August 2022

August 29th 2200 GMT Meteor Hunt 

I aimed my camera at Cassiopeia and Perseus, with a chance of catching a very late Perseid meteor.

It was at 2342 GMT in the early hours of the 30th that I caught one that could have been an Aurigid.

You've heard the old saying about waiting ages for a bus then several come at one? Meteors can be like that, This one arrived less than a minute after the previous one. It could also have been an Aurigid.

August 29th 2100 GMT Jupiter and Saturn

I went for the planets with my Makutov and DSLR. The first shot was of Jupiter at 1.54 metres focal length, ISO 6400 and 1/3 second exposure. Unusually, all four moons were on the same side of the planet (east).

I inserted a 3x Barlow lens into the imaging train to increase the focal length to 4.62 metres and decreased the exposure time to 1/10 second. I just caught the cloud bands.

I combined the two images to show the planet and moons.

I repeated the same series of shots with Saturn, first getting Titan.

August 29th 1015 GMT Sun

I photographed the Sun with my Maksutov and DSLR at 1.54 metres focal length, ISO 100 and 1/500 second exposure. There was a nice sunspot group to the south of the solar disc.

August 28^th 2205 GMT Meteor Search

 

It had been a cloudy day and there was still quite a lot of cloud around. I aimed the camera at Cepheus and hoped for a late Perseid meteor.

At 2234 GMT, I caught a meteor in Cepheus but it was not a Perseid.

At 2345 GMT, I found am unidentified flying object below the cloud that looked a bit like the flying hockey stick I saw earlier in the year.

August 27^th 1110 GMT Sun

 

Being the weekend, I was able to photograph the Sun with my Mak, filter and DSLR at 1.54m focal length, ISO100 and 1/500 second exposure.

August 27^th 0040 GMT Planets

 

My original intention was to capture Jupiter’s moons then some deep sky targets but I noticed another opportunity. I started off with my DSLR at 300mm focal length, ISO 6400 and 2 seconds exposure. I aimed at Jupiter then decided to have a pot at Saturn’s Titan, even though they were getting low in the sky.

Jupiter showed two moons.

I bagged Titan, too.

Instead of going for deep sky targets, I saw Mars near the Pleaides. They were too far apart to capture at 300mm focal length, so I reduced it to 70mm focal length and increased the exposure to 8 seconds. I stacked the best 75% of 17 light frames and 13 darks.

 

Fortunately, I also got Mars in the same field of view as the Hyades star cluster. I stacked the best 75% of 12 frames and used the same darks.

 

August 27^th 2310 GMT Meteor Search

 

I was hoping to start earlier but it was too cloudy. When it cleared I aimed the camera between Cassiopeia and Perseus in the hope of catching some late Perseids, even though it was just after the official end.

I caught a bright Perseid at 2355 GMT.

I stacked some images as by-products of meteor searches. The first image I took from the clipboard and is overexposed by shows Cassiopeia with the Andromeda Galaxy (M31) and Perseus Double Cluster.

The second image was a more conventional process. It does not show the Milky Way, Andromeda Galaxy and Perseus Double Cluster as well but shows Triangulum and Andromeda.

There were more similar shots before it got too cloudy.

August 26^th 1730 GMT Sun

I snapped the Sun with my DSLR and filter at 300mm focal length, ISO 100 and 1/2000 second exposure.

I did not catch any sunspots.

August 26^th 0500 GMT Venus

I snapped Venus with my DSLR at 300mm focal length, ISO 400 and 1/200 second exposure. The result was not quite as I hoped!

August 23^rd 0655 GMT Sun

I snapped the Sun with my DSLR and filter at 300mm focal length, ISO 100 and 1/2000 second exposure. 

August 20^th 2230 GMT Meteor Hunt

 

I set up my camera to catch some late Perseid meteors. Some are known to pass through the Square of Pegasus, so I decided to have a go there first.

At 2244 GMT, I caught what could have been a Perseid meteor.

Naturally, I processed the images as by-products.

First one caught the whole of Pegasus.

As did the next.

The third was the last image to show the whole of Pegasus.

