Okubo Heavy Industries

Almost total cloud cover here in Hokkaido. Just a faint fuzzy glow visible.

Very poor image of a fuzzy crescent eclipsed full moon.

Worst lunar eclipse ever! Almost total cloud cover. This is the best shot I could get. 🔭

Almost full moon with Regulus just above.

Despite 95% cloud cover, sub zero temperatures and strong winds, I just watched Regulus disappear behind the moon with my homemade telescope! 🔭

I took a picture of Jupiter and the four Galilean moons earlier this week with my homemade telescope. I can see two cloud bands on Jupiter and maybe the Great Red Spot if I squint? 🔭

Solargraph showing the path of the sun with snow in the foreground and trees on the horizon in the mid distance.

1 week Solargraph in Hokkaido, Japan. I’ll try to set another up in this location for a year. This was made with an empty Fanta can, pinhole, ILFORD photographic paper and black tape. 🔭 ☀️ 🌞

It was sunny for a couple of days and then snowing for a couple of weeks and then sunny for a couple of days again. You can see at one point there was a brief bit of sunshine for an hour or so in between the two sunny periods.

Pinhole photo showing the arcing path of the sun through the sky. There are a line of trees in the middle distance which the arcs cut through. The foreground is snowy ground. There are two distinct arcs with a small gap between them.

Pinhole Solargraph. 4 week exposure leading up to the winter solstice using an old aluminium Fanta can as a camera and ILFORD photographic paper. Hokkaido, Japan. #photography #art #pinhole #lofi

Here is the high tech camera. Yes, that’s a Fanta can with hole poked in it and lots of black tape!

Solargraph showing the path of the sun over about 4 weeks. Two distinct Solar paths are visible. A line of trees in the mid distance and snow in the foreground.

Pinhole Solargraph of the 4 weeks up to the solstice. This is the best one yet I think. Looking forward to seeing the six month ones I’m setting up right now. 🔭

Cedar strip canoe sitting in the deep snow. Trees in the background.

Almost finished building a cedar strip canoe. Still need to finish making the seat and varnish everything.

Black and white image showing the lake, shore and ridge line with a bright arc showing the path of the Sun.

One week Solargraph next to Hangetsu lake, at the base of Mt. Yotei, Hokkaido, Japan. Really happy with how this one turned out, especially the reflection in the partially frozen lake. It’s great we were able to leave it undisturbed in a place where so many people visit. 🔭 ☀️

Picture of waxing gibbous moon.

The moon a few minutes ago from Hokkaido. 🔭

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Dear Santa, this is what I want for Xmas!

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Thanks. It’s unlikely but a real concern here. I have scuttled inside with my telescope a couple of times after hearing something big moving around in the undergrowth. Probably deer but not worth chancing it!

Thanks! Not bad for a homemade telescope made with cheap mirrors from AliExpress and a cardboard tube from the hardware store!

The moon, Saturn and the ISS lined up diagonally in a gap between larch trees.

The moon, Saturn and the International Space Station lined up between the trees just now. Hokkaido, Japan. 🔭

This evening’s waxing gibbous moon.

The moon is looking beautiful this evening. 🔭

Week long Solargraph image showing the path of the sun behind some trees and snow in the foreground.

New pinhole Solargraph! This one was in place for a week. Had a few really sunny days and then lots of cloud. Am I going to do a month long and year long one? You’d better believe it! 🔭 ☀️

Fuzzy picture of Jupiter showing two diagonal cloud bands and three moons.

My best picture of Jupiter yet with my homemade 114mm Dobsonian telescope. Also Europa below and Io and Ganymede above. So cool to see cloud bands on another planet! 🔭

It’s strangely beautiful isn’t it? Like some kind of relic from the past. I’m going to try and make one that captures a week or month next.

Solargraph showing the path of the Sun and some trees in the foreground.

I made a pinhole solargraph with an aluminium drink can, some black tape, a pin and a sheet of ILFORD photographic paper. This image shows the path of the Sun over the course of a day and the trees in front of my house. 🔭 🌞

I very luckily captured a shooting star as I was taking a picture of Orion with my iPhone! 10 second exposure, iPhone 16Pro. Hokkaido, Japan. 🔭

Jupiter at the top show some cloud bands and the 4 Galilean moons lined up in a line below.

Close up image of part of the moon

Close up image of part of the moon

Close up image of part of the moon

My first picture of Jupiter and the 4 Galilean moons with the homemade telescope and some moon pictures. All taken with the 17mm eyepiece and 2xbarlow. 🔭

Full moon

Full moon

The moon a few minutes ago taken from Hokkaido, Japan with my homemade budget 114mm Dobsonian and an iPhone. 🔭

The almost full moon.

Tonight’s moon grabbed between clouds with my homemade budget telescope and an iPhone. 🔭

Is it possible to order this in Japan or only available in US?

Homemade solar projector telescope sitting on the back of a kei truck. Long autumn grass and trees in the background.

Projected image of the sun showing some sunspots.

NASA image of the sun from the SOHO spacecraft showing the same sunspots although in much more detail.

I built a ¥3,000 (US$20) solar projector telescope with some cheap lenses from AliExpress and some scrap ply. My image of the Sun isn’t quite as clear as the one from the NASA SOHO spacecraft (3rd picture in case you weren’t sure) but it was much less expensive! This was a fun little project!
🔭 🌞

Picture of the Pleiades last night.

Picture of the Pleiades last night with the main stars labeled in yellow.

I got to see and photograph the Pleiades last night with my homemade telescope. I was able to match up all the stars named in the free version of Stellarium and captured a bunch more too! I think the purple spot is a reflection from the eyepiece of the iPhone laser rangefinder. 🔭

Fuzzy image of Saturn and its edge on rings.

I’m so happy to get this image of Saturn a few minutes ago with my homemade 114mm Dobsonian and an iPhone 16 pro held to the eyepiece! 🔭

Lego Obi-Wan Kenobi minifigure assembled inside unopened original bag.

Front image of 20 year LEGO Star Wars anniversary collectible Obi-Wan Kenobi minifigure 30624.

I got this Obi-Wan Kenobi 20 Years of LEGO minifigure along with another purchase on eBay. I didn’t want to take it out of the bag but I did want to build it so I put it together in the unopened bag. The lightsaber was the hardest bit to get in place!

#lego