View allAll Photos Tagged SOLARSYSTEM
Aberkenfig, South Wales
Lat +51.542 Long -3.593
Skywatcher 254mm Newtonian, Tal 2x Barlow, ZWO ASI 120MC.
Processed with Registax 6 & G.I.M.P.
I decided to try a new approach to photographing the sun in hydrogen alpha, and in the process, I decided to revamp my processing methods.
There was very little in the way of activity on the sun today, in fact just a couple small prominences and a filament.
This artist's concept puts solar system distances in perspective. The scale bar is in astronomical units, with each set distance beyond 1 AU representing 10 times the previous distance. One AU is the distance from the sun to the Earth, which is about 93 million miles or 150 million kilometers. Neptune, the most distant planet from the sun, is about 30 AU.
Informally, the term "solar system" is often used to mean the space out to the last planet. Scientific consensus, however, says the solar system goes out to the Oort Cloud, the source of the comets that swing by our sun on long time scales. Beyond the outer edge of the Oort Cloud, the gravity of other stars begins to dominate that of the sun.
The inner edge of the main part of the Oort Cloud could be as close as 1,000 AU from our sun. The outer edge is estimated to be around 100,000 AU.
NASA's Voyager 1, humankind's most distant spacecraft, is around 125 AU. Scientists believe it entered interstellar space, or the space between stars, on Aug. 25, 2012. Much of interstellar space is actually inside our solar system. It will take about 300 years for Voyager 1 to reach the inner edge of the Oort Cloud and possibly about 30,000 years to fly beyond it.
Alpha Centauri is currently the closest star to our solar system. But, in 40,000 years, Voyager 1 will be closer to the star AC +79 3888 than to our own sun. AC +79 3888 is actually traveling faster toward Voyager 1 than the spacecraft is traveling toward it.
The Voyager spacecraft were built and continue to be operated by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, in Pasadena, Calif. Caltech manages JPL for NASA. The Voyager missions are a part of NASA's Heliophysics System Observatory, sponsored by the Heliophysics Division of the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
For more information about Voyager, visit: www.nasa.gov/voyager and voyager.jpl.nasa.gov .
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission.
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Aberkenfig, South Wales
Lat +51·542 Long -3·593
Skywatcher 254mm Newtonian Reflector, Tal 2x Barlow Lens, ZWO ASI 120MC
Captured in daylight using Firecapture.
Target located using setting circles.
FPS (avg.)=61
Shutter=1.101ms
Gain=14 (14%)
Processed with Registax 6 & G.I.M.P.
A hot sunny afternoon with some breeze and the telescope tube wrapped with kitchen foil to alleviate thermal gain. A challenge to get the subject to an acceptable focus and difficult seeing conditions during capture. I had to shroud myself and the laptop with a large towel to view the screen.
Out of 8000 frames captured, about 1600 used for processing. Final image enlarged to 150%.
ZWO ASI290MM/EFW 8 x 1.25"
Meade LX850 (12" f/8)/2.5x PowerMate
Losmandy G11
5 RGB runs/330 frames per filter in Firecapture
Preprocessed in PIPP
Best 40% stacked in Autostakkert
Wavelet sharpened in Registax
Finished in Photoshop
Jupiter, with Io (Bottom) and Callisto (Top). Taken using a QHY IMG132E, attached to a Altair Wave 115 ED Triplet Refractor with a Tele Vue 2 x Powermate to increase magnification. It is the result of 400 images, stacked using AutoStakkert 2 and processed using RegiStax 6.
This image was captured with an 80% histogram, which has been my usual practice lately. At this exposure level, a portion of the left-most edge of the North Polar Hood (NPH) has been getting clipped in my latest images. I took this image for comparison to image that follows this one, which was captured with a 60% histogram.
The image with the 60% histogram was able to endure more sharpening with less clipping. It is also interesting to compare how the details south of the NPH differ. I am not certain which image I like best.
