Astrowatcher

Jupiter And Uranus At Opposition

2010-09-21T10:31:00.013+02:00

At the moment, Jupiter and Uranus are very close together in the night sky and last night they were at opposition. An added bonus is that Jupiter is close to perihelion and is at its closest approach to Earth in many years.

Below is an image I prepared on Cartes du Ciel (North up) showing Uranus on top with Jupiter below it within a one degree circle at 23h local time (UTC +2).

The view in the telescope was stunning. Within the one degree view of my 25mm (mag x48) eyepiece both planets could be seen together. Jupiter with its retinue of the four Gallilean moons shone brightly at the top with the pale green/blue dot of Uranus lying in the lower part of the eyepiece.

A greater magnification (x120) revealed the face of Jupiter including the North Equatorial Belt and further separated the four moons, Callisto to the far west, Ganymede inside it and Io and Europa both close on the Eastern side with Io being closest. Taking the magnification further (x240), there were problems due to the thin veil of high cloud that was present. However, I could get glimpses of the North Temperate Belts. The South Equatorial Belt is, of course, missing at the time. Moving towards Uranus, its small disc could be discerned.

The Moon was shining brightly and at a lunation of 12.4 days. The best views I got were of the crater Schikard close to the terminator and of the high albedo of the crater Aristarchus. The rays of Tycho were also spectacular.

The cloud excluded observing any deep sky objects so I went for the doubles Gamma Andromedae (Almaak) and Beta Cygni (Albireo), both beautiful colour contrasting doubles with the former star having a separation of 10 arc seconds and the latter one 35 arc seconds.

Other objects I observed were the Perseus Double Cluster, M31 (not very impressive through the thin cloud) and the Pleiades which were rising in the East.

ISS and STS-129

2009-11-26T20:45:00.002+01:00

Heavens-above.com predicted the ISS to be visible at magnitude -1.6 at 18:37:11 local time (UTC +1) at 10 deg altitude. I took the opportunity and was presented by the magnificent sight of the ISS passing through Hercules, Ophiuchus and Aquila, followed at a distance of about 10 degrees by the fainter STS-129 , the space shuttle Atlantis, at magnitude 0.4. The two craft entered the Earth's shadow and disappeared as they approached Jupiter. The sight of the two craft orbiting the Earth in close formation in the evening sky was awesome.

Starry Night

2009-08-24T19:57:00.018+02:00

Last Saturday night the local astronomical society organized its annual boat trip. The trip is an opportunity to see a truly dark sky, a sight which has become impossible to see on our overdeveloped and light polluted island.

The trip started at sunset in the fishing port of Marsaxlokk on board the trawler Padre Pio. The night was chosen because the moon was at a lunation of only 2.3 days and set early at 20:41. It showed a lovely crescent low over the horizon at sunset but Saturn and Mercury which lay close to it were invisible in the low haze.

The port of Marsaxlokk at sunset

As the boat travelled South East, the sky grew darker and the bright stars emerged, Arcturus, Vega, Antares were visible and Jupiter appeared to dominate the sky. Slowly the light pollution faded into the distance and the twilight ended revealing the night sky in all its glory.

The most amazing sight is our own galaxy, the Milky Way visible like a bright cloud arching across the sky from Sagittarius to Cassiopeia and reflected in the sea below. The countless stars blazed in the sky in a number so large that the normally easily recognisable constellations were drowned in the myriad stars making them hard to pick out. Meteors streaked in large numbers and early on a number of satellites were visible, most notably an Iridium flare which went approximately to magnitude +4.

The visibility of deep sky objects in such a dark sky is amazing. The Lagoon Nebula (M8) and Ptolemy's cluster (M7) were clearly visible to the naked eye. The Sagittarius star cloud (M24) stood out beautifully against the rest of the Milky Way.

I had my Celestron Skymaster15x70 with me and took my chance to use them to observe the dark sky. I went through a list of favourite deep sky objects. The most notable being the M4, M13, M27, M31 which filled much of the field of view, M6, M22 and M20. I also managed to see the North American Nebula (NGC 7000) for the first time. From my home location it isn't visible even with a 200mm Dobson. The "Gulf of Mexico" could be clearly seen.

I had prepared charts for the positions of Uranus and Neptune and I easily found them. Neptune was at mag +7.8 one third of the way between μ Cap and 42 Cap. Uranus lay below the circlet in Pisces on the extension of a line from ι Psc to λ Psc next to 20 Psc. At mag +5.7 Uranus was actually visible to the naked eye if one knew where to look.

The trip took us to a point 33.5 nautical miles to the South East of the island and drifted for two hours before heading back. At one point you could see the reflections of Jupiter and Venus in the sea on either side of the boat as dolphins darted between the waves and luminescent jellyfish glowed in the wake.

As the night wore on, more constellations rose in the East. Taurus appeared with the Pleiades, the Hyades and Mars. Auriga with its three magnificent open clusters M36, M37 and M38. Just before dawn Orion was visible with the belt stars hanging vertically over the horizon. Venus rose and then the sky lightened as the Sun put an end to the show.

Sunrise over the Mediterranean

This annual event shouldn't be missed by any local astronomy enthusiast for the unforgettable view it allows onto the universe.

Harrison Schmitt

2009-04-22T22:34:00.004+02:00

I attended a talk this evening by Harrison Schmitt, a member of the Apollo 17 mission and the last man to set foot on the moon (and the one before the last to leave). This was my first chance to hear a live first-hand account by a man who had been there. It is quite an experience when you realize that you are faced my someone who had actually set foot on the moon and experienced the gravity of another heavenly body. Schmitt is also the only scientist to have visited the moon.

The lecture was very interesting and the presentation included several anecdotes as he went through the mission touching on several aspects in a way that only one who went thorough the adventure would.

I took the photo above with my phone.

Venus and Saturn

2009-03-20T23:10:00.004+01:00

With Venus quickly moving towards inferior conjunction and each day setting closer to the Sun, I took the opportunity to observe its waning crescent. I could not use the telescope because it was too low for the scope from my observing location, but through my 15x70 binoculars the crescent was clearly visible in the twilight.

Later, at about 21:30 local time (20:30 UTC), I observed Saturn through my 200mm dobson telescope. I went for a magnification of x200 using my 6mm eyepiece. The rings are almost edge on but I could still see the very narrow gap between the rings and the planet. Of the moons, I could easily see Titan immediately to the East of the planet, and Rhea further out. Dione was faintly visible between them. I did manage to glimpse Tethys just outside the rings' Western tip but I couldn't see Enceladus which should have been just north of Titan.

Comet C/2007 N3 Lulin (2nd Post)

2009-02-22T22:58:00.002+01:00

I had the opportunity to observe the comet through 15x70 binoculars again this evening. At 22:50 CET it was close to the 6.95 magnitude star HD101730.

Comet C/2007 N3 Lulin (updated)

2009-02-21T22:28:00.009+01:00

Tonight I made my first observation of Comet Lulin as it moved Westwards through Virgo heading towards Leo and the planet Saturn which is presently near the lion's hind leg (σ Leo). I observed the comet through my 15x70 Celestron binoculars. Unfortunately there was some thin cloud but the comet was still visible. At 22:10 CET it was very close to the 7.79 magnitude star HD104484. Over a short period of time the motion of the comet relative to the star was noticeable. I was able to note hint of a tail to the West of the comet. Later on, at about 00:45 CET, I again observed the comet which had moved very close to the 6.17 magnitude star HD104055.

Not to be missed is the conjunction of the comet with Saturn on the night between the 23rd and 24th February.

Two Conjunctions

2009-01-01T20:30:00.009+01:00

2008 left us with a great view of two simultaneous conjunctions. On the last evening of the year the 15% crescent Moon lay about 2 degrees away from Venus while lower down, just above the horizon the largest and smallest planets, Jupiter and Mercury, were just about one degree apart. This was a great opportunity to see three planets including the elusive Mercury in the same part of the sky all within about eight degrees. Although not visible to the naked eye, Neptune was only about 2.5 degrees away from the Moon making it a triple conjunction.

Later on, after the midnight champagne, at around one o'clock at night I could observe Saturn in Leo close to the border with Virgo, making it four out of a possible five visible planets in one night.

Mira

2008-12-23T21:26:00.005+01:00

Mira (Omicron Ceti) is approaching it's maximum. It is a long-period pulsating variable with a period of 331.96 days. I observed it yesterday through binoculars but it was easily visible with the naked eye. The AAVSO website gives its present magnitude at around 3.5. I also caught my first glimpse of Saturn for this season just after midnight as it rose in the Easten sky in Leo, close to the border with Virgo.

Winter Solstice & Vesta update

2008-12-21T15:00:00.006+01:00

Yesterday evening I took the opportunity to have a look at Vesta. It has now passed between TYC0040-01286-1 and 112 Psc and it lay just below TYC0040-00885-1 making an isosceles triangle with the two previously mentioned stars.

Today is the winter solstice. The photo above was taken about one and a quarter hours before the solstice which fell at exactly 13:04 local time. The photo is of a sundial which shows the solar analemma (the path followed by the midday sun). The shadow of the gnomon is (almost) in its position at the top of the analemma, where it should be on the shortest day of the year. On the day of the summer solstice, the shadow will fall on the lowest point of the analemma.

Triple conjunction - Venus, Jupiter & The Moon

2008-12-01T20:47:00.003+01:00

A stunning triple conjunction graced the skies this evening. At my latitude, a gibbous Venus grazed the the moon, coming extremely close but was never eclipsed. Jupiter was a couple of degrees away forming an amazing trio. Above are a couple of photos I took of the event. One through the 200mm dobson and the other through a tripod mounted SLR.

