Swansea Astronomical Society Blog

Saturday, August 27, 2011

 

First light on a newly modified solar camera

An Opticstar PL-130M monochrome high resolution CMOS camera was remounted to bring the CMOS sensor forwards so that it can be placed at the prime focus of a PST H-alpha solarscope.












The purpose of the modification is to be able to image the complete solar disk within a single frame.

The result is quite encouraging.

Steve Wainwright

 

Supernova, Comet, Globular clusters and Galaxies

A Pentax K-x DSLR camera fitted with a light pollution filter was placed at the prime focus of a 10", f/4.8 Newtonian. A series of 30s exposures at ISO 12800 were captured of each subject. The RAW images were stacked in Deep Sky stacker:

Supernova in Galaxy M101


I used an image taken with the same equipment on July 24 to make a blink comparison with tonight's image to show the supernova. The images were converted to greyscale for the purposes of the blink comparison:


Comet Garradd close to the globular cluster M71


M13, the brightest globular cluster in the Northern skies


M31, The Andromeda Galaxy


Steve Wainwright

Thursday, August 25, 2011

 

The Sun in H-alpha light

A DMK21AS camera fitted with a UV/IR cut filter and the lens assembly of a x 2 Barlow was used with a H-alpha PST to make a Mosaic of overlapping AVIs to cover the whole of the solar Disk:
Click on the image to get a larger view.


Using a 3x Barlow, a filaprom was imaged:


The filament crosses the limb of the Sun and becomes a prominence.

Also AR1271 was imaged.

The region is crackling with activity and shows huge prominences, one emerging from a sunspot. This image was featured on spaceweather.com Aug 26/27.

Steve Wainwright

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

 

Moon, Jupiter, Comet and colours

A Philips SPC 880/900 NC camera fitted with a UV/IR cut filter was placed at the prime focus of an f/10, 5" Maksutov. AVIs were captured of two areas of the Moon and stacked in Registax to produce the following two images:

Shroters Valley


Crater Schiller region


A Philips SPC 880/900 NC camera fitted with a UV/IR cut filter and a x 2.5 Barlow was attached to an f/10, 5" Maksutov. An 1800 frame AVI was captured of Jupiter over a 3 minute period and stacked in Registax:


A Pentax K-x refractor fitted with a light pollution filter was placed at the prime focus of an f/5, 6" refractor. 28 x 30s exposures at ISO 12800 were captured of Comet Garradd C/2009 P1, and then stacked in Deep Sky stacker


A Pentax K-x DSLR fitted with a circular diffraction grating was placed at the prime focus of an 80mm apochromatic refractor. Vega was placed in a corner of the field of view and 6 x 30s exposures were made. The spectrum output produced the following image:



Steve Wainwright

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

 

Sunspot AR1271 in white light

A DMK21AS camera fitted with a UV/IR cut filter was placed at the prime focus of an f/10, 5" Maksutov itself fitted with a Baader photographic grade solar filter. There were thin clouds crossing the Sun so it had to be imaged through the clouds. Eight 1000 frame AVIs were captured at 60fps. The AVIs were stacked in Registax with the quality limit set to 80. Registax selected 362 frames which were then aligned and stacked to produce this image of AR1271:

This sunspot group is changing rapidly and could give rise to Earth directed flares.

Steve Wainwright

 

The supernova in M51

On march 24 2011 Gaynor Thomas and Steve Wainwright imaged M51 before the supernova exploded. On July 24 Steve imaged M51 again and in this image the supernova is clearly visible:


The two images were rescaled and made greyscale for the purpose of the comparison.
Blink comparison of the before and after supernova explosion images:


The supernova blinks on and off in this blink comparison.

Steve Wainwright

Monday, August 22, 2011

 

The Moon, Jupiter and a comet


Jupiter was imaged with a Phillips SPC880NC/900NC camera fitted with a UV/IR cut filter and a x 2.5 Barlow lens on an f/10, 5" Maksutov.

