The Moon meets Jupiter + A Gibbous phase

The skies where I live, in Cheshire were clear for 30 minutes on Tuesday, early evening, around tea time. 

So I dashed out with my Nikon, to snap the Moon and Jupiter conjunction.

The image here is a composite, with one exposure for the Moon, taken with my 55-200mm Nikon Zoom lens (200mm)

And the image of Jupiter. Is with the lens open at 55mm.





















On the following night. Wednesday December 7th. The skies were mainly clear. But with a bigg fat Moon washing everything out, there really isn't a lot you can do.

So armed with my Nikon D40 and a heavy, and very solid, Soligor 254mm telephoto lens, I took this picture of the Moon at F11.

This is a very good lens, built in the day's when things were built to last.  It is a manual lens with a range from f4.5 to f32, and was designed to be used with film (m42) thread cameras and was built in the 1960s

This is a stack of 4 frames, at 160th second at 200 iso. Shot in continuous mode. with lens and camera, tripod mounted.

You have to try don't you.

IC1848 AKA Soul Nebula

I took this image of IC1848 aka Soul nebula. As a test too see, if I have finely nailed my guiding issues, once and for all.

After spending an hour or so, waiting for the sky to clear (it was supposed to be clear, on Friday, from 1800hrs) I was able to carefully polar align my G11 using my polar scope.

My thanks must go too. The helpful advice, from Chesterfield Astronomer, Paul Collins during PSP211

Paul very kindly told me, where I have been going wrong all these years with my polar alignment.
And in a nut shell, told me. "Stop buggering about, with pointing models, as these don't make any difference to my initial polar alignment".

The Soul nebula. is huge. And I can only get the central part, on the Atik16ic chip.

I am saving to buy a 314L+. And I hope to have this next year, if all goes well.

I think this is one subject, that will fit nicely on that larger chip with the 66mm William Optics, focal reduced x.5

Here is 1 hour & 22 minutes guided image. Taken through my, William Optics Zenith Star 66sd, and guided through my 8" with the QHY5 and PHD.

Focal reduced to 400mm at F2, to better suite my guide settings in PHD.

All exposures are in HA and taken using seven minute exposures.

This was taken on Friday tonight, before the cloud rolled in  

Type	Emission
Right ascension	02h 51m 36.24s
Declination	+60° 26′ 53.9"
Distance	7,500 ly
Apparent magnitude (V)	??
Apparent dimensions (V)	40.0'x10.0'
Constellation	Cassiopeia
Physical characteristics
Radius	-
Absolute magnitude (V)	6.5
Notable features	-
Other designations	LBN 667 - Cluster is IC1848

Messier 76. A Planetary nebula in Perseus.

At this time off the year, Perseus is riding high in the North East.

It is a constellation, full off interesting deep sky object's to see. Both visually and image.

On the evening of Sunday 6th November. I was fortunate to have a clear sky, but the Moon was so bright. 

So- I decided to try a spot of narrowband imaging.

My choice was the Little Dumbbell nebula.

This is an interesting nebula. And it is known by too names. The Cork, and Barbell Nebula.

It was discovered by Mechain in 1780, and included in Messier's catalogue as no 76.

M76 is faint, and some sources quote M76, as magnitude 12.1, whilst other's give a value near magnitude 10.

It is there for, quite an easy subject visually, for modest aperture telescope's.

The size of M76 is. 2.7 x 1.8 arcmin. Whilst its distance is 780pc or 2,500ly.

This picture was captured over a period of just under two hour's. And has been combined from fifty-five times two-minute exposure's.

I was using an Astronomik 13nm Hydrogen Alpha filter, attached to my Atik 16ic CCD camera. Which was attached to my Orion Optics 200-800 F4 imaging Newtonian. The guiding was undertaken with a QHY5 and Willam Optics ZS66sd, and PHD software. All this is attached to a Losmandy G11-Gemini L4.

I hope to gather more data, using longer exposure's once the Moon is in the morning sky. 

click the image to enlarge

Using a Nikon D40, for astro-imaging.

I have always been interested in imaging, ever since I owned a very good CCD camera, the MX5 in the middle half of the 1990's.

In 2006 I bought an Atik16ic CCD camera and in 2007- I bought a Nikon D40.

I always use my Atik for long exposure CCD imaging of faint, but also bright, Deep Sky object's.

But, until very recently, I have started to do some test's, to see how good my Nikon D40 compares, for Deep Sky, astro imaging, to the Atik.