During the conjunction, Europa entered occultation behind Jupiter as Callisto was out to the West and Io and Ganymede were paired close together to the East. It is curious to note that at that point there was a syzygy between five bodies; the Earth, the Moon, Venus, Jupiter and Europa.

Vesta continues in its movement towards Alpha Piscium. Tonight it formed a flat isoceles triangle with TYC0040-01286-1 and 112 Psc which in turn form a rough equilateral triangle with Alpha Piscium.

Venus, Jupiter and the Moon

2008-11-30T08:53:00.008+01:00

Look to the West tomorrow evening just after sunset for the spectacular triple conjunction of Venus, Jupiter and the crescent Moon. This is a rare astronomical treat, not to be missed. The objects are bright enough to be visible even in light polluted skies. I prepared a view of the event for my location on "Cartes de Ciel" software.

Meanwhile Vesta may be observed, even only through binoculars, slowly creeping towards Alpha Piscium (Alrischa).

Vesta

2008-11-25T21:39:00.005+01:00

After a hiatus in my observational astronomy, last night I tried out my new Celestron Skymaster 15x70 binoculars on an observation of the asteroid Vesta. At this time, this asteroid is well placed close to the star Alpha Piscium.

I downloaded a very good chart from the Sky & Telescope website. The asteroid was quickly found in the expected position, almost equidistant between the stars TYC0040-01162-1, TYC0041-01221-1 and TYC0041-01255-1 on the border between Pisces and Cetus. I will now check tonight if there was any movement in the object I observed that would confirm that it is the asteroid.

Otherwise I tried the binoculars on some open clusters like M35, M41, M36, M37, M38 and the Pleiades. I also observed the Perseus Double Cluster, the Orion Nebula, the Andromeda Galaxy and was quite pleased to find and observe Hind's Crimson star, R Leporis.

Altogether, I am quite pleased with the performance of my new binoculars.

Dark Sky Trip

2008-08-31T13:05:00.022+02:00

Saturday was the date for the local astronomical society's annual trip to view the night sky from the darkest possible location, a spot fifty five kilometres South-West of the island. The trip had been postponed from the end of last June due to bad sea conditions. This time conditions were near perfect with a calm sea and cloudless clear sky.

The aptly named Galaxy steamed out for some two and a half hours then turned off the engine and lights to allow us to enjoy the greatest spectacle in nature, the universe we are part of.

Unfortunately, light pollution hides much of the night sky and there are no really dark sky locations on the island. The wonders of which we are deprived are revealed far away from the shore beyond the reach of the artificial skyglow.

The greatest wonder in the sky is the Milky Way itself. In the dark sky it is not the hardly visible pale patch, but a large band arching across the sky, all its structure revealed. The light and darker areas are a wonder to behold. Areas like the Cygnus Rift, the parts in Scutum, Sagittarius, Cygnus and Cassiopeia are stunning. The darkness also brings out objects such as M8, M7, M31 and the Double Cluster as easy naked eye targets.

I had studied the exact positions of Uranus and Neptune to be able to observe them. Uranus was actually visible to the naked eye. Neptune was easily visible through binoculars. Among the other objects observed through binoculars were M11, M13, M22, M24, M27, M103. I was especially pleased to see M33 which I have always found to be elusive. Other highlights were stars in the constellations Grus and Phoenix close to the southern horizon. The night ended with the rising of the winter constellations as Gemini and Orion loomed over the Eastern horizon.

This now yearly event is an unmissable occasion to view the magnificent night sky and observe the wonder of the universe.

The Phoenix Has Landed

2008-05-26T23:13:00.004+02:00

Phoenix has landed safely on Mars. The views of the Martian Arctic it is sending are stunning. The polygonal reticulated surface is indicative of the freezing and thawing cycles of the permafrost. We now await the interesting science to start coming out. On a personal note, the lander is carrying my name, together with countless others, on a silica mini-DVD as part of a Message from Earth initiative of the Planetary Society

Nasa's Phoenix Mission

2008-05-16T21:20:00.004+02:00

Just a few days left for Nasa's Phoenix mission to land in the Martian North Polar region on May 25th. This mission will land much further North than any other previous lander. It will examine the Martian soil and ice. The intention is to study the permafrost and check whether the conditions are, or ever were, habitable and who knows, maybe find signs of past, or dare I say present, life.

So we may be in for some interesting discoveries to help us build a better understanding of our little red neighbour.

Lunar Eclipse 21/2/2008

2008-02-21T10:29:00.002+01:00

Big disappointment last night. In the evening the sky was not too promising, overcast with some light rain at times, however by 1:00 a.m. I managed a glimpse of the full moon with my 16x70 binoculars. I set the alarm for 4:00 a.m., the start of totality. No luck however, the sky was completely overcast with the orange light pollution glow reflected by the low cloud. I shall now have to wait to see another total lunar eclipse until Wednesday 15 June 2011 when totality starts at the more socially acceptable hour of 21:22.

Comet 8P Tuttle

2008-01-02T20:14:00.000+01:00

Tonight I observed the comet 8P Tuttle in Pisces just about 5 degrees away from Gamma Arietis (Mesarthim) and making an equilateral triangle with 107Psc and 109Psc. The comet is listed as having a brightness of 5.8, but of course since this is an extended object, the surface brightness is low. In fact, with 16x70 binoculars I could not see it until my eyes started becoming dark adapted. Tonight the distance to the comet is 0.254AU which is its closest approach. This comet has an orbital period of 13.58 years and is responsible for the Ursid meteor shower. The image above was obtained from the JPL Small-Body Database.

Later on, at about 21:00 UTC, I took out the 200mm dob and had a look at the comet. I observed the fuzzy patch with a brighter core. I couldn't see any tail. I also observed Mars. The planet was centred around 100 degrees and I could make out three dark patches at the "top", the South of the planet, which correspond to the Mare Sirenum, the Solis Lacus and the Mare Erythraeum.

Mars at closest approach

2007-12-19T20:05:00.000+01:00

Yesterday being the closest approach between Mars and Earth (88 million kilometres), I took the opportunity of clear skies to observe the planet. I made my observation around 22:00 UT using magnifications of x120 and x200. I was disappointed with the view since it was not as sharp as I expected. The dark areas in the South (the top in the telescope view) were visible and corresponded to the Mare Cimmerium and the Mare Tyrrhenum. I am not sure if I made out Syrtis Major since it was close to the limb. I must try again when the weather is clear.

Comet Holmes 5

2007-11-20T22:52:00.000+01:00

Comet Holmes has increased so much in size that its surface brightness is now quite low. Last night I could see it with the naked eye with some difficulty. However, through 16x70 binoculars its magnificent coma stretched out to Mirfak (Alpha Perseus).

Comet Holmes 4

2007-11-17T17:01:00.000+01:00

The comet is now very close to Mirfak (Alpha Persei). I have been following it with binoculars over the last few nights as the comet approached ever closer to the star and it's coma expanded. It now has a diameter of 30 arcminutes making it appear as large as the Sun or the full Moon. A truly fantastic astronomical sight.

Comet Holmes 3

2007-11-06T23:42:00.000+01:00

The comet is now moving up towards Mirfak (Alp Per). It is also growing larger. I estimate it filled a quarter of the 1 deg field I get with my 25mm eyepiece making it some 15 arcminutes across. I confess that the bright object inside the comet that I took to be a star in my previous post was actually the comet itself as I could see from the many photos I have seen since and my observations over the last few days. The comet itself is evolving and I could see that the outer part is less defined on one side than on the other where it is still a well formed circular shape. With the naked eye the comet is now very clearly non-stellar as its diameter continues to increase.

I also observed the Crab Nebula which is exceedingly faint in my light polluted skies, the M42 and Mars. The planet is not very large at 12.7 arcseconds across. I could see a dark band across the top (i.e. South when seen inverted) and a dark patch on the low Eastern side. I later checked that the dark band consisted of the Mare Cimmerium and the Mare Tyrrhenum and the patch to the East was Syrtis Major.

Comet Holmes 2

2007-10-30T22:57:00.000+01:00

After a frustrating three nights in which I could not observe the comet because of cloud, tonight was finally clear. The comet has moved since I had last observed it on Friday, this time forming an isosceles triangle with Mirfak (Alp Per) at the apex and Del Per at the other side.

The comet had also expanded, It was now obviously non-stellar to the naked eye and looked stunning through binoculars.

The telescope view was fantastic. I roughly estimated the coma to be about 8.5 arcminutes across with the brighter central part slightly off centre. I also observed as the the star TYC 3334-512-1 (I hope I've identified it properly) showed through the coma just outside the brighter central part.

I hope there will be more clear nights to observe the evolution of this object.

Comet Holmes 1

2007-10-26T22:00:00.000+02:00

This comet is giving an unexpected show in the autumn sky. On the 24th October, this previously magnitude 17 comet suddenly went through an outburst that made it about a million times brighter taking it to naked eye visibility.

Unfortunately I was clouded out last night. However, this evening notwithstanding very high humidity, a thin veil of high cloud and an almost full moon, I set out to observe the comet. I was not to be disappointed. The object is impossible to miss even with the naked eye, making a right angled triangle with Mirfak (Alpha Persei) and Delta Persei with the right angle at Delta.

With the naked eye the comet looks like a bright star which I made out to be certainly brighter than Delta Persei and brighter even than the 2.9 Gamma Persei. I can't be too certain due to the high cloud.

Through 16x70 binoculars, the comet appeared as a yellowish fuzzy object.

