Monthly Archives: August 2014

The Sun Online and solar activity. August 31, 2014

A handful of C-class flares were observed, with NOAA AR 2149 and AR 2152 as source regions. NOAA AR 2152 has grown in size and complexity and has developed to a beta-gamma region. More C-class flares are expected, with a slight chance for an M-class flare. No Earth-directed CMEs were visible in
coronographic images.
The solar wind is under influence of a coronal hole (CH) high speed stream (HSS). The solar wind speed, as observed by ACE, reached values between 400 and 450 km/s. The magnetic field is relatively stable around 6 to 7 nT, with a fluctuating Bz. Geomagnetic conditions are unsettled to active and are expected remain so for the next few hours, until quiet conditions
return.
SIDC

Equipment: Coronado 90 + Imaging Source DMK + LX75
Processing: Photoshop, Avistack 300 frames
Date: 08/31/14
Time UT: 16:00
Exposure 1/500 sec.

Observatory Sponli

Space Shuttle and Space Station Photographed Together

Image Credit: NASA

How was this picture taken? Usually, pictures of the shuttle, taken from space, are snapped from the space station. Commonly, pictures of the space station are snapped from the shuttle. How, then, can there be a picture of both the shuttle and the station together, taken from space? The answer is that during the Space Shuttle Endeavour’s last trip to the International Space Station in 2011 May, a supply ship departed the station with astronauts that captured a series of rare views. The supply ship was the Russian Soyuz TMA-20 which landed in Kazakhstan later that day. The above spectacular image well captures the relative sizes of the station and docked shuttle. Far below, clouds of Earth are seen above a blue sea.

APOD NASA 31-Aug-14

NGC 6888, Crescent Nebula

The Crescent Nebula (also known as NGC 6888, Caldwell 27, Sharpless 105) is an emission nebula in the constellation Cygnus, about 5000 light-years away. It was discovered by Friedrich Wilhelm Herschel in 1792. It is formed by the fast stellar wind from the Wolf-Rayet star WR 136 (HD 192163) colliding with and energizing the slower moving wind ejected by the star when it became a red giant around 250,000 to 400,000 years ago. The result of the collision is a shell and two shock waves, one moving outward and one moving inward. The inward moving shock wave heats the stellar wind to X-ray-emitting temperatures.

It is a rather faint object located about 2 degrees SW of Sadr. For most telescopes it requires a UHC or OIII filter to see. Under favorable circumstances a telescope as small as 8cm (with filter) can see its nebulosity. Larger telescopes (20cm or more) reveal the crescent or a Euro sign shape which makes some to call it the “Euro sign nebula”.

Imaging telescopes or lenses: Takahashi TSA-102
Imaging cameras: Atik 383L+ mono
Mounts: SkyWatcher NEQ6 pro II
Guiding telescopes or lenses: EZG60
Guiding cameras: QHYCCD QHY5 Mono
Focal reducers: Takahashi TOA-35
Software: Pleiades Astrophoto, S.L. PixInsinght 1.8 RC7
Filters: Baader Planetarium OIII, Baader Planetarium Ha 7nm 2″
Dates: Aug. 15, 2014, Aug. 16, 2014
Locations: Pantano
Frames:
Baader Planetarium Ha 7nm 2″: 69×600″ -20C bin 1×1
Baader Planetarium OIII: 66×600″ -20C bin 1×1
Integration: 22.5 hours
Darks: ~20
Flats: ~16
Bias: ~20

Author: Jose Luis Ricote
AstroPhotography of the day by SPONLI 31 Aug 2014

The Sun Online and solar activity. August 30, 2014

The Sun produced several small C-class flares, originating from NOAA AR 2146, AR 2149 and AR 2152. AR 2146 has now rotated around the West limb. No Earth-directed CMEs were detected. More C-class flares are expected, with a slight chance for M-class flares. Solar wind speed values ranges between 400 and 450 km/s. The magnitude of the interplanetary magnetic field remained relatively stable around 6 to 7 nT, while Bz is fluctuating between -6 and +6 nT. Geomagnetic conditions are unsettled to active and are expected remain so for the next 48 hours, due to the influence of the increased solar wind related to the equatorial coronal hole.
SIDC

The Starry Sky under Hollow Hill

Image Credit & Copyright: Phill Round

Look up in New Zealand’s Hollow Hill Cave and you might think you see a familiar starry sky. And that’s exactly what Arachnocampa luminosa are counting on. Captured in this long exposure, the New Zealand glowworms scattered across the cave ceiling give it the inviting and open appearance of a clear, dark night sky filled with stars. Unsuspecting insects fooled into flying too far upwards get trapped in sticky snares the glowworms create and hang down to catch food. Of course professional astronomers wouldn’t be so easily fooled, although that does look a lot like the Coalsack Nebula and Southern Cross at the upper left…

APOD NASA 30-Aug-14

M27, the Dumbbell Nebula

The Dumbbell Nebula (also known as Apple Core Nebula, Messier 27, M 27, or NGC 6853) is a planetary nebula in the constellation Vulpecula, at a distance of about 1,360 light years.

