Tuesday, August 1, 2023

August 2023

August 27th 2300 GMT Planetary and Deep Sky Session

 

It was the witching hour and I saw Saturn through my Maksutov at 48x magnification. Even with such a small apparent size, it was a splendid sight. I had trouble finding it in my WiFi electronic eyepiece, so resorted to my DSLR instead, using 1.54 metres focal length, ISO 400 and 1/100 second exposure. I used ISO 6400 and 1/3 second exposure to hopefully capture any moons. 



I took then combined the shots to end up with this result.



I repeated the same with Jupiter. The moons were pout of focus and the planet was underwhelming.

 


I removed the DSLR from my telescope and attached my 75 to 300mm zoom lens. I set the focal length to 100mm, ISO to 6400 and exposure to 6 seconds. I used Jupiter's moons as a starting point and took some dark frames.

At 100mm focal length, I could not separate the moons from each other but at least I got them.


Then I overlaid the image of Jupiter on top of it.


Before getting back to my intended targets, I bagged a couple of meteors.



Naturally, I did a close-up of the first and brighter of the two.



First up was my old favourite Melotte 20.


 

Next up was the Constellation of Aries. I saw what looked like a star cluster near Alpha, something I had never seen before. I also saw a faint meteor shooting up from the direction of Jupiter.


 

I repeated the shot for Triangulum.



I also caught a couple more meteors.




Although it was too low in the sky I just had to photograph the Pleiades.

 


 

Time for bed said Zebedee! (for old folk who can still remember)


August 26th 2215 GMT Moon 

 

The Moon was very low in the west and I had to go out into the neighbourhood to see and photograph it. I took several shots at 1.54m focal length, ISO 100 and 1/100 second exposure. I stacked 5 images using Avistack and finished in GIMP.

 


I then followed up with some closeups using my WiFi electronic eyepiece. With the Moon low in the sky, I was only able to capture one imaging run. However, using a new micro SD card adaptor solved the issue of transferring files to my laptop.




August 26th 1115 GMT Sun 

Conditions had worsened since the night before. I was able to see a close sunspot pair just about to rotate off but I was sure that many others were hiding behind the clouds.



August 26th 2345 GMT Visual Session

 

After a cloudy day with rain at times, some stars appeared. There was still more than enough moving cloud to deter me from trying to photograph anything. I was not deterred from taking my binoculars out, though. Jupiter was fading in and out of view but when clear showed two moons to the west. Saturn would have looked more like a flying saucer, had I not known about its rings.

 

The star cluster in Perseus, known as Melotte 20 showed but was somewhat disappointing compared to its appearance in a clear sky. Neither M34 nor the Double Cluster were visible at all.

 

The Andromeda Galaxy showed as a large, fuzzy patch. Just as I was about to call it a night, I saw the famous Pleiades, about 25 of them. Again, it was not at its best and I hoped to get some better photo and visual opportunities later in the year.


August 24th 1930 GMT Moon 

 

Most of the sky was cloudy but there was a clear patch to the south. The Moon was just past first quarter but appeared to be south of the ecliptic, as it was very low. I took my larger binoculars out.

 

Due to libration, Tycho and Clavius were both on the terminator and showed well. It was nice to see Tycho as a regular crater, much as I enjoy sèing and photographing its ray systems at a full moon. 


August 23rd 1200 GMT Sun

I bin scanned the Sun in clear skies. Although this may not seem particularly exciting for non-astronomers, I saw a new large sunspot that had rotated on from the far side.



August 22nd 1110 GMT Sun

Despite the clear sky, I was only able to see two sunspots.



August 20th 1205 GMT Sun

 

After witnessing a special point in history for the second time in my life, I saw the England Ladies play in a World Cup final. Unlike their male counterparts on  that memorable day in 1966, the Lionesses lost. In years to come, I will remember that it was their first appearance in the final and the only one that any England team had been in for over 57 years. I was a primary school student in 1966 and a pensioner in 2023.

At the final whistle, I checked the Sun and it felt an anti-climax but saw four sunspots, one more than the day before. I also reflected that in 1966, I showed a solar projection of the Sun to my assembled classmates in 1966.



August 19th 0920 GMT Sun

 

Our car was so full on holiday that I had no room for my big binoculars and solar filters. I finally saw the Sun in a clear-ish sky for what seemed ages and saw three sunspots.





August 19th 2315 GMT Visual Session 

 

The clear sky promised by the weatherperson did not happen. My original idea was to catch some Perseid meteors, which can still appear for a week or two past the peak. I checked for them visually several times but did not see any. It was likely that many faint ones were obscured by cloud. I took my 15x70 binoculars out.

 

Even some of the brighter deep sky objects, such as Melotte 20 and the Andromeda Galaxy were hiding behind various layers of cloud at times, although I saw them.

 

Saturn showed its oval shap, suggesting rings but I have never resolved the gap between the rings and planet. Jupiter showed just a single moon. I had trouble finding and seeing M13 but the fainter M15 showed, although only just. I also saw the Wild Duck cluster but decided to try photographing it on a clearer night. Low in the east was the Pleiades star cluster but I could only see about 20 stars, far less than I can see one clear autumn or winter evening.

 

I finished the session by spotting Albireo, Delta and Epsilon Lyrae, Nu and 16/17 Draconi, ending with Mizar and Alcor. A further wait for meteors came to nothing.


