Updated photos of the April 8, 2024 Total Solar Eclipse

The total solar eclipse of April 8, 2024 as taken at Vermilion, OH.  The front moved out of the area but left behind some high, thin clouds, which did not prevent the viewing of this fantastic eclipse, but did prevent me from capturing the full span of the sun's corona. This composite photo shows the eclipse at mid-eclipse (center). The top left image shows the lunar limb just after 2nd contact with the bottom right showing the other side just before 3rd contact. The view with the naked eye was awesome. I did not see the solar prominences with the eye during the 2017 eclipse. The southern prominence in this display was outstanding - looking to the eye as an electrical storm blasting out from the sun. Photos just don't do justice to the sharpness and clarity that was evident while enjoying this celestial event.

Photos were taken with my William Optics GT102 and Canon 50D body mounted on an iOptron iEQ30 mount. Everything was checked out the Sunday before the event. I had created a script (or plan as APT calls it) to run the sequence of exposures bracketing up to 3 stops either side of nominal exposure. I wanted to spend most of my time observing the eclipse with photography a second priority. I missed capturing the diamond ring during the 2017 event when I forgot to remove the solar filter. I missed it this year since I didn't start the plan on time. Everything was ready to go, I had worked out the specific times for each exposure provided I started the plan 30 seconds before 2nd contact. At precisely 15:12:15 I pressed the 'start' button and ... nothing. Tried again - nothing. Finally I realized that I still had the camera set for live view (as I was using that to capture the partial phases and make sure focus was maintained). Argh, I quickly turned live view off and started the plan. But now the sequence was late by about 30 seconds or so. Next time (if I'm still around for next time) I'll have multiple plans that can be started at later times in the event that the first one fails.

This was a real joy to experience and I was very happy with the results. A total eclipse is one of those astronomical events that simply can't be missed if at all possible.

Exploded views of lunar limb showing the solar prominences:

The sizes of these solar prominences are huge. In the image below the Earth is shown next to the southern prominence for comparison.

Details on the image capture

HDR Combination of 1/30, 1/60 and 1/125 seconds with ISO400.
Top Left:  3:13:34 EDT
Center:  3:15:04 EDT
Bottom Right:  3:16:32 EDT

Solar Eclipse from Vermilion OH

We arrived at Vermilion OH on Saturday, late afternoon, to our rental house which had a great backyard for viewing the eclipse.

Equipment was set up and tested on Sunday. I had written a script for APT to automatically run the series of exposures varying the duration based on time in order to capture Bailey's Beads and maybe the Diamond Ring. Weather forecast was promising only high level clouds during the event.

Monday morning the scope/equipment was set up outside and tested one more time. The script would require me to start it precisely at 15:12:15 in order to maintain the order of exposures. I spent the partial phase time making sure the focus was good. After capturing a number of photos of the partial phase the time of second contact (start of the total phase) was getting close.

At precisely 15:12:15 I pressed the start button to run the script. Nothing. I pressed it again. Still, nothing! I then realized that I was still in Live-Mode (which prevents the script from running). I quickly turned off Live-Mode, started the script and ran back to the telescope to remove the filter. I knew that getting the Diamond Ring and Bailey's Beads was probably not going to happen as the script was now off-sequence. But I didn't want to miss out on at least seeing them with the naked eye.

Although the clouds probably masked the outer corona as it didn't appear to extend very far, the view of the coronal ring with all those red prominences was a sight to see. The ring was bright. Brighter than the one during the 2017 eclipse. And the prominence at the bottom of the sun was absolutely stunning. It almost looked like a blazing red fire igniting the base of the moon.

As expected, initial review of the photos showed a good number of images capturing the total phase in various durations but only one photo got a hint of Bailey's Beads. I'll take it! I will spend the next few days processing the images. Probably not surprising was the fact that the view through binoculars (and naked eye) seemed crisper and more colorful than the photos - at least, the unprocessed ones. Total solar eclipses are definitely meant to be seen live! 

Here is a single, unprocessed photo of the eclipse. All images were taken with my William Optics GT102 telescope and Canon 50D camera mounted on an iOptron eq30 Pro. 

