Swansea Astronomical Society Blog
Saturday, October 29, 2011
A Friday Sun
A DMK21AS camera was fitted with a UV/IR cut filter and a 2.5x Barlow and the Sun was imaged through a Solarmax ll 60 BF15 H-alpha solar scope. Two areas were imaged: The AR1330 and AR1333 region near the centre of the Solar disk:
and a partly detached prominence:
Steve Wainwright
and a partly detached prominence:
Steve Wainwright
Friday, October 28, 2011
Fairwood observatory observing
Members of my astronomy class were treated to some un-forecasted clear skies tonight, and with the aid of a Pentax K-x DSLR at the prime focus of the 12" SCT in the observatory were able to image M13
M57
and M27
Using a Phillips SPC900 camera at the prime focus of the SCT were able to image Jupiter while it was still quite low under relatively poor seeing conditions
Steve Wainwright
M57
and M27
Using a Phillips SPC900 camera at the prime focus of the SCT were able to image Jupiter while it was still quite low under relatively poor seeing conditions
Steve Wainwright
Jupiter with a Phillips SPC900 and an 8" f/10 SCT
A Phillips SPC900 was attached to an 8" f/10 SCT and an AVI was captured and processed in Registax
A dark structure on the north equatorial belt is clearly available.
Gaynor Thomas
A dark structure on the north equatorial belt is clearly available.
Gaynor Thomas
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Active regions 1327 and 1324
A DMK21 camera fitted with an IR/UV cut filter and the lens assembly from a x2 Barlow was fitted into a x2.5 Barlow and placed in a Solarmax II 60BF15 solar scope AR1327-AR 1324 regions were imaged in H-alpha light. A total of 40,000 frames were captured in AVIs and then registered and stacked in Registax 6. Microsoft ICE was used to composite the final image.
Click on the image to get a larger view:
Prominence
Steve Wainwright
Click on the image to get a larger view:
Prominence
Steve Wainwright
Sunspots today in White light
A DMK31 camera was placed at the prime focus of an 80mm refractor fitted with a Baader solar filter and imaged a string of active regions across the whole disk of the Sun.
A 3x Barlow was used to increase the magnification of specific Sunspot regions:
Keith Davies
A 3x Barlow was used to increase the magnification of specific Sunspot regions:
Keith Davies
Thursday, October 20, 2011
AR1314 and AR1319 in H-alpha light
A DMK camera fitted with a UV/IR cut filter and the lens assembly from a x2 Barlow was placed in a 2.5 x Barlow and the two active regions were imaged with a Solarmax II 60 BF15 with a 10,000 frame AVI. The AVI was processed in Registax 6 and the best 400 frames were stacked to produce the final image:
Steve Wainwright
Steve Wainwright
Jupiter through two scopes
This image of Jupiter was taken through an 11" SCT at prime focus:
This image was taken through a 120mm Refractor with a 2.5x Barlow
A DBK camera was used for both images.
Keith Davies
This image was taken through a 120mm Refractor with a 2.5x Barlow
A DBK camera was used for both images.
Keith Davies
Monday, October 17, 2011
The Moon and Jupiter on Sunday night
A Pentax K-x DSLR was placed at the prime focus of a Maksutov 127 telescope. Two overlapping images were captured and stitched together using Microsoft ICE.
Click on the image to get a larger view:
A Phillips SPC800/900 camera fitted with a UV/IR cut filter was used with a 2.5x Barlow to image Jupiter. A 3 minute AVI was captured at 15fps and processed in Registax 6:
The SPC800/900 in the same configuration was used to image crater Clavius. A 3 minute AVI was captured and processed in Registax 6:
Steve Wainwright
Click on the image to get a larger view:
A Phillips SPC800/900 camera fitted with a UV/IR cut filter was used with a 2.5x Barlow to image Jupiter. A 3 minute AVI was captured at 15fps and processed in Registax 6:
The SPC800/900 in the same configuration was used to image crater Clavius. A 3 minute AVI was captured and processed in Registax 6:
Steve Wainwright
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Afocal Jupiter
An afocal image was captured of Jupiter using a modified afocal adaptor.
A 90mm, f/10 refractor was used with a 10mm eyepiece in a 2x Barlow. The camera used was an Olympus Camerdia c-480 zoom compact digital camera
The north and south equatorial belts are clearly visible in this image.
