Astronomy & Astrophotography

Weather: 1, Starpilot: 0

2009-05-17T19:07:00.000-07:00

Until I get the opportunity to do some actual astrophotography, here are a couple of ramblings to entertain you. Click on each picture for a larger image.

Rambling 1: Clouds!

Has anyone else wondered how long it will be until the clouds part and allow the sun to shine during the day and stars to twinkle at night ? Until today (when the sun finally reappeared) I was wondering if we were becoming the new Seattle. The following picture gives an indication of how the weather has been for the past several months.

This is where my telescope has been hanging out for more weeks than I can remember.

There is a light at the end of the rainbow, because it is supposed to be clear the next few days. I hope I can enjoy some star gazing before the clouds roll back in.

Rambling 2: Don't Keep Secrets, Spouses Will Find Out

Ok, Starpilot put a 'want' before logic and bought an expensive new astrophotography camera, without clearing it through my lovely young bride. Oooops! That made for a few interesting evenings around the ole' backyard observatory. I ended up in ... yup you guessed it: "The Dog House" It is a nice camera though.

To make up for my blunder, Starpilot has been living in 'Honey-Do' purgatory. My lovely young bride and I are revamping the backyard by putting several flower beds, hanging bird and critter (nuisance) feeders, and lining the deck with several 'pretty' flowers. Following are pictures of the work I have been doing to pay for my lack of wise judgement. :)

The Chain Gang!

No Daisy Dukes here, just daisies!

They're everywhere, and their plotting a takeover.

If you can't beat them, join them. I selected this hanging dingle-ball looking thingie.

If I can't take pictures of stars, I will resort to all things terrestrial.

The Secret Garden.

We ran out of time before running out of weeds, oops, I mean flowers. I say the following with enthusiasm and a big smile on my face: "Oh joy, my lovely young bride and I get to plant the rest of these flowers over Memorial weekend".

Wonder if my daughter Jacki will share her secret for 'OFFING' plants before I get overrun with them.

What the Hell is this you may ask ? It is a pine cone covered in peanut butter and rolled in bird seed. It is also symbolic of my last shred of manhood being ripped away, as I got the task of hanging these treats for the squirrels (nuisances).

Before you know it, my lovely young bride will have me building bird houses ...

... and putting squirrel feeders all over the deck.

Until the skies clear ...

StarPilot

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Clusters, Galaxies and Nebula ... Oh My!

2009-05-04T13:01:00.000-07:00

Been a while since I have been able to post, but life has not slowed down enough to allow me to edit, post and share astro images I have taken recently until now.

Good thing I took these pictures when I did, because it has been cloudy for three straight weeks and we are on our second straight week of rain. ICK! Makes one consider getting into radio astronomy, which can be detected through clouds rather than visual astronomy, which cannot.

With no further ado, here are some globular clusters, galaxies and nebula that I imaged while under the stars the night of 17-18 April. (Click on each picture for a larger view)

M5 - Globular Cluster

M5 was discovered in 1702 and initially described as a nebulous star. The cluster lies 24,500 light years from Earth and is believed to contain between 100,000 and 500,000 stars. M5 is associated with our Milky Way Galaxy, but has maintained its own gravitational characteristics keeping it from being absorbed by the galaxy.

M13 - Great Hercules Cluster

M13 was discovered in 1714 by Edmund Halley (the namesake of Halley's comet) and added to Charles Messier's catalog in 1764. The cluster is 145 light years across and contains several hundred-thousand stars. M13 is 25,100 light years from Earth and was once chosen as the most likely place to harbor life outside our solar system. In 1974 a message was sent from the Aricebo antenna in Puerto Rico toward M13 in hopes to one day contact intelligent life. (However, if the message recipients in M13 try to contact Earthlings while the current administration is in Washington D.C., they will wonder if there is intelligent life here on Earth)

M57 - The Ring Nebula

M57 is a classic example of a planetary nebula which forms when a 'red giant' star depletes its fule and explodes. M57 lies 2,500 light years from Earth in the constellation Lyra. It is one of the brightest and most compact palnetary nebula in existance.

M92 - Globular Cluster

M92 is located in the constellation Hercules and is second in brightness to M13, also in Hercules. The cluster contains some 330,000 stars and is 109 light years across and is located approximately 26,700 light years from Earth.

M97 - Owl Nebula

The Owl Nebula is one of the faintest Messier objects in the sky, but easily seen in dark sky conditions. M97 is a planetary nebula in the constellation Ursa Major. The "Owl Nebula" name was given, because viewers can see what appears to be owl eyes when looking at the object through a telescope. M97 is located along the bottom of the dipper in the "Big Dipper" portion of Ursa Major.

M101 - Pinwheel Galaxy

Like many other northern hemisphere galaxies, the Pinwheel Galaxy is located in the constellation Ursa Major. It is located some 27 million light years away from Earth. M101 is believed to contain some 100 million solar masses (stars) and is 170,000 light years in diameter (nearly twice the size of the Milky Way galaxy).

M104 - Sombrero Galaxy

This spiral galaxy, which contains a bright central bulge and a large duct cloud at the galaxy edge resembles a Mexican sombrero. M104 lies in the constellation Virgo and is part of a group of nearby galaxies called the "Virgo Cluster", which the Milky Way galaxy belongs to. At the center if the Sombrero Galaxy is a super-massive Black Hole, a space object so dense that ligh itself cannot escape it.

