Latest Event Updates
Mars Compilation
Mars will be closest to us in the next few weeks, but it will be quite low in the sky. Mars is closest to Earth about every two years. A few years ago we had a particularly close encounter with Mars and high up in the sky. I was able to take some great photos as it gradually got closer.
Took these photos with my Skywatcher 130m scope with a Philips Toucam Pro II webcam attached. Stacked and processed with Registax 3.
I am going to try to capture some images of Mars again in April, but I doubt that they will be better than these.
International Space Station
Tonight I was looking at some older images that I took of the ISS from my back garden back in 2009 when I came across some close up images that I didn’t think were good enough at the time. When I saw them and enlarged the images I was quite amazed, so I made an array of the images.
They were taken in September 2009 with my Skywatcher 80ED Pro and Canon EOS350D camera. I must have held the scope and camera on my shoulder to capture these images.
I have tried many times to capture close up images of the ISS, but these are by far the best ones!
On ITV4 there is a series of programmes running called ‘Space Live’, last night was a live programme from the ISS with astronauts talking about life in space. Tonight was live from the ISS control centre in Houston talking with previoes astronauts and what happens when there are problems on the ISS. Really interesting programmes.
Jupiter Moon Transit
Moon Mosaic 7th March
I am very pleased with this mosaic. This was taken with my Skywatcher 130m and Philips Toucam Pro II webcam. When I captured the AVI’s the atmosphere seemed very unstable and the image was constantly moving in and out of focus. In fact, I found it quite difficult to achieve focus while watching it on the laptop. After processing in Registax the images looked quite good. I then assembled the mosaic with iMerge.
Tonight I downloaded an amazing Moon Globe app for my ipad. I was able to compare my photo with the ipad by adjusting the time setting. An excellent app! https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/moon-globe/id333180321?mt=8
Jupiter 3rd March
A beautiful clear evening with Jupiter almost at azimuth. I took a series of avi’s on my Philips Toucam Pro II and Skywatcher 80ED Pro. These are taken with the 2x Barlow lens. I did take some with my 3x Barlow lens as well, but these are clearer after processing.
On the images you can see the ‘Great Red Spot’ on the left. An enormous storm that has raged for many years. I am really pleased to capture the Great Red Spot at last!
Aurora in Bolton
Last night was amazing! Following a Solar Storm a few days ago the Earth was bombarded with particles from the Sun to produce the most incredible Aurora in England for many years. Although I tried hard, I couldn’t see the Aurora from my house even though photos from North Wales, Wigan and Leeds were coming in in Twitter. We have a lot of light pollution to the North which doesn’t help. I set up my camera and pointed it North in my back garden, the sky was clear with lots of stars visible. I then took some images at around 20 sec exposures and hoped for the best!
Moon and Venus
Had to get up very early today for this one, 6.30am to see the cresent Moon and Venus lying low in the South East with a clear sky and twilight. A beautiful sight.
I took this image with my Canon EOS350D and 300mm zoom lens sat on a small tripod on the window ledge.
Super Moon
Apparently, January 2014 had a ‘Black Moon’ followed by a ‘Super Moon’ … sounds a little complicated, but certainly worth looking at.
To capture this image I decided to use my Skywatcher 130m Newtonian scope. I have not used it for a while, so I spent some time assembling it again and checking that everything was alright. Then I used the Philips Toucam Pro II webcam and SharpCap to take about 30 avi images of the almost full moon. After stacking the AVI’s in Registax I then proceeded to make up the jigsaw puzzle of producing a mozaic with the images using iMerge.
It is fun to do!
Cresent Moon
Taken with my Skywatcher 80ED Pro and Philips Toucam Pro II webcam. Moon mosaic of five images with iMerge.
This photo was taken between the rain storms of a beautiful cresent moon on 2/2/14. The UK is experiencing a battering of storms which have been constantly feeding in from the Atlantic. There has been flooding in some areas since before Christmas and no end in sight!
Needless to say that there are not many clear nights. This month has a ‘Super Moon’ so it should be interesting to see if the Moon is brighter or bigger this month.
Jupiter 2014
Here is a combination of images of Jupiter on 23rd January 2013.
Not many clear skies here at the moment lots of rain and clouds. These taken with my Skywatcher 80 RD Pro and Philips Toucan Pro II webcam.
G4AQB ASTRO-IMAGING 