moon-Jupiter Conjunction, Crater Plato 3 January 2012
Moon Craters Aristoteles & Maurolycus, 2011 Year End Report 31 December 2011 Moon Craters Theophilus, Cyrillus, Catherina, & Posidonius 31 December 2011 Craters Atlas and Hercules 30 December 2011 Moon, Jupiter with Io Shadow 29 December 2011 "Neat Image" Noise Reduction Software and NGC7048 28 December 2011 Venus-Moon Conjunction, Earthshine, NGC7048 27 December 2011 D7000 DSLR: Heart and Soul Nebulae 25 December 2011 Heart and Soul Nebulae, Orion 24 December 2011 It was a Darks and Cloudy Night 23 December 2011 Comet Lovejoy, ISS, Jupiter, and Some DSOs 16 December 2011 iPhone Jupiter 11 December 2011 50 Year Old Edmund 3" Telescope, iPhone 4, & Total Lunar Eclipse 10 December 2011 JMI MicroFocus Dual-Speed Telescope Focus Knob 9 December 2011 PST Mod, Sky and Telescope, Weather, iPhone Imaging 7 December 2011
Uranus, Neptune, Jupiter imaging, iPhone M42, & more Spectroscopy 31 October 2011 "First Light" Full Aperture Solar Filter 30 October 2011 Jupiter, D7000 Crab Nebula, Spectroscopy, iPhone M42 24 October 2011 DSO Observing, Io Transit 21 October 2011 8 Hour Session: DSOs, Asteroids, Planets, Comet, Spectroscopy, Moon 20 October 2011 ISS Video Attempt, M33 & M31 Galaxy Observing 19 October 2011 D7000 Imaging: M57, M13 Spectroscopy, M110, M32, Moon 18 October 2011 Spectroscope Slit Test; Imaging: Pleiades Spectroscopy, Moon 17 October 2011 Imaging: Venus Spectrum, M13, Comet Garradd, Moon 16 October 2011 Imaging: ISS, Comet Garradd, Cassiopeia Star Spectra, Moon 15 October 2011 More Spectroscopy & Some Lunar Imaging 13 October 2011 Hunter's Moon 12 October 2011 D7000 Spectroscopy, iPhone Moon 11 October 2011 D7000 DSLR Spectroscopy: Stars, M45 10 October 2011 More D7000 DSLR Spectroscopy Tests 9 October 2011 Moon Imaging, More Spectroscopy Tests 8 October 2011
Crescent Moon, Cassiopeia, M11 Imaging; DSO Tour 29 September 2011 D7000 Spectroscopy Tests; Piggyback M31, M33, M45 24 September 2011 M31 Panorama 21 September 2011 iPhone & D7000 Astrophotography: Planets, DSOs, Moon 20 September 2011 Comet Garradd, Pleiades, Moon 19 September 2011 ETX and LX200 Software Testing 18 September 2011 Moon, Delta Scorpii, ISS 4 September 2011
Critters, Saturn Moons, DSOs 28 June 2011 M51, NGC6822, NGC6723, NGC6726/7, IC4812, Moon 25 June 2011 Saturn, M51 Supernova 24 June 2011 Saturn & Porrima, M55 & M75 Globulars 23 June 2011 Saturn & Porrima, M68, Path Lights 22 June 2011 D7000 Video Astrophotography Tests 21 June 2011 Saturn, ISS 16 June 2011 ISS, Saturn, Moon 15 June 2011 More D7000 DSLR Moon 13 June 2011 D7000 DSLR Moon 12 June 2011 More iPhone Moon 11 June 2011 iPhone ETX-105PE Moon 9 June 2011 iPhone Moon 8 June 2011 Moon, M94 Galaxy, Globular Clusters 7 June 2011 Lots of Moons, M13, Milky Way, Pluto 5 June 2011
Notes
Use the navigation buttons near the top of each page to view other sections of this web site. "Photos" has selected astronomical and terrestrial photography. "Videos" shows some astronomical related videos I have done. "Equipment" shows some of my telescopes and other equipment. "Links" has some of my articles and some other web sites. "Data" displays current Cassiopeia Observatory observing conditions, weather forecasts, and some astronomical data. "Twitter" shows my tweets. Use "Contact" to send me email.RSS . I also announce new Reports on Twitter and through our Home Page RSS feed.Aperture and GraphicConverter . Since 28 December 2011, I have used Neat Image to remove digital noise from DSO images. See my Neat Image review for further information.
All text and images on this Site are Copyright © 2005-12 by Michael L. Weasner / mweasner@me.com Terms and Conditions of Use .
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April 2012