That's all for now. I hope to get back out in a week or so and image some of the other interesting space objects. That provided the rain pushes out.

Doing an anti - Rain Dance

Star Pilot

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M3 Globular Cluster

2009-03-31T19:56:00.000-07:00

At long last, I was able to take my telescope and camera out for an evening when there was no wind, little haze and a new Moon.

The picture I am posting tonight is of Messier Object M3, one of the brightest globular clusters in the sky.

Under dark skies M3 is naked eye visible, and under city lights the cluster can be seen with binoculars, if you know where to look.

M3 rises in the eastern sky after sunset and is visible shortly thereafter. This very bright globular cluster is located in the constellation Canes Venatici. It is magnitude 6.3 (bright for a cluster) and is a mere 11 light years across.

M3 has been said to contain over 240,000 stars, 25,000 of which are variable stars (the most of any deep space object).

The object is located 33,900 light years from our Solar System, a distance farther than the center of the Milky Way Galaxy, but it outshines the glactic center, at least from our perspective.

Stay tuned for more images from my most recent night under the stars.

Clear Skies at Last!

StarPilot

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Something New

2009-03-26T19:56:00.000-07:00

At long last I had a chance to take some astro photos. I have a loooooong way to go to master my new telescope, mount and camera, but these two images, though raw and untouched are better than anything I have done previously.

M42 - The Great Orion Nebula (My hopes of imaging several Orion deep space objects have been dashed from consistently cloudy skies. Orion is moving out of sight quickly, so I may have to postpone that task until Fall).

M81 (Bodes Galaxy) & M82 9Cigar Galaxy) upper-right & lower-left respectively, are two of many deep space treasures in the constellation Ursa Major (The Big Dipper). In the weeks to come I hope to image many of these objects.

Come back soon. If the weather cooperates, i will have many more pictures to share.

Star Pilot (soon to become Sky Voyager, maybe)

The Thirty-Something Collection

2009-01-06T19:01:00.000-08:00

On December 29th I had a chance to give my new telescope mount a spin. I decided to take images of the "thirty-something" Messier objects (M31 - M39, less M30 which is not visible).

Hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I had viewing and imaging them.

M31, The Andromeda Galaxy is the brightest galaxy visible from Earth and is an easy naked-eye and binocular target for star gazers. M31 has two close neighbors, M32 and M110, both of which are much smaller and will eventually be absorbed by M31. This Grand Galaxy lies 2,900 light years (ly) from Earth and is due to collide with our galaxy, The Milky Way in about 1-Billion years. M31 was referred to as the "little cloud" to famous Persian astronomer Al-Sufi who depicted the object in his Book of Fixed Stars in 905AD.

M32 (at center, M31 is lower-right) is a companion galaxy of M31 and will eventually be absorbed by its huge neighbor.

M33 the Triangulum Galaxy (also the Pinwheel) is a spiral galaxy that is a companion of its much larger neighbor, the Andromeda Galaxy. M33 is 3,000 ly from Earth and is moving toward our solar system at a rate of 240 km/s. Don't worry though, at that rate it will take a billion years or so to get here.

M34 is an open star cluster in the constellation Perseus. It consists of about 100 stars and lies about 1,400 ly away from Earth. The object is naked-eye visible under dark sky conditions and can be seen any evening in the Fall, Winter and early Spring.

M35 is an impressive open star cluster that lies in the constellation Gemini. The cluster consists of several hundred stars, many of which are brighter than magnitude 13. M35 covers an area larger than the Moon, is 24 lyacross and is about 2,800 ly from Earth.

M36 is one of three bright open clusters in the constellation Auriga. M37 and M38 are the other clusters. From our perspective M36 measures 14 ly across and is 4,100 ly from Earth.

M37 is the brightest of the three Auriga open clusters. It contains over 500 stars, 150 of which are brighter than magnitude 12. M37 is 4,400 ly from Earth and spans 24 ly across.

M38 is the last of three open clusters in Auriga. Lying very close (2.5 degrees north) of M36, this is 4,200 ly from Earth and 25 ly across. It contains a very large yellow star that would dwarf our meager Sun many-fold. Some astronomers have seen a 'cross' pattern in some of the brightest stars while others have seen the math symbol 'Pi'. I will leave you to decide what pattern, if any you see in M38.

M39 is an open cluster in the constellation Cygnus. The cluster is 800 ly away and a about 7 ly in diameter. M39 contains 30 proven member stars, though some star catalogs put the number closer to 50.

My next outing (when the rain stops & clouds part) will include a journey through the constellation Orion.

There are several sky treasures to discover in that group of stars.

I just need to wait for the weather to cooperate.

Clear Skies

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M42 - The Great Orion Nebula

2009-01-04T19:09:00.001-08:00

Pictured is: The Great Orion Nebula.

This deep space object is the brightest and most recognizable Nebula visible from Earth.

Here are a few facts about The Great Orion Nebula, also known as Messier 42 (M42):

* The nebula is located in the constellation Orion, specifically the Belt of Orion.

* It is located 1,270 light years from Earth and measures 24 light years across.

* The nebula is the nearest active star-forming region to our solar system.

* Orion is one of the most easily recognized constellations in the winter night sky.

* The Great Orion nebula is visible to the naked eye.

M42 is one of my favorite astrophotography targets, because even an amateur like me can produce a robust picture.