Two AVI files each of 900 frames captured at 10fps were captured in rapid succession. This took 3 minutes which is the most time that can be spent imaging Jupiter before the planet's rotation smears out details. The AVIs were processed in Registax. The resulting image was corrected for atmospheric dispersion in Andrew Sprott's CAP (colour alignment processor) software. The resulting image showed lots of detail including a dark red spot in the north equatorial belt:


Four areas of the Moon were imaged with a DMK21AS Camera fitted with a UV/IR cut filter placed at the prime focus of the 5" Maksutov:
Crater Plato in shadow and Sinus Iridum (the Bay of Rainbows)


Crater Copernicus, and Hortensius domes


The Straight wall, a lunar fault


Crater Clavius and Crater Tycho largely in shadow


Comet C/2009 P1 (Garradd) was imaged with two scopes and two cameras.
A Pentax K-x DSLR fitted with a light pollution filter was placed at the prime focus of an f/5, 80mm apochromatic refractor and 35 x 30s exposures were captured at ISO 12500. The images were processed in Deep-Sky Stacker:


A Mintron integrating video camera set to maximum (256 frames) frame accumulation fitted with a light pollution filter was placed at the prime focus of the 80mm refractor and 30min of high quality DVD was captured. Ian Davies's Vob Frame Extractor was used to extract the unique frames as BMP files. These files were processed in two ways:
1) Stacked on the comet in Registax which produced star trails


2) Stacked on the stars which produced a trailed comet


Fifty frames were stacked to increase the signal to noise but over a time frame where little movement of the comet had happened. The frames were stacked on the stars but a non-trailed comet was produced:


The Mintron camera set to maximum frame accumulation was placed at the prime focus of an f/5, 5" Newtonian and 30 minutes of high quality DVD were captured. Vob Frame Extractor was used to extract unique frames a BMP files. The BMPs were stacked as above:
1) On the stars to produce a trailed comet


2) On the comet to produce trailed stars


Just 50 frames were stacked to produce this image:

The comet was not visible in 10 x 50 binoculars, but was just visible in 15 x 80 binoculars.

Steve Wainwright

Sunday, August 21, 2011

 

Solar observing in Green, continuum light and Hydrogen alpha light

A DMK21AS camera fitted with a short nosepiece, a green continuum filter and a UV/IR cut filter was placed at the prime focus of an f/10, 5" Maksutov fitted with a photographic grade Baader solar filter. AR1271 was imaged:
Clicking on an image will give a larger view.


The same sunspot group was imaged using a x 2.5 Barlow:

Granulation and the fibrillar structure of the penumbrae are evident.

A H-alpha PST was used with the DMK camera and the lens assembly from a x 2 Barlow. The Sun was imaged in overlapping sections and a full disk mosaic was constructed:


A prominence was imaged along with an exposure for the disk. The two images were combined in Andrew Sprott's Solar Layers software:


