Image Credit & Copyright: Janne Voutilainen
NASA APOD 31-Jan-2014
Light Pillars from a Little Planet
Image Credit & Copyright: Janne Voutilainen
Monthly Archives: January 2014
Image Credit & Copyright: Janne Voutilainen
The Antares and Rho Ophiuchi Region
The Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex is a dark nebula of gas and dust that is located 1° south of the star ρ Ophiuchi of the constellation Ophiuchus. At an estimated distance of 131 ± 3 parsecs, this cloud is one of the closest star-forming regions to the Solar System.
The bright blue reflection nebula at the top, IC 4604, is associated with the triple star, Rho Ophiuchi. Antares (Alpha Scorpii) is surrounded by a yellow area of nebulosity, IC 4606. Antares is 60,000 times brighter than our sun, and is so large that its disc can be easily measured – if it were in our solar system it would almost reach to Jupiter.
Nikon d7000
Nikkor 180mm F/2.8 @ f/4.0
85x30s at iso 2000
45x120s at iso 1250
10x240s at iso 1250
Dates: March 14, 2013
Autor: Jan Curtis
AstroPhotography of the day by SPONLI
31 January 2014
We select the best works of amateur astrophotographers with details of equipment, shooting processing etc.
The Sun Online and solar activity. January 30, 2014
Solar activity has been at active levels over the last 24 hours. 11 C- and 2 M-class flares were recorded, which nearly all originated in the mixed polarity region near NOAA 1967’s main spot. The strongest was an M2-flare peaking at 06:39UT. Of note was also a long duration C7-flare starting at
14:11UT and ending at 16:36UT. So far, this LDE was the most energetic in terms of NOAA 1967’s integrated flare flux history. NOAA 1968 was the only other active region being able to produce a C-flare (C3 peaking at 04:46UT). The x-ray background has been all day above the C1-level.
Active conditions are expected to continue, with a slight chance on an X-class flare. The CMEs associated with NOAA 1967’s flaring activity were directed to the East and away from Earth. A faint halo CME was observed early on 29 January. Though it may be related to the frontside filament eruption event
early on 29 January (trailing NOAA 1960 and 1959), it may also be related to a backside event that took place about an hour earlier (late 28 January, around 22:50UT) in the same line of sight. Most recent, but incomplete STEREO-A data now seem to favor the latter scenario. Earth is exiting the high speed wind stream. Solar wind has returned to average conditions, with a speed near 350 km/s and Bz fluctuating between -5 and +5 nT. Geomagnetic conditions were quiet.
Solar wind may continue to be modulated by the effects of small coronal holes that have passed the central meridian on 27 and 29 January. Quiet geomagnetic conditions are expected. Late on 1 February, any effects of the 29 January frontside CME may drive local geomagnetic conditions to isolated
active levels. Otherwise, quiet conditions should persist.
SIDC
Equipment: Coronado 90 + Imaging Source DMK + LX75
Processing: Photoshop, Avistack 500 frames
Date: 01/30/14
Time UT: 19:00
Exposure 1/500 sec.
With SPONLI Space is getting closer!
Rocket Streak and Star Trails
Image Credit & Copyright: Mike Killian / AmericaSpace
NASA APOD 30-Jan-2014
NGC 2237: The Rosette Nebula
The Rosette Nebula (also known as Caldwell 49) is a large, circular H II region located near one end of a giant molecular cloud in the Monoceros region of the Milky Way Galaxy. The open cluster NGC 2244 (Caldwell 50) is closely associated with the nebulosity, the starsof the cluster having been formed from the nebula’s matter. A survey of the nebula with the Chandra X-ray Observatory in 2001 has revealed the presence of very hot, young stars at the core of the Rosette Nebula. These stars have heated the surrounding gas to a temperature in the order of 6 million kelvins causing them to emit copious amounts of X-rays.
Imaging telescopes or lenses: Takahashi TOA-130
Imaging cameras: FLI ML 11002
Mounts: Astro-Physics Mach 1 GTO
Guiding telescopes or lenses: Takahashi TOA-130
Guiding cameras: Starlight Xpress Lodestar
Software: Adobe Photoshop CS6, Main Sequence Software Sequence Generator Pro, CCDStack2
Filters: Astrodon Narrowband Set (Ha OIII SII)
Accessories: 67 Field Flattener
Dates: Jan. 11, 2014
Frames: 58×1200″
Autor: Mark Striebeck
AstroPhotography of the day by SPONLI
30 January 2014
We select the best works of amateur astrophotographers with details of equipment, shooting processing etc.