The picture is RAW and was not manupulated in software except to enhance brightness. Equipment used to produce the image included:

Orion (Celestron) 9.25" Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope
Celestron f/6.3 Focal Reducer/Corrector
Orion Atlas GoTo Mount (tracking via SkyScan)
Nikon D80 DSLR (Unmodified)
Sensitivity: ISO-500
Exposure: 85 Seconds

Check back in a couple of days for my next post which will include a whole series of Messier objects that I photographed recently.

Clear Skies!

StarPilot

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The Star of Bethlehem

2008-12-22T19:01:00.000-08:00

I begin this blog entry with Bible scripture concerning the birth of Jesus from the Gospel of Matthew.

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Chapter 2
1. Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying,
2. "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him."
7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star appeared;
8 and he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him bring me word, that I too may come and worship him."
9 When they had heard the king they went their way; and lo, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came to rest over the place where the child was.
10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy;
11 and going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.

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The Star of Bethlehem announced the birth of Jesus Christ and then guided the wise men to find Him. The origin of Bethlehem's Star has long been the topic of discussion to scientists, astronomers, theologians and curious folks like us ever since the event occurred.

I watched a Science Channel special on the origin of the Bethlehem Star tonight and will share some of their conclusions.

First off, I must say that the show was very respectful to the birth of Jesus. Unlike the atheistic dribble that the National Geographic channel puts out in their religious programs, this show never casts doubt on the existence of Jesus or his birth. Thank you Science Channel for respecting our right to 'believe'. Anyhow, on to the origin of the Star of Bethlehem.

There are several theories regarding the origin of the Star that announced Jesus birth, so in no particular order here are the four most prominent:

Theory 1: A Comet

Some experts believe the Bethlehem Star to be a comet traveling through the solar system. Could be, but for certain it is not Halley's Comet or other 'known' ice balls. It could have been a comet that only passed through the solar system one time, and having fulfilled its purpose (announcing Jesus birth) may never be seen again.

Theory 2: An Alignment of Planets

Astronomers have calculated the placement of the planets for the past several thousand years. Some believe the Bethlehem Star to be a conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn that occurred near the time Jesus was born. An alignment of the two gas-giant planets would be spectacular, may be visible for several months and could catch the eye of Magi (wise men).

Theory 3: Dancing Moons & Planets

Another scientist believed it was Jupiter playing hide and seek with the Moon and going through a retrograde (backward) orbit where it would appear to stand still for several weeks. Naaaa! I didn't buy that one either.

Besides, if the wise men went from Persia (modern day Iran) to Bethlehem every time a planet did a dance in the sky, they would earn a lot of 'frequent camel miles'. The planets routinely perform retrograde orbits and play peek-a-boo with the Moon. Nothing noteworthy for announcing the birth of the Savior of all mankind.

The Star of Bethlehem had to be much more special to catch the eye of wise men from the East.

Theory 4: An Exploding Star (Nova)

One British scientist believes the Star of Bethlehem was a Nova. Hmmm! Now that is quite possible. Only one problem: "Which one of the quadruple billions of stars could it be ?

A strong candidate is Nova 60 1927 Aql. So where in the cosmos is this star, and why suspect it over all others ?

Nova 60 1927 Aql is a binary star (two stars locked in orbit around one another) located in the constellation Aquila. The star went nova (exploded) in 1927.

One reason stars in binary systems go Nova is because they syphon 'matter' off the other star in the binary (An example of a binary star system is pictured below). In these binary systems, a red or yellow star is locked in orbit with a white dwarf. The white dwarf gets has a veracious appetite and draws matter from the red or yellow star. When the white dwarf reaches critical mass (cannot hold any more matter) it explodes to shed the extra matter. Stars can go nova several times in their lives before going super-nova where they have one giant, final explosion.

Nova explosions can occur every 10, 100, 1000 or more years. When stars go nova, the visible light from the explosion can be seen for days, weeks or months before fizzling out.

The reason Nova 60 1927 Aql is a good candidate is because it is a known nova and it is located in a part of the sky that would be located in the Eastern sky about the time Jesus was born. It would also be located directly overhead when the wise men would have arrived in Bethlehem to worship the King of Kings.

One Final Theory:

Then again, the Star of Bethlehem could have been a special sign from God that science will never explain. Besides, the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus is a matter of faith and not of science.

Following is a picture of the Northern Cross I took in Spring 2008. This region of the sky includes the constellation Aquila. Nova 60 1927 would be located just left of center of the picture.

Merry Christmas

StarPilot

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Conjunction Junction

2008-12-08T18:51:00.000-08:00

If you noticed two bright stars near the moon on the evening of December 1st, what you saw was a conjunction of the the crescent-Moon and planets Venus (the brighter object) and Jupiter.

The alignment of the two planets (from Earth's perspective) will not occur again until 2015.

In case you missed it here is a picture I took of the event from northern-Virginia.

Starpilot

Finally! A Clear Night

2008-12-05T20:57:00.000-08:00

If you live in Northern Virginia and are sick of the cloudiness, I apologize. It was all my fault. How dare I buy a new telescope and hope for clear skies to actually enjoy the darn thing.

A couple nights ago the clouds parted, so I high-tailed it outside to do some star-gazing. I squeezed in a couple hours of observing time before the clouds rolled in.

Here are some pictures from my outing.

M34 (Open Cluster )is located in the constellation Perseus. M34 is 1,400 light years from Earth and contains around 100 stars.

