My Sol'Ex picture of the Sun on the Cover of Magazine "Heelal"

 

WOW! My Sol'Ex picture of the Sun of July 15 is published in magazine "Heelal". How cool is this getting this acknowledgement.

See also this link https://pascalhilkensastropage.blogspot.com/2026/07/sun-july-15-different-wavelengts.html

Progress Baily's Bead during total solar eclipse

The progression of Baily's beads during the total solar eclipse, beautifully transitioning into the chromosphere.

First image before C2 and second image after C3 contact.

Adapt a Pixel Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope

 

Claim your pixel on one of the first images from NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope! When Roman captures its first images, each pixel will represent a piece of the cosmos never seen before at this resolution. Claim your pixel and be part of this historic moment!

So I did and my unique number is 32307. When posting this message, 286500 pixels are claimed. 

La Palma Telescopes

Last summer I visited the Canary Island, La Palma and nicknamed La Isla Bonita (after the song from Madonna). 

We spend an afternoon around all the telescopes... very impressive and with the clouds below, it was a fantastic view.

Some telescopes: 

- William Herschel

- Isaac Newton

- Gran Telescopia Canaries

- Mercator telescope

- MAGIC & Cherenkov

- DOT or Dutch Open Telescope

- and of course Swedisch 1m Telescope

All of them are located at La Roque de los Muchachos at 2400m above sealevel. 

Launch of Roman Space Telescope

Great launch of Falcon Heavy Rocket with Roman Space Telescope. Let's see what future will bring scientifcally:

- Search for exoplanets

- Understanding the fabric of the cosmos

- Supernova

- Black holes

As a virtual guest of the launch, I received aswell my stamp.

Drone Video of Total Solar Eclipse August 12 2026

I used my DJI Neo2 to capture the total solar Eclipse of August 12, 2026.
I send out the drone 5 minutes before totality and got 'm back 5 minutes after totality. The drone was 24m above the horizon. Watch the sunset and sunrise aswell as planet Venus.

Total Sol Eclipse Augustus 2026 - Carrion de los Condes. Compilation

I'm a week back from Spain and almost daily editing my images. Below are the results which are a compilation of the eclipse.

Milky Way @ La Roque de los Muchachos - La Palma

After a hefty trip towards the highest point of La Palma, La Roque de los Muchachos (2400), I could set up my equipment to capture the Milky Way. Afger a awasome sunset, I put out my tripod with Star Adventurer 2' with Nikon D7500 and 10mm lens.

We were not alone: some Germans and Hongarian astropeople.

About 45 minutes after sunset, I was able to see the milky way. One half hour later, .... what a view of the milky way. Only 50s and ISO3200 was enough to capture this beauty.

Total Solar Eclipse August 12, 2026

Together with Kathleen we stayed in Carrion de los Condes. We found a nice location about 2km from the center. The location had uptill 1° above the horizon a full view. Beside the great view, also no worries about parking the car as we went walking. 

The day before, the location was visited and my equipment was installed and tested without any issues. 

When we arrived on the day of the eclipse, the field behind our location was under water... but no risk for flooding. Most important, we had a blue sky. After installation of the equipment and C1 contact, a german family joined us.

5 minutes before totality, my drone was send into the sky at 24m. The video was turned on and it was pulled back only minutes after totality.

Totality was only 1m43s, so really short and no time to set the camera for bracketing. Pictures were taken with different exposure settings but due to this some pictures showed movement. The view was great with first left and then right a nice red sky.

After totality I kept taking pictures but more over we talked with the germans about the experience. 

Editing of totality was not easy and probably some rework will be done in a later phase. 

Setting:

Nikon D7500 on TLAPO 80/480 f/6 

IR/UV cut filter

Software: AstroSurface, CS4.

La Palma

Visiting La Palma in Roque de los Muchachos at 2400m height. The clouds below us and clear sky. Great place to see the big telescopes and of course observing the night sky. The area is protected against light pollution and is a bortle 1 location. I will post later my images of the milky way… so cool.

Verstuurd vanaf mijn iPhone 16

1 day to go for 2026 Total Solar Eclipsz

> Preparing for tomorrow’s total solar eclipse. I’m staying in Carrion de los Condes and found a nice place at 2km from the center. So no need for my rentelcar and potential traffic or parking issues. The new sunspot at the eastern limb is perfect for adjusting the equipment. Now we need to wait the weather! >

> > >

> > >

> > Verstuurd vanaf mijn iPhone 16

Magnesium MgIB2 Bright Points: to be or not to be

 

In July I took a couple of images using my Solex in the spectrum line of MgIB2. When looking more in detail it seems that around sun spots there are bright spots. Nog sure what they area and using AI doesn't give a comprehensive answer. So I need to follow up but not sure who to contact. 

