55 Sunspots - 5 Sunspotgroups

Today the Sun was covered with 55 sunspots within 5 sunspotgroups. I made some pictures using my TAL200K f/8.5 with different set ups.

Setting: TAL200K f/8.5, ASI290MM, Barlow x2, light and CaK filter

Setting: TAL200K f/8.5, Nikon D7500

Software: SharpCap4, AS3!, IMPPG, CS4

Lecture on MYRRHA - Hamid Ait Abderrahim

MYRRHA is the world’s first large scale Accelerator Driven System project at power levels scalable to industrial systems. MYRRHA offers unparalleled research opportunities in spent nuclear fuel, nuclear medicine and fundamental and applied physics.

MYRRHA: MYRRHA (Multi-purpose hYbrid Research Reactor for High-tech Applications) is the world’s first large scale Accelerator Driven System (ADS) that consists of a subcritical nuclear reactor driven by a high power linear accelerator. With the subcritical concentration of fission material, the nuclear reaction is sustained by the particle accelerator only. Turning off the proton beam results in an immediate and safe halt of the nuclear reactions.

On December 30th (2022), Professor and director of the MYRRHA project Hamid Aït Abderrahim, will give a lecture @MIRA astronomy club.

See for more information this link. 

Neptune and James Webb Space Telescope

The James Webb Space Telescope captured Neptune together with it's rings. 

Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) image of Neptune, taken on July 12, 2022, brings the planet’s rings into full focus for the first time in more than three decades.

The most prominent features of Neptune’s atmosphere in this image are a series of bright patches in the planet’s southern hemisphere that represent high-altitude methane-ice clouds. More subtly, a thin line of brightness circling the planet’s equator could be a visual signature of global atmospheric circulation that powers Neptune’s winds and storms. Additionally, for the first time, Webb has teased out a continuous band of high-latitude clouds surrounding a previously-known vortex at Neptune’s southern pole.

Open Days KMI Observatory - Opendeurdagen KMI

Today and tomorrow you will get the unique opportunity to step onto the grounds of the Space Pole in Uccle with direct interaction with the scientists themselves. You can see the telescopes, learn about the weather, the climate, the aurora or the planets of the solar system. Entrance is free.

Observatory - Meteorology - Aeronomy

September 24-25, 2022, 10 a.m.- 6 p.m.
Ringlaan 3 Avenue Circulaire, 1180 Brussels

For more information see this website: https://spacepole.be/en/open-days

Lectures of Radboud Astronomy club Free

Astronomy Club "Radboud" decided to make all their lectures free of charge as from this year (2022-2023. The lectures can be followed both fysically as online.

Following lectures area already scheduled:

Vega Rocket at the Milan Science and Technology Museum

VEGA (VV01) Credit Pascal Hilkens

The "Museo Nazionale Scienza E Technologia Leonardo Da Vinci" @ Milan houses a 1:1 scale model of the VEGA (VV01) rocket. The Museum houses the 1:1 scale model of the first Vega (VV01), a vector developed by the European Space Agency (ESA). About 30 meters high and with a mass of 137 tons, it is composed of 4 stages (3 solid fuel, 1 liquid fuel) that can transport and release satellites of up to 2.000 kilograms. Unlike most small launchers, it can carry multiple loads into Space, placing them on different orbits. Vega was developed thanks to a collaboration between Italy, France, Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Sweden. The first launch took place on February 13, 2012.

VEGA (VV01) Credit Pascal Hilkens

In May 2013, VEGA VV02 launched the Belgium made satellite Probe-V and in December 2015 VEGA VV06 launched LISA-Pathfinder.

Giovanni Schiaparelli's Merz-Repsold refractor

Merz Repsold refractor - Milan (Credit Pascal Hilkens)

When visiting the "Museo Nazionale Scienza e technologia Leonarde Da Vinci" @ Milan I walked into a huge refractor. It was Giovanni Schiaparelli's Merz-Repsold telescope. When it came to service at the Brera Astronomical Observatory in Milan - the Merz-Repsold telescope was the largest in Italy and one of the most important in the world. With this tool, Schiaparelli conducted his studies on Mars. He observed some structures - shaped like channels - on the surface of the planet. This ignited a debate on their very existence as well as on the possibility of living extra-terrestrial life on Mars.

Giovanni Schiaparelli: March 14, 1835 - July 4, 1910

Merz-Repsold refractor : 

• Optics by GS. Merz and  Mechanics by Repsold in 1882 - operational as from 1886
• Lens diameter : 49cm
• Focal length : 700cm f/14.3
• Column height : 4,5m
• Total weight : mount 3300kg & column 3000kg (the museum had to strenghten the floor to have telescope set up)

The Martian crater "Schiaparelli" is named after Giovanni Schiaparelli. This 459km wide impact crater was also used in the movie "The Martian" in which Schiaparelli is the landing site for Ares4, the fourth manned mission to Mars. An astronaut from Ares 3 who is stranded on Mars, must travel from Acidalia Planitia to Schiaparelli, a journey of 3200km.

Impact Crater Schiaparelli is located central on Mars' Disk