M39 (Open Cluster) is located in the constellation Cygnus. The object is an estimated 800 Light Years from Earth.

M42 (The Great Orion Nebula) is the brightest diffuse nebula visible from Earth. Located on the sword of the constellation Orion, M42 is a favorite target for amateur and professional astronomers alike.

-For the amateur, M42 can make even the cheapest telescope look good.

-For the professional, M42 is one of the most active star-forming regions in the night sky.

@@ Weather permitting I will photograph the entire Orion Nebula some evening and post a special blog featuring M42's many treasures.

M45 (The Pleiades) is a prominent Fall and Winter open cluster that is located in the constellation Taurus. M45 is also called the "Seven Sisters" named for the seven hot blue-stars that dominate the cluster.

M31 (Andromeda Galaxy) is a favorite target of mine. Visible from early Fall to late Winter, this galaxy is a popular target of astronomers, because it is easy to find and is visible in even cheap, department store telescopes. Within proximity of M31 are M110 (looks like a bright-fuzzy star just left of M31) and M32 (faint galaxy to the lower-right of M31). You will see me include many pictures of M31 in my postings.

Hope you enjoy the images as much as I did taking them.

StarPilot

Second Glance

2008-10-20T19:57:00.000-07:00

First Light with my new telescope was great, but not ideal because of haze and humidity in the air, along with light from a Hunters Moon. I had a chance to go out again the night of October 19th. I took additional pictures of M31/M110, M32, M33, and the Double Cluster (NGC869 & NGC884). They turned out much better without all the light pollution. Here are the pictures.

This picture of M31 (galaxy at left), M110 (appears as a star in M31's star cloud) and M32 (smaller galaxy to the right of M31) is untouched and unmodified. I should get better shots as I learn to track better, because I will be able to take longer exposures.

M33, The Pinwheel Galaxy actually showed up in the frame, which even surprized me. There is a lot of light pollution in my neighborhood, so it is almost impossible to see faint objects when viewing from my front yard. I eneded up shooting this picture in the dark, and was surprised when M33 appeared in the frame.

This 1.5 minute exposure of NGC869 (half of the Double Cluster) reveals many more stars than my original picture taken 10/11/08. (See my previous posting)

This 1.5 minute exposure of NGC884 (other half of the Double Cluster) reveals many more stars than my original picture taken 10/11/08. (See my previous posting)

All in all it was a successful evening under the stars. I will post more as time permits. I hope to catch Jupiter and Venus later in the week.

Enjoying Clear Skies!

StarPilot

P.S. - I have to pick a new name, because my wife said StarPilot sounds corny. Actually, she said it sounded 'gay'. I am taking suggestions.

Jim a.k.a. (soon to be formerly) StarPilot

First Light with the Orion (Celestron) 9.25" SCT

2008-10-12T17:23:00.000-07:00

First Light with the Orion 9.25" Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope (made by Celestron) actually occured a week ago at the Northern Virginia Astronomy Club - Star Gaze 2008.

That night, I did not take any astro pictures, but instead enjoyed looking at deep space and solar system objects with my new telescope tube.

The views were beyond my expectations, and better than anything I have owned before.

First Light was on Jupiter as twilight gave way to night. The atmospheric bands were clearly visible, but alaas the Great Red Spot was on the other side of the planet. Other objects that I viewed were M8&M20, M16, M17, M31, M32, NGC869&NGC884 (Double Cluster), M11 and of course, the Moon.

The most spectacular sight was M11 (The Wild Duck Cluster). I had a Baader Hyperion 17mm eyepiece attached at the time, and many attendees could not believe the clarity of the stars, and even saw deep into the clusters center. They felt like they were walking in space.

On Saturday, Octover 11th I finally had a chance to test the Orion 9.25" SCT's astrophotography abilities. I was dealing with a near-full Moon and haze in the sky, along with some dew on the corrector lens, so the pictures aren't the greatest. Also, I only took 30-second shots, which do not bring out faint deep-space objects.

Below, are a few shots that I took. (Click on the pictures for a larger image)

This has to be the most crisp Moon picture I have ever taken.

NGC869 is one of two star clusters visible in what is called the Double Cluster. This was a 30-second shot. An exposure of 1 - 2 minutes would reveal several more faint stars.

NGC884 is the other star cluster visible in the Double Cluster.

The last picture is of one of my favorite space objects: The Andromeda Galaxy. This galaxy is our closest neighbor and is made up of three galaxies. The bright main galaxy, M31 is at-left, M110, a small galaxy is a faint object 1inch to the left of M31. M32 is a small galaxy on the right-side of the picture. A longer exposure on a moonless night will reveal much more detail on all three galaxies. The hazy granular texture on M31 is caused by dew forming on the corrector lens.

As time permits, I will take additional pictures with my old and new telescope and add them to this Blog.

Clear Skies!

StarPilot

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Milky Way Galaxy

2008-09-19T17:29:00.000-07:00

Northern Virginia is not the best place to view the Milky Way Galaxy, but if you get 20-30 miles west of the city lights, you will be amazed at how much of the Milky Way you can see with the naked eye.

The following three pictures were taken at Crockett Park in Fauquier County, VA on a clear, moonless night on August 31st, 2008.

