Daily Archives: May 11, 2014

The Sun Online and solar activity. May 11, 2014

A handful of C flares have occurred over the last 24 hours originating from the Catania groups 42, 43, 47 (NOAA AR 2055, 2056, 2058 respectively) in the eastern hemisphere. The strongest one from Catania group 47 (NOAA AR 2058) peaking at 4:43 at C6.4 level.
Some C level flaring activity is expected to continue with chances for M level flares.Between about 2 UT and 5 UT solar wind speed has increased from around 360 km/s to around 410 km/s. It has meanwhile fluctuated in the 380 km/s to 440 km/s range. Total magnetic field has increased over the period with maxima around 8.5 nT, but is presently slightly lower again around 7.5nT. Bz has been variable in the -7.8nT to +7.8nT range. These increased solar wind parameters are expected to persist for a further day under the influence of a coronal hole high speed stream. Geomagnetic conditions have been mostly unsettled but have reached active
levels after midnight (both local K Dourbes and NOAA Kp reached 4). Geomagnetic conditions are expected to remain unsettled with possible active periods under the influence of the high speed stream.
SIDC

Equipment: Coronado 90 + Imaging Source DMK + LX75
Processing: Photoshop, Avistack 30 frames
Date: 05/11/14
Time UT: 16:00
Exposure 1/500 sec.

With SPONLI Space is getting closer

Valles Marineris: The Grand Canyon of Mars

Image Credit: Viking Project, USGS, NASA

The largest canyon in the Solar System cuts a wide swath across the face of Mars. Named Valles Marineris, the grand valley extends over 3,000 kilometers long, spans as much as 600 kilometers across, and delves as much as 8 kilometers deep. By comparison, the Earth’s Grand Canyon in Arizona, USA is 800 kilometers long, 30 kilometers across, and 1.8 kilometers deep. The origin of the Valles Marineris remains unknown, although a leading hypothesis holds that it started as a crack billions of years ago as the planet cooled. Several geologic processes have been identified in the canyon. The above mosaic was created from over 100 images of Mars taken by Viking Orbiters in the 1970s.

NASA APOD 11-May-2014

M13: Great Cluster in Hercules

M13, also designated NGC 6205 and sometimes called the Great Globular Cluster in Hercules or the Hercules Globular Cluster, is a globular cluster of about 300,000 stars in the constellation of Hercules. M13 is about 145 light-years in diameter, and it is composed of several hundred thousand stars, the brightest of which is the variable star V11 with an apparent magnitude of 11.95. M13 is 25,100 light-years away from Earth.

The Arecibo message of 1974, containing encoded information about the human race, DNA, atomic numbers, Earth’s position, and other information, was beamed towards M13 to allow it to be picked up by potential extraterrestrial civilizations in the cluster. The message will reach the cluster in 25,000 years.

Imaging telescopes or lenses: Sky-Watcher 200/1000 Black Diamond
Imaging cameras: Canon EOS 1100D
Mounts: CGEM
Guiding telescopes or lenses: Lunatico Astronomia EZG-60
Guiding cameras: Lunatico Astronomia QHY5-II
Accessories: Baader MPCC Corrector de Coma
Dates: July 20, 2013, Aug. 23, 2013, Aug. 31, 2013
Frames:
21×120″ ISO800 bin 1×1
8×30″ ISO800 bin 1×1
4×150″ ISO800
19×180″ ISO800
9×300″ ISO800
Integration: 2.6 hours
Darks: ~7
Bias: ~150

Author: Jose Fco. Del Aguila
AstroPhotography of the day by SPONLI 11 May 2014

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