For most people, the preferred camera of choice for this sort of work. Are camera's from the Canon stable.

Canon offer a very good range of DSLR's which all have, very good red sensitivity.

So naturally, these were the camera's of choice for imaging nebulae, together with other, fine DSO objects.

There first camera, being, the 350D followed later by the 1000D.

Nikon, on the other hand are not as popular, with digital astro imagers. But over the past year they have started to produce some very good camera's that are suitable, for this type of low light, imaging.

The Nikon D7000 is a very good example. But for some, this camera is expensive.

The Nikon D40 is a 6.1 mega pixel camera, that I use for day time shooting. And until very recently night time, astro imaging.

I am using this camera with an Orion Optics SPX 254mm F4.8 Newtonian reflector, with 1/10^th wave optics.

This set up is all mounted on what I consider to be. One of the best value equatorial mount's affordable.

The Losmandy G11, fitted with Gemini Level 4 GOTO.

On Friday September 30^th 2011, I was very fortunate to be able to image the night sky from by back garden observatory here in East Cheshire, using this equipment.

And for the very first time. I was able to use my Nikon D40.

Searching the internet, I have found very little imaging of the night sky done with this camera. And I wanted to see, just how good it was. Both for color response, but also sensitivity, to low light imaging.

My subject on Friday was the famous Dumbbell nebula or Messier 27.

During early autumn evening's. M27 is still at the zenith, and crosses the meridian shortly before 9pm, so it is there for, very well placed for imaging.

I was able to set my equipment up in reasonable time, to give the OTA plenty of time to cool down. The mount was polar aligned during the early evening, and whilst it was still light. I was able to go through my alignment procedure.

After spending a quarter of an hour. I was finally ready.

The skies above me were very clear, getting slowly darker. I was able to take some test shot's of Sadar (Gamma Cygni) to check for focus, and tracking issue's. I wasn't guiding, as I do not as yet have a suitable guiding scope.

Everything was looking OK. So with heavy heart I slewed the 10” and D40 onto Messier 27. And began taking 10 x120 second exposure's.

To avoid any vibration's, that could spoil each image. I used the self timer, and also a pillow case that I draped over the front of the OTA .

Film user's will remember the “Top Hat” method, where you cover the front objective, and wait for any vibration's to die down before removal.

This I did. And I was very happy with the raw, image's.

These image's were all stacked in Deep Sky Stacker, with final processing done in PS.

I am very pleased with the result considering my exposure's are all unguided.

And. I am also very pleased to see, how much detail, in M27 I was able to capture using this camera UN-modded.

Paul A Brierley

October 03^rd 2011.

I find the taking of CCD image's a big challenge, and with every image taken. I learn something new

Sun-day

If like me, you have suitable equipment for looking at our nearest star, safely. Then I strongly recommend you do so, today.

The sun is positively alive with Sun spot's. There are currently on view. Six large spot group's. And these were visible in my William Optics Zenith Star66 and a Baader white light solar filter, and 25mm Ortho.

 Warning.
The Sun is DANGEROUS. 
Never attempt any solar observing unless you are able to do so safely. Using a Baader solar filter attached to the FRONT of your telescope.

The Backbone of the Night

Last night, I together with a friend from Macclesfield Astronomical Society, went out onto the Derbyshire moors, with the intention to view C/2009 P1 Garradd.

Our observing site was a high plateau above the village of Pott Shrigley, which is on the Cheshire, Derbyshire border.

The skies last night were dark. And very transparent T=6 with the Milky Way clearly visible through Cygnus. I estimated the NLM at m+ 5.9.

Our observing tools were 10x50 binoculars. I still believe these minature telescope's, are still an invaluable tool in observational astronomy, and shouldn't be disregarded by beginners, who are thinking about taking up this hobby.

Here is my report.

M15, m6.3. Dim fuzz ball, but very easy none the less.

C/2009 P1 Garradd. Located the comet quite easily. Estimated magnitude is about m+8.6. The comet is visible towards the right of a pair of faint stars. HD 203699 m6.7, and the fainter HD 204215 m+7.2.

The comet is an elongated fuzzy patch, elongated North-South. It was easier to see with averted vision.

M11, m+5.8. Through the binoculars, M11 looked almost globular in appearance. It is bright and unmistakable.

M16, m+6.0. Very easy, and very bright. M16 is visible, with in, a very rich star field.