Picture: Milky Way 1 (Taken looking at the Southern horizon to about 25 degrees skyward)

Picture: Milky Way 2 (Taken looking midway between the Southern horizon and straight overhead)

Picture: Milky Way 3 (Picture taken looking straight overhead)

My primary goal that night was astrophotography, but I'll admit the exposure time on some astro photos ran much longer than I intended, because I was lost in daydreams, or in this case, nightdreams looking at the Milky Way.

For the record, the Milky Way Galaxy contains between 200-400 billion stars and is home to our solar system.

Our star 'Sol' (The Sun) is classified a G2 star, meaning it has a surface temperature of 5740 Kelvin (that's hot). Sol is one of 10 Million G2 stars in the Milky Way Galaxy.

Our solar system is not located in the center of the Milky Way, but rather on the edge of a small spiral band called the Orion Arm. You can equate that to the galactic center of the galaxy being downtown, and our solar system being in the distant suburbs.

The following picture is an artists conception of what the scientific community believes the Milky Way Galaxy looks like. Of course we cannot know for sure, because we live inside and cannot see an external view.

Recent estimates put the Milky Way at 100,000 light years (ly) in diameter and 1,000 ly thick, which means it would take a human 100,000 years traveling at the speed of light to traverse the galaxy from end to end. NOT GONNA HAPPEN!

With current technology, we can travel at a scant 20,000 Miles per Hour. To travel at the speed of light we would have to travel at 186,000 Miles per Second. Even at that speed it would take 1,333 human lifetimes to travel the galaxy end to end. Guess we're stuck with artists pictures of the Milky Way.

The spiral band seen in my pictures is the Orion Arm. The brightest star cloud in picture "Milky Way 1" points toward the galactic center of the galaxy. The Orion Arm blocks us from seeing glactic center with optical telescopes, however scientists have a better idea what the Milky Way looks like by measuring radio waves. Google 'Milky Way' to find a lot of great on our home galaxy.

We are very blessed to be located where we are in the Milky Way, because:

- If we were closer to the galactic center of the Milky Way we likely wouldn't exist because of massive doses of radiation preventing life (as we know it) from thriving. Too, the glare from the glactic center would keep us from seeing anything else in the universe.

- Since we are on the outer edge of the Orion Arm of the Milky Way we have an unobstructed view of many parts of the universe. Had we been located farther inside the Orion Arm, space dust and millions of bright stars would have impeded our view of the universe.

Hope you enjoyed my quick drive-by tour of the Milky Way Galaxy.

Clear Skies

Star Pilot

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Summertime ...

2008-08-19T18:29:00.000-07:00

Ok... Sing this 1950's song along with me ...

Summertime, Summertime, Summertime, Summertime
Summertime ... Summertime ... Bah Boom Boom Boom

I know it has been a while since I have blogged, but the last place you are going to catch me during the summer is in front of the computer. After work I am usually enjoying the outdoors, whether doing yard work, sitting on the deck or peering though my telescope.

I will update my blog after Labor Day weekend. Until then, I will be playing ball with my Granddaughter, chillin' in the pool with my Grandson and hangin' with my peeps ... uh Geese in this case.

Enjoy your summer.

StarPilot

P.S. - If I get a chance I will try and add some pictures and content to my Messier Catalog Blog.

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Just Because ...

2008-07-13T07:21:00.000-07:00

I haven't had the opportunity to do any viewing in quite some time because of cloud cover and good ole' Northern Virginia summer haze and humidity (smog).

Soooooo ... here is a photo I took of a half-moon on the night of June 24th (actually taken at 2AM on June 25th) at the end of a 4-hour astrophotography session.

News Flash ...Check out my newest Blog, titled the Messier Catalog Blog. It features pictures I have taken of all 110 Messier Deep Space Objects. My oldest daughter Jacki created a very cool looking graphics header for the Blog.

The link to the new Blog is: http://messiercatalog.blogspot.com

Hoping for clear, non-hazy skies.

StarPilot

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The Light Spectrum

2008-06-30T18:58:00.001-07:00

Sometimes things just don't work out.

In my case, months of uncooperative weather has limited the number of times I have been able to use my telescope.

Soooooooo, when the stars are blocked an amateur astronomer has to make the best of it and think in terms of glass-half-full.

Tonite it was cloudy and rainy, but we did have a great rainbow provided by our star "Sol' (Picture).

Eventually, there will be Clear Skies!

StarPilot

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Blinded By The Light

2008-06-26T08:04:00.000-07:00

The Milky Way Galaxy as viewed from 'light polluted' northern Virginia.

The Milky Way Galaxy viewed from Utah.

I took the first picture in my front yard in northern Virginia. The second picture was taken by an amateur astronomer in Utah. Sadly, light pollution is washing out the wonders in the heavens that we could be seeing.

Light pollution is a big problem in any populated area. Our area used to be known as rural, but the constant spread of population from Washington, D.C. has turned Warrenton into just another suburb.

In order to see sights like the second picture, I would have to move to a very rural location. Seems to me that during an energy crisis like the one we are currently in, one way to conserve a significant amount of fuel would be to tone down the lights to a reasonable level.

Following is a link to the international dark sky organization, a group that is trying to reclaim the night sky. They are not like the fanatical environmentalists who are telling us to live in caves, but are a practical organization that is trying to urge communities to tone the lights down to reasonable levels.

http://www.darksky.org/mc/page.do

Also check out the Northern Virginia Astronomy Club 'Light Pollution' page to find out what that group is doing to reclaim the night sky.

http://www.novac.com/lp/

Hoping for Clear and Dark Skies

StarPilot

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Greetings From Jupiter!