Steve Wainwright

Archives

December 27, 2009   January 3, 2010   January 17, 2010   January 24, 2010   January 31, 2010   February 7, 2010   February 14, 2010   February 21, 2010   February 28, 2010   March 7, 2010   March 14, 2010   March 21, 2010   March 28, 2010   April 4, 2010   April 11, 2010   April 18, 2010   April 25, 2010   May 2, 2010   May 9, 2010   May 16, 2010   May 23, 2010   May 30, 2010   June 6, 2010   June 13, 2010   June 20, 2010   June 27, 2010   July 4, 2010   July 11, 2010   July 18, 2010   July 25, 2010   August 1, 2010   August 8, 2010   August 15, 2010   August 22, 2010   August 29, 2010   September 12, 2010   September 19, 2010   September 26, 2010   October 3, 2010   October 10, 2010   October 17, 2010   October 24, 2010   October 31, 2010   November 7, 2010   November 14, 2010   November 21, 2010   November 28, 2010   December 5, 2010   December 12, 2010   December 19, 2010   December 26, 2010   January 2, 2011   January 9, 2011   January 16, 2011   January 23, 2011   January 30, 2011   February 6, 2011   February 13, 2011   February 20, 2011   February 27, 2011   March 6, 2011   March 13, 2011   March 20, 2011   March 27, 2011   April 3, 2011   April 10, 2011   April 17, 2011   April 24, 2011   May 8, 2011   May 15, 2011   May 22, 2011   May 29, 2011   June 5, 2011   June 12, 2011   June 19, 2011   June 26, 2011   July 3, 2011   July 10, 2011   July 17, 2011   July 24, 2011   July 31, 2011   August 7, 2011   August 14, 2011   August 21, 2011   August 28, 2011   September 11, 2011   September 25, 2011   October 2, 2011   October 9, 2011   October 16, 2011   October 23, 2011   October 30, 2011   November 6, 2011   November 13, 2011   November 20, 2011   November 27, 2011   December 4, 2011   December 11, 2011   December 18, 2011   December 25, 2011   January 1, 2012   January 8, 2012   January 15, 2012   January 22, 2012   January 29, 2012   February 5, 2012   February 12, 2012   February 19, 2012   February 26, 2012   March 4, 2012   March 11, 2012   March 18, 2012   March 25, 2012   April 1, 2012   April 8, 2012   April 15, 2012   April 22, 2012   May 6, 2012   May 13, 2012   May 20, 2012   May 27, 2012   June 17, 2012   July 8, 2012   July 15, 2012   July 22, 2012   August 5, 2012   August 12, 2012   August 19, 2012   August 26, 2012   September 2, 2012   September 9, 2012   September 16, 2012   September 23, 2012   September 30, 2012   October 7, 2012   October 14, 2012   October 21, 2012   October 28, 2012   November 4, 2012   November 11, 2012   November 18, 2012   November 25, 2012   December 2, 2012   December 9, 2012   December 16, 2012   December 23, 2012   December 30, 2012   January 6, 2013   January 13, 2013   January 20, 2013   January 27, 2013   February 3, 2013   February 10, 2013   February 17, 2013   February 24, 2013   March 3, 2013   March 10, 2013   March 17, 2013   March 24, 2013   March 31, 2013   April 7, 2013   April 14, 2013   April 21, 2013   April 28, 2013   May 5, 2013   May 12, 2013   May 19, 2013   May 26, 2013   June 2, 2013   June 9, 2013   June 16, 2013   June 23, 2013   June 30, 2013   July 7, 2013   July 14, 2013   July 21, 2013   July 28, 2013   August 11, 2013   August 18, 2013   August 25, 2013   September 1, 2013   September 8, 2013   September 15, 2013   September 22, 2013   September 29, 2013   October 6, 2013   October 13, 2013   October 27, 2013   November 3, 2013   November 10, 2013   November 17, 2013   November 24, 2013   December 1, 2013   December 8, 2013   December 15, 2013   December 22, 2013   December 29, 2013   January 5, 2014   January 12, 2014   January 19, 2014   January 26, 2014   February 2, 2014   February 9, 2014   February 16, 2014   February 23, 2014   March 2, 2014   March 9, 2014   March 16, 2014   March 23, 2014   March 30, 2014   April 6, 2014   April 13, 2014   April 20, 2014   April 27, 2014   May 4, 2014   May 11, 2014   May 25, 2014   June 1, 2014   June 8, 2014   June 15, 2014   June 22, 2014   June 29, 2014   July 6, 2014   July 20, 2014   July 27, 2014   August 3, 2014   August 10, 2014   August 17, 2014   August 24, 2014   August 