Soldier's Delight Star Party - This Saturday, June 21, 2025

 

Soldiers Delight Star Party - June 21, 2025

Looking for something to do this Saturday night? Want to expand your knowledge of Astronomy? Interested in buying a telescope for a child or friend, or yourself, but are not sure what to get? Then why not join us for a discussion on Telescopes - history, types and future, with Q&A on what to look for when purchasing a telescope.

"The Role of Telescopes in Astronomy"

"Welcome to our lecture on The Role of Telescopes in Astronomy! Telescopes have been instrumental in transforming our understanding of the universe, from Galileo's first observations to the cutting-edge technology of today. In this session, we'll explore the fascinating history and evolution of telescopes, delve into the different types and their unique contributions, and highlight the incredible discoveries they've enabled. Whether you're a seasoned astronomer or just curious about the cosmos, this lecture will offer insights into how telescopes have revolutionized our view of the stars and beyond. Let's embark on this journey through the lens of these remarkable instruments!

All ages welcome.

All programs rain or shine. Time machines will be provided by the Westminster Astronomy Club.

Activity: TBD

You can find out about special local events by contacting us at https://www.westminsterastro.org/

Date: Saturday, June 21, 2025

Time: 8:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m. Eastern

Location: Soldiers Delight Environmental Area

5100 Deer Park Rd.

Owings Mills, MD 21117

Soldier's Delight Star Party - Einstein's Theories of Relativity - May 17, 2025

Soldiers Delight Star Party - May 17, 2025

Looking for something different to do on a Saturday night? Want to expand your knowledge of Astronomy? Then why not join us this Saturday, May 17, for a discussion of a fascinating field in physics - Einstein's theories of Special and General Relativity:

"From Space-Time to Black Holes: Exploring Einstein's Relativity"

In a riveting lecture on spacetime physics, the speaker will delve into the intricacies of special and general relativity, captivating the audience with both theory and practical examples. The lecture begins with an introduction to special relativity, explaining how it revolutionized our understanding of space and time by showing that they are interwoven into a single continuum. This will be illustrated with the famous example of time dilation, where time slows down for an object moving at high speeds, such as an astronaut traveling near the speed of light. Transitioning to general relativity, the lecture will highlight how Einstein's theory describes gravity not as a force, but as a curvature of spacetime caused by mass. This is vividly demonstrated with the analogy of a heavy ball placed on a stretched rubber sheet, bending the surface around it. The speaker will also discuss real-world applications, such as the precise calculations needed for GPS satellites, which must account for both special and general relativistic effects to provide accurate positioning. Throughout the lecture, the audience will be encouraged to appreciate the profound implications of these theories on our understanding of the universe.

All programs rain or shine. Time machines will be provided by the Westminster Astronomy Club.

All ages welcome

Activity: Gravity Bucket

You can find out about special local events by contacting us at https://www.westminsterastro.org/

Date: Saturday, May 17, 2025

Time: 8:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m. Eastern

Location: Soldiers Delight Environmental Area

5100 Deer Park Rd.

Owings Mills, MD 21117

New AstroPhotos from Mikey's Place

Been awhile since I posted my latest captures here on the blog. Here are a few of them. Hope you enjoy them.

The Rosette Nebula

The Rosette Nebula is a stunning emission nebula located in the constellation Monoceros, about 5,200 light-years away from Earth. It spans approximately 130 light-years across and is closely associated with the open star cluster NGC 2244, which lies at its center. This cluster's young, hot stars ionize the surrounding hydrogen gas, causing the nebula to glow in beautiful shades of red.

Rosette Nebula - January 17-20, 2024
WO ZS61/ASI1600mm/HaO3RGB 8hrs integration

The Rosette Nebula is a stellar nursery, home to thousands of young stars and fascinating features like dark dust filaments, often called "elephant trunks," shaped by stellar winds and radiation.

Been over 4 years since I imaged the Rosette. Last time was with my WO GT102 and the sky conditions weren't all that great. I wanted to try a wider field capture and so here is the Rosette with the ZS61. Subs were captured this past January and since I didn't have O3 flats (don't ask why) I had to do some creative processing. Only got around to doing that recently. Although the data was captured in Jan 2024, this was only just processed in November of that year.

Thor's Helmet

Thor's Helmet, also known as NGC 2359, is an emission nebula located in the constellation Canis Major. This nebula is approximately 11,960 light-years away from Earth and spans about 30 light-years in size.

The nebula gets its name from its resemblance to the helmet worn by the Norse god Thor. At its center lies a Wolf-Rayet star known as WR 7, which is an extremely hot and massive star in a pre-supernova stage. The intense stellar winds from WR 7 have shaped the surrounding gas into the helmet-like structure we see.