Comet 12P/Pons Brooks

So I finally got around to capturing the periodic comet 12P/Pons Brooks.

Since I was not able to capture this comet from my permanent telescope at my home (too low to get above the tree line) I decided to get my portable scope upgraded (GT102 on iEQ30) and take a short trip to my home church in Westminster.  There I was able to capture 32 subs using my ASI533 OSC. I stuck with just 60sec subs as the western sky here in Westminster at this time has a lot of aircraft traffic and even StarLink trails due to the early evening time frame. I took 70 subs and ended up with only 32 at the end. Had I gone with the 120 sec exposure rate I probably wouldn't have had a single sub with a trail! 

Comet 12P/Pons Brooks - March 21, 2024
GT102 Telescope / ASI533mc Camera
32 x 60 sec subs

Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks is a Halley-type periodic comet. It was first discovered by Jean-Louis Pons on July 12, 1812, and later independently rediscovered by William Robert Brooks in 1883. This comet has an orbital period of about 71.3 years. Note: So, if I didn't capture it now, I don't think I will have another opportunity :)

During its closest approach to the Sun (perihelion), comet 12P/Pons-Brooks comes within approximately 0.78 astronomical units (AU) (72.5 million miles) of the Sun. At its furthest point (aphelion), it is located at a distance of about 17.2 AU (1.6 billion miles). Interestingly, this comet is also associated with the κ-Draconids meteor shower.

Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks is expected to reach its maximum brightness, potentially becoming visible to the naked eye during the month of April. Coincidentally, its closest approach occurs just a few days before a total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. 

Fossil Footprint Nebula

NGC 1491, also known as the Fossil Footprint Nebula (and other designations: SH2-206 and LBN 70), is an emission type bright nebula located approximately 10,700 light years away from Earth in the constellation of Perseus. Hot stars ionize the surrounding gas, causing it to glow in visible light. These stars, such as the blue 11.22 magnitude star BD+50 866, emit copious amounts of ultraviolet radiation, which ionizes the hydrogen gas forming the nebula. This hot star is also creating a bubble in the gas that immediately surrounds it.

NGC 1491 - Celestron EdgeHD 11"; ZWO ASI2600mm, Nov 3-8, 2023
Total integration time: 16.5 hours

This image was acquired over a six night period: November 3 through November 8, 2023. It was processed in the standard Hubble Palette with RGB stars added in. Longer sub exposure times would probably have brought in more of the subtle O3 and S2 signal, so this is definitely a subject for another try in the future. The image above is a 50% crop of the original wider field (below) which shows the expansive gas cloud, albeit quite dim. 

Update on Odie

Now that Odysseus is on the moon, what's in store for the little lander? Check here for the plans, details on the instruments aboard the spacecraft and other info about Odie's mission and the next steps as we plan for humans to return to the moon.

We're Back!

Odysseus Spacecraft Lands on the Moon

America is back on the moon.

Odysseus Spacecraft Completes First U.S. Moon Landing Since 1972
© Provided by The Wall Street Journal

A spacecraft by Houston-based Intuitive Machines landed on the lunar surface Thursday evening shortly after 6:20 PM EST, the first time a U.S. vehicle has touched down there in more than 50 years. The vehicle is carrying six major payloads to be deployed on the moon's south pole region where we expect to find water ice.

Earlier this evening NASA lost contact with the vehicle and it was touch and go for awhile. But all signs are that Odie, as it is affectionally called, is safe on the lunar surface. 

This is a developing story with updates to follow.

 

Latest Images from Reisterstown

Latest Images from Reisterstown, MD

I was checking out my latest images that I have been working on and realized that I haven't posted here in months! Sometimes you just get so busy that things drop off your list and this was one of them. I had a fairly large number of image runs that I only recently had the time to process. So, time to post my new image captures in the order I processed them, not by date.

