MAI SSTV Experiment on Feb 7 & 8

The Moscow Aviation Institute (MAI) is organizing a SSTV experiment on February 7 and 8. According information the SSTV images are sent with about 3 minute gaps between transmissions.

Feb. 7 - Start about 08:35 UT, stopping about 15:05 UT.
Feb. 8 - Start about 10:40 UT, stopping about 14:30 UT

See also previous experiment by MAI via this link.

Sunspot AR2936

The largest sunspot (AR2936) so far of this new solar cycle #25. Picture taken with ASI224MC and TAL200K f/8.5 with solarfilter ND5.0. Stacking using AutoStakkert! and final editing with CS4.

NGC 3718, NGC 3729 and Hickson #56

As part of Herschel 400 I made pictures of NGC3718 and it's compagnon NGC3729. NGC3718 (also known as Arp 214) is located in constellation Ursa Major and is about 52 million ly away from Earth. NGC 3729 is interacting with NGC 3718 on a distance of about 150.000 ly.

Next to NGC3718 a group of galaxies is visible. This is Hickson Compact Group (HCG) number 56 counting 5 galaxies. The Hickson Compact Group was published in 1982 by Paul Hickson. A well knows HCG is number 92 known as Stephan's Quintet.  See observation via this link. 

Setting:

TAL200K f/8.5 with ASI2600MC, lights 5x90s, darks, bias, flats and darkflats, no PHD2 guiding. N.I.N.A. was used to support the proces, stacking using APP and final editing with CS4 and DeNoise AI.

Timelapse Orion

On the evening of Jan 24th I made a timelapse using my Nikon D7500. I centered on constellation Orion for 2hours.

See this link for the Timelapse Video.

Year End ARISS SSTV ISS Expedition 66 Event - Certificates

Between december 26 and december 31st I was able to receive 8 out of 12 SSTV images from the ISS. Unfortunately, many of them had poor quality. I was using the WebSDR from Nurnberg. Nürnberg - Empfang aus 70m Höhe | WebSDR N (nbgsdr.ddns.net)

I submitted 11 requests for certificates... with 100% success!

This is a link to my blog with usefull links for requesting SSTV Certificates.

Double rainbow

This afternoon the sky was colored with a very bright double rainbow. The dark Alexander's band inside the two bows is clearly visible. Inside the primary rainbow it also the see green and purple supernumerary bows. 

Happy New Astronomical Year 2022