I then got out the 8" Dobsonian. Here the comet could be seen at its most magnificent. The object looks like a large planetary nebula. I observed a bright core surrounded by a large circular coma. I could not see any tail.

Considering that the comet is so far away from the sun (2.44 AU) and 1.63 AU from the Earth, I think that such a bright outburst is amazing.

Due to the haze there was not much else worth observing except the Moon. Here the highlight was the sun setting over the crater Humboldt. This offered a spectacular view of the shadow of the central peak on its Eastern wall.

Above image from the JPL Small-Body Database Browser

M33

2007-09-09T11:15:00.000+02:00

I observed from my summer house location using my 16x70 binoculars. The atmosphere was clear giving a limiting magnitude of about +5.5 which I estimated by counting the number of visible stars inside the square of Pegasus.

I first went for some easy targets; M31, M15 (which looked almost like a star), the coathanger, M27, the double cluster, M103 and M34 among others. Then being quite dark I went for the elusive M33. After scanning the area between Alpha Trianguli and Beta Andromedae on a line with Mu Andromedae, I found the faint patch of M33. It was unmistakable (not my imagination). Checking on Cartes du Ciel confirmed that I the patch was in the right location.

Another interesting binocular target was the variable Chi Cygnii which is now approaching maximum. Last year was an exceptional maximum when it was actually brighter than Eta Cygnii (mag +4), the other star in the swan's neck. This time round, with about two weeks estimated for maximum, I estimated that it is still at approximately mag +6. One to look out for in the coming weeks.

ISS & STS-118

2007-08-19T22:10:00.000+02:00

Earlier this evening I observed the International Space Station (ISS) and the Space Shuttle Endeavour mission STS-118 travelling together. The shuttle had undocked from the space station at 7:56 a.m. EDT (11:56 UTC). I checked visible passes from my location on heavens-above.com and found that both spacecraft were to pass from NNW to ENE with a maximum altitude of 24 deg within seconds of each other starting at 21:01:48 (19:01:48 UTC).

I went out minutes before the predicted pass and on cue the two craft appeared together below the pointer stars in Ursa Major. They travelled together, the slightly fainter shuttle in front. As they passed some eleven degrees below Polaris, I estimated the distance between them at just over one degree. They both disappeared after they passed through the centre of Cassiopeia.

I found this sighting fascinating especially when one considers the two crews manning the spacecraft. I hope that the crew on STS-118 has a safe return and that the much publicized gash in the heat shield does not create any problems.

Perseids & More

2007-08-13T20:14:00.000+02:00

Last night the Perseid Meteor shower was at its maximum. I went to the local astronomical society's activity at the Northernmost tip of the island in one of the darkest areas available in the densely populated island.

I took my 16x70 binoculars to do some observing from the dark site. The plan was to do as many Messiers as possible and to observe the planet Neptune which I had not yet seen this year.

As usual this event was well attended which meant that there were many cars with headlights and people milling around with torchlights. To avoid this I found the darkest lonely spot and swept the sky. The atmosphere was quite clear and the Milky Way especially to the North and the zenith was clear and showing its structure.

I started off in Sagittarius and viewed the M8, M29, M23, M22, M24, M17 and further up in Serpens, the M16. I Scorpius I viewed the M7, M6, M4 and M80 (not 100% certain). Further up in Scutum I observed the M11. In Ophiuchus I saw the M10 and M12 globulars. To the West I found the M3 in Canes Venatici and almost overhead the bright M13 in Hercules. Then it was off to the East with the M15 in Pegasus, the M27 Dumbbell in Vulpecula and the Coathanger Cr399. Galaxies were more difficult. I observed the M31 although it was still low and the spiral arms could be discerned, and I think I caught the ghostly shape of the M51.

The main target was Neptune (mag 7.8) I had prepared a chart since at 16x magnification it wouldn't have looked any different from a star. The planet lies in Capricornus and can be found starhopping from delta Cap. Above this star lies 45 Cap and to the West of this lies Star HD205829. Neptune is in line with these two stars at approximately the same distance. The planet was plainly visible in binoculars and even had a faint blue tinge (I hope the colour was not my imagination playing tricks on me).

In between observing with binoculars, I stared fixedly at the Cygnus/Lyra area keeping a watch for meteors. I saw two very bright ones appearing from the Perseid radiant and two satellites on polar orbit. Actually I was lucky to find another satellite accidentally while looking through the binoculars.

After I left the site, I continued observing from my home and saw another bright meteor but this was not a Perseid since it appeared in Cepheus down towards Camelopardalis. It could have been an Alpha Cygnid, Alpha Capricornid or a Delta Aquarid.

A sweep with the 16X70

2007-08-12T00:13:00.001+02:00

The air was clearer tonight and with the Moon out of the way I swept the sky with my 16x70 binoculars. Notwithstanding the mild light pollution, there were many DSOs which were easily visible. I started off with Sagittarius and M8, M20, M22, M23, M24, M17 and up to Serpens for M16. Through to Scorpius, M7 and M6 provided a wonderful sight then on to Antares to find the M4 and further West the M80. On to the Northern side, Cassiopeia showed up the M103 and further down was the Perseus double cluster.

I hope that conditions tomorrow will remain favourable for the Perseid meteor shower maximum.

16x70 Binoculars First Light

2007-07-17T09:20:00.000+02:00

I got myself a pair of 16X70 binoculars to use for observing of the night sky when for some reason the telescope cannot be used. I ordered them some time ago but delivery was delayed. Anyway yesterday was first light. Although it has a tripod adaptor, I hand held it throughout the session. In the early evening I observed the crescent Moon, Venus and Saturn. Venus, being very bright, caused some fringing.

Later when it got dark I went for DSOs. Among others I observed the M27 dumbbell, M31 Andromeda Galaxy, M11 Wild Duck cluster, The globular clusters M13 and M3, The Perseus Double Cluster, M103 and the Coathanger (Brocchi's Cluster). However, the best part was sweeping through the Milky Way in Cygnus and seeing the myriad stars. A number, seemingly without end, of suns each with its own history and hiding who knows what truths about the Universe.

Thin Crescent

2007-07-15T21:04:00.000+02:00

This evening I saw the 1.29 day old moon as a thin crescent low in the Western sky at sunset.

A Dark Sky

2007-07-15T09:18:00.000+02:00

I joined the local Astronomical Society on what now has become an annual boat trip in search of a dark sky. The trip took us some 25 miles West of the island on a moonless night.

The night started off with Venus blazing to the West just below Regulus with Saturn just to its East. Jupiter was already dominating the South horizon. As it grew darker, the spectacular view of the night sky unadulterated by artificial light came into view. The Milky Way stretched in an arc all the way from Sagittarius to Cassiopeia writhing in complex patterns of light and dark patches. It was especially wonderful in Sagittarius and Cygnus. Deep sky objects which are usually only visible in telescopes sprang into naked eye view. The M7 shone off the tail of Scorpius, the M8 Lagoon, M20 Trifid and M24 were visible in Sagittarius as was the M17 in nearby Scutum.

It is difficult to list all the objects observed with binoculars but as I hunted down globular clusters I observed the M3, M4, M13, M22. As time passed new constellations rose, Capricornus, Aquarius, Pisces, Aries with Mars in tow, Perseus, Auriga, Andromeda, Pegasus and Taurus. By then the boat had returned to port and the light pollution ended the magnificent spectacle.

With the limiting magnitude estimated at +6.5 the view of the heavens was magical and an experience I hope will be repeated.

Satellites

2007-07-08T22:49:00.000+02:00

A casual observation in reasonable clear skies resulted in observing three artificial satellites in polar orbit. Two, one of which was Cosmos 1812, passing just below Albireo and the third just below gamma Lyrae. The highlight, though, was a bright meteor that streaked towards the North from Hercules with a yellowish tail and broke up in a stream of yellow/orange pieces in Draco.

The Milky Way

2007-07-08T17:15:00.000+02:00

It atmosphere was unusually clear yesterday, allowing a good view of the night sky. I did not have my telescope available and so I enjoyed a good naked eye observation of the heavens.

The yellow half moon had just appeared over the Eastern horizon and the sky was still as dark as the light pollution would allow. A nearby streetlight was burnt out. From a dark spot the Milky Way stood out from Cassiopeia through to Cygnus and Aquila. It was especially bright in Cygnus and the rift was plainly visible. Among the highlights I could see in the sky were the deep red Herschel's Garnet Star (Mu Cephei) and the Andromeda Galaxy (M31).

It was magical being able to see the star studded sky in all of its majestic beauty.

Venus - Saturn Conjunction 2

2007-07-01T23:06:00.001+02:00

Venus has now moved to the East of Saturn, now moving away from the ringed planet. They are still less than a degree distant from each other and make a magnificent sight in the Western evening sky.

Venus - Saturn Conjunction 1

2007-07-01T12:57:00.000+02:00

Yesterday evening two planets were very close. It was quite a sight observing them within two thirds of a degree of each other in the Western sky just after sunset. The bright Venus with the fainter, yellowish Saturn just above it. At the same time, Jupiter shone bright in the Eastern sky.

Venus and Saturn

2007-06-29T22:39:00.000+02:00

Venus is approaching Saturn and this evening the planets were separated by about one degree. Unfortunately I did not have my scope available since I am at my summer house. However, I got a good look through binoculars. The planets are close enough to get both in the same field of view. The full moon also put on a show with the illusion of a larger than normal moon hanging low in the sky as it rose over a shimmering silver reflection in the sea.