The Heart Nebula (IC 1805)

Heart Nebula - Nov 19-20, 2023
William Optics ZS-61; ZWO ASI1600mm; SHO Palette
Integration Time: 6h40m

The Heart Nebula, also known as IC 1805 or Sharpless 2-190, is an emission nebula located in the Perseus Arm of the Milky Way galaxy. It is situated in the constellation Cassiopeia, approximately 7,500 light years away from Earth, and is part of a complex of nebulae that includes the Soul Nebula (IC 1848). The Heart Nebula gets its name due to its resemblance to a human heart shape. The nebula is approximately 150 arcminutes in size, which is equivalent to 3 times the diameter of the full moon. Emission nebulae are clouds of ionized gas, primarily hydrogen, that emit light of various colors, and in the case of the Heart Nebula, the vibrant red color is produced by ionized hydrogen gas that is interacting with ultraviolet light from nearby hot, young stars (the open cluster, Melotte 15). The nebula is a region of active star formation, and the intense radiation from these young stars causes the surrounding gas to glow. This image was taken in the SHO, or Hubble palette, where the hydrogen gas appears red and the ionized oxygen and sulfur gases, are responsible for the rich blue and orange.

The Heart of the Heart

Core of the Heart Nebula - Nov and Dec, 2022
Celestron EdgeHD-11; ZWO ASI2600mm; SHO Palette
Integration Time: 17h20m

This image shows the beautiful detail rather deep within the Heart Nebula centered on the open cluster, Melotte 15 -- hence the 'Heart of the Heart'.  Taken in the SHO, or Hubble palette, where the hydrogen gas appears red and the ionized oxygen and sulfur gases, are responsible for the rich blue and orange. RGB stars were added in after the starless NB image was processed.

Silver Sliver Galaxy, NGC 891 

Silver Sliver Galaxy - Nov 11 and 12, 2023
Celestron EdgeHD-11; ZWO ASI2600mm
Integration Time: 10h

The only galaxy in the group, NGC 891 (also known as Caldwell 23, the Silver Sliver Galaxy, and the Outer Limits Galaxy) is an edge-on unbarred spiral galaxy about 30 million light-years away in the constellation Andromeda. It was discovered by William Herschel on October 6, 1784. The galaxy is a member of the NGC 1023 group of galaxies in the Local Supercluster. It has an H II nucleus. (wiki)

I remember this galaxy from my days in grade school back in the '60s when I was a avid watcher of the the original Outer Limits series. This was one of the DSO's featured during the ending credits along with the wonderfully eerie music (Dominic Carmen Frontiere).

Sh2-261 Lower's Nebula

Lower's Nebula (Sh2-261) - Nov 11 and 12, 2023
William Optics GT-102; ZWO ASI2600mm; SHO Palette
Integration Time: 16h

Lower's Nebula, also known as Sharpless 261 (Sh2-261), is a hydrogen emission region located in the constellation Orion. It's located on the edge of the Milky Way, between the Orion and Perseus arms, and is about 3,300 light years away.

A Horse in the Stormy Grey Waters

Horsehead Nebula and Surrounding Region - Jan 11, 2024
William Optics ZS-61; ZWO ASI1600mm; Ha only
Integration Time: 5h5m

It wouldn't be a winter season without capturing either the Horsehead or Orion Nebula (or both).  This year I did the Horsehead. I have the HaRGB (full color) version completed as well but I really liked the Ha only version as I was processing the image - it has such a dark, almost ominous, appearance. The actual 'horse' in this wide field image can be seen in the center of the image.

The California Nebula (NGC 1499)

California Nebula - Nov 24, 2023, Jan 2,4, 2024
William Optics ZS61; ZWO ASI1600mm; Ha, Sii and RGB Stars
Integration Time: 9h

The California Nebula (NGC 1499/Sh2-220) is an emission nebula located in the constellation Perseus, and its name comes from the fact that it resembles the US State of California. Although it is about 2.5° long, it is not easy to see as it is very dim. However, in Hα light it stands out quite well. It lies at a distance of about 1,000 light years from Earth.

This image was created combining Hα and Sii along with RGB stars. I found no appreciable signal in the Oiii band, which could have been the result of poor sky conditions, and so I decided not to spend the time to capture that wavelength.