Thor's Helmet (NGC 2359) - Feb 2-3, 2025
EdgeHD11/ASI2600mm/HaO3RGB 4.5 hours integration

I didn't get a lot of data on this object as the weather went sour but decided to process it anyway.  My previous attempt was a while ago back in 2018 and a lot has changed since then - equipment and the largest change, new software. Now I realize there is a lot more nebulosity around this object beyond the FOV of the native f/10 on the Edge but I was curious as to what I would get if I went really deep inside.

The Jellyfish Nebula (IC 443)

IC 443, also known as the Jellyfish Nebula, is a supernova remnant located in the constellation Gemini. Approximately 5,000 light years away from Earth it is the result of a supernova that occurred between 3,000 and 30,000 years ago.

The nebula is notable for its complex interaction with surrounding molecular clouds, which has significantly influenced its morphology. It spans about 70 light years in diameter and consists of two connected sub-shells with different centers and radii. The supernova event also created a neutron star, CXOU J061705.3+222127, which is moving away from the explosion site at high speed.

Jellyfish Nebula (IC 443) - March 17-18, 2025
GT102/ASI2600mm/SHORGB 6.5 hours integration

My attempt at the Jellyfish was a tough journey. Once again, my flats would not correct the subs and I need to find out why. Not sure if the image train is moving between the sub exposures capture and the time, I create the flats, or something else. Now that clouds are once again back, I may disassemble the filter wheel and camera and do an aggressive clean up job to remove as much dust as I can. Probably a good thing to do periodically anyway. So, this image was actually processed without any flats or darks at all! After a bit of a long time in postprocessing, this is the result.

The Hamburger Galaxy (NGC 3628)

NGC 3628, also known as the Hamburger Galaxy, is a captivating unbarred spiral galaxy located approximately 35 million light-years away in the constellation Leo. Discovered by William Herschel in 1784, this galaxy is a prominent member of the Leo Triplet, a small group of galaxies that includes M65 and M66. NGC 3628's most striking feature is its broad, dark dust lane that bisects the galaxy, giving it the appearance of a cosmic hamburger. This dust lane, along with the galaxy's 300,000 light-year long tidal tail, is a result of gravitational interactions with its neighboring galaxies.

Hamburger Galaxy (NGC 3628) - March 27-28, 2025
EdgeHD11/ASI2600mm/LRGB 5.5 hours integration

This is not one of my normal captures and processing as I ran into one problem after another. First and foremost were the sky conditions - as usual for Maryland, what appeared to be a clear night actually had a thin upper layer I had to deal with. Astrospheric warned me of that as I could use the NBM cloud cover model which shows layers of clouds that the standard models do not.  Result - I did not get all the Lum subs I wanted. Second, my flats, yet again, did not completely correct for the dust donuts and gradients. Most of the problem was in the Lum and Green subs. Not sure what caused the gradient in the green subs but the misplaced dust donut correction has the hallmark of a filter wheel that did not place the filter in the same spot between the lights and flats. I checked the FW configuration in NINA and, sure enough, unidirectional was off! Not sure why as I always have it set to on, but my guess is that was the problem.

Tiger's Eye Galaxy (NGC 2841)

NGC 2841 is a stunning unbarred spiral galaxy located approximately 46 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major. Discovered by William Herschel in 1788, this galaxy is notable for its flocculent spiral arms, which appear patchy and discontinuous. The galaxy's bright nucleus is surrounded by a majestic disk of stars and intricate dust lanes. Unlike many other spiral galaxies, NGC 2841 has a relatively low star formation rate, with fewer pinkish emission nebulae. Its yellowish core and the presence of young blue stars tracing the spiral arms create a striking visual contrast.

Numerous background galaxies can be seen throughout the image.

Tiger's Eye Galaxy - April 2, 2025
EdgeHD11/ASI2600mm/LRGB 3.5 hours integration

Owl Nebula (M97)

Messier 97 (M97), commonly referred to as the Owl Nebula, is a planetary nebula located in the constellation Ursa Major, approximately 2,000 light-years away from Earth. It was formed by the outer layers of a dying star, which were expelled during the later stages of its evolution. The nebula displays a roughly spherical shape and is characterized by faint, darker regions resembling "eyes," which give rise to its nickname. These features are caused by variations in the nebula's density and composition. M97 spans approximately 3 light-years in diameter and emits light primarily due to ionized gases, including hydrogen and oxygen, energized by the ultraviolet radiation from the central star—a white dwarf.

