2 minutes ago, Sundog said:

Well that's disappointing.

I took this pic by holding my phone up to the eyepiece and mind you my phone had some distance from the lens since it couldn't get close to it so this is a zoomed in cropped phone pic taken through the eyepiece of the Celestron NexstarSe 6 inch. It looked a lot better viewing it through the actual eyepiece.

How come it can't do any better than what you posted?

Focal length and sensors are optimized for wide field targets on smart scopes and the Celestron has a larger aperture/focal length which is intended for planets/small deep field objects. The focal ratio is horrible on the Nextstar so it would collect light at a much slower speed if it were to be converted into a photography rig.

@Sundog

4 minutes ago, FrankPizz said:

@Sundog

Western cultural works and white history can be butchered, vandalized and desecrated.

I hate these people with all my heart.

Beautiful rain

6 hours ago, Sundog said:

Western cultural works and white history can be butchered, vandalized and desecrated.

I hate these people with all my heart.

One day it is all going to snap. I don't know if it will be sooner or later, but one day it will happen.

2 hours ago, Snowlover76 said:

Beautiful rain

Only had .07 here as it mostly missed to my south, but had a beautiful light show last night.

Lockdowns coming

https://www.foxnews.com/world/who-declares-ebola-outbreak-central-africa-public-health-emergency-80-suspected-deaths

Larry Cosgrove says any heat we get will be done with after early July. he believed this will be a high-end moderate NINO And he also said if there was enough tropical activity in the Pacific later on in the summer and the storms go off the East Coast of Japan, we would end up having a cool Autumn. He said this several weeks ago as well so he may be onto something. I really hope that comes to pass because I don’t want to see another September 2015 repeat.

1 minute ago, Andrew said:

Larry Cosgrove says any heat we get will be done with after early July. he believed this will be a high-end moderate NINO And he also said if there was enough tropical activity in the Pacific later on in the summer and the storms go off the East Coast of Japan, we would end up having a cool Autumn. He said this several weeks ago as well so he may be onto something. I really hope that comes to pass because I don’t want to see another September 2015 repeat.

WE can have a moderate to strong El Nino and have a winter like 2009-10 or 1957-58.

If it's too strong, then we get a 2015-16 or 1997-98 and hope that you get the one biggie.

Out here, most El Ninos are good, with the exception of the very dry Ninos, like 1991-92 and 1994-95.

8 hours ago, Analog1888 said:

Only had .07 here as it mostly missed to my south, but had a beautiful light show last night.

Got 1.9 here. A lot of areas got over 2

34 minutes ago, Snowlover76 said:

Got 1.9 here. A lot of areas got over 2

Ended up with 0.22 or so from the early morning stuff, but today was supposed to be our day anyway.

35 minutes ago, Snowlover76 said:

Yeah my day is today. Tomorrow will likely be falling into the 50s during the day here, so I can't see how we get strong storms.

But we could see good rains tomorrow afternoon and evening from the dying convection.

20 minutes ago, Analog1888 said:

Yeah my day is today. Tomorrow will likely be falling into the 50s during the day here, so I can't see how we get strong storms.

But we could see good rains tomorrow afternoon and evening from the dying convection.

Im hoping this wet pattern can sustain itself and this isn't just another 1-3 week stretch with rain followed by another 6+ months that are bone dry

23 minutes ago, Analog1888 said:

Ended up with 0.22 or so from the early morning stuff, but today was supposed to be our day anyway.

Just now, Snowlover76 said:

Im hoping this wet pattern can sustain itself and this isn't just another 1-3 week stretch with rain followed by another 6+ months that are bone dry

Its hard to imagine that. There are a lot of waves and fronts coming in this flow. We may have more storms by next sunday and shower chances (at least up here) as early as friday or so.

   Mesoscale Discussion 0748
   NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
   1158 AM CDT Sun May 17 2026

   Areas affected...south-central SD into north-central NE

   Concerning...Severe potential...Watch possible 

   Valid 171658Z - 171830Z

   Probability of Watch Issuance...60 percent

   SUMMARY...Severe thunderstorm potential will increase through early
   afternoon downstream from ongoing elevated convection across
   north-central Nebraska into south-central South Dakota. Area is
   being monitored for possible watch issuance.

   DISCUSSION...Elevated convection is ongoing at midday near the
   surface cold front. Inflow ahead of this storm complex is aiding in
   northwestward moisture transport across NE and near a modifying
   outflow boundary draped across north-central NE. With addition
   heating/moistening into early afternoon, convection developing along
   the southern flank of this storm complex may eventually become
   surface-based near the residual outflow boundary. Stronger
   destabilization is expected into the afternoon and this currently
   elevated activity may gradually become surface-based. Uncertainty
   remains regarding how this area of convection will ultimately evolve
   and how much severe potential will accompany this activity in the
   short term, before a more substantial risk develops further east
   later this afternoon. At least some large hail and damaging wind
   risk may accompany initial convection. Trends will be monitored and
   an initial watch issuance may be needed.

   ..Leitman/Mosier.. 05/17/2026

   ...Please see www.spc.noaa.gov for graphic product...

   ATTN...WFO...FSD...ABR...LBF...UNR...

   LAT...LON   42870114 43679978 43739910 43339845 42499842 41859885
               41659992 41670077 41850129 42260140 42870114 

   MOST PROBABLE PEAK TORNADO INTENSITY...100-125 MPH
   MOST PROBABLE PEAK WIND GUST...65-80 MPH
   MOST PROBABLE PEAK HAIL SIZE...2.00-3.50 IN

That disagrees with where spc has it. But i have to say i dont like that its still mostly cloudy here

1 minute ago, Analog1888 said:

That disagrees with where spc has it. But i have to say i dont like that its still mostly cloudy here

Mostly sunny here. Sitting at 83/68 with a real stiff wind.

This might be bad