Astro Imaging Session Piques Three-item Topic

What arose when the sun set down at the dark site we went to? Dark skies and objects (constellations, star clusters, nebulae, ...) that don't show up well in light-pollution, densely populated areas. What three items am I talking about? A TV tray table, a transparent cookbook stand, and a thin, portable gaming monitor.

In the Beginning (of the Astrophotography Session)

We met with another astronomy photographer (AKA astrophotographer) at a dark site, both parties for a nebula 1000 light years away. Our friend stayed long enough to also photograph a set of galaxies 60 million light years away. BTW, astrophotography is not merely taking one pic and seeing loads of details. Each session for each target tends to take hours, sometimes multiple sessions, specialized equipment for taking out-of-the-world pix, and cooperative climate conditions.

Portable Gaming Monitor

Our friend showed a new acquisition for showing audience members at outreach events—a portable gaming monitor that he read about in a NYT Wirecutter article, maybe "The Best Monitors". Arzopa seems eye-poppingly low cost, compared to other reviewed monitors. "Arzopa Z1FC 144Hz Portable Gaming Monitor Review" lists the measurements as 8.2 by 14.9 by 0.5 inches, weighing 1.7 pounds. (The traditional dimension reference is 16.1 (corner to corner).

Table Slots Between Slats a Hindrance to Stable Monitor Support

Anyway, he is understandably concerned about the monitor's thin foldable corner support falling through slots on his display table (square with narrow gaps between slats). Noting the monitor's thinness, I mentioned having a plastic, transparent cookbook stand that would probably work with such a monitor.

Another idea was trying a different table. I thought of our foldable TV tray table that measures 14.5 x 19 and has no gap hazards. BTW, Google images search shows good results for "acrylic cookbook stands" and "foldable TV trays". BTW, a quick, low-effort, low-cost solution to preventing monitor support fall-through, using a square piece of cardboard the same size as the square table would help.

Music Stand as Monitor Support? Nah!

An idea for stable displaying of the monitor briefly arose—using a music stand. It has variable height and tilt adjustments and horizontal lip. Downsides, however, are heaviness from metal weight and feet that take up space during transport. Furthermore, securing a monitor to avoid tipping or toppling it is concerning.

Musing Monitor Support Using No-slat TV Tray Table and Cookbook Stand

The next day, I thought about taking pix showing my cookbook stand and TV tray table. I took a set of pix—one of the stand (with open book) atop the table, one with additional items, and several showing different-angle views.

It occurred to me that I had the makings of a blog topic that included some idea exchanges about items not specific to astronomy. Also, I got to thinking of how to organize and create a helpful slide-show video.

Besides Monitor Musings

Some additional items in the video are are a yardstick and a set of trekking poles. The yardstick provides dimensional references. The sticks were mentioned during the imaging session. FWIW, a dark site can be challenging for those unfamiliar with the terrain. Even more challenging is navigating after the sun goes down. Better to have sticks and not need them than need them and not have them.

Update: Additional Info After Video's Upload on Feb 28 2025

After publishing the blog article and uploading the movie, our friend sent an image of his table and portable gaming monitor with the monitor's support leg. His fix for possible leg fall-through was a bottle cap.

A bottle cap does the job for the leg and the display is too thick to slide through. The [table's] gap actually cradles the bottom of the display! ... I added a couple of bits of foam insulation to the bottle cap to keep the leg centered in it.

The video's thumbmail shows the initial suggestion, the friend's pic, and additional ideas. The newer items include bungee cords for better securing a monitor for display and avoiding pit falls.

Raspberry Con-fusion Cake

I wanted to Kool-Aid my cake using Raspberry Kool-Aid, but the supermarket didn't carry that flavor. I thought about using Jello, maybe make a poke cake. Fortunately, I found info for helping integrate raspberry gelatin and cake in a non-pokey way. The result was my raspberry con-fusion cake (details farther down).

No Hokey Pokey Cake for Me, but Something Else

When I read elsewhere that a poke cake would deteriorate in a few days, I abandoned the idea. Besides short life, the recipe looked like more work than I wanted to do. I later thought about making something with raspberry gelatin and cake. Did some poking around supermarket prices and availability. Jello's small size cost nearly as much as the family size. I noticed that the store carries both Royal and Hill Country Fare raspberry sugar-free brands.

I found a few resources to use gelatin in cake besides making poke cakes. Several commenters recommended merely following the cake box's instructions and mixing in the gelatin powder. I've run across info about enhancing cakes by adding an extra egg and using milk instead of water, In my zeal to try a few different details, I put in too much fluid.

My Con-fusion

My con-fusion with this cake resulted from using the amount of fluid called for if making a small gelatin batch. For integration into a cake, I needed to put in only half the fluid. Regular instructions for small-package gelatin calls for 1 cup of boiling water and 1 cup of cold water. Normal box cake recipes call for 1 cup of water total. Sooo, I put too much fluid. I decided to just carry on and see how the cake turned out.

To adjust for too much fluid, I baked the cakes for several minutes longer, hoping evaporation would help. The cake layers baked; the toothpick test came out well. However, they did not rise. The finished cake cut cleanly with no crumbs. The mouth-feel texture was dense, like pound cake. Within the six days of consumption, the cake became more moist, even watery. The frosting seemed to almost liquefy to saucy consistency.

If inclined, Google "what happens if you add too much fluid to cake batter". The next time I retry the recipe, I'll remember to use only half the amount of fluid.)

Resources for Using Gelatin in Cakes (Excluding Pokes)

• "Jello Gelatin Mix In Cakes??"
• "What happens if you add jell-o gelatin (not pudding) to cake mix? ..."
• "Is it true you can put jello in cake mix and make a cake that is a combination of jello and cake? "
• Related: "How To Make: Jello from a Box"

Calories and Sodium

The calories and sodium differ on whether you use sugar-free or sugared Jello gelatin powders.

Note: Using sugared Jello instead of sugar-free HCF adds about 320 extra calories (~27 C/svg) and 320 extra mg of sodium (~27 mg/svg) to the cake. Between the two sugar-free brands, the amount of calories is negligible. The amount for sodium is more significant. The following abbreviated table compares calories and sodium for HCF, Royal, and Jello raspberry gelatins.

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Got cake sweet tooth? Get results for some of my cake blog articles.