New Images

Spent some quality time with my telescope taking advantage of the clear sky on December 27-28. Yep, another "all-nighter", but the results were worth it. I'm planning on setting up a separate page for all my astro-photos,  with accompanying details, but for now here are the three I captured and processed with Nebulosity 3.1 and PaintShopPro X6.

M42 (Orion Nebula)
EdgeHD-11, 5.5 minutes (11x30sec), ISO 3200
Dec 27, 2013    11:48 pm

M101 (Pinwheel Galaxy)
EdgeHD-11, 24 minutes (12x120sec), ISO 3200
Dec 28, 2013    3:14 am

Comet Lovejoy (C/2013 R1)
EdgeHD 11, 8 minutes (6x60sec + 2x120sec), ISO 3200
Dec 28, 2013   5:57 am

Merry Christmas to all

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas.

M35 (Corrected)

Here is M35 with some corrections to show proper star colors. Still researching into why the color shifted to the yellow in the original image.

M35 3x30sec

M35 with Yellow Stars?

Hmmm ... after posting my first astro photos of star clusters a few nights ago I started thinking about the color of the stars in M35. As a relatively young cluster the stars in M35 should be on the blue side. After reviewing other images from sites such as AstroBin they are definitively blue. So, back to the drawing (imaging) board. Got to find out why my images are on the yellow side!

Star Clusters and Comet Lovejoy

Astro-Imaging of Star Clusters

December 10, 2013: With the weather clearing after dropping three more inches of snow to add to the seven we already got on Sunday, I decided to take the scope out to continue with my testing of the new software and the procedure of aligning the scope for long exposure astrophotography. Although the new software worked as expected, the frigid temperatures caused havoc on my computer and there were multiple communication drop outs and extreme sluggishness of computer response to commands. Now keep in mind that it never occurred to me that a laptop PC might have issues with being subjected to temperatures nearing single digits! Next project is to build an insulated containment box to hold the laptop while it's running the telescope mount and camera.

However, the concept proved to be successful and I was able to setup the telescope, align it to the pole, attach the camera, get a good focus and then ... keep warm and comfortable inside the Rocket Barn while remotely operating the telescope via WiFi. Here are a few of the images I captured. All single exposures were limited to 30sec since moonlight was a problem and the scope alignment/drift issues are not totally resolved as yet.

M35
3x30sec ISO 3200

M37 - "Salt and Pepper" Cluster
8x30sec  ISO 3200

M50 - "Heart Shaped Cluster"
4x30sec  ISO 3200

Comet Lovejoy still visible

Comet Lovejoy continues on its path out of the solar system. And even with multiple computer failures preventing me from capturing the image until late in the morning with dawn lightening up the eastern horizon, I did manage to capture the comet.

Comet Lovejoy, December 11, 2013 6:20AM
6x10sec Exposures for 60sec total time

Comet Lovejoy Going Strong

Comet ISON has come and gone, but lovely Comet Lovejoy (C/2013 R1) is still going strong. It is now at or near peak brightness, and well placed in the Northern Hemisphere's predawn sky. If the weather would only clear up I would be up bright and early looking to photograph Lovejoy once more before the moon interferes. Info on observing Comet Lovejoy is available on SkyAndTelescope.com.

RIP ISON

Well it looks like in the battle of Fire vs. ISON, the fire won.  Apparently the sun's corona was just too much for the small nucleus of the fragile comet. NASA announced earlier this evening that ISON has most likely disintegrated under the high heat and gravitational stress of the Sun on Nov. 28, 2013. It is not visible in Solar Dynamics Observatory footage and NASA scientists confirmed that they do not see it. You can see the video at Space.com.

In other news, SpaceX aborted the launch of the Dragon9 due to engine malfunction at T-1 second. Next available launch window is tomorrow.

Astronomy News

Birth of black hole witnessed, marking watershed moment for astronomy

This week a momentous event occurred somewhere in the universe ... and an “armada of instruments” from all over the world saw it produce a gamma ray burst more powerful than what many researchers believed theoretically possible. Many think this was the collapse of a giant star and the birth of a black hole, something that has never been observed while the event is taking place! This will go down in history as a “Rosetta stone moment” for astronomy.  Check out the full story here.

