Monthly Archives: May 2014

The Sun Online and solar activity. May 31, 2014

Over the last 24 hours, only one C-class flare was observed. This C1-flare peaked on 31 May at 07:05UT, and originated from the active region that is about to round the east-northeast limb. There are currently 5 sunspot groups visible. They are all small and magnetically simple. There’s a small chance on a C-class flare, in particular from the region near the east-northeast limb. Solar wind speed varied mostly between 320 and 360 km/s. Bz was initially negative with excursions up to -11nT. Around 19:00UT on 30 May, Bz turned
positive reaching +10nT, and stayed mostly positive for the remainder of the period. The geomagnetic field was quiet with locally an active episode. A small coronal hole that passed the central meridian on 29 May can
influence the geomagnetic field as of 2 June. Geomagnetic conditions are expected to remain quiet, though locally a brief active episode is possible.
SIDC

Equipment: Coronado 90 + Imaging Source DMK + LX75
Processing: Photoshop, Avistack 300 frames
Date: 05/31/14
Time UT: 16:00
Exposure 1/500 sec.

With SPONLI Space is getting closer

Satellite Station and Southern Skies

Image Credit & Copyright: James Garlick

This clear night skyscape captures the colorful glow of aurora australis, the southern lights, just outside the port city of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, planet Earth. As if staring into the dreamlike scene, the Tasmanian Earth Resources Satellite Station poses in the center, illuminated by nearby city lights. Used to receive data from spacebased Earth observing instruments, including NASA’s MODIS and SeaWiFS, the station was decommissioned in 2011 and dismantled only recently, shortly after the picture was taken on April 30. Still shining in southern skies though, the central bulge of our Milky Way galaxy and two bright satellite galaxies the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds appear in the frame. The Small Magellanic Cloud shines through the fainter red auroral band.
NASA APOD 31-May-14

Antennae Galaxies: NGC 4038 & 4039

2beeb8a5b65f68c4c16901383daf4f6e.1824x0_q100_watermark_watermark_opacity-10_watermark_position-4_watermark_text-Copyright Rick Stevenson, 2012
The Antennae Galaxies, also known as NGC 4038/NGC 4039, are a pair of interacting galaxies in the constellation Corvus. They are currently going through a phase of starburst.

The Antennae Galaxies are undergoing a galactic collision. Located in the NGC 4038 group with five other galaxies, these two galaxies are known as the Antennae Galaxies because the two long tails of stars, gas and dust ejected from the galaxies as a result of the collision resemble an insect’s antennae. The nuclei of the two galaxies are joining to become one giant galaxy. Most galaxies probably undergo at least one significant collision in their lifetimes. This is likely the future of our Milky Way when it collides with the Andromeda Galaxy. Two supernovae have been discovered in the galaxies: SN 2004GT and SN 2007sr. A recent study finds that these interacting galaxies are less remote from the Milky Way than previously thought—at 45 million light-years instead of 65 million light-years.

Imaging telescopes or lenses: GSO RC10
Imaging cameras: Starlight Xpress Lodestar, Starlight Xpress SXVR-H18
Mounts: Astro-Physics AP900
Software: PixInsight, Maxim DL
Filters: Astrodon E-series R, Astrodon E-series Lum, Astrodon E-series B, Astrodon E-series G
Accessories: Starlight Xpress AO-LF, Atlas Focuser
Dates: May 13, 2012

Author: Rick Stevenson
AstroPhotography of the day by SPONLI 31 May 2014

The Sun Online and solar activity. May 30, 2014

Solar flare activity was very low over the last 24 hours. The strongest event was a B4-flare peaking at 18:19UT on 29 May, produced by NOAA 2073. There are currently 5 sunspot groups visible. They are all small and magnetically simple, including the two new groups Catania 65 (near east limb) and Catania 59. The active region on the Sun’s farside continues to produce quite strong CMEs (e.g. 29 May at 09:24UT) and is expected to round the east-northeast limb tomorrow. Flaring activity is expected to be low, with a chance on a C-class flare.
Solar wind speed first declined from 380 to 310 km/s around midnight, then gradually increased again to 360 km/s. Bz varied between -7 and +6 nT. The geomagnetic field was quiet with locally some K=3 episodes. A small coronal hole that passed the central meridian on 25-26 May can still influence the geomagnetic field later today. Geomagnetic conditions are expected to remain quiet, though locally a brief active episode is possible.
SIDC