The Sun Online and solar activity. January 29, 2014
Solar activity has been at active levels over the last 24 hours. 9 C- and 3 M-class flares were recorded. The 3 M-class flares all originated in the mixed polarity region south of NOAA 1967’s main spot, the strongest reaching M4-level at 19:40UT. This part of the region has been increasing its sunspot area. The mixed polarity region to the northwest of the main spot produced C-class flares as well as an M3-spike at 15:26UT (total duration less than 4 minutes), after which it simplified. NOAA 1968 was
responsible for 2 C-class flares originating in its trailing portion. A filament eruption took place to the north and west (trailing) of NOAA 1960. It was associated to a C4-flare peaking at 00:49UT. The x-ray background has been all day above the C1-level.
Active conditions are expected to continue, with a slight chance on an
X-class flare.
The CMEs associated with NOAA 1967’s flaring activity were directed to the East and away from Earth. The CME from the filament eruption was directed mostly to the South and away from Earth. Based on current imagery, no geomagnetic effects are expected from these CMEs. Around 20:30UT, solar wind speed changed from about 330km/s to 450-500 km/s. The high temperature, low density stream had a Bz varying between -5 and +5 nT. The source of this high speed stream is most probably a small coronal hole thatpassed the central meridian on 25 January. Geomagnetic effects were limited and quiet conditions persisted. Solar wind may continue to be modulated by the effects of small coronal holes that have passed the central meridian on 27 and 29 January. Geomagnetic conditions are expected to remain quiet.
SIDC
Equipment: Coronado 90 + Imaging Source DMK + LX75
Processing: Photoshop, Avistack 500 frames
Date: 01/29/14
Time UT: 16:00
Exposure 1/500 sec.
With SPONLI Space is getting closer!
Jelly Donut Shaped Rock Appears on Mars
Image Credit: Mars Exploration Rover Mission, Cornell, JPL, NASA
NASA APOD 29-Jan-2014
NGC 1893: Tadpole Nebula in Narrowband
The Tadpole Nebula (IC 410) is an emission nebula around an open star cluster (NGC 1893). The “tadpoles” are clumps of gas and dust from the formation of the cluster. Inside them, new stars are born. The tails from the “tadpoles” are caused by the solar wind of the stars of NGC 1893 (that’s why the point away from the star cluster).
Imaging telescopes or lenses: Takahashi TOA-130
Imaging cameras: FLI ML 11002
Guiding telescopes or lenses: Takahashi TOA-130
Guiding cameras: Starlight Xpress Lodestar
Software: Main Sequence Software Sequence Generator Pro, CCDStack2
Filters: Astrodon Narrowband Set (Ha OIII SII)
Accessories: .67 Field Flattener
Dates: Jan. 17, 2014
Locations: Home
Frames: 46×1200″
Autor: Mark Striebeck
AstroPhotography of the day by SPONLI
29 January 2014
We select the best works of amateur astrophotographers with details of equipment, shooting processing etc.
Spiral Galaxy M83: The Southern Pinwheel
Image Credit: NASA, ESA, Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA), and W. P. Blair (JHU) et al.
M83 is one of the closest and brightest spiral galaxies on the sky. Visible with binoculars in the constellation of Hydra, majestic spiral arms have prompted its nickname as the Southern Pinwheel. Although discovered 250 years ago, only much later was it appreciated that M83 was not a nearby gas cloud, but a barred spiral galaxy much like our own Milky Way Galaxy. M83, pictured above by the Hubble Space Telescope in a recently released image, is a prominent member of a group of galaxies that includes Centaurus A and NGC 5253, all of which lie about 15 million light years distant. Several bright supernova explosions have been recorded in M83. An intriguing double circumnuclear ring has been discovered at the center of of M83.
M45: Pleiades in Taurus
Seven Sisters (Messier object 45 or M45), is an open star cluster containing middle-aged hot B-type stars located in the constellation of Taurus. The most famous star cluster on the sky, the bright stars of the Pleiades can be seen without binoculars from even the depths of a light-polluted city.
Under ideal observing conditions, some hint of nebulosity may be seen around the cluster, and this shows up in long-exposure photographs. It is areflection nebula, caused by dust reflecting the blue light of the hot, young stars. It was formerly thought that the dust was left over from the formation of the cluster, but at the age of about 100 million years generally accepted for the cluster, almost all the dust originally present would have been dispersed by radiation pressure. Instead, it seems that the cluster is simply passing through a particularly dusty region of the interstellar medium. Studies show that the dust responsible for the nebulosity is not uniformly distributed, but is concentrated mainly in two layers along the line of sight to the cluster. These layers may have been formed by deceleration due to radiation pressure as the dust has moved towards the stars.
Imaging telescopes or lenses: Takahashi FSQ Fluorite
Imaging cameras: SBIG STL-11000M
Mounts: Paramount GT-1100S
Dates: Oct. 2, 2013
Locations: Mayhill
Frames:
4×300″ bin 1×1
RGB filters: 3×300″ bin 1×1
Integration: 0.6 hours
Autor: Giulio Ercolani
AstroPhotography of the day by SPONLI
28 January 2014
We select the best works of amateur astrophotographers with details of equipment, shooting processing etc.