See Comet ISON Slingshot Around Sun: Live SOHO Spacecraft Views

Astronomers all over the world are training their eyes and telescopes on Comet ISON as it approaches its closest distance to the sun on Thursday (Nov. 28), with several unblinking space telescopes offering live views of the comet's solar encounter. Live coverage of the event can be viewed from http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/home.html

Comet ISON vs. the Solar Storm - Wow

Check the video on the website below - just plain awesome!
http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2013/24nov_isoncme/

Comet ISON peaks as it rounds the Sun

Comet ISON continues on its way to the Sun. Recent observations have hinted at a possible breakup of the comet and it is still uncertain as to whether or not ISON will survive it's trip around the Sun. Only a few weeks ago astronomers measured ISON's diameter to be about 3 miles - large enough to take the intense heat and extreme pull of the Sun's gravity. But new data shows ISON at only 3/4 to 1 mile wide.

Viewing ISON is getting to be really difficult. Although the comet has brightened twice in the last few days and is now recorded at magnitude 4.0 - 4.5 she is also very close to the Sun and hence low to the horizon in the pre-dawn glow. ISON may shine at magnitude -4.0 at perihelion which occurs about midday on Thanksgiving day (about as bright as Venus). Under optimum conditions (and very careful observation techniques!) ISON could be visible to the naked eye.

But the best views of perihelion likely will come from a trio of solar telescopes located outside Earth’s atmosphere. The Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO), the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), and the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) each supply different perspectives.

More details on this and a really cool photo of ISON is available on the Astronomy Magazine's website. Sky&Telescope has some suggestions if you really want to try to see ISON at perihelion.

ORS-3 Launch

Earlier this evening Joan and I watched the launch of ORS-3 from our home in Reisterstown, MD. Photo is a composite of two images, 94 seconds and the other 82 seconds taken with a Canon 50D, 18mm f8.0 ASA400.

ISON Viewing

Comet ISON is rapidly moving lower and lower in the eastern horizon on it's way to a rendezvous with the Sun on Thanksgiving day. If you want to catch a glimpse of ISON the comet should be visible to the naked eye (and certainly in binoculars) during the early part of this week. Head out about an hour before sunrise and look toward the east-southest. As the week goes on ISON gets lower and lower in the sky. Check out the video on SkyAndTelescope.com for some tips on when and where to look. Here's a finder chart for locating ISON early Tuesday through Thursday mornings, November 19-21, at about 5:30 AM.

Comet ISON Update

ISON Brightens

ISON has brightened considerably, by as much as 10x brighter since mid-week. Experienced observers have estimated the comet's magntitude at +5.5 on Nov. 16th. My own observation on November 14 put it at magnitude 6.5. Why the sudden burst? It could be that the nucleus has broken apart into multiple pieces, but that can not be confirmed until later this month. For more details see the November 17th article in SpaceWeather.com.

Rare Double Comet Flyby of Mercury

NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft is about to get a close-up view of Comet ISON's outburst. On Nov. 18-19 Comet ISON and Comet Encke both will fly by Mercury, the planet MESSENGER is orbiting. You can learn more about this rare double-comet flyby and what MESSENGER might see in a video from Science@NASA.

ISON Brightens

ISON, now about 60 million miles from Sol, is rapidly approaching the sun for rendezvous on Thanksgiving Day. On Thursday morning I viewed ISON with my 11" SCT. Visually, ISON had a brighter, more well defined nucleus and extended coma than it did just a few days ago. I imaged ISON with my Canon 50D piggyback on the SCT but the exposures were too short to bring out the detail of the tail. And since ISON is getting lower in the sky this is only going to get worse. Of course, ISON should be brightening even more as she gets closer to the sun. If the weather here in MD doesn't clear up soon I'll have to move the scope to another location to get a better view of the SSE horizon.

The photo below, taken by Damian Peach of Selsey, England, on November 10 thru a 4.3-inch refractor, is one of the best I've seen thus far from an amateur astronomer.

Red Glare Date Set

Well the folks at MDRA finally got a date for this Fall's Red Glare.  Red Glare XV will be at Higg's Farm on December (that's right, December) 13th - 15th, 2013.  Details will be forthcoming on the MDRA site.

