Sun in H-Aplha SolarMax3 DS

The Sun this morning in H-Alpha. Seeing was low due to clouds. In fact I was too late this morning. As from 6AM untill 8AM the sky was blue :)

Picture taken with Nikon D7500 on SolarMax3 70/400 f/5.7 DS and barlow x2; ISO1000 and exposure time of 1/5s.

The picture shows different prominences.

Noctilucent Clouds - OSWIN Radar showing huge peaks as from 3AM

I stayed awake untill 1AM local time but it wad too cloudy at the north-western horizon. Also the VHF radar in Kuhlungsborn did not move. This morning however, I saw the same radar showing huge peaks from 3AM onwards. Not sure of this resulted in NLC at 51° but still very impressive readings. .

For NLC radars - see link to my blogpage Usefull links 

Solargraph Ready - 6 days to go!

Left : 50cl can - Right : 71 cl can

Only 6 six days to go to get your Solargraph ready. This year I will install two DIY pinhole camera's. One made of a 50cl Leffe can, the other of 71cl (24oz) Miller can. The 24oz can was specially purchased in the US :) Both will start capturing the Sun's orbit as from June 21, until December 21.

One of the pinhale camera's installed with view on the South

Do you want to make your own Pinhole camera capturing the Sun's orbit. See this link with how to make it step by step en showing last years solargraph results.

Bright Sundog

Sunset with bright sundog.

Robbert Dijkgraaf - Video Available on String Theory and the End of Space & Time

The lecture from Robbert Dijkgraaf  "String Theory and the End of Space and Time" is now online. 

What is string theory? What happens to stuff that fall inside a black hole? What are the fundamental building blocks of space and time? Did Nature have any choice in picking the fundamental laws of physics? What is the role of mathematics in physics?

See Youtube video of his lecture https://youtu.be/BuJ5JX1-n4Q

The lecture will also being given on July 13 in Brussels - see this link 

Noctilucent Clouds above Averbode

Last night I walked outside and saw low above the northern horizon Noctilucent clouds. They were very bright but unfortunately very low above my horizon; which is blocked by trees and houses. Still the contrast with other clouds was clearly vissible. When finally getting my camera, the clouds were almost gone. Below some pictures of those "last" moments with low above the horizon the NLC's.
Observation was done after UT 23h30 and pictures taken around UT 23h45. Camera setting up to 6s on ISO1600.

Halo Around the Sun

Too much clouds to observe the Sun in H-Alpha but these are perfect condition for Halo's. Above picture was taken around midtime.