August 16th 2140 GMT Binocular Session 

 

I was hoping for some Perseid shower meteor photos, even though it was past its peak. Unfortunately, there were only clear patches of sky and not usually enough to fill a whole constellation. I was able to see some objects through my 7x30 binoculars. I saw the main cluster members of Melotte 20. I did not see the Andromeda Galaxy straight away but its fuzzy appearance was obvious, once that part of the sky cleared. Jupiter had risen but I could not see any moons. I also saw M13 but it was barely perceptible, same with the Wild Duck Cluster (M31). 

 

The double stars in Lyra, Delta and Epsilon split easily but I could not split Albireo. I split Alcor and Mizar and that was that for the night.


August 15th 2230 GMT Meteor Search

 

With some clear sky, it was almost dark. I set my camera at the usual settings of 18mm focal length, ISO 6400 and 6 seconds exposure. I then hoped.

At 2217 GMT, I caught a UFO.


At 2240 GMT, I caught another.


I did not detect any meteors but processed some of the early images to show Andromeda and Cassiopeia.



August 14th 2210 GMT Constellation shoot

 

it had been a mostly cloudy day and evening but a small period of clarity began soon after 2200 GMT. I browsed the northern sky with small binoculars. I saw Melotte 20 and the Andromeda Galaxy (M31). I also split Mizar and Alcor. At 2211 GMT, I saw a very bright Perseid meteor.

 

I proceeded to perform a constellatio shoot, while simultaneously checking for further meteors. I used 18mm focal length, ISO 1600 and 30 seconds exposure, aiming at Cassiopeia, Cygnus, Herculean and Ursa Minor, in turn.


I caught a Perseid meteor while imaging Cassiopeia. The Milky Way showed well and it was nice to catch a meteor as well as several deep sky objects.


Naturally, I also did a close-up.


The Cygnus shot came out well. I caught the Milky Way and the Coathanger.


I also caught Hercules and Corona Borealis in a separate shot.


The final image was of the Plough and Ursa Minor.



I saw a fainter sporadic meteor at 2324 GMT, a Perseid meteor at 2330, a sporadic meteor at 2337, with some further Perseid meteors at 2339 and 2340. There was no further activity in the final 10 minutes, as cloud moved in.


August 11th 2140 GMT Meteor Hunt

 

It was clear in parts, although Perseus was clouded out. I set a camera at my usual settings and hoped. Unfortunately, unlike the 9th, I waited in vain.


August 10th 0010 GMT Moon and Jupiter

 

I seemed to have problems capturing the Moon and Jupiter on camera. I used ISO 6400, 18mm focal length and 1/10 second exposure in the end.


This was the equivalent with a mobile phone camera.



August 9th 2130 GMT Meteor Hunt

 

It was the time of year when any self-respecting astronomer and also those like me, who gave that up decades ago, turns their attention to meteors. it was less than 100 hours to the peak of the Perseid shower. I aimed my camera with Cassiopeia in the centre of the field of view and hoped. I used my normal settings of 18mm focal length, ISO 6400 and 6 seconds exposure.


I thought I had captured a meteor in the first 91 photos but subsequent ones showed that it was something slower-moving, probably a satellite. I processed 10 frames, using Sequator, GraXpert and GIMP to show Cassiopeia.


At 2218 GMT, I caught a UFO below Cassiopeia.


At 2250 GMT, I caught my first Perseid meteor of the year. I did a long process, involving GraXpert and GIMP, producing a widefield shot and a closeup.



At 2301 GMT, I caught a non-shower meteor.



At 2320 GMT, I caught another UFO.



At 2323 GMT, I caught another shower meteor.



I caught a Perseid meteor on camera at 2340 GMT.





August 9th 0900 GMT Sun

 

I had a million and one things to do but it had seemed like years since I had photographed the Sun. I took my Mak and DSLR out and took some full disc shots. I used 1540mm focal length, ISO 100 and 1/500 second exposure, as usual.




August 6th Meteor Reprocess

 

I reprocessed a meteor shot from June 25th 2029, producing a wide field image and closeup.




August 6th 1020 GMT Sun

 

Not for the first time in 2023, there was plenty of cloud around. Fortunately, some gape appeared and I was able to see some sunspots. I saw four of them, suggesting that the Sun was becoming more active.




August 6th 0020 GMT Visual Session

 

After a day of heavy rain, it cleared somewhat but there were still some thin clouds around. I had a look round with my 15x70 binoculars. The Moon was low and a bright waning gibbous phase. The southern craters showed well, with Tycho's rays rather diminished from how they appear at a full moon. Copernicus and Kepler showed well, both with much smaller ray systems. 

 

To the west was Saturn, with its rings nearly edge-on. To the east, Jupiter shone brightly but I could not see any moons. It was not a good time for deep sky objects but I could see the brighter stars of Melotte 20 and a wispy shape of the Andromeda Galaxy (M31). it was a rather pleasing session, given the recent lack of activity.


August 5th Meteor Reprocess

I reprocessed a meteor shot from August 13th 2019 and cropped a close-up.


... and another from September 2019.



August 4th 0650 GMT Sun

 

Despite the presence of sunspots of the Learmonth images, I could not see any through my binoculars and filters.


August 1st 0610 GMT Sun

 

In total contrast to recent days, I woke up to bright sunshine. My binoculars and filters showed two sunspots.



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