ZWO ASI290MM/EFW 8 x 1.25" (RGB)
Tele Vue 2.5x PowerMate
Meade LX850 (12" f/8)
Losmandy G11
46.4K frames captured in FireCapture
Preprocessed in PIPP
Best 2000 frames stacked in Registax
Wavlet Sharpened in Registax
Noise reduction in Topaz DeNoise AI
Finished in Photoshop
Venus imaged through an IR pass filter 21st May 2015
8" f/10 SCT, ASI120MM camera
Processed in AS!2, Registax6 and PS CS6
ZWO ASI290MM/EFW 8 x 1.25" (RGB)
Meade LX850 (12" f/8)/2.5x PowerMate
Losmandy G11
7 RGB runs (60s and 21,000 frames per filter) in FireCapture
Preprocessing in PIPP
Best 40% of frames stacked in Autostakkert
Wavelet sharpening in Registax
Finnishing in Photoshop
Fighting twilight on the morning of July 11, but it might put on a good show in evenings after July 14th.
The comet is named for a NASA spacecraft that discovered it, the Near Earth Objects Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (NEOWISE). The spacecraft examines the infrared signatures of near-earth objects. It's a follow-on of an earlier mission, WISE.
114 Km in diameter, Moretus crater is a sight to behold.
Along with the dramatic lunar edge its one of my favorite area to shoot when the moon is at 86.5% Illumination.
Telescope: Askar 185
x3 Barlow lense
ZWO ASI178MM
This is my first attempt at a Hydrogen Alpha image of the sun, showing Active Region (AR) 2674 and 2679 (both to the left) and AR 2677 and 2678 (to the right). The image was taken using a QHY5-290C camera attached to a Lunt 50 THA solar scope. It is the result of 400 frames, stacked in Autostakkert 3 and processed using Registax6.
I hung those planets and stars up in the roof at home, to avoid too much extra work in front of the computer. But I still find it hard to create a finished photograph straight in the camera. Of course, if I had different ideas or another style, that wouldn´t be a problem, but there are so many things that pops into my head that demands those extra things that can´t be done in reality!
I just wrote a blog post about the year of 2012. Go here to read it, and note that I recently changed my blog address.
Stacked frames using Lynkeos based on video taken with an iPhone 12 on a 5” reflector with a 2x Barlow and a 10mm eyepiece.
ZWO ASI290MM/EFW 8 x 1.25" (RGB)
Meade LX850 (12" f/8)/2.5x PowerMate
Losmandy G11
4 RGB runs (60s and 21,000 frames per filter) in FireCapture
Preprocessing in PIPP
Best 40% of frames stacked in Autostakkert
Wavelet sharpening in Registax
Finnishing in Photoshop
Aberkenfig, South Wales
Lat +51·542 Long -3·593
Skywatcher 254mm Newtonian Reflector, Tal 2x Barlow Lens, ZWO ASI 120MC Imager.
Captured using Firecapture in daylight.
FPS (avg.)=53
Shutter=0.314ms
Gain=38 (38%)
Apparent diameter at time of capture 23.01"
Phase 52%
Magnitude -4.46
Processed with Registax 6 & G.I.M.P.
Seeing Conditions: Reasonably good.
Out of 7000 frames captured, about 2200 used for processing. Final image enlarged to 150%
A 135mm framing of comet 2022 E3 ZTF. The last time this comet approached earth, it was the Ice Age. A wonderful break in the clouds allowed a few minutes of exposures on this gem.
135mm
ISO 1600 F/2.0, 8 seconds
Canon Rebel T3i
January 21, 2022. Comet was about 10 degrees above the horizon to the north-northeast early in the night
ZWO ASI178MC
Meade LX850 (12" f/8)
Losmandy G11
2000 frames captured in Firecapture
Best 60% stacked in Autostakkert
Wavelet sharpened in Registax
Finished in Photoshop
ZWO ASI290MM/EFW 8 x 1.25"
TeleVue NP101is/2.5x PowerMate
Losmandy G11
10 RGB runs captured in Firecapture (30s and 2900 frames/filter)
Best 60% stacked in Autostakkert
Wavlet sharpened in Registax
De-rotated in WINJUPOS
Finished in Photoshotp
This image was captured with a 60% histogram. The image immediatly preceeding this one was captured with an 80% histogram, which is my usual exposure. At this setting, a portion of the left-most edge of the North Polar Hood (NPH) has been getting clipped in my latest images. I took the two images for comparison..