M17, m+6.0 Another very bright and easy nebula, which is visible in the same field as M16.

M24, m+4.6. The small Sagittarius star cloud, is one of those objects, that we seldom get to see from where I live in East Cheshire. Because I was high UP last night, It was unmistakable as a small fuzzy haze.

We also observed the Scutum star cloud with the un-aided eye.

M22, m+5.2. This is another seldom seen object. Tonight however, we were both treated to some excellent, wide field views, of this bright globular star cluster. M22 is round and looks slightly granular.

M8, m+4.6. Bright nebula, visible with in a small cluster of stars.

M20, m+6.3. Fainter than M8, but still visible through my 10x50 glasses. M20 is visible as a faint glow against the brighter milky way.

High up, above our heads Cygnus was flying over head. With binoculars and the naked eye. I was able to see NGC7000 and through binoculars. The brighter part's of the Gamma Cygnus nebulosity.

We were observing from 21:35 hrs until cloud rolled in at approx 22:30hrs UT.

One other observation that I made, which, I have yet to identifi. Were two satellites moving through the lower portion of Pegasus. These object's were moving at the same speed. And I think probably, in a synchronous orbit.

They were both seen to transit M15, and they were bright through the glasses. My estimation was m+7.0. I didn't record the time which is annoying. But I would guess it was about 21:45UT.

2011DF in NGC6801 and 2011DH in Messier 51

You don't usually associate CCD, or visual astronomy during these all two short night's. But. As I discovered only last night.

There is still plenty to see when full astronomical darkness comes shortly after 22:00 ut. And last night was know exception.

The skies where I live had been wonderfully clear all day, and I had received notice, about some recent supernovae that were visible. So I decided to set up, and enjoy taking CCD image's of.

Messier 51 and 2011DH (M+14). And then NGC6801 and supernova 2011DF (M+16).

 M51

NGC6801

Both of these object's were tricky, especially Messier 51 with it's near impossible altitude. I had to switch off the guiding, and take 4x30 second UN-guided exposures. Then regrettably I had to leave it. The angle of the G11, made imaging, impossible.

NGC6801 was also difficult but, not as difficult as I had imagined. This galaxy is tiny, and lies very close to Kappa Cygni, and is in a bad area of sky to find galaxies. I suspect if this galaxy were out side the plane of our home galaxy, it might be brighter.

NGC6801 is small and it is a type Sc Galaxy, in Cygnus , it can be found at.

Right Ascension (2000.0): 19:27:35.9 (h:m:s)
Declination (2000.0): +54:22:21 (deg:m:s)
m_b: 14.6 (mag) , m_v: 13.9 (mag) , SB: 13.6 (mag per square arcmin)
Dimension: 1.30 x 0.7 (arcmin) , PA: 44
Cross Identifications: UGC 11443, MCG 9-32-5, ZWG 281.3, PGC 63229, IRAS19264+5416 

Both Sn are arrowed, and both were imaged from my home here in Cheshire, with a Atik16ic and Orion Optics 200-800 F4 on a Losmandy G11. Guiding was carried out with a QHY5 TS, OAG, and PHD.

Car seat Astronomy by Christopher Hill

Here is a short but fascinating observation report, by a member of my local Astronomical Society, Mr C Hill of Macc Astro.

Car Seat Astronomy – Chris Hill

We have all heard of armchair astronomy but what about car seat astronomy?  Spring 2011 was awash with clear nights, but a strong easterly wind made astronomy sometimes uncomfortable.  Setting up a telescope and observing in the wind can leave you very cold, so on the last good night of a clear spell I decided to observe from the comfort of my car.

After the May workshop I parked in a quiet dark spot in the Goyt valley, which is situated between Macclesfield and Buxton. 

With the open drivers side window facing south. And the sunroof  open as well, I began making observations.   

With my 8x50 Opticron binocular I went hunting for the host of galaxies that are best seen in the spring.  Starting with Ursa Major through the sunroof I could easily spot M81 and M82 at right angles to each other. M51 looked like a pale disk through the binocular and M101 was also visible as a larger but fainter glowing disk.  However M108 and M97 (the owl nebula) could not be seen.

The globular clusters M3, M13 and M53 were easy to spot and a fine sight.  I could also see M64 (the black eye galaxy) clearly.  The Leo triplet (M66, M65 and NGC3628) could just be made out with M66 being easiest to spot.  The Virgo cluster was a bit trickier. While M100 and M85 could be made out I could not pin down M98 or M99.  In the area around M84 and M86 I could not make out any individual galaxies but the sky took on a mottled appearance.