Sh2-101 Tulip Nebula

Tulip Nebula (Sh2-101) - 8/10,11,31 and 9/1,2 2023
Celestron EdgeHD-11; ZWO ASI2600mm; SHO Palette
Integration Time: 14h45m

The Tulip Nebula, also known as Sh2-101, is a large emission nebula located in the constellation Cygnus. It's named for its distinctive shape, which resembles a tulip when viewed from certain angles. The nebula is approximately 70 light-years across and lies about 6,000 light-years away from Earth.

The Tulip Nebula is primarily composed of ionized hydrogen gas, which emits light in the characteristic red color associated with hydrogen-alpha emission. It's a region of active star formation, with hot, young stars embedded within it. These stars emit intense ultraviolet radiation that ionizes the surrounding hydrogen gas, causing it to glow.

The Tulip Nebula is also characterized by dark dust lanes, which are regions of dense interstellar dust that block the light from background stars. These dust lanes often trace the intricate structure of the nebula and are indicative of areas where new stars may be forming.

Taken through Ha, Oiii and Sii filters, and then overlaid with RGB stars. I mixed both 300 and 600 second exposures to help bring out some of the faint Oiii signal, but some additional blue light stretching was still necessary to get the result I was looking for. The NB mix is the traditional SHO palette.

Asteroid sample returns to Earth / JWST settles the issue: Big Bang still seems proven correct

Nothing new to show in my astrophotography endeavors. With a rare string of clear nights here in Maryland I imaged two new objects, but simply haven't had the time to process them yet. Stay tuned and check back as I plan to have them completed in the next week or so.  

The sample return capsule from NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission
 is seen shortly after touching down in the desert, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023. Credit: NASA

OSIRIS-Rex Mission

As for other news ... the OSIRIS-REx mission has just completed NASA’s first sample-return mission from a near-Earth asteroid (NEA). The samples arrived at the Utah Test and Training Range (UTTR) near Salt Lake City, where a team of engineers arrived by helicopter to retrieve the sample capsule. All went well and the initial examination of the sample shows some dust and dirt. Now we need to wait until the analysis phase starts and provides data on the composition of the material. See Universe Today for more details on the mission and the return of the sample. Exciting times for sure.

The James Webb telescope sees baby galaxies at the distant edges of the universe and finds they contain very little heavy elements just as the Big Bang predicts. There was a lot of talk over the past weeks about far distant galaxies imaged by JWST appearing too mature for their age. It seemed that something might be seriously flawed in our theory of galactic evolution. But the new spectroscopic data coming in clearly shows the lack of heavy elements as would be expected for galaxies formed in the early years of the universe. 

Day Has Returned, but India’s Lander and Rover have Failed to Wake Up

The Pragyaan rover captured this image of the Vikram Lander on August 30th,
before lunar night enshrouded it in its frigid darkness. Image Credit: ISRO.

It looks like India’s Chandrayaan-3 succumbed to the cold, and its mission is over. The frigid lunar night lasted about two weeks, and a new day has dawned. With that day came hopes of a sunlit revival for the lander and the rover, but the India Space Research Organization (ISRO) says the chances of the spacecraft awakening in the Sun are diminishing by the hour. 

The Chandrayaan-3 lander was the first spacecraft to land in the rugged terrain of the Moon's south pole region. It is here where deep craters that never see sunlight might hold reservoir of water and therefore would be an ideal location for manned lunar bases. See complete story at Universe Today.

The Bubble Nebula

Today I present the Bubble Nebula, NGC 7635, taken over six nights, from July 17 to August 22, with my EdgeHD11 scope and ASI2600mm camera. The best images (those that are very noise free) require a long amount of integration time. I rarely spend multiple nights to get one image with the rarity of clear nights here in Maryland, but I wanted an image that would really stand out.