Equipment: Coronado 90 + Imaging Source DMK + LX75
Processing: Photoshop, Avistack 300 frames
Date: 05/30/14
Time UT: 16:00
Exposure 1/500 sec.

With SPONLI Space is getting closer

Planetary Nebula Abell 36

Image Credit & Copyright: Adam Block, Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter, Univ. Arizona

The gorgeous, gaseous shroud of a dying sunlike star, planetary nebula Abell 36 lies a mere 800 light-years away in the constellation of Virgo. At that distance it spans over 1.5 light-years in this sharp telescopic view. Shrugging off its outer layers, the nebula’s central star is contracting and becoming hotter, evolving towards a final white dwarf phase. In fact, in Abell 36, the central star is estimated to have a surface temperature of over 73,000 K, compared to the Sun’s present 6,000 K temperature. As a result, the intensely hot star is much brighter in ultraviolet light, compared to its visual appearance here. The invisible ultraviolet light ionizes hydrogen and oxygen atoms in the nebula and ultimately powers the beautiful visible light glow.
NASA APOD 30-May-14

IC 2118 – Witch Head Nebula

IC 2118 (also known as Witch Head Nebula due to its shape), is an extremely faint reflection nebula believed to be an ancient supernova remnant or gas cloud illuminated by nearby supergiant star Rigel in Orion. It lies in the Eridanusconstellation, about 900 light-years from Earth. The nature of the dust particles, reflecting blue light better than red, is a factor in giving the Witch Head its blue color. Radio observations show substantial carbon monoxide emission throughout parts of IC 2118 an indicator of the presence of molecular clouds and star formation in the nebula. In fact candidates for pre-main sequence stars and some classic T-Tauri stars have been found deep within the nebula.

The molecular clouds of IC 2118 are probably juxtaposed to the outer boundaries of the vast Orion-Eridanus bubble, a giant supershell of molecular hydrogen blown by the high mass stars of the Orion OB1 association. As the supershell expands into the interstellar medium, favorable circumstances for star formation occur. IC 2118 is located in one such area.The wind blown appearance and cometary shape of the bright reflection nebula is highly suggestive of a strong association with the high mass luminous stars of Orion OB1. The fact that the heads of the cometary clouds of IC2118 point northeast towards the association is strong support of that relationship.

Imaging telescopes or lenses: Takahashi FSQ 106ED
Imaging cameras: SBIG STL-11000M
Mounts: Astro-Physics AP900
Guiding telescopes or lenses: Takahashi FS-60CB
Guiding cameras: Starlight Xpress Lodestar
Software: Pleaides Astrophoto PixInsight 1.8, Maxim DL
Filters: Astrodon E-series 2 LRGB
Accessories: FLI Atlas focuser
Dates: Oct. 12, 2012
Frames: 36×300″
Integration: 3.0 hours

Author: Rick Stevenson
AstroPhotography of the day by SPONLI 30 May 2014

The Sun Online and solar activity. May 29, 2014

NOAA 2071 produced the only flare of the period, a C1 flare peaking at 04:30UT this morning. The 4 sunspot regions currently visible are all small and magnetically simple. No Earth-directed CMEs were observed. An active region on the Sun’s farside that produced several substantial CMEs over the past few days, is expected to round the east limb within 2 days. Flaring activity is expected to be low, with a small chance on a C-class
flare. For most of the period, solar wind speed was stable around 330 km/s, with Bz varying between +6 and -5 nT. Around 08:30UT, a shock was observed in the ACE-data. Solar wind speed jumped from 330 to 380 km/s, and Bz from -5 to -8nT. The geomagnetic field was quiet, with the K index reaching 3. A small coronal hole that passed the central meridian on 25-26 May could influence the geomagnetic field starting late on 29 May.
Geomagnetic conditions are expected to remain quiet, though locally a brief active episode is possible.
SIDC

Equipment: Coronado 90 + Imaging Source DMK + LX75
Processing: Photoshop, Avistack 300 frames
Date: 05/29/14
Time UT: 16:00
Exposure 1/500 sec.

