Looking Back at an Unforgettable DDD Day at Urania!

Last week, our astronomical community gathered at Volkssterrenwacht Urania for our traditional DDD (De Duistere Dag) event. With the spectacular Total Solar Eclipse of August 12 still fresh in everyone's memory, the entire day was packed with technical deep-dives, vivid expedition reports, and exciting future plans.

I used this image to talk about the eclipse day itself

Morning Sessions: Tech, Tools, and Expeditions

The day started in classic Urania fashion: catching up with fellow eclipse chasers over hot coffee and viennoiserie in the Urania Bar.

Kris Delcourte officially opened the event with an introduction to the agenda. Maciej Szupiluk followed with a presentation on Total Control, a specialized software tool designed for eclipse photography with Sony cameras. The software was really easy to use and he promissed to have a Nikon version ready, 100 days before next year eclipse.

Ruben Verboven then shared insights and atmospheric data from the Eclipse Weatherstation Project during the August 12 TSE in Spain.

The rest of the morning brought an array of eclipse reports from across Spain and beyond:

Kris Delcourte shared his experiences observing from Montelahorra in the DO Ribera del Duero region.

Wim, Sarah, Marnik, and Karin presented a joint talk on their practical experiences with the Solar Eclipse Workbench. The next release will embed detailed bailey beads.

Roman Weiss rounded out the morning block with a report on the total solar eclipse from Asturias and the total lunar eclipse observed from Andalusia.

Around noon, attendees gathered for a sandwich lunch at the Urania Bar, discussing camera settings, filters, weather predictions, and visual impressions. Before returning to the auditorium for the afternoon sessions, everyone stepped outside for the traditional group photo.

Afternoon Highlights: Iceland, Global Eclipse Chasing, and Drone Imaging

The afternoon session kicked off with invited guest speaker Saevar Helgi Bragason, who brought breathtaking stories of observing the Total Solar Eclipse from Iceland and how he did promote this by his own!!

Werner Hamelinck then offered a comprehensive look at Urania's collective experiences across various observing locations during the August 12 eclipse. Joerg Schoppmeier took the audience on a remarkable global journey, reviewing two partial solar eclipses (New Zealand and Mauritius), two total lunar eclipses (Crete and Joshua Tree National Park), a deep partial lunar eclipse (Madrid), and the total solar eclipse in Spain.

I then had the opportunity to step up and share my own project: Total Solar Eclipse 2026 Wide-Angle Drone Imaging. Operating from Carrión de los Condes, Spain, I used a DJI Neo 2 drone to film the event from the air on August 12, 2026. Capturing the sweeping shadow of totality and the 360-degree horizon twilight from above offered a thrilling new dimension to our eclipse documentation. A live demo was given.

AI generated slide use for my presentation.

Looking Forward: 2027 and Beyond

The focus then shifted to the future. A vibrant group discussion unfolded regarding plans and logistics for the upcoming Total Solar Eclipse on August 2, 2027.

Live demo with my DJI Neo 2 Drone

Demystifying the Universe: Exploring "Kwantum Fysica Ontrafeld" by Spot Op

 

I love exploring the vast mysteries of the cosmos, but understanding the universe requires looking at the smallest scales too. A brilliant publication making waves among science enthusiasts is "Kwantum Fysica Ontrafeld" (Quantum Physics Unraveled) by Spot Op.

While astrophysics explores black holes and distant galaxies, the rules governing subatomic particles are what truly shape our reality. The laws that govern quantum mechanics played a crucial role during the Big Bang and continue to define how matter behaves in extreme environments like neutron stars.

"Kwantum Fysica Ontrafeld" bridges the gap between complex science and curious readers. Through accessible storytelling, clear narratives, and striking visuals, it breaks down mind-bending concepts—such as superposition and quantum entanglement—without getting lost in overwhelming academic jargon.

Beyond theoretical physics, Spot Op highlights how quantum phenomena power modern technologies like quantum computing and semiconductors, showing why microscopic science matters to everyday life and space exploration alike.

If you want to expand your scientific horizons and understand how reality works at its deepest level, "Kwantum Fysica Ontrafeld" is an essential, 128 pages, read for your coffee table.

Revisiting Saturn: New Processing from October 11, 2026

Astrophotography is a journey of continuous learning and improvement. Sometimes, going back to raw recordings with fresh eyes and refined processing techniques can reveal hidden details you missed the first time around. Today, I reworked my recordings of Saturn made earlier on October 11, 2026.

Imaging Setup

Telescope: TAL 200K f/8.5

Camera: ASI715MC

2x Barlow lens, Atmospheric Dispersion Corrector (ADC)

Filter: IR/UV Cut filter

Capture and Processing Workflow

SharpCap: Used for high-speed video capture, balancing exposure and gain to manage atmospheric seeing.

AstroSurface: Handled frame quality sorting, alignment, stacking, and initial wavelet sharpening to bring out the cloud bands and ring structure.

Topaz DeNoise AI: Applied to reduce background noise while preserving subtle planetary detail.

Photoshop CS4: Used for final tweaks to color balance, contrast, and overall presentation.

Reflections

Revisiting old datasets is always a rewarding process. Combining a capable optical setup like the TAL 200K with high-resolution planetary cameras and modern image processing tools allows us to extract every bit of detail possible.

Saturn: One week after opposition

My first image of Saturn this year. Saturn's opposition was last week on October 4th, so we are one week further. Seeing was moderate and transparancy fair. 

300 Days to go for Total Solar Eclipse Aug 2, 2027

The next total solar eclipse will happen in 300 days.
If all goes according the plan, I will be @ Djerba in Tunisia. 

Software for Photometry

I'm preparing a lecture on Photometry and as part of this I completed a comparison between different software packages. Personaly I only have experience with ASTAP but with some upcoming and upgraded software the landscape is changing. The below tabel is made using AI.

Lecture on Infinity by philosopher Victor Gijsbers

Attending a philosopher's lecture at Studium Generale @ Maastricht.

Humanity is caught between longing for eternity and the reality of our fragile, fleeting existence. In his acclaimed book "Oneindigheid: een filosofische gids", Leiden philosopher Victor Gijsbers explores if the universe is infinite and how we should live within it. He questions whether endless space holds copies of us and if immortality would truly improve our lives—or prove far more agonizing than our finite mortality. Gijsbers suggests endless time might strip our choices of consequence and become a psychological burden. 

Pushing this further, 19th-century thinker Louis-Auguste Blanqui argued in L'éternité par les astres that finite elements in an infinite cosmos mean every life, and every form of immortality, repeats itself identically across the stars. Does this infinite loop rob us of unique meaning, or does it give our finite moments ultimate weight? 

At the end of the lecture, reference was made to mathematics and infinitity and what this tells us about reality. 

True to tradition, I naturally had to snap a selfie at the lecture to document my own tiny, fleeting moment against this vast cosmic backdrop! Some thinking...would I want to live forever, or does my mortality define my value?