Occultation of Venus

2007-06-18T22:50:00.000+02:00

Today I had a chance to do some daylight astronomy. Venus was scheduled to be occulted by the Moon at 17:01 local time (15:01) UTC. I started observing some two hours before. The proximity of the Moon to Venus was a good opportunity to observe the planet in daylight. The planet was easily visible to the naked eye as a small bright point to the South East of the 12% crescent Moon. The position was very high in the sky, at 17:00 it was at an altitude of almost 70.5 deg.

Slowly the Moon moved Eastwards, ever closer to the planet. Exactly on time, as I observed through binoculars out of my office window, Venus suddenly grew fainter and disappeared. By the time it was to reappear at 18:01, I was home and quickly set up the telescope to better observe and photograph the event. The planet reappeared in the area of the crater Humboldt. I was surprised to see how much brighter the planet is compared to the Moon's surface. The sight of the 44% planet next to the much larger 12% moon was spectacular.

One of the photos I took just after the reappearance is shown above. A larger version can be seen here .

Jupiter and Sagittarius

2007-06-17T11:19:00.000+02:00

The main object of my session was to observe Jupiter, now at its maximum altitude to the South in the evening sky. The view of the giant planet was magnificent. The cloud bands were visible in some detail. The North Equatorial Bands were more pronounced and the South Polar Region was darker than the North. The Great Red Spot had just passed the central meridian and was moving to the West. The moons were all to the West, Io and Ganymede close to the planet, Europa further out and Callisto close to its greatest elongation.

I also viewed the nearby M4, which is close to the bright orange-red star Antares. I could resolve it with a magnification of 120 but unfortunately it is swamped by light pollution close to my South horizon.

With Sagittarius now well above the horizon, I took the opportunity of viewing some of its DSOs. The M8 Lagoon Nebula and the open cluster NGC6530 looked fantastic through the UHC filter with the dark lane in the nebulosity clearly visible.

Just above the Lagoon is the Trifid, fainter but visible through the UHC filter. I followed a trail through the Sagittarius star cloud M24 up to M17 the Omega (or Swan) Nebula. This is another magnificent nebula with some structure visible through the filter. I went up to M16. The cluster was visible but I found the Eagle Nebula, of Pillars of Creation fame, rather faint.

Other objects I viewed were the M27 Dumbbell Nebula, the M57 Ring Nebula and the M11 Wild Duck Cluster.

Omega Centauri

2007-06-08T22:30:00.000+02:00

With the days getting longer and Omega Centauri (NGC 5139) culminating earlier, this is about the last chance to view the great globular cluster. I had never seen it but I had resolved to observe it this year. Having been foiled by cloud and light pollution I took the opportunity of today's cloudless albeit windy evening to go to the cliffs on the South of the island armed with a pair of binoculars. I arrived before 20:30 with culmination estimated to be at around 21:15. It was not yet dark with only Venus in the West and Jupiter in the East visible. As time passed the stars appeared; Arcturus overhead, Antares just to the West of Jupiter and Spica. The latter was important to me since Omega Centauri is to the South of it. By 21:15 the stars of Centaurus started to become visible low to the South. At first I could not see the cluster although I was sure of its position but at around 21:30 I observed it. Starhopping to it is easy. Menkent (theta Centauri) is a bright orange star almost directly south of Spica. Further South is phi Centauri which forms a distinctive triangle with mu and nu. Further South still is zeta Centauri, a +2.55 star. Omega Centauri is to the West of this star, the distance between mu and zeta being about the same as between zeta and omega. Next year I must take the telescope to view it better.

I also observed the other great globular M13 as a comparison, smaller but brighter because of its much greater altitude in the sky.

Mercury

2007-05-29T22:14:00.000+02:00

I managed to observe Mercury this evening. Of course the main difficulty is spotting it in the evening twilight. The period is favourable as the planet approaches Eastern elongation on the 2nd June. It is facinating how the planet, invsible in the glow of the setting sun, appears so suddenly.

I estimated Mercury to be 20 degrees (actually 22 degrees according to my computer) West of Venus.

Occultation of Saturn

2007-05-22T23:31:00.000+02:00

To observe the occultation of Saturn by the Moon, I set up the 8" dob using the 10mm eyepiece which I found gave the best magnification to see the detail on Saturn but still be able to see the approaching dark side of the Moon.

As the Moon slowly approached the planet, the dark side could be seen as a grey shape against the darker sky. I could not make out any detail except the crater Grimaldi. Although the approach appeared deceptively slow, the disappearance was quick. The time between first contact and complete occultation was only a few seconds.

Contact happened on the North West of the planet so that the Western part of the ring and the North of the planet touched the edge of the moon almost simultaneously. Contact happened between Grimaldi and the South Pole of the Moon. Somewhere near Schickard but I cannot be sure as I could not see any detail on the Moon. Titan which was trailing the planet on the Eastern side disappeared some three minutes after Saturn.

Occultation was to last between 21:55 and 22:55 local time. I used up that hour to observe the lunar surface especially the area around Theophilus which, together with the nearby Cyrillus and Catharina,was especially striking in the lighting conditions. I also observed the asteroid Vesta and the globular cluster M5. This appeared magnificent in spite of the moonlight and the light pollution. At magnifictions of x120 and x200 many stars were resolved and looked like a sprinkling of shimmering diamonds.

It was now time to wait for the reappearance of Saturn. This was slightly more tricky as I did not know the exact spot where it would emerge. I had simulated on the computer that it would appear somewhere around the area of the crater Langrenus. On cue, It suddenly appeared at the Southern end of the Mare Smythii emerging with the Western end of the ring first. Titan reappeared after it with the exact time of its reappearance difficult to determine due to the brightness of the lunar surface.

The striking contrast between the different sizes of the two objects and the rough texture of the Moon compared to the delicate detail of the ringed planet made this observation especially interesting.

More Galaxies and Other Objects

2007-05-19T23:43:00.000+02:00

Taking a last chance before the Moon becomes too prominent I took advantage of a relatively clear night to take out the telescope.

First I took a look at the crescent Moon before it went too low. The view did wobble but the craters on the terminator showed up wonderfully. the best were the trio Petavius, Vendelinus and Langrenus, and the craters North of the Mare Crisium, Cleomedes, Burckardt and Geminus. The ashen light was strong and the features on the shadowed part could be made out. I could easily see Plato, the Sinus Iridum, Aristarchus and even Grimaldi.

Venus was only about three degrees away from the Moon and I observed that it is now approaching half phase.

Next was my main objective, finding Messier objects I had never observed. First was the Black-Eye Galaxy M64. I starhopped from Vindemiatrix and easily found it. The galaxy is quite bright and stands out. However, I could only make out its shape without any detail. I tried to split the nearby double 35 Comae Bernices (separation 1") I'm not sure if I managed or whether it was just an effect of the optics. I then starhopped to the galaxy M85 which I also had not observed before. I easily found it. On the way I observed 24 Comae Bernices, it is a fine double with different coloured stars almost like a small Albireo. An attempt to see M98, M99 and M100 failed as I always find these three galaxies exceedingly faint.

It was then time for the culmination of Omega Centauri. This globular rises to about 6 degrees above the horizon from my latitude. I tried pointing the telescope in its direction but unfortunately it is too low for the dob as it lies below the rooftops and my binoculars can't make it out in the low haze. I guess I'll have to go somewhere with a clear South horizon to see it.

I observed Jupiter through the telescope for the first time this year. It was low and the cloud bands were not very distinct. Ganymede, Europa and Io were to the West and Callisto to the East. Above Jupiter I observed Vesta now to the West of a line between BS 6235 and Zeta Ophiuchi.

I used the UHC filter to observe M57 and NGC6543 (the Cat's-Eye Nebula in Draco). M57 is fascinating and the Cat's-Eye is bright. As I searched for NGC6543, a satellite crossed the field of view. While in Lyra, I had a look at Epsilon Lyrae and I managed to resolve both pairs at a magnification of x200.

I observed my favourite galaxies; the M81, M82 pair. With my 25mm eyepiece (mag x48) they are both in the same field of view. I find they are reasonably bright and their different shapes make for an interesting view.

I finished off with Saturn. Always spectacular, the Cassini Division and cloud bands were visible. Titan was to the South, Tethys and Dione to the East and Rhea to the West.

Vesta's movement 3

2007-05-19T09:39:00.000+02:00

I had a chance to view Vesta again early this morning at 1 a.m. local time. The asteroid has moved further East and made a roughly equilateral triangle with Zeta Ophiuchi and 20 Ophiuchi. It was a clear sky at the time with Aldebaran blazing high to the SW of the zenith, Jupiter and Arcturus low to the South and Vega high to the East. The Summer Triangle had risen and it was the first time I have seen Altair this year.

Vesta's movement 2

2007-05-14T12:48:00.000+02:00

Last night the Vesta, BS6235 and BS6240 were almost in line. A line joining Vesta and BS6235 made an angle of around 175 degrees with a line joining BS6235 and BS6240.

Vesta's movement 1

2007-05-12T23:49:00.000+02:00

I have been following Vesta over the last few nights. The movement of Vesta is very easy to gauge by comparing it to the straight line joining the stars BS6240 and BS6235. Two days ago a line joining Vesta to BS6235 made an angle with this line of about 45 degrees. Tonight it has closed to something like 15 degrees.

Vesta

2007-05-10T23:11:00.000+02:00

Vesta is nearing opposition. This year it is favorable for viewing since this happens when the asteroid is close to perihelion. It has brightened to naked eye visibility from a dark site. I am not so lucky so I had to attempt to find it with binoculars. It is easy to find, just above Jupiter between the two stars forming the base of Ophiuchus EtaOph and ZetOph, near BS6235, a +6.03 star. This is only the second asteroid I have observed after having seen Iris last November. This asteroid has a special significance to me since I had my name included on a microchip, together with 360,000 others, that will be sent on Nasa's Dawn mission to Vesta and Ceres which is scheduled to launch this summer.