31, 2014   September 7, 2014   September 14, 2014   September 21, 2014   September 28, 2014   October 5, 2014   October 12, 2014   October 19, 2014   October 26, 2014   November 2, 2014   November 9, 2014   November 16, 2014   November 23, 2014   November 30, 2014   December 7, 2014   December 14, 2014   December 21, 2014   December 28, 2014   January 4, 2015   January 11, 2015   January 18, 2015   January 25, 2015   February 1, 2015   February 8, 2015   February 15, 2015   February 22, 2015   March 1, 2015   March 8, 2015   March 15, 2015   March 22, 2015   March 29, 2015   April 5, 2015   April 12, 2015   April 19, 2015   April 26, 2015   May 3, 2015   May 10, 2015   May 17, 2015   May 24, 2015   May 31, 2015   June 7, 2015   June 14, 2015   June 21, 2015   June 28, 2015   July 5, 2015   July 12, 2015   July 19, 2015   July 26, 2015   August 2, 2015   August 9, 2015   August 16, 2015   August 23, 2015   August 30, 2015   September 6, 2015   September 13, 2015   September 20, 2015   September 27, 2015   October 4, 2015   October 11, 2015   October 18, 2015   October 25, 2015   November 1, 2015   November 8, 2015   November 22, 2015   November 29, 2015   December 20, 2015   December 27, 2015   January 3, 2016   January 10, 2016   January 17, 2016   January 24, 2016   January 31, 2016   February 7, 2016   February 14, 2016   February 21, 2016   February 28, 2016   March 6, 2016   March 13, 2016   March 20, 2016   March 27, 2016   April 3, 2016   April 10, 2016   April 17, 2016   April 24, 2016   May 1, 2016   May 8, 2016   May 15, 2016   May 22, 2016   May 29, 2016   June 5, 2016   July 10, 2016   July 17, 2016   July 31, 2016   August 7, 2016   August 14, 2016   August 21, 2016   August 28, 2016   September 4, 2016   September 11, 2016   October 2, 2016   October 9, 2016   October 16, 2016   October 30, 2016   November 6, 2016   November 13, 2016   November 20, 2016   November 27, 2016   December 4, 2016   December 11, 2016   December 18, 2016   December 25, 2016   January 1, 2017   January 8, 2017   January 15, 2017   January 22, 2017   January 29, 2017   February 5, 2017   February 12, 2017   February 19, 2017   February 26, 2017   March 5, 2017   March 12, 2017   March 19, 2017   March 26, 2017   April 2, 2017   April 9, 2017   April 16, 2017   April 23, 2017   April 30, 2017   May 7, 2017   May 14, 2017   May 21, 2017   May 28, 2017   June 4, 2017   June 11, 2017   June 18, 2017   July 2, 2017   July 9, 2017   July 16, 2017   July 23, 2017   August 6, 2017   August 13, 2017   August 20, 2017   August 27, 2017   September 10, 2017   September 17, 2017   September 24, 2017   October 1, 2017   October 8, 2017   October 15, 2017   October 22, 2017   October 29, 2017   November 5, 2017   November 12, 2017   November 19, 2017   November 26, 2017   December 3, 2017   December 10, 2017   December 24, 2017   December 31, 2017   January 7, 2018   January 21, 2018   January 28, 2018   February 4, 2018   February 11, 2018   February 18, 2018   February 25, 2018   March 4, 2018   March 18, 2018   March 25, 2018   April 8, 2018   April 15, 2018   April 22, 2018   April 29, 2018   May 6, 2018   May 13, 2018   May 20, 2018   May 27, 2018   June 3, 2018   June 10, 2018   June 17, 2018   June 24, 2018   July 1, 2018   July 8, 2018   July 15, 2018   July 22, 2018   August 5, 2018   August 12, 2018   August 19, 2018   August 26, 2018   September 2, 2018   September 9, 2018   September 23, 2018   September 30, 2018   October 7, 2018   October 14, 2018   October 21, 2018   October 28, 2018   November 4, 2018   November 11, 2018   November 18, 2018   December 2, 2018   December 9, 2018   December 16, 2018   December 30, 2018   January 6, 2019   January 13, 2019   January 20, 2019   January 27, 2019   February 3, 2019   February 10, 2019   February 17, 2019   February 24, 2019   March 10, 2019   March 17, 2019   March 24, 2019   April 7, 2019   April 14, 2019   April 21, 2019   April 28, 2019   May 5, 2019   May 12, 2019   June 2, 2019   June 9, 2019   June 16, 2019   June 23, 2019   July 7, 2019   July 14, 2019   July 21, 2019   August 11, 2019   