2008-06-17T20:06:00.000-07:00

Since getting into the backyard astronomy hobby, I have been trying to get a descent picture of Jupiter.

This time of year one has to be dedicated to the task, becuase the big 'Gas Giant' does not rise in Virginia until 12:30AM.

I had nothing better to do one night, so I stayed up for "Jupiter Rise". It was worth the wait. A new moon and low humidity were factors in allowing me to get my best glimpse of Jupiter ever in my telescope.

Viewing an object is one challenge, but getting a good picture is another.

The first two pictures show a close-up of Jupiter to include Red, Orange and White lines. Unfortunately, the Great Red Spot is not visible this time of year.

The third picture shows Jupiter and four of the planets 50+ moons.

I took the pictures using the AFocal photography method. I focused Jupiter in my telescope using a 5mm eyepiece, then took the picture of the image in the eyepiece using my Nikon D80 & 50mm lens on a separate tripod.

Next stop: "Saturn"

Starpilot

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International Space Station Passage - June 5th, 2008

2008-06-05T19:44:00.000-07:00

The International Space Station (ISS) passed over the Washington D.C. area at 2200-2202 EDT on June 5th. Shown above is the picture I took.

The ISS travelled left-to-right . The bright star 'at Left' is Polaris (North Star) and the bright star 'at Right' is Vega in the constellation Lyra.

My camera was configured as follows:

Camera: Nikon D80
Mount: Tripod
Lens: 18-55mm @18mm (F/3.5)
Sensitivity: ISO-800
Exposure: 75 Seconds

I shared the experience with my Mom in Cleveland, OH by calling her prior to the passage, and she was able to see it from that location as well. She was thrilled.

Until Next Time!

Star Pilot

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Kitchen Pass + Nature Pass = New Pictures!

2008-05-27T19:55:00.000-07:00

Observation Log for May 12th, 2008

My 'Young Bride' gave me a Kitchen Pass on an evening when the sky was clear after 1 month of cloudy nights. Consequently, I was able to view and photograph some celestial objects.

Viewing conditions weren't the greatest. There was an abundance of moisture in the air that reflected light from a half-Moon. As a result, most deep space objects were washed out with light, but who am I to complain. At least it was clear.

Here are a few of the pictures that turned out:

M57 (The Ring Nebula) is at lower left and Beta Lyra (Sheliak) is at upper right. M57 is a planetary nebula (gas remnants of a star that went super nova). Beta Lyrae (Sheliak) is a group of eclipsing binary stars that ar locked in one anothers gravitational fields.

Mizar & Alcor Binary Stars:
The Double Star in the Big Dipper portion of Ursa Major is actually multiple binary stars.
The star at upper-center is actually a binary pair named Mizar A (magnitude 2.2) and Mizar B (magnitude 4). Mizar B is not visible in this picture. The star at lower-center is Alcor (magnitude 4). The star at right-of-center is Sidus Ludoviciana (magnitude 8). I will try and split the Mizar binaries in a future viewing session.

M3 Globular Cluster in the constellation Canes Venatici.

M13 Globular Cluster in the constellation Hercules.

M5 Globular Cluster in the constellation Serpens Caput.

M12 globular Cluster in the constellation Ophiuchus.

M10 Globular Cluster in the constellation Ophiuchus.

Meteorites @@@@@@

@ The Mars Phoenix probe landed successfully on the Martian surface on Sunday, May 25th, 2008. Link: http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/

@@ COOL DOWNLOAD - Microsoft has launched an interactive planetarium website. If you don't have a telescope, use this website to explore the heavens. Very, very cool!
Link: http://www.worldwidetelescope.org/

@@@ Good News! In June, when the ISS can be next viewed in the D.C. area, one of the NBC4 meteorologists may use my ISS photo (See my previous Blog) as an example of what local viewers can see when the ISS passes overhead.

Praying for Clear Skies!

Starpilot

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International Space Station Passage - May 22nd, 2008

2008-05-22T19:11:00.001-07:00

The International Space Station (ISS) passed over our local area tonight (05/22/2008), and for once it was NOT cloudy. Above is the picture I took at 21:32 EDT as the ISS passed through the Big Dipper portion of Ursa Major. I used a tripod so there is some star trailing.

It was beautiful seeing the ISS pass from South to North along the meridian.

Here are the camera settings I used to compose the picture:

Mount: Tripod
Camera: Nikon D80
Lens: 50mm F/1.8 @ F/3.5
ISO Sensitivity: 400
Exposure: 40 Seconds
Time: 21:32 EDT

Three of four stars in the 'Cup' of the Big Dipper and two stars in the 'Handle' are visible.

Cheers!

Star Pilot

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"Night Under the Stars" (April 12th, 2008)

2008-04-14T20:11:00.000-07:00

Moon near Half-phase

Leo Triplet Galaxies M65, M66 and NGC3628

M3 Globular Star Cluster

M13 Globular Star Cluster

M37 Star Cluster

M51 Whirlpool Galaxy

M81 and M82 Galaxies

I attended my first Norther Virginia Astronomy Club (NOVAC) event on Saturday, April 12th. It was a public viewing event at Crocket Park in Fauquier County, Va . At these events, astronomy club members set up telescopes for the public to view celestial objects . It is a good way to get more people involved in astronomy.

