It was almost exactly a month since my last chance to take a picture of Jupiter. The seeing was better but I’m not so sure of the result.
Jupiter Saturday February 14
The seeing wasn’t great, which is an understatement, but I managed to get this. 7ms exposure, best 20% of 4000 frames stacked. Sharpening in Photoshop. I could tell from the start that my focus was good, sometimes it is hard to be sure, and the seeing would settle down between bouts of 20 mph wind. This front was coming in. I tried series of 3ms and 1ms videos but while sharper they were too grainy from having to pump up the gain. Maybe I’ll be able to shoot all 7 planets this year.
New State Bird (for Everyone) the Great Black-backed Gull
This bird first seen by Kenny & LaDonna Nichols on Thursday. Friday, Karen, Doris, Dottie and I made a speed run to lake Dardanelle to see it but was foiled. Saturday, the Audubon Society of Central Arkansas on their monthly field trip spent a lot of time looking for it. I had to take off around noon and missed its recovery at about 4 PM. So Sunday morning, Dan Scheiman and I went one more time and found it within about 15 minutes. Third time charm. Common on the east coast, never seen in Arkansas before. I saw one on the east coast 29 years ago so this is only a half-life bird and a great state bird #340.