August 25, 2019   September 8, 2019   September 15, 2019   September 22, 2019   October 6, 2019   October 13, 2019   October 20, 2019   October 27, 2019   November 3, 2019   November 10, 2019   November 17, 2019   November 24, 2019   December 1, 2019   December 15, 2019   December 22, 2019   December 29, 2019   January 5, 2020   January 12, 2020   January 19, 2020   February 2, 2020   February 9, 2020   February 16, 2020   February 23, 2020   March 1, 2020   March 8, 2020   March 15, 2020   March 22, 2020   March 29, 2020   April 5, 2020   April 12, 2020   April 19, 2020   April 26, 2020   May 3, 2020   May 10, 2020   May 17, 2020   May 24, 2020   May 31, 2020   June 7, 2020   June 14, 2020   June 21, 2020   July 5, 2020   July 12, 2020   July 19, 2020   July 26, 2020   August 9, 2020   August 30, 2020   September 6, 2020   September 13, 2020   September 20, 2020   September 27, 2020   October 4, 2020   October 11, 2020   October 18, 2020   November 1, 2020   November 8, 2020   November 15, 2020   November 22, 2020   November 29, 2020   December 6, 2020   December 13, 2020   December 20, 2020   December 27, 2020   January 3, 2021   January 10, 2021   January 17, 2021   January 24, 2021   January 31, 2021   February 7, 2021   February 14, 2021   February 21, 2021   February 28, 2021   March 7, 2021   March 14, 2021   March 21, 2021   March 28, 2021   April 4, 2021   April 11, 2021   April 18, 2021   April 25, 2021   May 2, 2021   May 16, 2021   May 23, 2021   May 30, 2021   June 6, 2021   June 13, 2021   June 27, 2021   July 4, 2021   July 11, 2021   July 18, 2021   July 25, 2021   August 1, 2021   August 8, 2021   August 15, 2021   August 22, 2021   August 29, 2021   September 5, 2021   September 19, 2021   October 3, 2021   October 10, 2021   October 17, 2021   October 24, 2021   October 31, 2021   November 7, 2021   November 14, 2021   November 21, 2021   November 28, 2021   December 5, 2021   December 12, 2021   January 2, 2022   January 9, 2022   January 16, 2022   January 23, 2022   January 30, 2022   February 6, 2022   February 13, 2022   February 20, 2022   February 27, 2022   March 6, 2022   March 13, 2022   March 20, 2022   March 27, 2022   April 3, 2022   April 10, 2022   April 17, 2022   April 24, 2022   May 1, 2022   May 8, 2022   May 15, 2022   May 22, 2022   May 29, 2022   June 5, 2022   June 12, 2022   June 19, 2022   June 26, 2022   July 3, 2022   July 10, 2022   July 17, 2022   July 24, 2022   July 31, 2022   August 7, 2022   August 14, 2022   August 21, 2022   August 28, 2022   September 4, 2022   September 11, 2022   September 18, 2022   September 25, 2022   October 2, 2022   October 9, 2022   October 16, 2022   October 23, 2022   October 30, 2022   November 6, 2022   November 13, 2022   November 20, 2022   November 27, 2022   December 4, 2022   December 11, 2022   December 18, 2022   December 25, 2022   January 1, 2023   January 8, 2023   January 15, 2023   January 22, 2023   January 29, 2023   February 5, 2023   February 12, 2023   February 19, 2023   February 26, 2023   March 5, 2023   March 12, 2023   March 19, 2023   March 26, 2023   April 2, 2023   April 9, 2023   April 16, 2023   April 23, 2023   April 30, 2023   May 7, 2023   May 14, 2023   May 21, 2023   May 28, 2023   June 4, 2023   June 11, 2023   June 18, 2023   June 25, 2023   July 2, 2023   July 9, 2023   July 16, 2023   July 23, 2023   July 30, 2023   August 6, 2023   August 13, 2023   August 20, 2023   August 27, 2023   September 3, 2023   September 10, 2023   September 17, 2023   September 24, 2023   October 1, 2023   October 8, 2023   October 15, 2023   October 22, 2023   October 29, 2023   November 5, 2023   November 12, 2023   November 19, 2023   November 26, 2023   December 3, 2023   December 10, 2023   December 17, 2023   December 24, 2023   December 31, 2023   January 7, 2024   January 14, 2024   January 21, 2024   January 28, 2024   February 4, 2024   February 11, 2024   February 18, 2024   February 25, 2024   March 3, 2024   March 10, 2024   March 17, 2024  

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?

Subscribe to Posts [Atom]