The next one did not show any whole constellation.

The next image shows the small constellation of Triangulum to the east.

The next image was similar but cloud was encroaching from both sides.

Then the cloud largely disappeared.

Then the cloud returned with a vengeance!

In the next image, the whole of Andromeda became visible but the cloud ruined it.

The next image was similar.

There was still cloud in the last one but Aries had appeared fully.

August 20^th 0735 GMT Sun and Moon

 

I snapped the Moon with my DSLR at 300mm focal length, ISO 400 and 1/200 second exposure.

 

 

I followed up with the Sun with a filter at 300mm focal length, ISO 100 and 1/2000 second exposure.

August 19^th Jupiter’s Moons and Deep Sky

I aimed at Jupiter’s moons with my DSLR at 300mm focal length, ISO 6400 and 2 seconds exposure. I caught just one moon but a lot of background stars.

The close-up revealed that the "single moon" was two close together and that there were two "bumps" on the planet, which were the other two moons partly obscured.

 

 

I shot some widefield photos of Melotte 20 at 70mm focal ;length, ISO 6400 and 8 seconds exposure, followed by some darks.

Sometimes I get lucky shots and caught a Perseid meteor passing to the left (east) of the cluster.

This was the final result of the stack.

August 18^th 1135 GMT Sun

 After a few days of bad weather, there was a clear patch of sky, so I snapped it with my DSLR and filter at my usual settings of 300mm focal length, ISO 100 and 1/2000 second exposure.

I caught a single large sunspot but it needed a lot of processing to show.

August 15th 0715 GMT Moon

I snapped an early morning moon with my DSLR.

August 14th 1025 GMT Sun

I did another full disc solar shot with my Mak and DSLR at 1.54m focal length, ISO 100 and 1/500 second exposure. I caught several sunspots and faculae.

August 14th 0425 GMT Moon and Planets

I snapped the Moon in the early morning with my DSLR.

I followed up with Venus that showed a nearly full phase.

I caught a more than a hint of Jupiter's cloud belts.

August 14th 2340 GMT Jupiter with Moons and Ours

I used my normal settings of 300mm focal length, ISO 6400 and 2 seconds exposure to get this snap of all four of Jupiter's moons.

I caught a hint of the cloud belts at the same focal length.

Then, I combined the two.

I snapped our own moon at 300mm focal length, ISO 100 and 1/640 second exposure.

                 

August 13th 2125 GMT Meteor Hunt

Conditions were not good but I carried on regardless. I used my usual settings and aimed towards the area including Cassiopeia and the Pole Star.

I caught a "guest star" in Cepheus but trying to zoom in on it gave no clue to its nature. It still appeared as a star.

I caught a meteor in the top left corner (again!) at 2213 GMT. It was not a Perseid, as it was travelling in the wrong direction.

At 2244 GMT, I caught a "proper" Perseid travelling through Cepheus.

At 2322 GMT, a bright meteor appeared.

I also stacked some images as a side issue.

August 13th 1145 GMT Sun

I tried to photograph the Sun with my DSLR but managed to over-expose it.

August 12th 2200 GMT Moon

I used the same settings as the evening before but got a similar result.

I did a meteor hunt straight after but did not get the camera settings right.

August 11th 2050 GMT Moon

It was the so-called "supermoon" but it was low and conditions were hazy.  I photographed it with my DSLR at 300mm focal length, ISO 100 and 1/800 second exposure.

August 11^th 0650 GMT Sun

I photographed the Sun using my DSLR at 300mm focal length, ISO 100 and 1/2000 second exposure. I did not detect any sunspots.

August 10^th 2100 GMT Moon

I snapped the Moon at 300mm focal length, ISO 100 and 1/800 second exposure. Even if I say so myself, it came out rather well.

August 10^th 1615 GMT Sun

I snapped the Sun with my DSLR and filter at 300mm focal length, ISO 100 and 1/2000 second exposure. I caught some sunspots.

August 9^th 2015 GMT Moon

I snapped the Moon at 300mm focal length, ISO 100 and 1/640 second exposure.

