Moon-Venus Conjunction

My first observation of 2025 with a nice Moon-Venus conjuction.

Setting :

Nikon D7500 with 18-200mm lens set on 90mm

Bracketing and HDR combining using CS4. Final editing with DeNoise AI.

Happy New Year 2025

Happy Astronomical New Year 2025 with many many clear skies.

 

Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks in Big Bend (Texas)

My Helios colleague Lieven asked my why comet 12P/Pons-Brooks wasn't selected in my 2024 Highlights. My answer was that I don't have good pictures of the Comet. But then I realised that I tried to image the Comet when I was in Big Bend (Texas) a couple of days after the Solar Eclipse of April 8th, 2024. With the support from Stellarium I good trace the Comet on my images, including Uranus.

Reworked Milky Way Big Bend

I reworked my images of the Milky Way taken in National Park and Dark Park "Big Bend" in Texas (US). This is a real Bortle 1 location. 

Setting: Nikon D7500 on Sky Adventurer 2i

Lights : 44x60s

Editing: APP Stacking and Mosaic on Stars; APP Stacking and Mosaic no Stars, Light Pollution filter, Combining using CS4

Installation of new 7micron slit in Sol'Ex

I installed a new slit (second generation) in my Sol'Ex Pro version. This slit has two positions, 7 and 10micron.The 7 micron position was used. The slit support was 3D printed by a Johan (Helios colleague) and all fit well. Some advantages using the new 7 micron slit results in increasing

• the resolving power R of the SOl'Ex from 36.000 to 46.000, an increase of 27%  (using ZWO678MM camera)
• the spectral resolution from 0,18 to 0,14 angstrom for H-alpha; an increase of 22%

The "height" of the slit is now 6mm (before 4,5mm) which makes it possible to image the Sundisk using both my TLAPO80/480 f/6 with ZWO678MM camera.

All information of the second generation slit can be found in the following document from Christian Buil (https://buil.astrosurf.com/starex/slit_solex_gen2.pdf)

See specifications of the 7 micron slit: https://www.shelyak.com/produit/fente-solex-sunscan-2-positions/

 

Chart of Nuclides

I used to have a chart of Nuclides but can't find it any more :(
On line some interesting links to nuclides websites:

https://www-nds.iaea.org/relnsd/vcharthtml/VChartHTML.html

https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/nudat3/

To buy a chart of nuclides, choose the one from Karlsruhe Nuclide Chart via https://nuklid.shop/

At the Tabloo Expoo a Nuclide chart was build in "glass" cubes with additional LED lights.  The X-Y axes are number of Protons and Neutrons, the vertical axe is Energy. The lower, the cubes, the more stable the isotope is. The lowest of all is iron - Fe.

Visiting Tabloo Dessel

Together with Helios Astronomy Club I visited Tabloo Expoo in Dessel (B). Tabloo is the brand-new visitor and meeting centre in Dessel about radioactivity, the management of radioactive waste and research into nuclear applications.