White Oak Observatory

BLOG Concerning Jim Bruton’s Practicing Amateur Astronomy Without a License

Notes from the cloudy state of Oregon, Part 1: What can a 71 mm refractor and a DSLR accomplish?

Part 1, Object 8: 2026 October 8 UT: Saturn and Its Satellites

Objects: Saturn and three moons: Titan, Tethys, and Rhea Date: October 8, 2026 UTLocation: Near Corvallis, OregonObserving interval: Approximately 05:45–06:40 UT (10:45–11:40 p.m. PDT, October 7)Telescope: Askar 71F apochromatic refractor,…
Part 1, Object 7: 2026 October 6 UT: M45, the Pleiades (Seven Sisters)

Object: M45, the Pleiades open star clusterDate: October 6, 2026 UTLocation: Near Corvallis, OregonTelescope: Askar 71F apochromatic refractor, 71 mm aperture, 490 mm focal length, f/6.9Camera: Canon EOS Rebel XSi…
Part 1, Object 6: 2026 October 6 UT: Comet 161P/Hartley-IRAS

Object: Comet 161P/Hartley-IRASPlate-solved focal length: 490.22 mmField of view: 2°35′47″ × 1°43′51″Field center (J2000): RA 00h 43m 39.794s, Dec +01°40′28.08″Processing software: Siril 1.4.4 What accomplished This was a successful attempt…
Part 1, Object 5: 2026 October 3 UT: V0432 Persei, Variable-Star Photometry with a DSLR

Object: V0432 Persei, eclipsing binary variable starDate: October 3, 2026 UTLocation: Near Corvallis, OregonTelescope: Askar 71F apochromatic refractor, 71 mm aperture, 490 mm focal length, f/6.9Camera: Canon EOS Rebel XSi…
Part 1, Object 4: 2026 September 18 UT: M33, the Triangulum Galaxy

Object: M33, Triangulum GalaxyDate: September 18, 2026 UTTelescope: Askar 71F, 490 mm focal length, f/6.9Camera: Canon Rebel XSi (450D)Mount: iOptron SkyHunterExposures: Approximately 214 light frames, 20 seconds eachDark frames: 30Registration:…
Part 1, Object 3: 2026 August 28 UT: Partial Lunar Eclipse

Partial lunar eclipse, ~10 pm PDT. Askar 71 mm and Canon DSLR, 0.01 second
Part 1, Object 2: 2026 August 28 UT: NGC 7000, the North America Nebula

Object: NGC 7000, North America NebulaLocation: Near Corvallis, OregonTelescope: Askar 71F, 71 mm aperture, 490 mm focal length, f/6.9Camera: Canon EOS Rebel XSi (450D), unmodifiedMount: iOptron SkyHunterImage scale: Approximately 2.19…
Part 1, Object 1: 2026 August 25: M31, First Light with the Askar 71F

Object: M31, the Great Andromeda GalaxyDate: August 25, 2026Location: Near Corvallis, OregonTelescope: Askar 71F, 71 mm aperture, 490 mm focal lengthCamera: Canon EOS Rebel XSi (450D)Mount: iOptron SkyHunterExposures: 196 light…
Pt. 1 Intro — How Much Can I Do with a Small Refractor and DSLR?

I find myself staying in Oregon rather than Arizona Sky Village owing in large part to my wife having Parkinson’s disease (see https://www.parkinson.org/understanding-parkinsons/what-is-parkinsons ). But it turns out there ARE…