Galaxies and More

2007-05-10T00:07:00.000+02:00

Finally, after almost a month of high cloud, overcast skies and strong winds, I managed to get an evening of observing. A high RH of about 80% didn’t help but the absence of the Moon encouraged me to go galaxy hunting.

I warmed up observing Venus. It is now approaching half phase as it gets closer to the Earth. Next was Saturn. The view was stunning as always. The Cassini Division was visible as well as the darker cloud band and the shadow of the planet on the rings. I observed four moons. Rhea, Dione and Tethys lay to the West and Titan to the East of the planet.

I started my galaxy observations with M65 and M66. They were both visible but faint. Next I went lower down to one of my favourites, the M104 Sombrero. I am always surprised at how bright this distant galaxy appears even though it lies low in the sky. Then it was time for the Virgo Cluster. I started starhopping from Vindemiatrix (Epsilon Virginis). At first I was somewhat lost but after a while I got going and found M60 which I observed to be quite bright, brighter than nearby M59. Next was the even fainter M58, which is easy to find as it is next to a star. Starhopping northwards was M90, again very faint. I couldn’t see M89 but I certainly found that giant among galaxies, the huge elliptical M87 (Virgo A). At one point, a satellite crossed the FOV as I was observing.

I left the Virgo Cluster and had a look at M57 which had just cleared the rooftops. It was the first time I had a chance to observe it this year and so had my first view of it through the UHC filter. Although it was low, the filter made it stand out nicely.

I resumed galaxy hunting with the M51. I found this easily and could view the two nuclei, M51 and NGC 5195. I also caught a glimpse of the faint M108 near Merak (Beta Ursae Majoris). Close by was another chance to use the UHC filter on M97. Without the filter this nebula was invisible but became very evident with the filter.

Throughout I used the 25mm eyepiece (mag x48) for the galaxies, the 10m eyepiece (mag x120) for the planets and the 15mm eyepiece (mag x80) fitted with the UHC filter for the planetary nebulae. Light pollution excluded seeing anything but the cores of the galaxies but it is always inspiring to see objects many millions of light years away.

Theophilus

2007-04-22T22:57:00.000+02:00

For the last couple of weeks, any attempt at a good night's observing were thwarted by excessve humidity, hight cloud or overcast skies and I have missed the opportunity offered by the April new moon period to observe the Virgo cluster of galaxies in the evening. Tonight wasn't too bad, at least I could photograph the crescent moon, view Venus now showing a very obvious gibbous phase and have a look at Saturn. I didn't push the magnification but I could still see Titan to the East and Rhea to the West. The photo above was taken tonight at 19:00 UTC. The crater Theophilus is in the centre exactly on the terminator. At the time I viewed it, the sun was just catching the top of the central peak; a magnificent sight.

Ancient Astronomy

2007-04-14T17:42:00.000+02:00

With the weather not allowing any observation, I am writing about another aspect of astronomy. The archeology museum here in Malta has an enigmatic stone in its collection. I photographed it on a visit this morning. The stone was found in an ancient neolithic temple some 5000 years old known as Tal-Qadi. It is divided in five sectors. The central one contains what looks like a quarter moon. The other sectors contain a number of stars, if one goes for the sky-map theory, or suns if you prefer the calendar theory. There are also some other signs like lines and a capital letter I. However, this was made before the invention of writing.

It is evidence of man's ancient interest in the heavens. A larger version of the photo is on my flickr site

Lacrosse 5

2007-04-09T21:41:00.000+02:00

While staring up at the sky trying to decide whether it was worth taking out the scope with the conditions quite misty at an RH of 83%, I saw a bright satellite pass through Ursa Major from North-West to South-East. It passed exemely close to Phad (Gamma UMa) so that with the naked eye it looked like an occultation. It then faded and disappeared near Beta Canum Venaticorum. It appeared fainter than the ISS and a look into heavens-above.com showed the satellite to be the Lacrosse 5, a US military reconnaissance craft launched in April 2005.

Showing Off The Sky

2007-04-07T18:38:00.000+02:00

My son had three of his friends over and since they showed some interest, I showed them some of the night sky's wonders. It was their first time at a scope. Unfortunately cloud obscured a good part of the sky but Saturn was visible. For first time viewers I think this is the best place to start. They were quite impressed, although not to let the planet move out of the dob's field of view too quickly, I did not push the magnification too far. I used the 10mm eyepiece giving x120.

I then showed them some of the different types of objects. The clouds allowed a view of M65 and M66. They were faint due to the light pollution but they managed to see the elongated fuzzy shapes. Then a couple of doubles with Algieba and Castor offering two different coloured pairs. Afterwards I showed them M44 as an example of an open cluster. The clouds then obscured most of the sky and the session was halted.

I always find introducing people to astromomy a rewarding experience.

The Moon Nearing Full

2007-04-01T00:28:00.000+02:00

With the Moon 96.8% illuminated I attempted to photograph features close to the Western limb. The two photos that turned out best were those of the crater Pythagoras (top) and Hevelius (bottom). Both craters had their central peaks just catching the rising sun. Pythagoras has a diameter of 133Km and Hevelius has a diameter of 109Km. Larger versions of the photos are posted on my flickr site

The bright sky spoilt any meaningful observation of galaxies. Their time will soon come as the Moon wanes. I took a look at Saturn. Titan was to its South West with Rhea between it and the planet. Tethys and Dione were very close togather to the East. The shadow of the planet on the rings is now very pronounced.

Moon and Venus

2007-03-21T23:03:00.000+01:00

The evening was clear and the RH was down to 46%. My observations began early with a binocular view of the crescent Moon near Venus. The ashen light was bright enough to see clearly the features on the dark part of the Moon. The maria were easily discernable as was the crater Copernicus. I then used the binoculars to view a few open clusters, M45, M44, M41 and even M36.

As it got darker I took out the scope. First on the list were the Leo triplet. M65 and M66 were easily visble; the elongated shape of M65, M66 with a star very close to it and I also saw for the first time the ghostly form of NGC3628 which is very faint with my viewing conditions. Before it got too cloudy I managed to observe M38, a beautiful cluster with a cruciform shape, M36 which I had already observed earlier with binoculars, and then used the UHC filter to view the M97 Owl Nebula.

Open clusters

2007-03-16T23:35:00.000+01:00

With a RH of 82% accentuating the light pollution, my original intent of galaxy hunting was scrapped after I found M65 and M66 were barely visible. Instead I concentrated on open clusters. I observed M67 in Cancer and M48 in Hydra, two clusters I have often neglected. I then went over to the M35 in Gemini, and M37 and M38 in Auriga.

I also used the UHC filter to observe NGC3242 "Ghost of Jupiter" planetary nebula in Hydra for the first time. It looked bright in spite of the LP which is especially severe to the South. I also observed NGC1931 in Auriga, near M38. It is amazing how the nebula stands out when the filter is used. I used a magnification of x80.

Saturn is still putting on an amazing show. The Cassini division, cloud bands and darkened polar regions were all visible. The moons Titan, Rhea, Dione and Tethys were visible as was Iapetus some distance away to the East.

At one point, looking up from the eyepiece, I saw a bright meteor, yellowish white with a yellow orange short shimmering tail, relatively slow moving parallel to a line joining Castor and Pollux.

Mira

2007-03-14T19:40:00.000+01:00

This evening I finally did manage an observation of the now fading star albeit with a relative humidity of 72%. Unfortunately it is now in the Western sunset glow so comparing it to Menkar is not easy. However it is visibly fainter than the +2.53 alpha Ceti and much fainter than the +2.0 Hamal.

Mira dimming

2007-03-13T20:56:00.000+01:00

Although Mira's (omicron Ceti) expected maximum was to be tomorrow, the star has dimmed significantly since its maximum around the 17th February. I could not get a good view since being clouded out for the past days. Tonight is clearer but thin high cloud foiled any meaningful observation. From the little I could see, the star was fainter than Menkar (alpha Ceti mag +2.53). The AAVSO website gives the present magnitude at around +2.7.

It appears that this year's maximum was brighter than average and came earlier than expected.

Total Lunar Eclipse

2007-03-04T11:36:00.000+01:00

This is a big event so I had prepared for it. I had the exact times for my location from CalSky.com, camera set up with my 25mm eyepiece and lunar filters attached to my 40mm and 15mm eyepieces. The telescope was set up on the roof of my house (we have flat roofs here) and had the laptop in nearby room. My browser was set on the Greenwich exact time, the direct webcast from the Mira Observatory in Belgium and another two webcasts which unfortunately must have been swamped by hits and were unavailable. I also had my 16X50 binoculars at hand. The weather was good except for some dispersed cirrus clouds initially and an ever strengthening wind.

The moon entered penumbra at 21:18 (times are local i.e. CET, UTC +1). At first not much was visible but eventually a dusky patch could be seen in the Mare Nubium / Oceanus Procellarum area. This increased in size until at 22:30:01 the partial phase commenced as the Moon entered the Earth’s umbra. A progressively larger bite was taken out of the Moon. Details in the shaded area could sill be observed with the telescope. I managed to take some photos of this and three of them may be seen above. I posted two of these on flickr.com almost in real time. As the shadow increased in size, it started taking on the characteristic reddish brown or coppery tinge.