Ken Shepherd
A 90mm, f/10 refractor was used with a 10mm eyepiece in a 2x Barlow. The camera used was an Olympus Camerdia c-480 zoom compact digital camera
The north and south equatorial belts are clearly visible in this image.
Ken Shepherd
Sunspots in white light, Jupiter and M51
A Minolta DSLR was used with an 8 inch Celestron SCT fitted with a solar filter and equatorially mounted to image the Sun.
Lots of sunspots of various sizes from full blown spots with umbra and penumbra down to tiny pores stretched in a broad band across the Sun.
Jupiter, taken 2 nights ago using the Toucam camera, an 8 inch SCT and a 2x barlow. This was the best 400 frames out of just over 1000, processed and stacked in Registax and then enhanced in Photoshop:
M51 taken on Sept 28 using a Starlight Express MX716 camera and a Williams Optics ZS80II scope on an EQ6 pro mount. I used Astroart to take the photos and assemble the 4 minute sub exposures in LRGB shots, PHD guiding to autoguide using a DSIpro as the camera with a Skywatcher 80mm telescope. The image was then finished in Photoshop:
The supernova is still visible in this image.
Anne Startup
Lots of sunspots of various sizes from full blown spots with umbra and penumbra down to tiny pores stretched in a broad band across the Sun.
Jupiter, taken 2 nights ago using the Toucam camera, an 8 inch SCT and a 2x barlow. This was the best 400 frames out of just over 1000, processed and stacked in Registax and then enhanced in Photoshop:
M51 taken on Sept 28 using a Starlight Express MX716 camera and a Williams Optics ZS80II scope on an EQ6 pro mount. I used Astroart to take the photos and assemble the 4 minute sub exposures in LRGB shots, PHD guiding to autoguide using a DSIpro as the camera with a Skywatcher 80mm telescope. The image was then finished in Photoshop:
The supernova is still visible in this image.
Anne Startup
Solar studies in H-alpha with a PST and a DMK camera
A DMK camera fitted with an IR/UV cut filter and the lens assembly from a x2 Barlow was used in conjunction with a H-alpha PST to capture 3 areas of the Sun in between the clouds. The images have been colourised to represent H-alpha light.
Nicola Mackin
Nicola Mackin
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Solar activity in H-alpha through a Solarmax II 60 BF15 solar telescope
An Opticstar PL-130M 1.3Mp monochrome CMOS camera was placed at the prime focus of the Solarmax II 60 BF15 scope and a 4,000 frame AVI was captured at 8fps. Registax 6 was used to register and stack the best 400 frames.
I used my GT canopy made by Gaynor Thomas to cover the computer and me so that I could clearly see the screen whilst imaging. It is superior to the Lights out canopy I have hitherto used:
The resulting full-disk image was then colourised to represent the wavelength being used for imaging.
Click on an image to get a larger view:
A DMK 21AU04 AS camera fitted with a UV/IR cut filter was placed at the prime focus of the scope and 3 overlapping AVIs of 3,000 frames each were captured at 60fps. The AVIs were processed in Registax 6, stacking the best 300 frames from each AVI. and then the resulting images were composited into a single, full disk image. The image was colourised to represent the colour of H-alpha light.
A x2 Barlow was used with the DMK camera with a UV/IR cut filter to capture two overlapping AVIs of AR1314. Each AVI was of 10,000 frames captured at 60fps. Registax 6 was used to process the AVIs, stacking the best 300 frames of each AVI and the resulting images were merged into a single image. The image was colourised for H-alpha light:
The DMK camera was fitted with an UV/IR cut filter and the lens assembly from a x2 Barlow was used to capture a 10,000 frame AVI of the AR1314. The best 300 frames were stacked and the resulting image colourised for H-alpha colour.
Steve Wainwright
I used my GT canopy made by Gaynor Thomas to cover the computer and me so that I could clearly see the screen whilst imaging. It is superior to the Lights out canopy I have hitherto used:
The resulting full-disk image was then colourised to represent the wavelength being used for imaging.
Click on an image to get a larger view:
A DMK 21AU04 AS camera fitted with a UV/IR cut filter was placed at the prime focus of the scope and 3 overlapping AVIs of 3,000 frames each were captured at 60fps. The AVIs were processed in Registax 6, stacking the best 300 frames from each AVI. and then the resulting images were composited into a single, full disk image. The image was colourised to represent the colour of H-alpha light.
