https://joe-mccarthy.github.io/categories/astronomy/Recent content in Astronomy on Joe McCarthyHugoen-gbThu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://joe-mccarthy.github.io/five-year-astrophysics-plan/Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://joe-mccarthy.github.io/five-year-astrophysics-plan/I’ve admired astrophysicists my whole life. This is the personal plan I’m following to feel at home in the subject over five years—beginning with a calm, consistent maths refresher.https://joe-mccarthy.github.io/metmesh-archived-whats-next/Wed, 17 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://joe-mccarthy.github.io/metmesh-archived-whats-next/Metmesh has been archived. Here is why the experiment paused and how to follow what comes next.https://joe-mccarthy.github.io/night-sky-pi-ntfy/Mon, 21 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0100https://joe-mccarthy.github.io/night-sky-pi-ntfy/A small Night Sky Pi module that subscribes to MQTT topics and forwards notifications to ntfy.sh, using the core config for local MQTT and a simple per-module config for routing.https://joe-mccarthy.github.io/night-sky-pi-released/Mon, 14 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0100https://joe-mccarthy.github.io/night-sky-pi-released/Night Sky Pi reached 1.0.0 with automated overnight capture, date-organised storage, adaptive exposure, JSON metadata, packaging, MQTT signals, automatic cleanup, and a configurable setup.https://joe-mccarthy.github.io/combating-moisture-part-3/Sun, 09 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000https://joe-mccarthy.github.io/combating-moisture-part-3/A month of logs showed enclosure heat is the primary problem. The plan is active ventilation to stop daytime spikes, plus a dew-point-controlled resistor ring to handle any remaining moisture at night.https://joe-mccarthy.github.io/combating-moisture-part-2/Mon, 06 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000https://joe-mccarthy.github.io/combating-moisture-part-2/Bench-tested two BME280s, deployed one in the dome and one outside in a Stevenson screen, and added an OpenWeather API feed. Logging every 15 minutes for 30 days to inform the condensation fix.https://joe-mccarthy.github.io/loughton-astronomical-society/Mon, 29 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000https://joe-mccarthy.github.io/loughton-astronomical-society/After years of solo stargazing, joining up with the Loughton Astronomical Society adds talks, tips, and company under clear nightshttps://joe-mccarthy.github.io/combating-moisture-part-1/Mon, 15 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000https://joe-mccarthy.github.io/combating-moisture-part-1/Identifies dome condensation as the image-quality culprit, outlines three potential fixes, and sets up a 30-day two-sensor study plus an OpenWeather API comparison to decide the path forward.https://joe-mccarthy.github.io/night-sky-pi-pre-release/Fri, 05 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000https://joe-mccarthy.github.io/night-sky-pi-pre-release/A garden test shows Night Sky Pi reliably captures from sunset to sunrise and packages results. The design moves to single responsibility, with a separate sender app handling off device transfers.https://joe-mccarthy.github.io/night-sky-pi-february-2024-update/Thu, 29 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0000https://joe-mccarthy.github.io/night-sky-pi-february-2024-update/he capture loop is back: images from sunset to sunrise with per frame exposure tweaks. Next up is packaging observations, sending data off device, and refining the capture window.https://joe-mccarthy.github.io/introducing-ground-control/Sun, 25 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0000https://joe-mccarthy.github.io/introducing-ground-control/A simple Spring Boot and Thymeleaf app that manages Night Sky Pi cameras from one dashboard with camera status, observation review, data download, and scheduled clean ups.https://joe-mccarthy.github.io/introducing-night-sky-pi/Sun, 14 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0000https://joe-mccarthy.github.io/introducing-night-sky-pi/A minimal, low cost capture node for all sky imaging, built around a Pi Zero 2 W and the HQ Camera, with Python services that capture overnight and package data for processing elsewhere.