Totality started at 23:43:46. The moon was now of a deep copper colour with a lighter rim, especially the North East area North of the Mare Crisium which was the last to go into shadow. Totality brings some interesting observations. The sky was dark almost as in the New Moon phase. The fainter stars became visible. The image of an orange ball suspended below the lion was unusual. At eclipse maximum at 00:20:52 I could even see the M44 with the naked eye. Another interesting effect is that the stars very close to the moon are observable with the telescope. From my position, for example, star TYC 0261 00664-1 Mag 10.19 was only 22 arcseconds South West of the Moon and the motion of the moon against the star was discernable. Unfortunately my small camera was not sensitive enough to photograph totality. Totality ended at 00:57:58.

I tried to place the intensity of the eclipse on the Danjon scale. I am not experienced at this and found it difficult. I personally don’t believe it was very intense. The lunar surface features were visible even with the naked eye. I would say it was closest to L3 but I stand to be corrected.

It then got too windy for the scope and continued following the event visually until 2:08 when only a small shadow was left in the Mare Smithii area. The Moon was about to leave the umbra at 2:11:42.

Larger versions of my photos are on my Flickr site

The Moon Approaching Eclipse

2007-03-01T22:40:00.000+01:00

With the total lunar eclipse two nights away, I photographed the moon to check my exposures. This is one of the shots taken through a 25mm eyepiece with the exposure setting set at -1.5 e.v. It seems to work so I'll try this setting on Saturday night. The weather forecast seems o.k.

I also took the opportunity to observe Saturn which later tonight will pass very close to the Moon. Further North from my position there will actually be an occultation of Saturn by the Moon. The viewing was quite good in spite of the proximity of the Moon. The rings were glorious. There is actually the shadow of the planet visible on the rings to the East. Just under one month ago, at opposition, this was not visible. The moons I could see were all to the East; Tethys and Dione close to the North-East, Rhea further out to the East and Titan to the South-East.

Earlier I took advantage of the cloudless night to observe Canopus which culminated at 19:49 local time at an altitude of only +01°43'

Mira's Maximum Seems Past

2007-02-26T21:27:00.000+01:00

Mira appears to me to be fainter now. This evening I could see it again after some days of cloud. The star is still brighter than Menkar (alpha Ceti mag +2.53) but now visibly fainter than Hamal (alpha Arietis mag +2.0). I would say that it is mag +2.2.

Mira

2007-02-20T19:07:00.000+01:00

Mira does not seem to be getting any brighter. This evening was the first time I could see it since the evening of the 16th. The star was brighter than Menkar (alpha Ceti mag +2.53) but slightly fainter than Hamal (alpha Arietis mag +2.0). I would say that it was mag +2.1.

This evening there was the beautiful sight of the bright Venus below the Crescent Moon which had its dark part showing the ashen light. The Moon is, of course, heading towards a total lunar eclipse at the next Full Moon .

Mira Brightens

2007-02-17T23:02:00.000+01:00

I observed Mira visually this evening and saw it is as bright as nearby Hamal (Alpha Arietis) making it magnitude +2. How bright will it get at maximum?

Gamma Velorum

2007-02-17T10:20:00.000+01:00

Last night was particularly clear and I got a clear view to the south unobstructed by low cloud or haze on the horizon. Below Canis Major I could see down to Suhail al Muhlif (Gamma Velorum) with the naked eye. At that moment it must have been some 6 deg above the horizon. This is a multiple system with a giant Wolf Rayet star. Also visible were Naos (Zeta Puppis) and Alsuhail (Lambda Velorum).

Observing Session

2007-02-15T22:57:00.000+01:00

The sky remained reasonably clear so I took the opportunity yo set up the scope. I managed quite a list. Starting M42, M43, NGC1977 (faint), M47 (nice double star in the centre), M46 (the UHC filter reveals NGC2438 beautifully), M97 (couldn't see any detail), NGC2392, The galaxies M81 and M82 (for the first time this season), NGC2244, the nearby double 8 Mon, NGC2264 and finished off with Saturn before the wind got too strong and I decided to turn in.

Mira

2007-02-15T20:36:00.000+01:00

I saw Mira this evening. It is living up to its name and is amazingly bright. In my opinion it is brighter than nearby Menkar (Alpha Ceti +2.53) and at least as bright as Mintaka (Delta Orionis +2.23). This is much brighter than its average maximum brightness of +3.5, although it is known to go up to +2 on occasions. I found an updated lightcurve for the star here

Definitely one to watch in the coming evenings.

M76 through the UHC Filter

2007-02-11T20:08:00.000+01:00

On the 8th February I had missed out on seeing the M76 through the new filter (I had forgotten about it). Taking an opportunity between cloudy periods I took out the scope and observed it. The difference is evident. At a magnification of x120, for example, without the filter it is an elongated haze. With the filter the two lobes are easily visible. Approaching cloud soon cut the session short. The RH was 72%.

Just as I was setting up the scope the ISS passed overhead heading from the SW to the NE, disappearing close to the zenith just by Capella. It was very bright and checking it afterwards on heavens-above.com confirmed it was mag. -1.0.

Saturn in Opposition

2007-02-11T11:30:00.000+01:00

I sadly missed the moment of Saturn's opposition as last night the weather was as bad as forecast. I did manage a naked eye glimpse through a gap in the clouds but the intermittent rain and extensive cloud cover discouraged taking out the scope.

UHC Filter

2007-02-08T22:06:00.000+01:00

I bought a UHC filter (Astronomik UHC) with the hope of seeing faint planetary nebulae in spite of the light pollution in the sky. The filter arrived yesterday but I couldn't use it due to the cloud cover. Tonight was clear but the RH was 81% so it was slightly misty.

I started off with the M42 which did show a greater extent and more structure. Then I went for the real test with the planetary nebulae. I went for the bright Eskimo Nebula (NGC2392). The centre was bright but I still could not see the surrounding halo. I then viewed M46 to see if I could observe NGC2438 (mag 11; surface brightness 11.7). I was never certain I had seen this nebula but with the filter it was quite evident. I then tried the Owl Nebula (NGC3587) in Ursa Major. I had seen this only once on an exceptionally clear night. This nebula has a magnitude of 11 and a surface brightness of 12.1. Without the filter it couldn't be seen but with the filter I could see its ghostly shape quite well.

The filter also improved the view of the M1 Crab Nebula (mag 8.4; surface brightness 11) but not as much as for the planetaries.

Saturn is one day from opposition and worth a look. The moon Tethys was to the East of the rings, Dione to the West of the rings and Rhea close to its North East. Titan was further West with Iapetus near to its North.

The Moon

2007-02-07T23:38:00.000+01:00

While viewing Saturn on the 5th February, I also took the opportunity to photograph the moon. This is my photo of the Atlas and Hercules craters. For a larger version visit my Flickr site.

Saturn at Opposition

2007-02-06T19:22:00.000+01:00

Saturn is at opposition on the 10th February and with the next few days forcast with cloud and rain I took my chance to view it at its best. The visible moons were all to the West. Starting from the North were Titan, Dione and Tethys very close to each other, and Rhea Southernmost. Iapetus was far out to the West.

I also took a chance photographing it with my small camera at the dob's eyepiece. With this equipment this is at the limit of possibility. Anyway, I am attaching it to the post.

Venus and Mercury

2007-02-03T18:41:00.000+01:00

The two inner planets are close together in the Western evening sky. After many days when I could see only Venus or nothing at all due to cloud to the West, today I managed a glorious view of Venus shining brightly and tiny Mercury brighter than I could remember, both setting in the evening twilight.

I tried a quick peek through the telescope. Venus is obviously gibbous. I could not view Mercury as it was too low for my dob. It had dropped to below the neighbour's wall as seen from the low position of the dob's mount. However it was a beautiful naked eye view.

This is a photo of the two planets taken on the 5th February.

Saturn

2007-01-30T22:35:00.000+01:00

Moon almost full (illumination 94.1%) and a clear night. With Saturn nearing opposition it was a good time to spend some time observing the ringed planet. The view was sharp. Using a 6mm eyepiece (Mag x200) the Cassini division was easily visible and I believe I could see the C ring against the dark background. The moons were visible, Titan, Rhea, Tethys and Dione. Unfortunately, I still couldn't see Enceladus. The cloud band around the South temperate area and the darker polar region were also very visible.

I also viewed the Moon. It was 11.71 days old. The best areas were around Aristarchus especially the Vallis Schroter which stood out like a bright twisting line. In the South the crater Shickard was lit nicely and Nasmyth/Phocylides gave an interesting effect of light and darkness.

As I was dismantling my setup, I saw a bright meteor travelling some 40 degrees across the sky. I would say about magnitude 1 with a yellow tail moving relatively slowly from the direction of Betelgeuse towards Gamma Canis Majoris. It must have been bright to be visible in spite of the bright moonlight.

Ephemeris

2007-01-29T22:07:00.000+01:00

Today being my birthday, I am comparing the positions of the solar system bodies today with those on the day I was born.

