Less then a month to go

On december 21 it's again time to set up for your next solargraph. So you have 4 weeks to prepare making your own pinhole camera. DIY Instruction are available via my blog link here.

I will be preparing my next ones as well ... :) and it's not about the beer... it's about the 50cl cans.

On december 21, I will remove my installed pinhole camera's which are out since June 21. It will be my first results of the period June-December. All my previous Solargraph are made in the period Dec-June.  I'm curious about the result and what would be the difference between the periods.

Pinhole Camera Installed Since June - Size of the can 71Cl

Pinhole Camere installad since June - Size 50Cl

Solar Physics Basics - Lectures by SIDC

The Royal Observatory of Belgium has put a series of lectures on the Basics of Solar Physics on Youtube. See this link to the three lectures.
The lectures are made by physicists of SIDC (Solar Influences Data Analysis Center) and covering the phenomenological description of the interior of the Sun and the photosphere. Three lectures covering those basics are available. Have fun.

Space Weather

Source ESA

Space Weather refers to the environmental conditions in space influenced by solar activity.
What kind of  solar activity exist? The best known are coronal mass ejections (CME), flare radiation, energetic protons and energetic radiation belt particles (escaping from earth magnetic field). Beside solar activity we have also cosmic activity, known as cosmic rays.
What's the effect of Space Weather? As seen in the picture above, it seems all kind of "radiation" has potential impact on our day to day life. Impact on electronics, navigation, power distribution, pipe line corrosion, radio communication, but also increased radiation dose during flights with airplanes and  in space. Did you know that flying on an altitude of 10km results in a dose of 10 micro Sievert per hour. Average exposure is about 2 à 2,5 milli Sv/Year or 5 micro Sv/hour, so flying doubles the exposure.

For a live view on space weather see following websites:

* ESA Space Situational Awareness
* SIDC - Solar Influences Data Analysis Center

Timelapse in 8K by Marsel van Oosten

Great Timelapse video made by the Dutch Nature Photographer Marsel van Oosten. The video is shot with the new Nikon D850 using 8K capability.

Some more pictures Cynus connecting to ISS

Cygnus connected to ISS

Spacecaft Cygnus connected to ISS via Canadarm robotic arm.

Cygnus Spacecraft 250m from ISS

View from ISS on Cygnus

Watch Live on NASA TV connection of Spacecraft Cygnus with ISS. At this stage Cygnus is at the holding point of 250m away from ISS (250 miles above earth) and entering orbital night sky. Pictures below from the live view.

View on Cygnus 500m from ISS

View on Cygnus 300m from ISS above Melbourne Australia

View on Cygnus at holding point 250m and entering orbital night sky