A x2 Barlow was used with the DMK camera with a UV/IR cut filter to capture two overlapping AVIs of AR1314. Each AVI was of 10,000 frames captured at 60fps. Registax 6 was used to process the AVIs, stacking the best 300 frames of each AVI and the resulting images were merged into a single image. The image was colourised for H-alpha light:
The DMK camera was fitted with an UV/IR cut filter and the lens assembly from a x2 Barlow was used to capture a 10,000 frame AVI of the AR1314. The best 300 frames were stacked and the resulting image colourised for H-alpha colour.
Steve Wainwright
Friday, October 14, 2011
Observing under the Moon
This evening some members of FOG (Fairwood Observing Group of the SAS) and some members of my DACE University astronomy class met at the Fairwood Observatory for the first official observing session of the year. We observed under blue, moonlit skies, M13, M27, M57, Jupiter and the Moon. The session finished with us putting a Pentax K-x DSLR at the prime focus of the 12" Meade SCT and capturing an image of part of the terminator of the 93% waning Gibbous Moon:
Steve Wainwright
Steve Wainwright
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Rings around the Moon
Tonight, when the clouds cleared, the Moon showed beautiful rings around it.
A Pentax K-x DSLR was placed at the prime focus of a an f/5, 80mm refractor and the Moon was imaged from a static tripod.
The rings are caused by the reflection of moonlight from ice crystals in the upper atmosphere.
Steve Wainwright
A Pentax K-x DSLR was placed at the prime focus of a an f/5, 80mm refractor and the Moon was imaged from a static tripod.
The rings are caused by the reflection of moonlight from ice crystals in the upper atmosphere.
Steve Wainwright
News from the Penllergaer Trust and the Dillwyn Llewellyn Observatory etc.
Click on this image to get a large view of how the Penllergare Trust is making headway:
The Swansea Astronomical Society has been involved in the past with two phases of restoration of the observatory. However, much more work is needed if this historic building is to remain part of the heritage.
Steve Wainwright
The Swansea Astronomical Society has been involved in the past with two phases of restoration of the observatory. However, much more work is needed if this historic building is to remain part of the heritage.
Steve Wainwright
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Viewpad 7 Tablet afocal image of the Moon
Whilst at the Fairwood observatory last night with some students from my astronomy course, the sky cleared and we were able to use a 2" Televue nagler 31mm eyepiece to view M13, M57, M27, Jupiter and the Moon. Simply for experiment, I held my Viewpad 7 tablet's camera to the eyepiece whilst viewing the Moon and captured this image:
The image was desaturated and resized. It shows classical afocal vignetting.
The left hand side of the image is the terminator and the right hand side is the vignetted field of view.
We have already seen in previous blog entries that one of the SAS members obtained quite acceptable afocal images with an iPhone. This entry adds yet another photographic device that can be used for simple afocal astrophotography.
Steve Wainwright
The image was desaturated and resized. It shows classical afocal vignetting.
The left hand side of the image is the terminator and the right hand side is the vignetted field of view.
We have already seen in previous blog entries that one of the SAS members obtained quite acceptable afocal images with an iPhone. This entry adds yet another photographic device that can be used for simple afocal astrophotography.
Steve Wainwright
The Moon and Jupiter with a DSLR and a Maksutov
A Pentax K-x DSLR was placed at the prime focus of a 5" Maksutov and the Moon was imaged with a single shot:
Click on an image to get a larger view.
A x2 Barlow was used to capture this image of Jupiter and three of its moons:
Steve Wainwright
Click on an image to get a larger view.
A x2 Barlow was used to capture this image of Jupiter and three of its moons:
Steve Wainwright
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Solarmax 40 image of AR1302 and AR1305 with a DMK
A DMK21AU04 AS camera fitted with a UV/IR cut filter and the lens assembly from a x2 Barlow was used with the SAS Solarmax 40 yesterday to image AR1302 and AR1305 as they approached the limb of the Sun:
In addition to the two active regions, a large filament is arching over the chromosphere.
Click on the image to get a larger view.
Steve Wainwright
In addition to the two active regions, a large filament is arching over the chromosphere.
Click on the image to get a larger view.