This image was able to endure more sharpening with less clipping than the 80% histogram image. It is also interesting to compare how the details south of the NPH differ between the two images. I am not certain which image I like best.
ZWO ASI290MM/EFW 8 x 1.25" (RGB)
Tele Vue 2.5x PowerMate
Meade LX850 (12" f/8)
Losmandy G11
46.4K frames captured in FireCapture with 60% histogram
Preprocessed in PIPP
Best 2000 frames stacked in Registax
Wavlet Sharpened in Registax
Noise reduction in Topaz DeNoise AI
Finished in Photoshop
ZWO ASI290MM/EFW 8 x 1.25"
Meade LX850 (12" f/8)/TV 2.5x PowerMate
Losmandy G11
10 RGB Runs (6.5ms, gain 385, 3800 frames/filter) captured in FireCapture
Preprocessed in PIPP
Best 50% of frames stacked in Autostakkert
Wavelet Sharpened in Registax
De-rotated in WINJUPOS
Finished in Photoshop
A cloudy day process. Some of my solar system images shot over 2016 and 2017
Pretty obvious but L-R Sun, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune
Aberkenfig, South Wales
Lat +51.542 Long -3.593
Skywatcher 254mm Newtonian Reflector, Tal 2x Barlow Lens, ZWO ASI 120MC Imager. Captured using Firecapture.
Processed with Registax 6 & G.I.M.P.
Seeing Conditions Good to Very Good.
A reasonable outcome considering the planet's low elevation from the horizon at the time of capture.
I was unable to capture Europa's impending shadow transit as the Earth's rotation obscured the target with some trees.
Mars images from October 2020 to March 2021. I had to go about three months between the last two images due to poor weather and when clear poor seeing at my location. Image show size, distance and dates for each image. Size is measures in arcsecond. Data captures with a Meade 12" LX200, ZWO ASI174MM camera.
Aberkenfig, South Wales
Lat +51.542 Long -3.593
Skywatcher 254mm Newtonian Reflector, Tal 2x Barlow Lens, ZWO ASI 120MC Imager. Captured using Firecapture
Processed with Registax 6 & G.I.M.P.
Another page from my observations log book
Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system. It can fit 1200 Earth inside it. Jupiter is gaseous giant planet composed of Hydrogen, Helium, Methane & Ammonia. Its day is 10 hours and its distance from the Sun is 780 million Km. One of the most prominent surface features is the two dark brown bands around its equator and the Great Red Spot which is a giant Hurricane. Its size is double size of the Earth. Gear setup: Celestron Mak 127/1500, Televue 2.5x, UV/IR cut filter, ZWO 294 MC, iOptron iEQ 30 pro. Captured by Sharp pro. Stacked by Autostakkart!, wavelets by Registax, processed by PS.
I've seen a number of images lately of the famous comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko* and thought I'd try my own. Here's the result from last night, clear enough after a modest snowfall during the day though with temps flirting with 0ºF overnight.
I'm a bit baffled by the tail that seems to be offset from the nucleus, which I don't recall seeing very often except in comets that are much closer to the Sun and sporting both ion and dust tails, and some oddball hybrid comet/asteroid objects.
The image is a composite of 100 frames, 90 seconds each; Explore Scientific ED102 102mm f/7 refractor, ZWO ASI294MC camera, UV/IR cutoff filter, iOptron CEM25P mount, Processed in Astro Pixel Processor and Lightroom.
*67P is most famous because it was visited by ESA's fabulous Rosetta spacecraft in 2014 and its Philae lander.