___________________Then________________ Now________
______________RA_______ Dec_______ RA________Dec___
Sun_______ 20:45:04 -18°03'13" 20:46:31 -17°57'30"
Moon______ 12:29:18 - 4°33'28" 05:37:03 +27°45'36"
Mercury___ 20:02:28 -22°11'51" 21:46:36 -14°43'08"
Venus_____ 22:01:53 -13°42'35" 22:17:03 -12°19'17"
Mars______ 03:29:04 +20°59'57" 18:40:47 -23°43'34"
Jupiter___ 15:46:10 -18°53'18" 16:49:08 -21°44'25"
Saturn____ 18:11:25 -22°28'39" 09:41:39 +15°11'04"
Uranus____ 09:08:56 +17°08'53" 22:57:33 - 7°27'34"
Neptune___ 14:20:45 -12°09'44" 21:26:27 -15°18'28"
Pluto_____ 10:40:47 +21°32'45" 17:51:39 -16°32'56"

Obviously the Sun is pretty much in the same position, but Venus is pretty close as is Jupiter. Pluto and Neptune are, of course, slow movers and have only moved just over 7 hrs of RA. I am including Pluto since it was considered a planet at the time. (ephemeris from ephemeris.com)

Gemini and the Eskimo Nebula

2007-01-23T23:19:00.000+01:00

Tonight was clear and with an 18% moon setting early I decided to have a look at the heavens. Taking a hint from this month's Sky at Night magazine, I looked for NGC 2392, the Eskimo Nebula. I prepared a chart of the area around delta Geminorum with Cartes du Ciel and started starhopping. First I easily found delta Geminorum (Wasat), a double with the fainter K star just visible off the much brighter F star. This was seen better at lower magnification since under the viewing conditions the star was blurred when highly magnified. Below delta is 63 Geminorum and below that, plainly visible is the Eskimo, a planetary nebula. This is bright as far as planetaries go. The centre is bright and surrounded by the haze of the nebula which to me looked greenish. There is a star close by.

Once in Gemini I took a quick look at Castor, a fine white double. I also observed the M35, a magnificent open cluster with myriad stars.

Once out observing I tried for the M46 and 47. For the first time I believe I could just make out NGC 2438, the planetary nebula in the M46. I also viewed the M1 Crab Nebula, M42, M43, the M44 Beehive and finished off with the Saturn. To the West of the planet first was Tethys with Dione to its South, then Titan and Iapetus furthest out. Rhea lay to the East.

Overall a good evening's observing.

Rho Geminid

2007-01-18T21:56:00.000+01:00

I only had a chance to view the sky for a brief moment last night but I was lucky to see this meteor which zipped between Alphard and Saturn from the direction of Gemini. Tracing it back to its possible radiant I believe it was a Rho Geminid (visible from end of December to the end of January peaking on 8th January). It was about magnitude +2.5 and had no tail.

The Little Dumbbell

2007-01-16T23:02:00.000+01:00

One of the few Messiers I had never observed was M76, the Little Dumbbell Nebula (also called Cork, Butterfly or Barbell Nebula). Tonight I made my first attempt to find it. It was actually easier than I had anticipated. I starhopped from the Perseus Double Cluster, on to Phi Persei. The nebula is nearby. Although a faint planetary nebula, I could see its ghostly shape especially through averted vision.

Other targets for the night were M79, the globular cluster in Lepus, I couldn't resolve any stars though, and the M78 reflection nebula in Orion.

Saturn always deserves a look. The moons were arranged with Titan on the outside to the West, Dione between Titan and the planet, Iapetus to the East, Rhea to the North and Tethys to the South West. Enceladus continues to elude me. The clouds then rolled in at about 22:30 and I had to turn in.

Seeing Canopus

2007-01-15T19:45:00.000+01:00

One of my astronomical resolutions was to observe Canopus (Alpha Carinae). The problem is that from my latitude (35.91N) this star with declination 52.696S never rises more than 1.39 degrees above the horizon. Yesterday was a clear night, although the humidity was somewhat high. I climbed up to the highest point in my house looking South at about 22:45 which was the moment of culmination according to my computer and planisphere. I actually managed to see Canopus as it was bright enough to pierce the orange glow close to the horizon. I watched it for some time to make sure it was not a light on a tall pole or a landing aircraft. It did however move in the expected path and was exactly in the predicted position so it could not have been anything other than this elusive star, the second brightest star in the night sky after Sirius. This observation was also my first view of the constellation Carina.

Comet McNaught

2007-01-11T20:24:00.000+01:00

The last few evenings were disappointing as thick cloud obscured the western horizon. I had given up ever seeing this comet. Today my hopes were raised as the day was much clearer with some light cloud. When sunset came the zenith was clear but disappointingly there were these dark clouds low to the West covering some 60% of the lower 10 degrees. I had taken my binoculars to work as the view to the West from my office window is unobstructed. After some moments of panic as the light ebbed with the comet hidden by cloud, I suddenly spotted it. It dodged the clouds as I followed it until it disappeared behind some low hills. It was bright. Through 16x50 binoculars I could see it and its tail in the orange sunset glow even though it was only half a degree above the horizon.

This was the first naked eye comet I have seen since the unforgetable Hale Bopp of ten years ago. Simply amazing.

Open Clusters

2007-01-08T23:03:00.000+01:00

Tonight, before moonrise I resolved to observe the open clusters in the vicinity of Canis Major. I set up the scope and started off with an observation of the M42/43 in Orion. I couldn't miss that, could I. I then went for the M41. This is very easy to find just below Sirius. A fine cluster with some orange stars.

I then went into Monoceros and tried the Rosette Nebula with its cluster NGC 2237-2239. This I found after starhopping from Betelgeuse. Nearby is the interesting Plaskett's Star. I believe I idenified it. However, I couldn't resolve the binary. Not surprising since I later found out it is a spectroscopic double. It is one of the most massive known binary systems. Just North of this is one of my favourites, the seasonal Chrismas Tree Cluster NGC 2264. Easy to find and identify. Its shape really does look like a conifer with a very bright star at the base. Starting again fron Sirius I then found the M50.

Another nearby constellation is Puppis. Here my main target was the M93 which I had never observed. Since this area is low on the horizon and washed in light pollution I had some problems identifying stars among the great number in the Milky Way. I eventually found rho Puppis and found the M93 from there. Strangely my "Atlas of the Night Sky" lists it as a globular. However it looks nothing like that and has two fine orange stars at one side. In fact, www.seds.org lists it as an open cluster. North of the M93 lie two nearby and very different open clusters. The M47 which is a bright collection of stars and the M46 which is much fainter but with many more stars. I have never managed to see the planetary nebula in this latter cluster. These two clusters are easy to find also starting from Sirius.

I couldn't avoid finishing the evening with a view of Saturn. The moons were arranged with, to the West, Titan the furthest out, Rhea and Iapetus closer in and Tethys closest to the rings. Dione was on the East side also close to the rings.

Plato Sunrise

2006-12-30T00:26:00.000+01:00

I processed another photo that I took last night (28 Dec 2006, 17:43 UTC). This shows the sun rising over the area around the crater Plato. Very visible are the Vallis Alpes including the rille running down is centre (in the full size image), the isolated mountains Pico and Piton, The Mare Frigoris and the Lunar Alps. This is part of a single image taken at 1/19 sec on a 3MP camera attached to a 10mm EP and 2X Barlow on a 200mm F6 Sky-Watcher Dobson.

The Straight Wall

2006-12-28T23:19:00.000+01:00

With the Moon just past first quarter, the lighting conditions were just right for the Rupes Recta, the Straight Wall. Actually it is a fault on the lunar surface. It is also less dramatic than its appearance would lead one to believe. Its length is 110 Km but it is only 240-300m high and slopes gently at about 7 degrees. The photo is a stack of three images and was taken with a 3MP camera attached to a 10mm EP & 2X barlow on a 200mm Sky-Watcher dobson reflector. You can see the full size image here.

The Winter Sky

2006-12-23T09:06:00.000+01:00

After three weeks without having a chance to use the scope due to cloud and the waxing moon threatening to spoil the last chance of a tour of the winter sky, last night was clear and offered a perfect chance of a tour the best the night sky has to offer.

I started off with M42, always magnificent and showing structure in the nebulous whisps around the trapezium. M43 was visible and even a hint of NGC1977 (Running Man Nebula). Then it was off to Sigma Orionis the wonderful multiple system. I tried to see the nearby Horsehead Nebula but it was too faint for the light pollution present. A half hearted attempt to find M78, which I have observed before, proved fruitless.

M41 in Canis Major was easy to find. A fine open cluster with a bright red star near the centre. Then I tried Mira (omicron Ceti) which I found starhopping from Menkar. On the way I observed the M77 Seyfert galaxy near Delta Ceti.

Next stop was the M1 (Crab Nebula) easily found near Zeta Tauri. This is very faint but is an obvious bright nebular patch. I then went over to Triangulum and the elusive Triangulum Galaxy M33. This object was found but is so faint that if I didn't know its position I would never have seen it. In my viewing conditions it is a very slightly brighter patch of sky. Once you know its there it is obvious. To make up I went over to the very easy M31, M32 galaxies in Andromeda, always very easy to find.

However all this was done whilst waiting for the main event. Saturn had risen to an appreciable height, some 32 degrees. It was magnificent. I tried a magnification of x240. Very evident were the cloud bands, especially one in the Southern hemisphere and the Cassini Division. It is ineresting to note how much the rings have closed up since my last observation earlier this year. The moons were also visible especially Titan to the West but also Tethys (between Titan and Saturn), Dione (on the opposite side) and Rhea to the South of the planet. Nearby I observed the interesting Algieba (Gamma Leonis), a fine orange double, very easy to resolve.

Altogether a very satisfying night's viewing.

More Moon Photos

2006-12-04T20:09:00.000+01:00

A clear night on the 30th November and I took another few lunar images. I am reproducing two of them here in a reduced size but you can see them full size at my Flickr site. Some of them are at 1024x768 pixel size to use as Windows wallpaper.

Minor Planet (7) Iris - Observations

2006-11-16T23:56:00.000+01:00

I observed Minor Planet (7) Iris again tonight. In about 47 hours since my previous observation on the 14th November it moved by 30'34" as measured when the observed positions were plotted on Redshift 5.

