Universal Observations Blog
Astrophotography Holiday Gift Ideas – 2019
Find the perfect for the Astrophotography (or visual astronomy) person in your life! Mosquito Repellent Thermacell MR300 Portable Mosquito Repellent. The nature of astrophotography and astronomy means you will be outside with nature. I use this when the mosquitos get...
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Explore Scientific ED127 FCD-100 Carbon Fiber Unboxing
Here at Universal Observations, I like to cover the things I have had a difficult time finding or figuring out. In the video below I unbox a new Explore Scientific ED127 FCD-100 Carbon Fiber refractor telescope. I couldn't find an unboxing video specifically on this...
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iOptron SkyGuider Pro Details Video
Here at Universal Observations, I like to cover the things I have had a difficult time finding or figuring out.In the video below I show some details that you might want to know before you purchase an iOptron SkyGuider Pro.This is not a "review" video (there are...
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William Optics Zenithstar 61 Questions Video
While expanding my horizons into the astrophotography hobby, I was researching several different telescopes I was interested in. Having decided to go with the William Optics Zenithstar 61, the research intensified. I wanted to know more about how it mounted. While...
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William Optics Zenithstar 61 First Light
Having some mildly successful attempts at astrophotography with a DSLR and a camera lens (and the iOptron SkyGuider Pro), I decided I would make the investment and get the William Optics Zenithstar 61. Already having the iOptron SkyGuider Pro, the Zenithstar 61...
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SkyGuider Pro Polar Scope Viewfinder Adapter
There are few times when someone thinks of a good idea, then acts on it, then makes it available to others. Philippe Leca has done this!When using the iOptron SkyGuider Pro, I found it difficult to do accurate polar alignment, because when the camera is at...
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Canon xTi (400D) and BackYard EOS shutter time longer than 30 seconds
Before I get into the iOptron SkyGuider Pro (SGP), I want to detour and talk about what prompted me to purchase a new camera. One of the pieces of equipment I thought I could get started with was my Canon xTi (400D). Sure it has the crop sensor, but I have seen some...
read moreAstrophotography for a beginner by a beginner
As mentioned in a previous post, I took some simple astrophotography pictures with my cell phone camera. A meteor, the moon and the eclipse were relatively easy targets. I had been bitten by the astro bug. I decided it was time to live out my childhood dream and get a...
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Universal Observations Up and Running!
In August of 2017, I put my camera phone into "Pro" mode and adjusted the settings to allow me to photograph the eclipse through 2 pair of polarized sunglasses. A few months later, April of 2018, in my driveway, phone camera in "Pro" mode again taking 10...
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