1 Year to go : Total Solar Eclipse Aug 2, 2027

 

I know.... the next total solar eclipse is within 10 days; but still, I'm planning for the next one on August 2nd, 2027.

Halo and Circumzenithal Arc

This evening at sunset, the sun with a halo, both Sun dogs and a faint circumzenithal arc. I used my Iphone 16 to capture the Sun.

Local Heat Wave number 4 this year

 

The next heat wave did start last week; So far, this is the fourth heat wave this year.

My picture of Noctilucent Clouds published in Heelal

 

My picture of noctilucent clouds is published in national magazine of astronomy "Heelal"

Supernova SN2026sqf in NGC3310

A type II supernova (a core collapse supernova) named SN2026sqf located in NGC3310 (UMa) was imaged using my TAL200K f/8.5. NGC3310 is about 50million ly away.

Setting: TAL200K f/8.5 with ASI2600MC

Filter: Optolong L-Pro

Total Integration time : 10*300s or 50minutes

Use of bias, darks and flats (for the first time using my flatscreen at night and thus have all data right after my imaging session).

Software : SharpCap, ASIAIR, APP, DeNoise AI, ASTAP, CS4.

Sun in H-beta

 

Sun on July 25th imaged in H-beta using my Sol'Ex by James R.

Sun with Nikon D7500

Still a couple of weeks to go for the total solar eclipse in Spain. Thus... need to exercise with my Nikon D7500.

Calcium lines contrast enhanced using AstroSurface

I reworked a couple of my CaIIH/K images with the objective to increase the contrast. I was able to do this using AstroSurf. 

Workproces

- Inti processing of CaII Ser files

- DeNoise AI to remove noise 

- Astrosurface : wavelets, mostly high frequency and Local contrast enhancement

- CS4 : unsharpen mask, noise reduction (what's left) and false coloring and adjusting brighness.

These are the results; I may conclude that difference between first two (July 25) and third picture (July 4th) is due to active versus quiet Sun. 

Sun on July 25 - HeID3 using FeI

 

Imaging the Sun on July 25the in good conditions. Seeing about 1arcs average, measured using SSM3. Tilt is back in basic condition and below 0,2°.

HeID3 imaged was processed with Inti and started from the FeI line instead of NaID2 line. By doing this a smaller ROI could be used. Scanspeed remained at 16x resulting in a sx/sy of 1,8. To improve I will reduce the speed next time. The HeID line is about -142 pixels away from the FeI line, compared with the NaD2 line which was about -250 pixels. Winning more then 100pixels on data. 

The solar tornado is visible in all lines except MgIB2.

MgIB2 shows finer and sharper details in the active sun which are more blurred in H-alpha, HeID3 and both calcium ion lines. 

Calcium images are processed using Inti and edited with DeNoise AI and AstroSurface: wavelets, local contrast. This way it brings more structure, typically supergranulation. 

Solar Tornado

During my morning imaging session with my Sol'Ex spectroheliograph, I captured a striking "solar tornado" anchored along the western solar limb. Driven by complex magnetic flux ropes suspending plasma in the corona, these colossal structures only mimic terrestrial whirlwinds in visual projection. This observation highlights the remarkable ability of modern amateur spectroheliography to capture dynamic solar physics in real time.

Setting: Sol'Ex by James R on TLAPO80/480 and ASI678MM

Herschel Wedge, 2nd Gen Slit and IR Cut filter

Software: SharpCap, Inti, DeNoise AI and CS4

Tilt <0,2°; Sx/Sy=1

Seeing avg 1 arcs measured using SSM3

Sun July 21 with Sol'Ex

National holliday in Belgium with some Sun at midday. I took time to adjust for HeD3 line in view of the coronal hole. Next, images were taken in CaIIH and CaIIK with good result. In all images the flare in AR4493 is visible... really cool.

Setting: Sol'Ex by James R on TLAPO80 and ASI678MM.
Tilt: not so good due to manipulation. May be I need to glue the connections together

Sx/Sy = 1

Software : SharpCap, Inti, DeNoise AI and CS4.