I find that galaxies look quite different through a binocular than the usual view that you get through a telescope.  The core of a galaxy stands out in a telescope eyepiece but the faint outer regions can be elusive.  Through a binocular the core can be hard to spot while the outer parts stand out.  The best view of M31 (the Andromeda galaxy) that I have had was through a binocular. 

The sky was quite good with a limiting magnitude of 5.5 but there was some dust in the atmosphere.  Perhaps on another night more could have been seen but I was surprised how much could be seen from a car seat with a binocular.

03-05-2011  

Thank you Chris, for that excellent observing report. Chris has also very kindly submitted a DSLR image of Messier 51. Thank you again.

Gibbous Phased

What do you do at this time of the year, now the night's getting alarmingly shorter and shorter?

Well. I am now making regular solar observation's through the William Optics 66sd and Baader filter, and I am also observing the Moon and imaging it.

Last night for a bit of fun, I decided to use my little APO, and Nikon D40 for some quick lunar imaging.

Here is the result.

 

I've also been making observation's of the Sun using the same telescope, and below are a small selection of drawing's.

The Sun is now beginning to get active again, and with each day there is something new to observe. These drawings were made through my little William Optics fitted with a home made Baader solar filter. I find the use of a deep Orange filter, helps to increase contrast. And this makes any sunspots stand out.

So you see, there is still plenty of astronomy one can do during the long, dreamy, summer month's...

Our Moon

With the lighter night's, fast approaching. I've been tinkering with my QHY5 and videoing the Moon.

The Moon is one subject that, thankfully doesn't require a dark sky. And I have noticed before. How some of the best seeing can be found during the early hours, or, during the later part of the day. Around two hours before Sun-set.

The image's which you will see on here were all taken through a 10" Newtonian from the British company Orion Optics http://www.orionoptics.co.uk/ in Crewe Cheshire.

The OTA is mounted on top of my Losmandy G11 and I'm using a Red filter (W25) which is helping to reduce the effects of poor seeing.

The image is of Copernicus. Copernicus is a huge 93km diameter crater that is easily visible through small binoculars.

I took this image on 2011-04-12 on the 50th Anniversary of Yuri Gargarin and his solo manned space flight.

This image was captured around 19:45 hrs UT through a x2 Barlow. You can also see, in the same field the Carpathian mountains which is the small rocky out crop below Copernicus. Also in this image is Eratosthenes. Which is visible to the  right, with three peaks visible in the crater.

The Moon is a lovely object, and It is one subject that I will return to with this telescope now the night's are getting lighter, and I can't do any CCD imaging because of work.

Enjoy...

Messier 3 a Globular clsuter in Canes Venatici

Messier 3 is one of the Northern sky's show piece globular star clusters. Lying at a distance of 48,500 lt-yrs. And it is an easy object for anybody with a small telescope, or binoculars.

M3 was  discovered by Messier in 1764, and looked on May 3rd of that year
"Nebula without star: centre brilliant, gradually fading away; round. In a dark sky, visible in a telescope of 1-foot"

This image was taken during a clear window on 2011 April 2nd, from my observing site here in East Cheshire. The seeing wasn't brilliant, and this was evident when using my Hartman mask to focus on a nearby star.

The exposure is made up of 16x60 second exposures, and it is the best out of 30x60 second exposures.

Imaged using the Orion 200-800 F4 "AG" and guided using PHD a QHY5 and William Optics ZS66SD.

The image could be better. And I will return to M3 again, on a night of better seeing.

 

Good By Orion

I think the tittle of this message is particularly apt.

Orion together with his retinue of Taurus and Canis Major, are slowly descending into the Western half of the sky, and will be sadly lost to the glow of twilight, by the end of March.

And of cause with the disappearance of Orion, we also loose the great Orion nebula, or Messier 42.

The skies where I live in East Cheshire were once again clear on Sunday 6th, (why it does this on a Sunday, I don't know).

I took the opportunity to use my new, TS 9mm OAG on my 8" Orion F4 to see if my guiding has improved.

The Orion nebula was just in the right place to image at 20:00, and I banged off three exposure's. Two x Five minutes and One x 30 seconds for the core regain.