Owl Nebula (M97) - April 8-9, 2025
EdgeHD11/ASI2600mm/HaO3RGB 7.5 hours integration

All my images (well, at least most of them) are hosted on Astrobin. You can see them at: 
Michael J. Mangieri - AstroBin

Many are available for sale as metal prints at: MdAstro.com

Astronauts are back from the ISS - but the untold story is scary

Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are safely back on earth. But their experience in docking with the International Space Station was far more scary than the original reports from the media.

Boeing's Starliner spacecraft is pictured docked to the International Space Station.
One of the four doghouses is visible on the service module. Credit: NASA

Head on over to ARS Technica for the full story of that 'overly exciting' docking maneuver.

Soldiers Delight Star Party - April 19, 2025

Soldiers Delight Star Party - April 19, 2025

Looking for something different to do on a Saturday night? Want to expand your knowledge of Astronomy? Then why not join us on Saturday, April 19, for a discussion about a fascinating problem in modern astrophysics:

"Crisis in Cosmology - aka, The Hubble Tension"

Tonight's lecture is on one of the most intriguing puzzles in modern cosmology: The Hubble Tension. This phenomenon refers to the discrepancy between the rate of expansion of the universe as measured by different methods. On one hand, we have measurements from the early universe, such as those from the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), and on the other, we have measurements from the local universe, such as those using Cepheid variables and Type Ia supernovae. Despite the precision of these methods, they yield different values for the Hubble constant, leading to a tension that challenges our understanding of the cosmos. Today, we will delve into the methods used to measure the Hubble constant, explore the possible reasons for this discrepancy, and discuss the implications for our understanding of the universe.

All programs rain or shine. Time machines will be provided by the Westminster Astronomy Club.

All ages welcome

Note:  Starting this month, and through September, events will be held 8:30 - 10:30 EDT

Activity: TBD

You can find out about special local events by contacting us at https://www.westminsterastro.org/

Date: Saturday, April 19, 2025

Time: 8:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m. Eastern

Location: Soldiers Delight Environmental Area

5100 Deer Park Rd.

Owings Mills, MD 21117

Is that Saturn?

On Sunday, March 23, a rare celestial event will temporarily cause Saturn’s rings to seemingly vanish from view. Known as a ring plane crossing, it is the result of the planet’s tilt and orbital mechanics. Because they are incredibly thin compared to their vast width, they become nearly invisible when viewed from the side. So, for a few days before and after the 23rd, Saturn would appear to look like Jupiter.

Simulation from Stellarium

However, you would need a telescope and really excellent sky conditions to see this event, since Saturn is so close to the sun. The rings should reappear soon and will be getting wider as the years march on, fully opening again in 2032.

Total Lunar Eclipse of March 14, 2025

The eclipse was wonderful, even though the weather didn't fully cooperate. The events from the start of the eclipse occurred in clear skies but clouds quickly obscured the sky soon after the start of totality until a few minutes after mid-eclipse (and then continued thereafter). I was able to capture the first half of the eclipse and a single image at the midpoint. You can view a video of the event on my YouTube page.

And here are two images of the moon near mid-eclipse. The first one is the full frame view where you can see some of the stars of the constellations Leo and Virgo that were captured in the dark sky.

Total Eclipse of the Moon - March 14, 2025 2:41 AM EDT
William Optics GT102 with Canon 50D sensor
ISO 400 - 8sec exposure

The second is a close-up of just the fully eclipsed moon.

Lunar Eclipse tonight - SD Star Party this Saturday

Total Lunar Eclipse

Tonight, will be the first total lunar eclipse in over 2 years. Well, 'tonight' is figuratively correct, the actual start of the total phase won't occur until 2:26 AM Friday morning EDT. In the diagram below times are UT; convert to EDT by subtracting 4 hours.

Timeline of the Total Eclipse
Sky and Telescope

The partial phase (when the moon enters the earth's shadow called the Umbra) begins at 1:09AM where the moon will be due south, about 50 degrees high in the sky. Mid-totality occurs at 2:59 AM. At the end of the partial phase, at 4:48 AM, the moon will have moved across the sky and will be about 30 degrees high in the WSW. This is a most favorable condition for a total lunar eclipse.

Get those cameras out - I will.

You can read more about the eclipse at Sky and Telescope.