The Bubble Nebula - July/August 2023
EdgeHD11 OTA with ASI2600mm Camera
29.5 hours integration time (NB and RGB Filters)

The Bubble Nebula is 7 light-years across and resides 7,100 light-years from Earth in the constellation Cassiopeia. The "bubble" is created by the stellar wind from a massively hot young central star. The nebula lies near a giant molecular cloud in space (which can be seen across the image as the yellowish-red cloud).  The bubble nebula itself is being excited by that hot central star (just to the right of the center of the bubble), causing it to glow. It was discovered in November 1787 by William Herschel.

Here is the Hubble telescope image of the same object for comparison.

Bubble from Hubble

Some Globular Clusters and a New Project

In early May there was a decent break in the lousy weather we've been having, and even though I'm still having to deal with the Canadian forest fire smoke, I decided to go for some easy captures (well, relatively easy) while I can.

First up is a famous star cluster, Messier 13 (or M13). This cluster of stars is sometimes called the Great Globular Cluster in Hercules or the Hercules Globular Cluster.  It contains about 300,000 stars and is estimated to be just under 12 billion years old. It is so dense that near the core there are as many as 100 stars per cubic LY. M13 is about 22,200 LY from earth.

M13 - May 9, 2023
EdgeHD11/ASI533MC - 77×120″ subs

Second is another globular cluster, M3. This cluster is one of the largest and brightest, and is made up of around 500,000 stars. It is estimated to be 11.4 billion years old. It is centered at 32,600 light-years away from Earth. (Wiki)

M3 - May 10, 2023
EdgeHD11/ASI533MC - 110×120″

I am now planning on a new project which may take a number of weeks to complete. Back in October of 2019 I captured the iconic Bubble Nebula with my GT102 APO refractor and ASI1600mm camera. I was still learning a lot back then (both in capture techniques and processing tools), and although the result was quite good, it lacked the 'wow' factor that I've seen in other images of this deep space object. 

With my new equipment (ASI2600mm camera and new Optolong 2" NarrowBand filters) ready I decided to redo the capture of the Bubble Nebula and try to get a better image. This is going to take a bit of effort since I will need about 60 subs (600 sec exposure each) of all three filters. That means I need about 35 hours of capture time (accounting for the exposures and periodic re-focusing time) to get the data I need. I will probably wait to early autumn to take advantage of the clearer skies and the longer periods of darkness. As a test I captured 28 subs (600 sec each) in Ha on July 17 to see how the camera performed. Can't wait to get the whole set of data later this year.

Test capture of C11 (Bubble Nebula)
EdgeHD11/ASI2600mm  28x600sec Ha

M51 - the Whirlpool Galaxy

Got a couple of clear nights with relatively little smoke so I decided to image the famous Whirlpool galaxy. I haven't taken a new image of M51 since back in 2014, when I just got started in astrophotography with my new EdgeHD11. I used a Canon 50D for that one.  So I figured it was about time I captured it with my upgraded equipment and new processing tools and skills.

As usual, sky conditions this year have been abysmal, and even when the sky was clear, the smoke from Canada usually played games with my imaging. But I did manage to get some decent skies on June 14 and 18, so went for it.  Turns out that the blue subs had some issues with registration (seems that happens a lot with my objects/subs - gotta check into that). But I decided to process with just the 19 blue subs since the weather isn't going to cooperate any time soon.

Whirlpool Galaxy (M51)
June 14 and 18, 2023 - EdgeHD11 and ASI2600mm 
LRGB - Total Integration time: 6h48m

The Whirlpool Galaxy, also known as Messier 51a (M51a) or NGC 5194, is an interacting grand-design spiral galaxy with a Seyfert 2 active galactic nucleus. It lies in the constellation Canes Venatici, and was the first galaxy to be classified as a spiral galaxy. It is between 23 and 31 million light-years away and 76,900 ly in diameter.

The galaxy and its companion, NGC 5195 (reddish galaxy to the left), are easily observed by amateur astronomers, and the two galaxies may be seen with binoculars. The Whirlpool Galaxy has been extensively observed by professional astronomers, and its pair with NGC 5195 who study it to understand galaxy structure (particularly structure associated with the spiral arms) and galaxy interactions. Its pair with NGC 5194 is among the most famous and relatively close interacting systems, and thus is a favorite subject of galaxy interaction models. (Wiki)