Double Rainbow

Rain, Sun, Thunderstorms,... and in between rainbows and even double rainbows.

Noctilucent Clouds (NLC)

Different sources are reporting the first Noctilucent Clouds (NLC) so far this year in the Northern Hemisphere. The clouds are seen at high latitudes and it's likely they show up at our (lower) latitudes within the next weeks. Look West about 30-60 minutes after sunset or North before sunrise and look for blue-white clouds.
A Radar at Aberystwyth provides support when NLC show up. See this link.

Sundogs at both sides of the Sun

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Bright Sundogs both sides of the Sun. Also a part of the 22* halo is visible.

Bright Sundog

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Very bright Sundog this morning #Aarschot

Tumbling Satellite flares every 3-5s

Many times I took pictures of Iridium flares and during my night observations I see hundreds of satellites passing by. However on April 19 around 21UT I saw for the first time a satellite flashing up more then once. I start reading a bit of this phenomena and talked to some people about it and this seem to be a tumbling satellites or tumbling pieces of rockets.

Yesterday, after taken pictures of the ISS I saw at the zenit another tumbling satellite which I was able to photograph. Unfurtunately, setting was already done for Jupiter and Moon, so no ideal picture. The passing happened from South-South-East towards North-North-West at exactly 21h05m35s at the Zenit. Enlarging the picture shows the satellite trail broken 2 times during and exposure of 10s. This means the flares happen between 3-5s. I looked into different databases with no real outcome but this is a potential list of tumbling satellites :

- Iridium 90
- IGS 5A
- Cosmos 1356
- SL-16 R/B
- Iridium 911Tum

Astronomical Twilight

As from next weekend untill the weekend of July 21st, skies will not get fully dark as the Sun will not go below 18° of the Horizon. This is what's called Astronomical Twilight. I was hoping to take some pictures past night during the 30 minutes of "total darkness" but clouds start covering the sky.

Moon and Jupiter - May 26,2018 UT20h30 

Nightscape ISS during Twilight

Passing of ISS during twilight and high clouds. So difficult to get the contrast of ISS on the picture.

Nightscape Certificate

Proud on my Nightscape Certificate.

Urania Afsluiting Werkjaar 2017-2018

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Straks Om 10h start het afsluitingsmoment van het werkjaar van de volkssterrenwacht Urania. Op de agenda staat een voordracht over Space-X en daarna tijd om wat bij te praten met de collega's.

Nightscape ISS

ISS crossed the sky above Averbode at UT 21h38. In total 4 pictures stacked using CS4.

Double rainbow

Double rainbow above #Averbode.

Globular Cluster Messier M5

Globular Cluster Messier M5 or NGC5904 in constellation Serpens is a bright cluster. The cluster is located at a distance of 25.000 light years from Earth.
The pictures are taken on May 7th, 2018 0h50 UT.

Two sets of pictures are taken :
The first set using Nikon D7500 on TAL200K are stacked using CS4. The second set of pictures are made using ASI224MC on TAL200K and stacked using Autostakkert with final editing on CS4.

Nightscape Moon - Venus

This evening both Moon and Venus low above Western horizon. The Moon is about 7% illuminated.

Sundogs and Halo

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High clouds in the sky gave shape to sundogs both left and right from the sun . Left you see also a part of the 22' Halo

Jupiter this evening

Even though the seeing was poor I put my scope outside to observe the Great Red Spot (GRS). The passing of the GRS was around 20h30 UT. My observation was completed around 21h30. I used my ASI224MC camera with barlow x2 on TAL200K f/8.5. Pictures are stacked using AutoStakkert and final editing with CS4.

Red Sunset

Sunflower Galaxy Messier M63

Sunflower Galaxy Messier M63 (NGC 5055) in constellation Canes Venatici is located about 23,5 million light years from Earth. This picture was taken using Nikon D7500 with TAL200K and stacked by DeepskyStacker. Final editing completing with CS4. Total of 18 pictures and a combined exposre time of 550 seconds.

Virgo Clsuter M84 M86

Parts of the Virgo cluster can be seen in the constellation Virgo. On May 8th, I made some pictures of M84 and M86 which are part of Markarian's Chain (8 Galaxy's within 1,5°). On the picture I'm able to count 7 Galaxy's. Pictures are stacked using CS4 and edited afterwards.

Circumscribed and 22° Halo around the Sun

Today, around midday, the Sun was seen with a 22° Halo and adjacent a Circumscribed Halo. Both Halo's have the red color towards the center of the Sun.
The 22° and Circumscribed  Halo's are developed when Sun light enters one side of a hexagonal columnar ice crystal and exits through another side. The light is refractec when it enters the ice crystal and once again when it leaves the ice crystal. The difference between both Halo's is the fact that  22° Halo are formed within random distributed crystals and Circumscribed Halo's when the crystals are merely horizontal oriented.