Soldiers Delight Star Party

Soldiers Delight Star Party - March 15, 2025

"Astronomical Phenomena: Eclipses, meteor showers, and other spectacular events in the night sky"

Astronomical phenomena such as eclipses, meteor showers, and other spectacular events in the night sky captivate our imagination and offer a glimpse into the vastness of the universe. Eclipses, whether solar or lunar, occur when the Earth, moon, and sun align, casting shadows and creating breathtaking visual displays. Meteor showers, like the Perseids or Geminids, result from Earth passing through the debris left by comets, producing streaks of light as meteoroids burn up in the atmosphere. Other phenomena, such as auroras, are caused by solar particles interacting with Earth's magnetic field, painting the sky with vibrant colors. These events not only provide stunning visuals but also deepen our understanding of celestial mechanics and the dynamic nature of our cosmos.

All programs rain or shine. Time machines will be provided by the Westminster Astronomy Club.

Activity: Dark Sky Wheel

You can find out about special local events by contacting us at https://www.westminsterastro.org/

Date: Saturday, March 15, 2025

Time: 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time

Location: Soldiers Delight Environmental Area

5100 Deer Park Rd.

Owings Mills, MD 21117

Commercial Landers on the Moon

Firefly's Success

In a first for a commercial company, Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lander made a fully successful landing on the surface of the Moon. The landing occurred in the Mare Crisium on the lunar nearside early on the morning of Sunday, March 2nd at 3:34 a.m. EST / 8:34 UT.

Blue Ghost sees its shadow, on the surface of the Moon
Firefly Aerospace

Firefly's Blue Ghost lander witnessed lunar sunrise —
the start of a new day on the Moon and two weeks of activities
NASA

Read the complete story at Sky and Telescope

Intuitive Machines not so successful 

Athena landed in the lunar south pole region but fell on its side. After its batteries quickly depleted, the mission ended. 

This photo of the lunar surface was taken from the Athena lander on approach.
Intuitive Machines

Athena entered lunar orbit on March 3rd and initiated an initial descent orbit insertion (DOI) burn on March 6th at 5:33 a.m. EST / 10:33 UT, snapping images as it went. It touched down in the Mon Mouton region at 12:30 p.m. EST / 17:30 UT. However, early indications showed that the Nova-C lander was "not in the correct attitude," said Steve Altemus, CEO of Intuitive Machines, in a press conference Thursday afternoon. Indeed, a later image from the spacecraft confirmed it had landed on its side, similar to the fate of the company's first attempt, a year ago.

Athena managed to send back pictures confirming its position and activate a few experiments before going silent.

Athena took a picture from the surface of the Moon that showed the lander on its side.
Intuitive Machines

Full story at Sky and Telescope

Jupiter with moon shadows

It's been a long time since I have attempted any planetary photography since I'm generally a DSO (Deep Space Object) imager.  So, while setting up for another run at the IC 417 nebula I slewed the telescope to Jupiter just for the fun of it while I was waiting for the sky to get darker.

Even though I didn't have the planetary camera attached, the mono ASI2600 at the f/10 full FL of the EdgeHD11 did bring out some detail. I noticed the location of two of Jupiter's moons and the shadows they were casting on the planet so I ran a full 5000 frame video capture using SharpCap.

Jupiter - March 4, 2025
EdgeHD11/ASI2600mm f/10
2500 frames stacked in Autostakkert and Processed in Registax

The resultant stacked and processed image (at 50% best frame setting) was quite remarkable. It showed the red spot, numerous cloud belts and the shadows of both Europa and Ganymede. Not in color, I might add, as this was through the mono camera using just the luminance filter.

Maybe I'll get back to some planetary imaging later this Spring before the planets move out of my view. For now, it's back to DSOs.

Recording breaking Ghost-like Particle Discovered

Astronomers have used a giant, underwater telescope to detect the most energetic neutrino ever observed. So, what is a neutrino?

A neutrino is a tiny, neutral subatomic particle with a very small mass, much less than that of an electron. It comes in three types: electron neutrinos, muon neutrinos, and tau neutrinos. Neutrinos interact very weakly with other matter, allowing them to pass through most objects almost undetected. They are produced in various nuclear reactions, such as those in the sun, during supernovae, and in nuclear reactors. Despite their elusive nature, neutrinos are essential for understanding fundamental processes in the universe.

This artist's impression shows part of the KM3NET neutrino detector,
being built deep in the Mediterranean Sea.
It's not to scale — the detector units are just 30 cm across,
and they'll be spread across cubic kilometers under the sea.

On February 13, 2023, the Astroparticle Research with Cosmics in the Abyss (ARCA) picked up a single muon that triggered more than a third of the site’s intricate sensors. The inbound trajectory of the muon, coupled with its extremely high energy, led KM3NeT researchers to conclude that the muon was the result of a 220 peta electrovolt (PeV) neutrino striking the Earth's atmosphere from space.

See the complete article at SkyandTelescope