When I arrived at 8PM the temperature was 75F with no wind. By 10:30PM the wind became gusty (15-20MPH with higher gusts) and the temperature dropped to 48F. Glad I brought my 'Hoodie', because I needed it.

I had a chance to give public viewers a tour of the night sky by guiding my telescope at: Saturn, The Great Orion Nebula (M42), Galaxies M81 & M82 (in Ursa Major), Globular Star Clusters ( M3 and M13) and Open Star Cluster M36, M37, M38 and M45 (The Pleiades).

By 11PM most public viewers departed, so I took the opportunity to do some astrophotography. Viewing and photography conditions were not the best, but this being the first cloudless night in weeks, I was not going to complain.

The posted pictures are not the best quality, because the wind was blowing my telescope around, and moisture in the upper atmosphere reflected a lot of light from an exceptionally bright Half-Moon.

Quote of the Day: Astronomy's much more fun when you're not an astronomer!

StarPilot

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Observation Log for April 2nd, 2008

2008-04-04T12:27:00.000-07:00

Finally! After a month of cloudy nights, I was able to take my telescope outside and view some celestial objects. The temperature was near 40F, there was no wind and seeing conditions were fair. The night was also moonless. My only problem was light pollution. Four of my neighbors decided to turn on their proch lights, and one in particular chimed in by running two ground-level flood lamps. Gee! Thanks Mike!

Because of the light pollution, I was unable to take any pictures due to light glare glossing over everything in my camera's viewfinder.

I am not allowed to use a shroud (a mini-tent that covers my head) to block ambient light, because I do my viewing in the front yard and my 'young bride of 31 years' said NO! Something about being viewed by the neighbors as being wierd. :(

In Lieu of pictures, I have added links to Wikipedia articles for each celestial object I viewed. Please bear in mind that the Wiki pictures are from Hubble and other multi-million dollar telescopes. My view of each object was much less detailed.

- M36, M37, and M38 (Star Clusters) in the constellation Auriga
Observation: M36 & M38 appeared as richly dense star fields with thousands of visible points of light. M37 was an impressive open cluster. This is my first sighting of these Messier objects.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messier_36

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messier_37

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messier_38

- M42 (Orion Nebula) in the constallation Orion
Observation: The view of M42 was great through my 5mm, 13mm and 24mm eyepieces. The stars in the 'Trapezium' were razor sharp.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messier_42

- M51 (Whirlpool Galaxy) in the constellation Ursa Major (Big Dipper)
Observation: The galaxy was faint and I did not see the cloud aligned near the tail due to light pollution and some haze near the horizon, where this object sits. This is my first sighting of M51.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messier_51

- M66, M67 and NGC3628 (Galaxies) in the constellation Leo (called the Leo Triplet)
Observation: I was able to see all three galaxies, though NGC3628 was more like a smudge because of local light pollution. This is my first sighting of these Messier objects.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messier_65
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messier_66
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NGC_3628

- M81 and M82 (Galaxies) in the constellation Ursa Major
Observation: I was able to make both these Messier objects out in descent detail using an 8mm eyepiece, and better detail using 13mm and 24mm eyepieces. Very impressive.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M81
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messier_82

- Saturn near the star "Regulus" in the constellation Leo
Observation: Using the Baader 5mm eyepiece I was able to make out faint hints of the Cassini divide in the rings and some surface details. This has been my best view of Saturn to date.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturn

I was offered to take my telescope to a co-workers home in a more rural area. I think I may take him up on that offer when the weather warms a little more.

Clear Skies!

StarPilot

My Review of Baader Planetarium Hyperion Eyepieces

2008-04-02T08:24:00.001-07:00

Originally submitted at Telescopes.com

A Worthwhile Investment

By StarPilot from Northern Virginia on 4/2/2008

Pros: Strong Construction, Widely Compatible Adapter

Best Uses: Terrestrial Viewing, Astronomy

Describe Yourself: Casual/ Recreational

I bought the Baader Hyperion 8mm eyepiece (EP) and was so impressed that I bought the entire set of eyepieces to include the 3.5/5/8/13/17/21/24mm focal lengths.

Baader Planetarium did a great job designing these eyepieces. They offer a 68 degree Field Of View (FOV) and provide very good contrast on planets, galaxies, star clusters and nebula.

I own an Orion 80mm ED OTA and previously used Orion Sirius Plossl 25 and 10mm eyepieces in conjunction with a Parks Gold 3-element 2x APO barlow lens. The view of M42 and other space objects was impressive with those eyepieces, but nothing like what I am experiencing with the Baader Hyperion EPs. The 4 main stars in the Trapezium stood out in razor-sharp detail using the 8 and 5mm EPs. The 3.5 was a bit fuzzy, but that is a limitation of my 80mm OTA. Saturn stood out in stunning detail. The 13, 17,21 and 24mm EPs let a lot of light in giving me great views of M42 (which showed some blue and purple color), also the view of M81 and M82 was beyond my expectations.

I live in light-polluted northern VA and cannot wait until I can take my Baader Hyperion EP set out to a dark site to get the maximum benefit.

I bought a Baader AFocal adapter to connect my DSLR directly to each EP. It has been cloudy since the adapter arrived, so I have not been able to try it out.

Bottom Line: The Baader Planetarium EP set is a great investment. They are inexpensive, offer a wide FOV, are modular and can be used for photography and astrophotography and do a very good job of projecting images captured in my telescope. They are NOT TeleVue EPs, but offer a close comparison at 1/3 to 1/6 the price. For the amateur astronomer who does not have a government grant or commercial advertising agreement, the Hyperion eyepieces are worth consideration.

