Still need to drill the ventilation and power supply holes, but pretty much there on the #AllSkyCamera refurb after 6 years of constant abuse by Scottish weather, which is, shall we say, "non-trivial".
Needs a new dome, simple purchase from https://allskyoptics.com , who sponsored the project via discounts and support. But a tough bit of amateur kit.
Most of the #AllSkyCamera gubbins in place. Not often I get to cut threads (for mounting the heat sink with bolts), so that was fun. Need to find a way to ensure the Pi doesn't short against the sink. To do: power supply fitting, bolt and seal dome, weatherproof vents (going to try designing and printing my own).
And speaking of the Pi, doing well for 6 years of harsh conditions, but showing it. Going to test it to failure 👏
Heat sink for the #AllSkyCamera refurbishment, salvaged from a stove fan. Happens to be exactly the right height for the new case and dome. Weatherproof vents and a fan will blow cold air across it.

@cosmiclibrarian “Ultimately, the early 2026 fireball wave highlights a glaring blind spot in our planetary defense and astronomical monitoring.

Right now, scientists are relying heavily on #crowdsourced eyewitness accounts to calculate #trajectories. When the 7-ton asteroid exploded over Ohio, the only #AMS affiliated #AllskyCamera in the state was offline.”

Loosing Carl, terrible; Loosing his expertise is really bad right now.

<https://zmescience.com/science/news-science/something-is-happening-around-earth-inside-2026s-massive-fireball-surge/>

Something Is Happening Around Earth: Inside 2026’s Massive Fireball Surge

Earth is facing an unexplained surge of massive, booming daytime fireballs in early 2026.

ZME Science
Further work on the #AllSkyCamera revamp: new casing, as the old one is starting to crumble under UV and Scottish weather. But forgot, buying new casing, that the top surface needs to be flat to mate to the dome. So 3D printed an adaptor (fun high school maths challenge) and then needed a stand to hold the camera in position: brainwave, I've got a knackered Peltier fan for the stove, and what an astrocam wants in a stand is a really good heatsink.

Our new AllSky Camera has a preview of the clouds we expect tonight, 3/25. The Westport Observatory's Weekly Wednesday Star Party is CANCELLED. Fingers crossed we see you next Wednesday! https://was-ct.org/

#StarParty #WestportObservatory #AllSkyCamera #WestportCT #WAS

Astronomers can now view real-time conditions at the observatory from our AllSky camera! Whether you’re planning observations, checking cloud cover, or just enjoying the night sky, you can access the live feed any time on our website.
Live AllSky View: https://www.yorku.ca/science/observatory/observers/
Clear skies and happy observing!
#AllSkyCamera #Astrophotography #Astronomy #Astronomer #Space #YorkU #Observatory #AllanICarswellObservatory #Stargazing #Telescope #Planets #Stars #Science #Physics #Toronto #YorkUObservatory #ClearSkies #FreeEvents #FamilyFriendly #ScienceOutreach #Tour #AICO
Astronomers can now view real-time conditions at the observatory from our AllSky camera! Whether you’re planning observations, checking cloud cover, or just enjoying the night sky, you can access the live feed any time on our website.
Live AllSky View: https://www.yorku.ca/science/observatory/observers/
Clear skies and happy observing!
#AllSkyCamera #Astrophotography #Astronomy #Astronomer #Space #YorkU #Observatory #AllanICarswellObservatory #Stargazing #Telescope #Planets #Stars #Science #Physics #Toronto #YorkUObservatory #ClearSkies #FreeEvents #FamilyFriendly #ScienceOutreach #Tour #AICO
Oh my sweet baby, what have the years done to your once beautiful features?
To be fair, it's been 4 years on the highest point for miles around, 24 hours a day, 364 days a year, in the worst weather the Northern Highlands can throw at electronics. Yet it persists.
Main problems are plastic, internal camera mount has degraded/slipped, the dome is seriously clouded by age and the quarter turn screws are NOT coming out despite my best brute force and ignorance.
#AllSkyCam #AllSkyCamera
Really bright flare on the #AllSkyCamera about 01:20 this morning. Meteor-bright, but covered about 10 degrees of arc and showed up in 3 frames of 20 second each. Guessing it's something orbital and a good bit higher than the ISS etc, but big/reflective. Best match I can find is the SL-16 rocket, but that doesn't seem high enough, orbital period is only ~10 mins longer than ISS.
Any ideas?
(Sorry, not got copies of the pics, will tomorrow.)