Swansea Astronomical Society Blog

A DMK21AS camera fitted with a UV/IR filter was placed at the prime focus of a Coronado Solarmax ll 60, BF15 and 5000 AVI frames were captured in 4 overlapping areas of the Sun. The resulting images were combined into a mosaic of the entire disk. The resulting image was colourised to represent the wavelength of light used to capture the image:
Click on the image to get a larger view.


The lens assembly from a x2 Barlow was attached to the front of the camera and a region containing AR1410 and some prominences were imaged, exposed for the disk and also for the prominences. The two images were combined in Andrew Sprott's 'Solar Layers' software:

Prominences, AR1410 and a long filament were captured.

The IR/UV filter was then removed and the camera system was attached to a Ca K-line PST scope. The region of AR1410 was imaged. The resulting image has been colourised to represent the wavelengh used to make the image:

AR1410 is clearly visible as is the chromospheric network of high magnetic flux.

Steve Wainwright

This morning an 80mm apochromatic refractor fitted with a Baader solar filter was used in conjunction with a DMK31 camera.
Prime focus image:


Images using a x3 Barlow:

Faculae are visible in this image.



Keith Davies

Swansea Astronomical Society members put on a Star Party at Craig y Nos on Friday January 27:












Keith Davies

A sub 30 GBP Vivitar Vivicam T027 fixed focus, 12 MP compact camera set to monochrome, was fitted to a 15mm Ultra Wide, long eye relief eyepiece using a Practika afocal mount:

This rig was attached to a 127mm, f/10 Maksutov and the Moon was imaged in 5 overlapping zones.

The resulting images were stitched together into a mosaic using Microsoft ICE:
Click on the image to get a larger view.


The 15mm eyepiece was replaced with a 9mm, Ultra Wide, long eye relief eyepiece and Jupiter was imaged:

This was a single shot. More shots would have allowed Registax to reduce the noise/signal ratio. This will be the subject of a future experiment.

A Pentax K-x DSLR fitted with an IR/UV cut filter was placed at the prime focus of the Maksutov and the crescent Moon was imaged in a single shot:
Click on the image to get a larger view.


Earlier in the evening, the Moon and Venus made a beautiful spectacle in the south western sky:
Imaged on auto with a Pentax Kx DSLR.
Click on the image to get a larger view and to see Venus clearer:


Steve Wainwright

The conjunction was imaged with two cameras:
A Pentax K-x DSLR mounted on a monopod:


and, a handheld Samsung W8600 compact camera:

The Moon and Venus were separated by about 5 degrees

Keith Davies and Steve Wainwright

Members of Swansea Astronomical Society put on an Exhibition in the wonderful hall of the National Museum of Wales. The Solar System model that used to be suspended in the staircase building of the Marina Towers Observatory was on display, planet by planet at ground level.














The event was very well attended. 3005 members of the public came through the doors.

Gaynor Thomas and Phil John

This image was obtained using the facilities at itelescope.net
Take a look at the link to find out more:
http://www.itelescope.net/


Tom Bradley