Check my BLOG at: http://starpilot.blogspot.com for astro pictures I will take using Baader Hyperion EPs soon as the clouds clear out after limiting my viewing for 1-month and counting.

(legalese)

The Smallest Telescope Detects the Largest Cosmic Explosion

2008-03-24T09:40:00.000-07:00

Good things do come in small packages.

A small telescope, with a 71mm (2.75") aperture (diameter) is responsible for detecting a star explosion and resulting Gamma Ray Burst (GRB). The GRB, registered as GRB080319B occurred 7.5 Billion light years across the known universe and was discovered by an organization called "Pi of the Sky", a group of Polish Physicists, mathematicians, and graduate students that look at specific portions of the sky for GRB events. The operation is managed in Warsaw, Poland, but the cameras are physically located at the Las Campanas, Chile observatory.

'Pi of the Sky' currently covers a 20 deg. X 20 deg. portion of sky, but has plans to extend optical capabilities to simultaneously cover 1/3 of the visible sky.

Here is the Internet link to the 'Pi of the Sky' news release with an animation of the GRB event:

http://grb.fuw.edu.pl/pi/index.html

METEORITES!!! @ @ @

@ NEW Telescope Curse !

I have been hit by the NEW TELESCOPE curse. In other words: "It has been cloudy every night I have been home to use my telescope since First Light". Hopefully, I will be able to get out soon. I am trying to capture a picture of the "Leo Triplets" (three galaxies, including M66, located in the constellation Leo) to enter in a photo contest. The contest closing date is 03/31/2008.

@@ Almost Heaven Star Party 2008

Yeehaw! Git yer campin' gear reddy and dust off the John Denver 8-tracks, cuz the Almost Heaven Star Party (AHSP) 2008 has been announced.

Every year, a conglomeration of amateur and profession astronomers gather at Spruce Knob, West Virginia for a 4 day/3 night star party. This year's event will be held from July 31st to August 3rd, 2008 (Thursday-Sunday). I plan to attend August 1st -3rd. It will be my first star party, and I hear it is not for the faint of heart. Spruce Knob has rugged amenities, (in other words tent camping with no electricity), so this event is not for everyone. At least they have hot showers, hot meal service and conveniently located out houses.

Check the AHSP website for more information:

http://www.ahsp.org/index.html

Until The Skies Clear !

StarPilot

YIKES! Death Star Taking Aim At Earth

2008-03-13T09:23:00.000-07:00

Long story short ...

A 'real' Death Star, not the fictional one from Star Wars is taking aim at Earth according to the March 1st issue of the Astrophysical Journal. Recent images from the Keck Observatory in Hawaii indicate that a pair of stars locked in a death spiral are tearing each other apart. One of the stars, called a Wolf-Rayet is in the 'Winter' season of its life and will eventually lose its mass and go supernova. The unfortunate thing for Earth is that when the star explodes, the axis, which happens to be aimed right at us, will shoot a Gamma Ray burst in our direction.

Good News! Bad News!

Good News: The star may not explode for another 100,000 years and is 8,000 light years from Earth.

Bad News: Unlike the moon-sized Death Star from Star Wars, which has to get close to a planet to vaporize it, this blazing spiral has the potential to burn worlds from thousands of light-years away.

Good News: We will have some warning before the star explodes.

Bad News: Uhhh ... Maybe a moments warning, because Gamma Rays travel at the speed of light, 186,000 miles per second.

Good News: Gamma Rays do not vaporize worlds as depicted by the fictitious Death Star.

Bad News: A Gamma Ray burst directed at Earth could damage chemicals in the Stratosphere, thereby depleting up to 50% or more of the Ozone layer. What's wrong with that ? The Ozone has 3-4% depletion at present, so a 50% depletion would drastically change our atmosphere for decades. In other words, such a 'raking' of the Ozone layer would lead to extinction of most living things within months".

Help Me Obiwan Kinobe, You're My Only Hope!

Heyyy! ... Maybe our fictitious Star Wars friends can help us build a BIG shield to protect against Gamma Ray bursts. Sorry! In this case, not even Ole' Ben Kinobe can help us. You see, Gamma Rays travel 'through' stars, planets, galaxies, big-honkin' shields, and so on. Get the picture ? Gulp!

Oh, That's Not Good ... What Can We Do ?

Nothing we can do, really. WR104 is the first star astronomers have detected that has its destructive sights set on us. There may be dozens, hundreds or thousands more undetected Wolf-Rayet type stars ready to blow their tops and shoot Gamma Rays at us.

My Humble Perspective ...

You see, we are here by design. It was NOT by chance or luck that we exist. We have a Creator who placed us here for a reason, and I for one am not worried about some star losing its cookies and depleting our Ozone or any other atmospheric layer.

The more I realize how inhospitable other parts of the 'known' universe are, the more I marvel at God's grand design in putting us on this planet, in this solar system, in this galaxy and in this part of the local galactic neighborhood.

I am just going to enjoy the life I have been blessed with and leave management of 'Space Stuff' to the Creator.

The Heavens Declare His Glory!

StarPilot

P.S. - Here are some WR104 resources for you to check out:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20080310/sc_space/realdeathstarcouldstrikeearth

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23311578-2,00.html