The Straight-Up Cam

[Turtle]

I have interrupted the experiment in order to construct a SUC enclosure, so I took the opportunity to grab the first stills from the project.
The first is an infrared image of the star Vega in Lyra taken last night.

The second is clouds & a contrail I captured this morning.

It is very curious seeing the clouds from this perspective. [i.e. looking straight up at them] Clearly they are clouds but the boundaries look peculiar in comparison to the normal & expected layering when viewing clouds with an outward look of 45° or less.
At any rate, I expect to go operational again with 2 or 3 hours.

[Turtle]

Originally Posted by Turtle

I have interrupted the experiment in order to construct a SUC enclosure, so I took the opportunity to grab the first stills from the project.
...
At any rate, I expect to go operational again with 2 or 3 hours.

The new is complete. Little more than a foil covered cardboard box, it suffices for a 3 day experiment.
I invite & welcome any SUC images from you all, whether from still or video cameras. You needn't take any other great means than to lay on you back outside, head pointed North, with your camera for a minute or two & snap a photo.

[Mercedes Benzene]

Very clever Turtle. Once again, you AMAZE me.
Anyway, nice enclosure, and I especially like the picture of the clouds.
You have very pretty skies wherever it is you live.

[Turtle]

Originally Posted by Mercedes Benzene

Very clever Turtle. Once again, you AMAZE me.
Anyway, nice enclosure, and I especially like the picture of the clouds.
You have very pretty skies wherever it is you live.

Roger Mercedes. I live in Vancouver Washington, just across the Columbia River from Portland Oregon.
It has been brought to my attention that while the project title clarifies the Z axis with Straight-Up Cam, it leaves the X & Y axes ambiguous. To clarify, the X & Y is Top-of-frame Oriented North. I have authorized the project title change to Straight-Up Camera Top-of-frame Oriented North & the acronym SUCTON. Please title submitted project images with the SUCTON prefix. Thanks for you cooperation.
SUCTON Management Team

[Tormod]

You are possibly the most amazing scientist we have on board, Turtle.

[InfiniteNow]

I see Turtle as a bit of the stereotypical "mad scientist." Always tinkering with things, creating little gadgets, moving back and forth, scribbling things on paper, experimenting... I am a bit envious that I don't have more time to do the same myself. Khua, solar oven, katabatak painting, monitoring mt. st. helen's, upward looking cameras, even makes julienne fries!

Bravo good sir, and cheers!

[Turtle]

Originally Posted by InfiniteNow

I see Turtle as a bit of the stereotypical "mad scientist." Always tinkering with things, creating little gadgets, moving back and forth, scribbling things on paper, experimenting... I am a bit envious that I don't have more time to do the same myself. ...

By jove, you have struck the flame on the Bunson burner Now. I am certifiably as mad as a Hatter. As to your wish for more time, it is a bit of a paradox; you see I have the time for my science only because I am mad. Were it otherwise I would be echoing your lament. Caught in Catch 22 as it were.
Nonetheless, with a gallimaufry of unfinished projects littering the trail behind me, it is reassuring to think some find value in it. Which brings us to the SUCTON unit update. I report all systems performing nominally, with current conditions cloudy. I may add a plasticine port to the top of the unit to facilitate its operation by a remote infrared control as this control allows immediate swithching from interval record mode to full record.
This concludes this episode of mad ramblings & scientific examination of Project SUCTON.

[Tormod]

I am tired and have slept too little and had a boring day at work.

It is pouring outside and I have to keep up my training schedule for an upcoming 10K race. I have to run a slow tempo 5K today and I was going to ditch it but Turtle, you always make my day so I am going out there just because you made me feel good with your brilliant project SUCTON.

[Turtle]

Originally Posted by Tormod

I am tired and have slept too little and had a boring day at work.
It is pouring outside and I have to keep up my training schedule for an upcoming 10K race. I have to run a slow tempo 5K today and I was going to ditch it but Turtle, you always make my day so I am going out there just because you made me feel good with your brilliant project SUCTON.

Sweet syncronicity! I was just coming back to add a Post Script to say, "how did I miss this?"

Originally Posted by Tormod

You are possibly the most amazing scientist we have on board, Turtle.

I intended a rejoinder something to the effect of "Oh yeah! Well you are the most amazing promoter of possibly-the-most-amazing-scientists. Run Forrest, run!

[Turtle]

The research continues. Besides clearly imaging Vega in the constellation Lyra, I saw many other stars in Lyra as well. In doing some research on Vega & the constellation Lyra I identified an interesting varible star I believe I have recorded on the SUCTON instrument. Not only does this start to give me a range of sensivity of the instrument for astronomical observation in SuperNightshot mode, I may actually record the variable binary varying.

Originally Posted by Wicky

Beta Lyrae changes its apparent magnitude from +3.4 to +4.6 over a period of 12.9075 days.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beta_Lyrae
As Lyra slowly moved out of view to the West, Hercules moved in to take its place. I have printed a star map of the SUCTON field of view for further reference as I continue to spend hours watching the live feed.
Current conditions mostly clear & boring with the occasional cloud.