MDRA Launch

The next MDRA launch (ESL 186) is November 16-17, 2013 at the Central Sod Farm in Centerville, MD.  A date for Red Glare XV has still not been set.

More images of ISON and Lovejoy

Both comet ISON and Lovejoy were imaged at prime focus of my Celestron 11" telescope on November 10, 2013. Both images were processed in Nebulosity 3.1 with the final touches applied in Paint Shop Pro.

Comet ISON 6.5 min EdgeHD-11 Prime Focus

Comet Lovejoy 7.5 min Edge-HD Prime Focus

ISON Observed!

Well, after a couple of previous attempts to locate comet ISON, with the sky cooperating and my ability to use my new equipment gaining ground every time I go out, I can finally report that I actually observed this elusive comet for the first time. For what was being hailed as the "Comet of the Century" (I know, high hopes; after all, comets are fickle – they’re like cats, they do what they want) I was a bit disappointed in how dim ISON was, as I had expected it to be close to naked-eye visibility by now. Shining at magnitude 8 (maybe!) it was fairly easy to pick out in the field of view of my 23mm (125x) eyepiece. The CGEM-DX mount really makes astronomy a fun time for us ‘old’ guys as you just dial-in the coordinates and off you go. That is, of course, as long as the mount is aligned properly to north and the coordinates you have for the object are correct. Mount aligned, check – coordinates good, oops! Turns out that Stellarium gave me the wrong info as I hadn’t updated the dataset in a while. Once I corrected that problem and entered the updated coordinates, ISON was right there in the field of the eyepiece.

Displaying a faint, diffuse coma and just a hint of a nucleus, I was not able to make out any tail. Before the twilight started to take over I quickly took a set of exposures using my Canon 50D mounted piggyback on the scope. Results were as expected – fair at best. The sky was definitely getting a bit bright and I think there were a few high cirrus clouds gathering about. After processing the ten images with Nebulosity (30sec images; f6.3, FL=200mm) I got the 5 minute photo seen below.

Comet C/2012 S1 - ISON
5 min 200mm F6.3

Comet ISON wasn’t the only visitor to the early morning sky this day. Comet Lovejoy (C/2013 R1) was well placed high in the south-east sky, and it turns out was much brighter than ISON and easy to see in the 23mm Luminous ocular. Sporting a rather large coma with a well-defined nucleus and a short thin tail, Lovejoy was a ‘joy’ to observe.

Comet C/2013 R1 - Lovejoy
6 min 200mm f6.3

I’m still holding out hope that ISON will brighten more before too long. As long as the weather holds up I’ll be at it again in the next days and later this month. With the moon entering the picture and ISON getting lower in the eastern sky it will be more challenging to get that great photo.

Skunk Works reveals Successor to the Black Bird

Details at Gizmag

First Astrophoto Attempt

The plan for tonight was to experiment with taking deep sky photos with my camera mounted piggyback on the Celestron and to learn how to use stacking software to process the images. I decided that the Andromeda galaxy would be a good choice.

The sky was clear at 5:00 PM  and temps were fairly warm. I decided to set up the telescope and planned a short period of observation while I waited for Andromeda to rise a bit. At 7:00 PM, the clouds came in and lingered off and on. But there were breaks and I was able to observe a couple of globular clusters (M15 and M2) and an open cluster, M29.

At about 10:30 PM I decided to get the Canon 50D attached to the scope to try to photograph the Andromeda Galaxy. By then, the scope was covered in dew, but I didn't need the scope's optics as I was only interested in the guiding of the camera. I took 10 images, each 30 seconds in duration (270mm, f6.3) for a 5 minute exposure. I then processed the images using DeepSkyStacker (DSS) a freeware image stacking software package. The results, although not great, is shown in the image below.

The detail is not as good as I would have liked, but this was a quick and dirty session just to see how the camera, lens, mount and DSS worked. The halo of light in the image is of some concern - I'm not sure how, or why, that happened. At a minimum, I need to increase the individual exposure times and then take more images. I didn't apply dark frames or anything else (for those interested in what dark frames are, I point you to the DSS site). Much more to come as I learn and experiment more in the near future.