August 9^th 1120 GMT Sun

 

I snapped the Sun with my DSLR at 300mm focal length, ISO 100 and 1/2000 second exposure.

August 8^th 2050 GMT Moon

I snapped the Moon with my DSLR at 300mm focal length, ISO 100 and 1/640 second exposure.

August 7^th 2015 GMT Moon

I snapped the Moon with my DSLR at 300mm focal length, ISO 100 and 1/500 second exposure.

August 7^th 1210 GMT Sun

Encouraged by the success of the day before, I did another white light shoot of the Sun, using the same settings.

August 7^th 0110 GMT Jupiter’s Moons and Deep Sky

 

I was not finished for the night. I swapped my wide field lens for my telephoto zoom lens and set it at 300mm focal length, ISO 6400 and 2 seconds exposure. I started with Jupiter.

 

 

I shot some darks then took quite a few frames of the Pleiades (M45). It was at 0133 GMT, I caught my first visual Perseid meteor, which was about as bright as Capella (Mag 0).

I ended up with a large number of frames of Melotte 20, hoping to better my shot from the previous month. I stacked the best 96 of 128.

August 7th 2300 GMT Meteor Hunt

I continued hunting meteors in the same part of sky.

I caught a sporadic meteor at 2333 GMT.

   

 At 2358 GMT, I caught a Perseid meteor, bright but with a short trail.

 

 I stacked some constellation shots from  the multitude of images used to hunt for meteors.

                                                

August 6^th 2150 GMT Meteor Hunt

 

I set up my camera with my usual meteor hunt settings. I aimed at Cassiopeia, as the sky was much clearer than the evening before. Naturally, I was hoping for some Perseid meteors, although it is not unusual to catch sporadic meteors in the same part of sky, when trying to catch shower meteors.

At 2232 GMT. I captured a short trail meteor very near the radiant. It is in the top left (north east) of the photo.

I caught a brighter meteor at 2249 GMT in this full frame photo. It was also in the top left. I think it was a sporadic (non-shower) meteor and not a Perseid.

I took a close-up for good measure.

At 2252 GMT, a true Perseid appeared.

Naturally, I processed some constellation shots, as a by-product.

August 6th 2130 GMT Moon

The Moon was too low to photograph from our back garden, so I went to the pavement at the front of the house. I took some full frame images with my Maksutov and DSLR at  1.54m focal length, ISO 100 and 1/250 second exposure.  

I then increased the focal length to 4.62 metres and increased the exposure to 1/15 second. I took multiple moon shots and selected the best ones representing a lunar region.

August 6^th 1025 GMT Sun

I took my Mak out to do some full disc solar shots. I used 1.54m focal length, ISO 100 and 1/500 second exposure. As I had a disappointing evening, this was a great comeback. I caught sunspots that were not on the Learmonth nor Big Bear images. I also caught faculae, a good pot in white light.

August 6^th 2340 GMT Jupiter

 Although it had cleared somewhat, my attempted shots of Jupiter’s moons showed lots of haze and glare.

I then tried the planet at 300mm focal length, ISO 100 and 1/100 second exposure.

Unfortunately, everything was out of focus.

 August 5th 2210 GMT Meteor Hunt

It was about a week before the peak of the Perseid meteor shower. Unfortunately, it was very hazy and only bright stars near the zenith were visible. I aimed my camera near Cygnus and hoped. Perseus was not visible, nor any nearby stars.

I did not catch any meteors but stacked 30 of 40 photos to get a constellation shot showing Cygnus with the minor constellations of Sagitta and Delphinus.

August 5th 0535 GMT Sun

The sky was clear but the Sun was low in the east. I bin scanned the Sun and found the largest sunspot that I had seen on the Learmonth images.

August 4^th 2010 GMT Moon

 

I snapped the Moon at 300mm focal length, ISO 100 and 1/125 second exposure at a thick waxing crescent.

August 4^th 0650 GMT Sun

 

August finally kicked off but not in a spectacular fashion. Some sunspots were visible in the Big Bear and Learmonth images but they did not show in my binoculars and filter. Conditions were hazy and the Sun was low but I would have expected to see at least the largest sunspot.