White = 22° Halo / Blue = Circumscribed Halo

The shape of the Circumscribed Halo also changes depending the height of the Sun at the sky. When the sun is low, the two “arms” of the upper tangent arc form a sharp angle. As the sun gets higher, they get closer and closer to the 22°-halo. At the same time they become longer, joining the lower tangent arc at a sun elevation of 32°. The complete ring now being formed is called the circumscribed halo. It touches the 22°-halo above and below the sun. First the circumscribed halo is of an oval shape. At increasing sun elevations its shape becomes more and more circular and gets closer to the 22°-halo. At a sun elevation of 70° the circumscribed halo almost covers the 22°-halo. 

Halo 22°

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Almost perfect halo around the sun in #averbode #scherpenheuvel

Globular Cluster NGC 5466

In the constellation Bootes we can find the globular cluster NGC5466, which is about 51800 light years away from Earth.
The object is rather faint and on top the seeing was poor (May9 0h46 UT) . As a result more light pollution came into the picture.

Satellite passing NGC5466

Black Eye Galaxy Messier M64

A couple of degrees west from M53, in Coma Berenices, you can observe the spiral galaxy "Black Eye" or Messier M64 (NGC 4826). It's located at a distance of 13,5 million light years from Earth. Visualy, the "eye" can clearly being seen with a 30cm dobson and even the spiral arms are visible.
The picture is taken using Nikon D7500 on TAL200K. Pictures are stacked using Deepskystacker.

Messier M3

Globular Cluster Messier M3 (NGC5227) in Canes Venatici is located at a distance of 32.000 light years from Earth.
Pictures were taken (May 7th, 0h57UT) with Nikon D7500 on TAL200K. In total 10 pictures each 30s and ISO3200 are stacked using Deepskystacker. Final editing with CS4.

Kemble 2 - Mini Cassiopeia

The asterism Kemble 2 or STAR 25 carries the name ‘Mini-Cassiopeia’. Its shape looks just like
the ‘W’ of his bigger brother Cassiopeia. The stars that shape this figure are all of magnitude 7 and 8. Kemble 2 is best seen through large binoculars or small telescopes with a low magnification. You can find Mini-Cassiopeia between υ en χ Draconis in constellation Draco.

Jupiter at opposition

Jupiter is at opposition on May 8 & 9 and is the entire night visible.

Saturn in the morning sky

This morning I made some time to take pictures of Saturn. Conditions however are poor, with bad seeing and the ringed planet only showing up 16° above the south-east horizon. I was not able to observe details neither the Cassini division.
Pictures are taken with ASI224MC camera and stacking was done using AutoStakkert. Editing with CS4.

Napoleon's Hat, Picot 1

In the constellation Bootes, an asterisms named Napoleon's Hat or Picot 1 is visible.
It's a group of 7 stars, south of Arcturus, discovered by Fulbert Picot.

Jupiter and Great Red Spot

Jupiter.almost at opposition. Conditions were very well with good seeing and dark sky. The passing of the GRS (Great Red Spot) at the center was at 23h53UT and the picture was taken one hour later. You see the GRS clearly aswell the other cloudbands.
I used my TAL200K scope with ASI224MC camera. Stacking completed using AutoStakkert and final editing with CS4.

Succesfull ATT number 34

Again a very well organised ATT Astronomy Exhibtion in Essen Germany. A lot of people did visit the exhibition but it never felt overloaded.

Selfie with Helios member Walter in front of Celestron and Baader

 
Big players like Lunt, Bresser, Baader Planetarium, Astromarket, Teleskop-service, Vixen, Atik, Noctutet, ... gave their best to promote the astronomy equipment. But also private people gave their best in selling second hand stuff.

Lunt promoted their solarscopes by installing three H alfa scope for viewing at the sun.

My focus was on color filters, wide field oculars, solarscopes, small guided mounts and of course finding out the things I still don't know :)

During the day, ATT provided different lectures, of one on Solareruption I attended. See summary at this link.

Selfie with Ulrich von Kusserow (Astrophysicist providing lecture on Solareruptions)

Lecture by Ulrich von Kusserow at ATT Essen

I attended a great lecture at the Astronomy Exhibition ATT in Essen (Germany). The lecture was provided by Ulrich von Kusserow, Astrophysicist and specialized in Solarphysics.
The topic was about solareruptions, comets and polarlight.

The first part of the lecture gave a brief but very good overview on the current understanding how the sun works and making links to the influence with comets and polarlight. The second part provided a lot of pictures and movies about all the explained phenomena.

Part of the presentation can be downloaded via this link.

750 Blog Post

This is my 750th blog Post promoting Astronomy, Solargraphy and related Sciences.

ATT Essen

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Beautiful weather and a lot of people at the astronomy exposition ATT in Essen (Germany).

The Cigar Galaxy

Messier M82 or The Cigar Galaxy is a galaxy located at 12 million light-years from Earth. It's located in constellation of the big dipper (Ursa Major). The picture was taken using ASI224MC on my Dobson 12". Stacking is done using Autostakkert and final editing with CS4.

Jupiter May 3 22h UT using ASI224MC

Picture taken with ASI224MC 2775 frames on my Dobson 12 inch. Moderate seeing and Jupiter 25° above south east horizon. Frames stacked using AutoStakkert and edited with CS4.