The Sun in the morning April 6, 2025

The Sun this morning at the moment the Sun was at a height of 20° above the horizon. Transparency was good but seeing was moderate.

Sun in H-Alpha with Sol'Ex

Image of the Sun in H-alpha with Sol'Ex pro and 2nd Gen Slit on TLAPO80/480. Use of Herschel Wedge.

Software: SharpCap, Inti, CS4

CaIIK Line with Solex

Image of the Sun in CaIIK using Sol'Ex pro with 2nd GEN slit and TLAPO80/480 f/6.

 

Sunspot AR4048

Sunspot AR4048 on April 4, 2025.
Image with TAL200K f/8.5, barlow x2 and ASI290MM. Use of ND3.8, OIII and IR/UV cut filter.

Software: SharpCap, AstroSurface and CS4

Fram2 - First polar-orbit human spaceflight

Fram2 will be the first polar-orbit human spaceflight mission to explore Earth. It will launch into a 90° circular orbit to the south from Florida, making it the first human spaceflight to fly over Earth’s polar regions from low-Earth orbit.

The North and South Poles are invisible to astronauts on the International Space Station, as well as to all previous human spaceflight missions, except for the Apollo lunar missions but only from far away. To date, the highest inclination achieved by human spaceflight has been the Soviet Vostok 6 mission, at 65°. This new flight trajectory will unlock new possibilities for human spaceflight.

On April 3, UT20h33 I could make images of Fram2 using my Nikon D7500 camera. The spaceship was visible "near" the moon.

Moon and Pleiades

 

Moon and Pleiades.
Set up: TLAPO80/489 f/6 on EQ8 and Nikon D7500

Bracketing and HDR using CS4

Partial Solar Eclipse March 29, 2025