Daily Archives: July 29, 2014

The Sun Online and solar activity. July 29, 2014

The strongest flare of the last 24 hours took place in NOAA 2125. The C2 flare peaked at 14:10UT and was associated to a non-Earth directed CME. The 4 other C-class flares were all minor C1 events taking place in the trailing portion of growing active region NOAA 2126.The other 8 sunspot groups were quiet, including NOAA 2127 which has some mixed magnetic polarities.
Further C-class flaring is expected, in particular from NOAA 2126 and 2127.
After yesterday’s sector boundary crossing, solar wind speed decreased from 450 to 350 km/s. Initially, Bz varied between +6 and -6 nT, but its amplitude gradually decreased to 2 near the end of the reporting period. Geomagnetic conditions evolved from unsettled to quiet.
Quiet geomagnetic conditions are expected, with locally an unsettled period possible.
SIDC

Equipment: Coronado 90 + Imaging Source DMK + LX75
Processing: Photoshop, Avistack 300 frames
Date: 07/29/14
Time UT: 16:00
Exposure 1/500 sec.

A Sky Portal in New Zealand

Image Credit & Copyright: Petr Horálek

To some, it may look like a portal into the distant universe. To others, it may appear as the eye of a giant. Given poetic license, both are correct. Pictured above is a standard fisheye view of the sky — but with an unusual projection. The view is from a perch in New Zealand called Te Mata Peak, a name that translates from the Maori language as “Sleeping Giant”. The wondrous panorama shows the band of our Milky Way Galaxy right down the center of the sky, with the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds visible to the right. The red hue is atmospheric airglow that surprised the photographer as it was better captured by the camera than the eye. The above image was taken two weeks ago as the photographer’s sister, on the left, and an acquaintance peered into the sky portal.

APOD NASA 29-Jul-2014

NGC 281 in the constellation of Cassiopeia

NGC 281 is an H II region in the constellation of Cassiopeia and part of the Perseus Spiral Arm. It includes the open cluster IC 1590, the multiple star HD 5005, and several Bok globules. Colloquially, NGC 281 is also known as the Pacman Nebula for its resemblance to the video game character.

The nebula was discovered in August 1883 by E. E. Barnard, who described it as “a large faint nebula, very diffuse.” The multiple star HD 5005, also called $\beta1$ , was discovered by S. W. Burnham. It consists of an 8th-magnitude primary with four companions at distances between 1.4 and 15.7 seconds of arc. There has been no appreciable change in this quintuple system since the first measurements were made in 1875.

Imaging telescopes or lenses: GSO RC8
Imaging cameras: Canon EOS 450D / Digital Rebel XSi / Kiss X2
Mounts: Sky-Watcher NEQ6
Guiding telescopes or lenses: Sky-Watcher Equinox 80
Guiding cameras: lacerta mgen2
Focal reducers: AP CCDT67
Software: photoshop, PixInsight, Iris
Accessories: Astronomik ha filter 12nm (EOS clip type), astronomik CLS filter (EOS Clip)
Dates: July 9, 2012, Oct. 30, 2012
Frames:
Astronomik Clip CLS: 35×300″ ISO400 bin 1×1
Astronomik H-alpha 12nm: 10×300″ ISO400 bin 1×1
Integration: 3.8 hours
Darks: ~22
Flats: ~38
Bias: ~35

Author: Philippe Mingasson
AstroPhotography of the day by SPONLI 29 July 2014

The Sun Online and solar activity. July 28, 2014

There are 8 relatively small sunspot groups visible. NOAA 2127, still close to the southeast limb, and NOAA 2126 produced each one C1.2 flare (peaking resp. at 14:18UT yesterday and at 11:45UT today). Both regions seem to have some mixed magnetic polarity. No Earth-directed CMEs were observed. Some 10-20 degrees long filaments are observed in the NE, SE and NW solar quadrant, as well as in NOAA 2121. There’s a chance on further C-class flaring, in particular from NOAA 2127
and 2126. An eruption of one of the filaments is possible.
A disturbance was observed in ACE solar wind data starting shortly after 03:00UT. Over the next four hours, wind speed gradually increased from 350 to 430 km/s, while Bz varied between +11 and -8 nT, being mostly positive near the end of the period. The geomagnetic field was unsettled to locally active in response to this disturbance. Quiet to unsettled geomagnetic conditions are expected, with locally an
active period possible.
SIDC

Equipment: Coronado 90 + Imaging Source DMK + LX75
Processing: Photoshop, Avistack 300 frames
Date: 07/28/14
Time UT: 16:00
Exposure 1/500 sec.

Observatory Sponli

Related posts:

Related posts:

Related posts:

Related posts: