Sunspot AR3559

Sunspot AR3559 with TAL200K f/8.5 and ASI290MM.

Image setting: ND3.8, OIII filter, IR/UV blocking filter

Image setting: ND3.8, Triple stacked Ca K baader 8nmfilter

Stacking: AS4! and editing using IMPPG, CS4, DeNoise AI

Combining both images together

Triple Stack of Baader Ca K Line filter on AR3559

I have two Ca K filters from Baader, both double stacked 8nm. Each double stacked filter has two filters in side the holder. As one of the filters was damaged, I opened it and removed the damaged one. The result is that I now have a single stacked and a double stacked Ca K filter have. We putting them together, I guess I made a triple stacked Ca K filter. The double stacked one is tilted. The filters were placed in the optical train as follow :  

ND3.8 solar film, Telescoop, double stacked Ca K, single stacked CaK, Camera ASI290MM.

In both cases, sunspot AR3559 was imaged using TAL200K f/8.5 with ASI290MM. The conditions were not good with some high clouds. 

As a conclusion at this time: no real difference between triple and double stacking; I would even say double stacking is better; but be aware condition were not favourable.

Setting : TAL200K f/8.5 with ASI290MM

Filters : ND3.8, Ca K 8nm Double and Single stacked filter

Software : SharpCap, AS4!, CS4, IMPPG, DeNoise AI

SSD Samsung.

ESA LISA gets Go-Ahead

 

LISA or Laser Interferometer Space Antenna mission, the first scientific endeavour to detect and study gravitational waves from space is approved by ESA's Science Programme Committee. The mission is planned for 2035.

Read more via this link 

Flanders invests 21 million in Einstein Telescope

Good news... Flanders invests 21 million in the Einstein Telescope. The euroregion at the border between Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands will be "a place in the Champions League of the European economy" said our Minister Jo Brouns. 

See also this link : Einsteintelescope.nl 

Selfie with Prof. Nick Van Remortel @ VVS Seminary (Oct 2023)

Moon Halo

 

An 360° halo around the moon. Picture taken with Nikon D7500 10mm f/3.5.

Sun in H-Alpha

 

It was a sunny day with high clouds and around 0°C. I was not able to make some flats and therefor it's not a great picture but still ... a couple of huge prominences and filaments.

Setting: SolarMaxIII 70/400 f/5.7 DS BF15 and 0,5x reducer with ASI290MM
Exposure : 1000 frames @ 81,86fps or 5.08ms using SSD, binning 1x1

Software : SharpCap 4.1, AstroSurface V1, CS4

Horsehead and Flame Nebula : H-Alpha and L-Pro Filter

My session of the Horsehead and Flame Nebula earlier this week (see this link) was stacked with my session in H-alpha done in March 2022 (see this link).

The result is a stacked image of 3h10m and clearly more details can be seen. 

Setting: TLAPO80/480 f/6 with ASI2600MC
Guiding : ASI290MM on Guiding scope ZWO Miniscope 30f/4
Filter : Optolong L-Pro; Lights : 24x300s; Flats (10x0,35s), Darks(5), Bias (5), DarkFlats (10)
Filter : H-Alpha; Lights 2x600s, 10x300s

Software : SharpCap 4.1 (Poolallignment), Stellarium, N.I.N.A., APP, CS4, Denoise AI

Horsehead and Flame Nebula

Picture taken on wednesday January 10, 2024 of both Flame (NGC2024) and Horsehead Nebulae (IC434) in constellation Orion. Conditions were good with temperatures between -4.5°C en -6.5°C. This was my first DSO session since June last year. It was also my first DSO session using the Optolong L-Pro filter. It took me more then a hour from installing the mount to taken my first photo. This is beyond the fact that the day before the entire set up was tested inside (dry run). 

Setting: TLAPO80/480 f/6 with ASI2600MC

Guiding : ASI290MM on Guiding scope ZWO Miniscope 30f/4 

Filter : Optolong L-Pro

Lights : 24x300s; Flats (10x0,35s), Darks(5), Bias (5), DarkFlats (10)

Software : SharpCap 4.1 (Poolallignment), Stellarium, N.I.N.A., APP, CS4, Denoise AI

Sol'Ex Lecture @ Astrophotography Day

Walter, Johan and Myself (all Helios members) will be talking about their experience with the Sol'Ex. This is planned for January 27th during the annual Astrophotography day.

Venus and Mercury

This morning I could take some picture of Venus and Mercury. The picture was taken in Aarschot at the Demer river. The temperature was about -7.5°C

Venus and Mercury

Venus and Mercury before sunrise and by a freezing temperature of -6,5°C.

Aditya L1: India's first Mission to the Sun arrived at L1

 

India's first Solar Mission Aditya-L1 succesfully entered into Lagrangian Point L1.At this point the solar explorer will orbit the sun about 177days.

The Aditya-L1 mission was launched in September and is carrying an array of instruments to measure and observe the sun's chromosphere and corona.

For more information see this link : https://www.isro.gov.in/Aditya_L1-MissionDetails.html

Happy New Year 2024

Happy Astronomical New Year 2024