Taurids

2006-11-16T20:29:00.000+01:00

Yesterday while gazing at the sky for a short time at around 24:00UTC, I saw a spectacular meteor. It was bright white with a nice tail tinged with green. The object streaked from the direction of the Pleiades down by Alpha Ceti down towards Eridanus so I make it a Northern Taurid. A bit late since the maximum has passed so maybe I was lucky to see this one.

Minor Planet (7) Iris

2006-11-15T22:36:00.000+01:00

Last night the asteroid Iris was in opposition in Aries, an opportunity not to be missed to observe my first asteroid. Magnitude was +6.8 so it would not be difficult to spot. Starhopping from the nearby Pleiades I found the target near the +8.7 star TYC 178400890-1. Iris was discovered by the astronomer J.R. Hind in 1847 so what better way to round off the night by watching R Leporis, Hind's Crimson Star, a magnificent Mira type variable with an unreal deep red colour.

Lunar Photography

2006-11-14T20:51:00.000+01:00

This month I concentrated on lunar photography. The nights were quite clear and I managed some shots on both sides of full moon. Notably the 1st, 2nd, 7th and 9th November. I am posting three shots here but you can see them at full size and view more images at my Flickr site .

Comet SWAN

2006-10-21T20:38:00.000+02:00

This evening my North horizon was clear of clouds and I decided to catch a glimpse of this comet. In my location the comet is in a position which does not give much time for observing since it is low on the NW horizon just after sunset. Its postion is improving as its angle from the sun increases.

I printed its current position from heavens-above.com and found it with my 8" dob as predicted some 9' from star HIP74977 (mag +8.2) in Boötes. Although the sky was not very dark, the tail could still be made out. The comet nucleus had the appearace of a fuzzy ball.

As the month progresses the comet should get fainter but observation could be easier as it rises higher over the horizon.

Orionids

2006-10-21T15:34:00.000+02:00

Last night at about midnight I went out onto the roof of my house. The clouds had cleared and the air was unusually clear, diminishing the nasty effects of light pollution. Orion was to the East well above the horizon and I kept a lookout for Orionid meteors.

I was not disappointed. Within a couple of minutes, first one and then another meteor zipped through from below Alnitak and passed through the space between Saiph and Rigel both on almost identical tracks. Both has a golden shimmering trail. Fantastic.

They were both obviously from the Orionid radiant, making them remnants of Halley's comet.

The Mare Frigoris

2006-10-10T23:12:00.000+02:00

Of the photos taken on the 2nd October, The most successful was this photo of the Mare Frigoris area with Plato and Mons Pico in the foreground. A link to the large size photo, which is surprisingly detailed considering the unsophisticated equipment used, is provided below.

Link to Mare Frigoris large photo

Photo taken with Skywatcher 200mm dobson reflector (1200mm F6) with 10mm eyepiece, 2x barlow, digiscoping adaptor, 3MP BenQ camera. Single image processed with wavlets on Registax and autobalanced on Corel Photo-Paint.

More Moon Shots

2006-10-05T00:39:00.000+02:00

I played around with the images of the Moon taken on the 2nd October. I am posting two of the results. The crater Plato and the Sun rising over the Sinus Iridum.

Moon Shots

2006-10-03T20:10:00.000+02:00

With the waxing moon dominating the night sky I decided to experiment with some photography. My equipment is not sophisticated, a small BenQ 3MP camera attached to the telescope with a digiscoping adaptor. The best fit is using a 10mm and 2x Barlow. I am publishing two of the photos, one of the crater Copernicus and the other of the crater Tycho. These images are stacked, each from three photographs, using a program called Registax.

Miscellaneous Messier Objects

2006-09-25T19:36:00.000+02:00

With the moonless nights last week I decided to observe various Messier objects visible at this time of the year and which I had neglected last time round.

Tuesday night I went for the M30. A small globular, not too difficult starhopping from zeta Capricorni. Friday night I took the telescope out again and observed the M52, which although not a difficult object, had defied my half-hearted attempts at finding it due to the distance from Caph (Beta Cassiopeiae). This time I printed a detailed chart and after some tedious starhopping found the object. It is a nice cluster with a bright star. Unfortunately I couldn't see the nearby Bubble Nebula.

Next was the M33. This is a large galaxy with low surface brightness. It had always eluded me as it dissolved into the light polluted background. This time after some persistence the bright patch could just be made out. More successful was my observation of M110. I had seen its neighbours M31 and M32 several times before but I had neglected the fainter M110. This time the bright patch could be easily seen. Another target I managed was M73, a small asterism in Aquarius, starhopping from Epsilon Aquarii. Unfortunately, I failed to see the M74 galaxy in Pisces although I'm sure I found its location. This is another face on spiral so maybe its surface brightness was too low.

A special moment was provided by a small meteor that startled me as it zipped across the eyepiece while I observed the M31. Then on Saturday I saw another meteor that was a Gamma Piscid.

Neptune

2006-08-02T18:48:00.000+02:00

Last night was unusually clear for the Summer season. This diminished the dreadful orange glow from sky pollution. I even got a rare glimpse of the Milky Way through Cygnus from my own rooftop observing site. I therefore resolved to get a view of Neptune. Finding it was not too hard starhopping from Deneb Algiedi and Nashira in Capricornus. It took some time to confirm I was observing the correct target comparing it to the star charts I had prepared.

The object itself is rather small, approximately 2.5". However, at a magnification of x240 the disk was easily observable and had the characteristic pale blue colour.

I rounded off the night observing the usual M22, M8, M11, M24, M17, etc.

Dark sky site observing

2006-07-29T14:16:00.000+02:00

Last night was the first time I took my telescope to a dark sky site. It was an event organized by the local astronomical society. Unfortunately, the site chosen at Zurrieq on the island's South coast was not as dark as I expected and the air was hazy due to the extreme heat. However, the Southern sky was reasonably clear with the Milky Way very evident through Sagittarius and Aquila.

I set up the scope and did the usual Sagittarius and Scorpius objects, M8, M22, M20, M21, M25, M7 and M4. I had a chance to share these sights with some members of the public. I also showed them the M11, M57, M13 and Jupiter. The star clusters and the "star that exploded a few thousand years ago" are always a hit.

My main target for the night was Neptune which I had never seen and which I found in Capricornus (I had prepared sky-charts of the area before). I also viewed the M72 globular for the first time.

The night was also interesting for me as I saw collegues setting up their more sophisticated computerized scopes and using astro imaging equipment.

A Dark Sky !

2006-06-25T09:10:00.000+02:00

Last night I joined the local astronomical society on a trip to find a true dark sky. We took a boat trip to a spot some thirty kilometres South West of Malta. The sky was truly spectacular exceeding my wildest expectations. The Milky Way stood out in all its glory. Like a menacing cloud, all the dark lanes and bright patches and knots were visible. The view towards Sagittarius was especially interesting. The Lagoon Nebula was a bright naked eye object. All the others were also visible, the Trifid, M22, M25, Swan and Eagle Nebulae.

Altogether a very interesting night to remember!!

Telescope

2006-06-22T20:26:00.000+02:00

These are pics I took this evening of my telescope set out and waiting for nightfall. The telescope is a Sky-Watcher 200mm (8") F6 1200mm reflector on a dobson mount. In these photos it is set up with a 10mm eyepiece, 2X barlow lens and a digiscoping adaptor.

The telescope is on the flat roof of my house which acts as my observatory.

Jupiter

2006-06-16T20:36:00.000+02:00

Yesterday, my little camera having been replaced after a problem developed in the display backlight, I decided to try to image Jupiter since the Moon had moved out of the way:)

Using a digiscoping technique I attached my BenQ three megapixel camera to a 10mm eyepiece and a 2X barlow on my 200mm Skywatcher Dobson reflector (1200mm F6)

I snapped 9 shots over a period of six minutes and stacked the results with Registax. Unfortunately there was no transit of the GRS or any of the moons' shadows but Ganymede is faintly visible at the lower right. Considering the equipment used, I think it is a fair result.

Guests

2006-06-04T23:07:00.000+02:00

On Friday I invited friends over with their two young kids and sent them on a quick tour of the heavens. In such circumstances I play safe and show objects that I am confident of finding very quickly. I don't like boring people while I star-hop to some elusive fuzzy. Also the objects have to be somewhat impressive to avoid underwhelming the guests.

So the program was Saturn (before it went too low in the sky), Jupiter which was undergoing a transit of Io. I did catch the moment when Io appeared and the shadow was still on Jupiter's surface. M13 which was quite high and easily resolvable. M57, an exploded star makes for a good impressive story. M104, almost seeing the age of the dinosaurs at 50M LY. And some good doubles including Epsilon Lyrae, Algieba and Albireo. Of couse the moon was at 40% and its surface always amazes first time viewers.

Windows Wallpaper

2006-05-13T10:50:00.000+02:00

I prepared two Windows wallpapers from my image of the Sinus Iridum.

First Post

2006-05-12T22:55:00.000+02:00

Well I've taken the plunge and started a Blog. My hobby is astronomy and this blog covers all things astronomical. I own a 200mm Skywatcher Dobson reflector which I mainly use from the rooftop of my house. Although not the best setup for photography, I do manage to take photos of the moon and the brighter planets.

This is one of my better attempts. A photo of the Sinus Iridum "Bay of Rainbows" on the moon taken on the 8th May 2006 at 20:08 UTC. I used a 10mm with a 2 x Barlow on the 200mm dobson reflector. I chose the best two images and stacked with registax.