Millions of Stars in Omega Centauri

Image Credit & Copyright: CEDIC Team, Processing – Christoph Kaltseis

Globular star cluster Omega Centauri, also known as NGC 5139, is some 15,000 light-years away. The cluster is packed with about 10 million stars much older than the Sun within a volume about 150 light-years in diameter, the largest and brightest of 200 or so known globular clusters that roam the halo of our Milky Way galaxy. Though most star clusters consist of stars with the same age and composition, the enigmatic Omega Cen exhibits the presence of different stellar populations with a spread of ages and chemical abundances. In fact, Omega Cen may be the remnant core of a small galaxy merging with the Milky Way. This astronomically sharp color image of the classic globular cluster was recorded in March under Chilean skies from Hacienda Los Andes.

NASA APOD 29-May-14

Helix Nebula

The Helix Nebula is an example of a planetary nebula, or ‘planetary’ formed at the end of a star’s evolution. Gases from the star in the surrounding space appear, from our vantage point, as if we are looking down a helix structure. The remnant central stellar core, known as a planetary nebula nucleus or PNN, is destined to become a white dwarf star. The observed glow of the central star is so energetic that it causes the previously expelled gases to brightly fluoresce.

The Helix Nebula in the constellation of Aquarius lies about 700 light-years away, spanning about 0.8 parsec or 2.5 light-years. Recent images by the Hubble Space Telescope of the Helix Nebula are a composite of newly released images from the ACSinstrument and the wide-angle images from the Mosaic Camera on the WIYN 0.9-metre telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory.

Currently, the age is estimated to be 10,600+2,300
−1,200 years, based solely upon a measured expansion rate of 31 km·s⁻¹.

Imaging telescopes or lenses: Ceravolo 300 Astrograph (f/9)
Imaging cameras: Apogee Alta U16M
Mounts: Astro-Physics AP900
Guiding telescopes or lenses: Ceravolo 300 Astrograph (f/9)
Guiding cameras: Starlight Xpress Lodestar
Software: Pleaides Astrophoto PixInsight 1.8, Maxim DL
Filters: Astrodon 3nm OIII, Astrodon E-series 2 LRGB, Astrodon 3nm Ha
Accessories: FLI Atlas focuser
Dates: Sept. 7, 2013
Frames: 96×1800″
Integration: 48.0 hours

Author: Rick Stevenson
AstroPhotography of the day by SPONLI 29 May 2014

The Sun Online and solar activity. May 28, 2014

There are currently 6 sunspot groups visible on the solar disk, all having simple magnetic configurations. NOAA 2065 produced the strongest flare from just behind the west limb. This C4 flare peaked on 27 May at 14:15UT and was associated to a jetlike CME. It had a speed of early 300 km/s, but was not directed to Earth. A new sunspot region developed southeast of NOAA 2073 early on 28 May. There remains a chance on a C-class flare. Solar wind speed gradually increased from 300 to 350 km/s. It is currently stable at 340 km/s, with Bz varying between +6 and -5 nT. The geomagnetic field was quiet. A small coronal hole that passed the central meridian on 25-26 May could influence the geomagnetic field starting late on 29 May.Geomagnetic conditions are expected to be quiet, though locally a brief active episode on 29-30 May is not excluded.
SIDC

Equipment: Coronado 90 + Imaging Source DMK + LX75
Processing: Photoshop, Avistack 300 frames
Date: 05/28/14
Time UT: 19:00
Exposure 1/500 sec.

With SPONLI Space is getting closer

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