Introduction In the first experiment I introduced the breadboard and how to connect components without soldering. In this experiment I will build my first complete working electrical circuit. A circuit is simply a continuous path through which electric current can…
Note: Skip this post if you are already comfortable with the meaning of quantities such as 9 volts, 3 mA, 12k ohms and 100 Watts. What Is Electricity? This first post will cover some basic concepts and definitions but unfortunately…
My interest in electronics goes back quite a long way. When I was in the 7th grade, my dad helped me build a crystal radio. I remember the fascination of hearing a radio signal with a device that had no batteries at…
The Ring Nebula (M57) is one of the most iconic planetary nebulae in the night sky, located in the constellation Lyra approximately 2,300 light-years from Earth. Discovered in 1779 by Antoine Darquier de Pellepoix and Charles Messier, this stunning celestial…
Catching Cosmic Waves: Photographing the Crescent Nebula On the night of April 22, 2022, under clear skies, I captured an image of the Crescent Nebula (NGC 6888), located in the constellation Cygnus. This emission nebula is a glowing shell of…
Keeping a Log of Visual Observations in Astronomy Maintaining a log or notes of visual observations of the night sky is a rewarding practice for amateur astronomers and casual stargazers alike. Whether observing with the naked eye, binoculars, or a…
In the evening of October 14, 2024, I saw Comet C/2023 A3, also known as Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, a newly discovered comet gracing our skies. This intriguing cosmic traveler was first identified by the Purple Mountain Observatory in China and the ATLAS…
I made this photo in March, 2017 by capturing 2000 video frames with Firecapture and then selecting the best 15% of the frames and stacking them with Registax. I sharpened it using wavelet sharpening in Registax. I used a Questar…