These where guided using the OAG and QHY5, whilst imaging through my Atik 16ic and filter wheel with a CLS filter all attached to the G11.

I've stacked these in DSS, and done some processing in CS2. I wanted to try if I could, to bring the highlight's down, to reveal more of the core regain, and to show the trapezium stars.

This I have done, and I also used a deep space noise reduction, together with a couple of small UN-sharp mask's.

Messier42/43

The Peak Star Party

Yesterday afternoon, I spent a lovely three hour's at Shallow Grange, (the venue for this years PSP).
A committee, has been formed with the event organiser as chairman.

The camp site is excellent with everything you need to make the PSP a success. All the camping field's offer very good unobstructed views, with particularly good views towards the south, where Orion will be rising at that time of the year.

The site owners, are bending over backwards to make this event a success. The owner, although not an amateur astronomer, is very concerned about light pollution, and the effect's it has on the environment. And with this in mind, he has agreed to cover all, naked white light's. This will give us a totally dark environment.

We are also planning to have lecture's and we were shown, a very spacious shed, that we can use for this. We already have two speaker's booked, and it is hopped to find possibly a third.

The event is officially open for booking in on Friday October 21st, with a meet and greet station inside a marque, that will be kindly provided by a local scout group. It is also hopped to have hot water for drinks.

The committee all agreed that we need to be there on site from Wednesday 19th, to get everything ready.

There will be facilities provided, for a small fee (50p) for charging of batteries or mobile phone's and laptops during the week-end.

If people wish, they can stay on after October 24th.

I have agreed to give, new comers to astronomy, tour's of the night sky, and a tour, during day time of the telescope's. I am also planning a co-ordinated meteor watch on Saturday 22nd for the peak of the Orionid meteor shower.

Everything is looking, positive. All that we need now is you're support. 

Please take a look at our web site.

http://www.peakstarparty.co.uk/ 

And please sign UP.

If we can get a full compliment of 40+ the owner has agreed to close the site!

Supernova in Galaxie NGC2655

I have another report for you all , by my guest observer/imager Paul Cannon.

Paul was lucky enough, to image SN 2011B after being alerted by myself, after I received an alert from the BAA.

I how ever have not been so lucky, with work and fighting continue cloud coverage.

NGC 2655 Supernova

 

The images show a Supernova taking place in Galaxy NGC 2655 as it was on the 3rd of February 2011. The first picture is a wide field  image of 300s and the second a composite of

3 x 300s stacked images cropped to emphasise the action. Both were taken taken with a Canon1000D through a Celestron 8" SCT.

The Supernova was first discovered on 7th January 2011 by Koichi Itagaki and  Masaki Tsuboi

Macclesfield Astronomical Society; Observation of Occultation of mag 4.8 Zeta Arietis

Five members from the observing group, of Macclesfield Astronomical Society, were able to witness the disappearance of the 4.8 magnitude star Zeta Arietis by the dark limb of the Moon on Friday 14th January 2011.

It was touch and go whether or not we would actually see the event. The skies were, by 22:30 becoming very milky, making Zeta Arietis difficult to see visually.

I timed the disappearance at 23:06, whilst observing through my 10" Orion Optics Dobsonian with a 24-8mm Vixen LV zoom (16mm) X75.

The location was Kerridge Cricket club, Kerridge, Bollington, Cheshire. The NLM  here is normally +5.6 but tonight, we were struggling to see +3 because of the approaching cloud but also the wide gibbous Moon. The seeing was variable ANT IV.

The observers were.

Chairman: Andrew Greenwood WO Zenith star 66 "OG"
Paul A Brierley 10" OD250 f4.8
Paul Canon 4" Celestron "OG"
John Tipping Home built 6" Newtonian
Richard Lowe 8" Meade LX200.

We all confirmed the disappearance at 23:06. And we were all greatly relieved when the star finally disappeared . The Moon was, by 23:04 beginning to make some of the observers eye's water, because of the intense concentration needed, to see the slowly fading star. We had all been watching from 22:50.


Occultation observing and timing is one of the few aspects of Amateur Astronomy that doesn't require any high tech equipment or knowledge. All you need, especially for Lunar occultations are an accurate time piece, (in my case I have a radio controlled watch) and a telescope ( minimum aperture 2") or large tripod mounted binoculars.


Below is a link, to  the SPA's Occultation section web site, which gives you a full listing of occultation event's concerning the Moon.

http://www.popastro.com/sections/occ/lunarocc.php