This object was the first planetary nebula to be discovered; by Charles Messier in 1764. At its brightness of visual magnitude 7.5 and its diameter of about 8 arcminutes, it is easily visible in binoculars, and a popular observing target in amateur telescopes.

Imaging telescopes or lenses: Orion Optics UK SPX 250
Imaging cameras: Canon 20Da
Mounts: Vixen New Atlux + Skysensor 2000
Guiding telescopes or lenses: Orion Optics UK SPX 250
Guiding cameras: M-Gen Guiding Kamera
Focal reducers: GPU Komakorrektor
Software: Adobe Photoshop CS2, DSS, Fitswork
Accessories: Lacerta MGEN2, Lacerta OAG
Dates: Sept. 6, 2013
Locations: Kreben
Frames: 44×360″ ISO800
Integration: 4.4 hours
Darks: ~20
Flats: ~11

Author: Stefan Westphal
AstroPhotography of the day by SPONLI 30 Aug 2014

The Sun Online and solar activity. August 29, 2014

A halo CME was observed in SOHO/LASCO C2 and STEREO B/COR2 imagery, with first measurements at 17:36 UT and 17:54 UT on August 28 respectively. The apparent width is estimated to be 210 degrees. This CME is related to a backsided event and as such is not Earth directed.
SIDC

The Wizard Nebula

Image Credit & Copyright: Michael Miller

Open star cluster NGC 7380 is still embedded in its natal cloud of interstellar gas and dust popularly known as the Wizard Nebula. Seen with foreground and background stars along the plane of our Milky Way galaxy it lies some 8,000 light-years distant, toward the constellation Cepheus. A full moon would easily fit inside this telescopic view of the 4 million year young cluster and associated nebula, normally much too faint to be seen by eye. Made with telescope and camera firmly planted on Earth, the image reveals multi light-year sized shapes and structures within the Wizard in a color palette made popular in Hubble Space Telescope images. Recorded with narrowband filters, the visible wavelength light from the nebula’s hydrogen, oxygen, and sulfur atoms is transformed into green, blue, and red colors in the final digital composite.

APOD NASA 29-Aug-14

Helix Nebula in Aquarius

The Helix Nebula, also known as The Helix, NGC 7293, is a large planetary nebula (PN) located in the constellation Aquarius. Discovered by Karl Ludwig Harding, probably before 1824, this object is one of the closest to the Earth of all the bright planetary nebulae. The estimated distance is about 215 parsecs or 700 light-years. It is similar in appearance to the Cat’s Eye Nebula and the Ring Nebula, whose size, age, and physical characteristics are similar to the Dumbbell Nebula, varying only in its relative proximity and the appearance from the equatorial viewing angle.

Imaging telescopes or lenses: Orion Optics UK SPX 250
Imaging cameras: Artemis Atik 383L+
Mounts: Vixen New Atlux + Skysensor 2000
Guiding telescopes or lenses: Orion Optics UK SPX 250
Guiding cameras: M-Gen Guiding Kamera
Focal reducers: GPU Komakorrektor
Software: DSS, Fitswork
Filters: Baader Planetarium 36mm Luminance, Baader Planetarium 36mm Red, Baader Planetarium 36mm Green, Baader Planetarium 36mm Blue
Accessories: Lacerta MGEN2, Lacerta OAG
Dates: Aug. 6, 2013, Aug. 7, 2013
Locations: Emberger Alm
Frames:
Baader Planetarium 36mm Blue: 5×360″ -15C bin 1×1
Baader Planetarium 36mm Green: 5×360″ -15C bin 1×1
Baader Planetarium 36mm Luminance: 10×360″ -15C bin 1×1
Baader Planetarium 36mm Red: 6×360″ -15C bin 1×1
Integration: 2.6 hours
Darks: ~4
Flats: ~25

Author: Stefan Westphal
AstroPhotography of the day by SPONLI 29 Aug 2014

The Sun Online and solar activity. August 28, 2014

Only two small C-class flares were observed in the past period. All active regions at the frontside are relatively stable. No Earth directed CMEs were observed. Flaring activity is expected to remain at the level of C-flares. A equatorial coronal hole has crossed the central meridian, which is likely to influence the solar wind conditions near Earth starting on August 30.The magnitude of the interplanetary magnetic field declined from 15 to 9 nT, with Bz mainly being southward. The solar wind speed is fluctuating between 300 and 380 km/s.
Geomagnetic activity reached active levels (local K=4 at Dourbes), with even an single time slot of minor storm level (NOAA Kp=5). A return to quiet to unsettled conditions is expected, till the potential arrival of a shock related to the August 25 CMEs later today.
SIDC

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