Bluebird Observatories
These amateur facilities were constructed for the amusement of a retired nuclear physicist and produce observations of interest to students, neighbors, friends, and himself. The author can be contacted alucas0217@aol.com.
Lucas Newman Science and Technology
A small consulting company dealing with laboratory measurements of radioactivity in soil, water and air along with the remediation of contaminated nuclear environs.
A Tour of the Messier Objects
A library of Messier objects is being developed for use in planning measurements in and about these objects. The images were obtained by a standardized methodology so as to permit choosing the optics and analytical methods for further studies in and about these objects.
Galaxies and Nebulae
Miscellaneous color photos of galaxies and nebulae taken at Bluebird Observatories.
Planets
The wanderers of the solar system provide a number of photographic opportunities. As well, occultations of various small magnitude stars by pluto may provide some insights into the existence of debris in orbit around pluto.
Eris
Continuing the study of the minor planets, this report (pdf) (doc) discusses the tracking of Eris. The hope is that, if a potential occulations exists, the data precision will be sufficient to make the prediction real. Notes on the picture to the left.
Asteroids
Due to their size, asteroids are typically difficult to observe directly, but they are capable of reducing or eliminating the light from a star if they pass directly in front of them, creating an occultation.
IOTA, the International Occultation and Timing Association, is an organization of amateur and professional astronomers who use occultations between two objects to do such things as refine calculations of asteroid orbits.
Comets
Large balls of ice orbiting the sun in highly eccentric orbits, comets can be a lot of fun to photograph. Here are a couple of examples.