Halo's: Sun and Moon

Yesterday some halo's around the Sun and later around the Moon.

Carlo Rovelli and the Quantum Cosmos

Reimagining Space, Time, and Reality: Carlo Rovelli and the Quantum Cosmos

Italian theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli (1956) is one of the most compelling voices in modern physics, bridging general relativity and quantum mechanics through Loop Quantum Gravity (LQG). He introduces a fundamental shift in our understanding of nature: space is not a continuous, empty backdrop, but a granular network composed of discrete "atoms of space" at the Planck scale.

At this fundamental quantum level, physical time as a universal, flowing stream completely disappears. Instead, time emerges merely from thermal entropy and relational interactions between systems, challenging our deepest intuitions about cause and temporal progression in astrophysics.

His work on astrophysics and black hole thermodynamics explores the ultimate fate of collapsing stars. Rather than ending in infinite gravitational singularities where physics breaks down, quantum pressure causes black holes to reach a minimum threshold and rebound into short-lived, emitting "white holes"—a theoretical phenomenon offering key insights into early universe dynamics.

Finally, Rovelli unifies his mathematical physics with a profound philosophical framework. He argues that all cosmic phenomena—from subatomic particles to human thought and distant galaxies—exist on an equal, relational plane. Reality is not a static hierarchy of distinct objects, but an interconnected web of physical interactions shaping our quantum universe.

My Carlo Rovelli collection .... so far :)

Unbounded Universe: An Unforgettable Evening with Govert Schilling on the James Webb Space Telescope.

The James Webb Space Telescope is undeniably astronomy's newest darling. Launched in late 2021 as the successor to the iconic Hubble Space Telescope, this ultra-sensitive space observatory has been churning out fascinating results and spectacular deep-space photos almost continuously.

I recently had the pleasure of attending a lecture in Maastricht about this marvel of engineering, presented by renowned science journalist Govert Schilling. Titled Unbounded Universe: A Journey Through the Cosmos with the James Webb Space Telescope, the presentation took us through the rich history, complex construction, and ingenious design of JWST. Govert showcased a stunning array of impressive images, offering a breathtaking introduction to the mysterious cosmos we all call home.

I was joined by my Helios colleague Walter for the evening. The atmosphere was buzzing because the auditorium was completely packed to capacity, and there was even a waiting list to get in. It is always inspiring to see such a massive turnout of people eager to learn about the wonders of our universe.

At the end of the lecture, I managed to catch up with Govert and take a quick selfie to add to my collection from previous talks, keeping the tradition alive.

It was a fantastic evening filled with awe-inspiring science, incredible visual art from the depths of space, and great camaraderie. A huge thank you to Govert Schilling for another wonderful presentation! 

Sun September 10 with Solex CaIIH, CaIIK, H-alfa, MgB2, FeI, HeID3, H-beta and H-epsilon

 

CaIIH, CaIIK with blue wings

 CaIIH and CaIIK and blue wings. 

Eruption in AR4521 imaged with Sol'Ex

 

Doppler effect Sol'Ex Sun September 10

 

I made a movie using h-alpha images from September 10th, 2026.

The movie shows the sequence from the photosphere to chromosphere and back with a range of 1 angstrom. The pop up of the filament in the photosphere is due to doppler effect and the filament has a speed of 46km/s.

  

Sun September 10, 2026 - Sol'Ex

No clouds in the morning; later on clouds started to populate the sky. Still issues with Sol'Ex, mainly with the connection with Herschel Wedge and Sol'Ex. After my session was completed, I glued to connection together. 

Total Solar Eclipse August 12, 2026

My pictures of the Solar Eclipse of August 12, 2026 are reworked. I used 3 bracketing images to create a HDR image. Wavelets and HDR done using AstroSurface. CS4 next to stack and final editing.

Solvay Public Lectures - Kip Thorne - Gravitational Waves

 

Two Nobel Laureates will be talking about gravitational waves @Flagey: Kip Thorne and David Gross.

This will be on Sunday October 25th (15h). 

See more using this link Solvayinstitutes.be

Sol'Ex H-alpha, H-beta and HeID3

 

After more then a month, I took the time to capture the Sun using my Sol'Ex.

Seeing was moderate but with some clouds coming over.

The main challenge was the setting of the scope after usage during the total solar Eclipse.

Setting

Sol'Ex on TLAPO80/480 and ASI678MM

Herschel wedge and IR Cut filter

Sx/Sy = 1 and Tilt between 0,5 and 1° (need some more time to adjust)

Software: SharpCap, Inti, AstroSurface, CS4

Sunset images at our Belgian Coast

Some sunset images made at our Belgian Coast.

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! >

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> > Verstuurd vanaf mijn iPhone 16