Steve Wainwright
Monday, October 3, 2011
H-alpha Sun with an SPC800/900 webcam
The SPC800/900 webcam was fitted with a UV/IR cut filter and the lens from a x2 Barlow and attached to the SAS Solarmax40 solar scope. A single, 5 minute AVI was captured at 10fps. The best 20% of the frames in the AVI were registered and stacked in Registax 6. The data were captured in colour but then were desaturated:
The camera setup:
The camera attached to the scope, oriented so that the scope controls moved the image up and down, left and right:
AR1302 and AR1305:
Click on the image to get a larger view.
Steve Wainwright
The camera setup:
The camera attached to the scope, oriented so that the scope controls moved the image up and down, left and right:
AR1302 and AR1305:
Click on the image to get a larger view.
Steve Wainwright
Sunday, October 2, 2011
AR1302 and AR1305 through the SAS Solarmax 40
A DMK21AS camera fitted with a UV/IR cut filter was used with a x3 Barlow and the SAS Solarmax40 Solar telescope:
The twp active regions AR1302 and AR1305 are approaching the limb.
Two overlapping AVIs of 10,000 frames each were captured.
The best 300 frames from each AVI were registered and stacked in Registax 6 and then merged into a mosaic. The final image was colourised to represent the wavelength used.
Click on the image to get a larger view:
The same region was imaged using the lens assembly from a x2 Barlow. Once again 10,000 frames were captured and the best 300 were used:
Steve Wainwright
The twp active regions AR1302 and AR1305 are approaching the limb.
Two overlapping AVIs of 10,000 frames each were captured.
The best 300 frames from each AVI were registered and stacked in Registax 6 and then merged into a mosaic. The final image was colourised to represent the wavelength used.
Click on the image to get a larger view:
The same region was imaged using the lens assembly from a x2 Barlow. Once again 10,000 frames were captured and the best 300 were used:
Steve Wainwright
Saturday, October 1, 2011
H-alpha solar images with the Swansea Astronomical society Solarmax 40 solar telescope
The Coronado Solarmax 40 H-alpha solar telescope was mounted on a well aligned driven HEQ5 mount set to solar rate tracking.
A DMK21AS camera fitted with a UV/IR cut filter was placed at the prime focus and an AVI of 10,000 frames was captured at 60fps. The AVI was registered and stacked in Registax 6, using the best 500 frames.
Click on an image to get a larger view.
AR1302 can be seen on the right with AR1305 in the middle. Other smaller active regions were also visible. The disk is seething with magnetic activity.
The lens assembly from a x2 Barlow was attached and a larger image of AR1302 and AR1305 was obtained. As before, the best 500 out of 10,000 frames were registered and stacked in Registax 6.
Gaynor controlling the mount and camera, and capturing the AVIs:
About 3 hours before we captured these images AR1302 and AR1305 erupted in close succession revealing a long distance entanglement.
Gaynor Thomas and Steve Wainwright
A DMK21AS camera fitted with a UV/IR cut filter was placed at the prime focus and an AVI of 10,000 frames was captured at 60fps. The AVI was registered and stacked in Registax 6, using the best 500 frames.
Click on an image to get a larger view.
AR1302 can be seen on the right with AR1305 in the middle. Other smaller active regions were also visible. The disk is seething with magnetic activity.
The lens assembly from a x2 Barlow was attached and a larger image of AR1302 and AR1305 was obtained. As before, the best 500 out of 10,000 frames were registered and stacked in Registax 6.
Gaynor controlling the mount and camera, and capturing the AVIs:
About 3 hours before we captured these images AR1302 and AR1305 erupted in close succession revealing a long distance entanglement.
Gaynor Thomas and Steve Wainwright
A wireless PA system for the Swansea Astronomical Society
Gaynor Thomas sourced a wireless PA system which we tested today.
It passed with flying colours.
Gaynor demonstrates the amplifier and the wireless lapel/shirt microphone.
This will drastically improve the acoustics of the lecture room without interfering with campus systems.
Members who are hard of hearing will be able to have a better chance of hearing the speakers.
It passed with flying colours.
Gaynor demonstrates the amplifier and the wireless lapel/shirt microphone.
This will drastically improve the acoustics of the lecture room without interfering with campus systems.
Members who are hard of hearing will be able to have a better chance of hearing the speakers.
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