Finding ISON

So I spent Saturday working on the repair of the power jack and decided to go with the 'non-elegant' solution. The fix was to run a set of wires from the inside of the mount through the hole where the existing jack was located and to a new inline jack. The power is then plugged into the external jack (see pic). Works like a champ.

With the new telescope up and running I tried to locate comet ISON on Saturday. No luck. Not sure if it was the bright sky (due to the moon) or the low elevation of the comet, but try as I might I couldn't verify that I picked up ISON.

No matter, as soon as the moon gets out of the way (in a few days) I'll try again.

Adam Block/Mount Lemmon SkyCenter/University of Arizona (October 8, 2013)

More info on Astronomy.com

ISON will lie closest to the Sun November 28 — at just 680,000 miles from its surface. Wow, that's close, hence why we call comets like ISON sungrazers. Latest predictions indicate that it will peak at magnitude –4.5, equivalent to the brightness of Venus.

On December 8, Comet ISON crosses into the northern sky. It should shine brighter than 1st magnitude and perhaps sport a spectacular tail. Northern Hemisphere viewers will get increasingly better views as Christmas approaches.

New Telescope Arrives

Well, I decided to purchase a new telescope before Christmas so that I would have it for observing comet ISON. I took vacation time to stay home to wait for the arrival (the five boxes came at 2:00PM on Friday). Since I bought it from OptCorp in California, and was ordered Monday afternoon, getting here by Friday was great. And OptCorp paid the UPS charges (at 200lbs that was great too!)

Spent most of the afternoon setting up the mount and stuff. Of course, Lucy (the dog) insisted I play 'stick' with her the whole time, the process took much longer than normal. Turn a screw; throw the stick. Adjust a cable; throw the stick. Attach the counterweight, throw the stick. Well, you get it.

By early evening I was up and running. Spent a couple of hours learning how to align the scope and use the various features. All was going well; I was ready to view ISON early on Saturday morning after viewing some the other interesting objects to test out the optics. I was also going to spend some time making sure I could piggyback my camera on the scope in anticipation of photographing ISON later this month.

Then it happened - only 6 hours old - I accidently yanked the power cord from the mount. And, since it was screwed it in to keep it from popping out unexpectedly, the angled force snapped the power jack right off. Argh!!

Well, it looks like I can get a new jack from RadioShack and solder it in. Voids the warranty on the mount, but the thought of sending the mount back for repairs is the last option I want to take - the freight would be expensive and then the down time would be prohibitive. I've repaired and built electronic gear before so I am confident I can make the repairs myself. So, looks like I know what I'm going to be doing on Saturday. Luckily, the power plug can still be seated in what remains of the jack as long as I tape the cord to hold it. It lasted so far as I've been able to use the scope this past evening (and as I write this it's still working). But a real permanent fix is absolutely needed. I may even forgo the jack and wire an external jack. Wont look as neat, but would prevent this from happening again.

Initial impressions: this telescope is fantastic. Well built, the optics are outstanding. Money well spent!  ISON, I'll be ready for you.

ISON not yet visible in binoculars

After getting up and going outside at 5:00 AM this morning to find comet ISON with my 10x50 binoculars it suddenly dawned on me that binoculars would not pick up a 9th or 10th magnitude object. Sure enough, no ISON ... but the stars were wonderful. I spent 20 minutes or so viewing the Pleiades, M42 (the Great Nebula in Orion) and Jupiter's moons - yep, the sky was so crystal clear that I could easily make out Jupiter's moons with hand-held 10x50s.

I was going to bring out the 8" telescope tomorrow morning but now it seems the weather is not cooperating! So, looks like I wait until later towards the weekend.

So, when will ISON be visible in binoculars? Probably by the end of the month when the comet should reach 6th or 7th magnitude.

All planets orbit stars ... right?

Well, maybe not.  Michael Liu (Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii) has released images of a young planet that's drifting through space on its own. Check out the story on SkyandTelescope.com.

Upcoming MDRA Launch

MDRA will hold ESL 185, at The Central Sod Farm, (Centerville, Maryland). The launch will be 10-12-13 and 10-13-13. The Sod Farm works until noon on Saturday, so plan your arrival no earlier than 11:00 A.M. The Sunday launch will start around 9:00 A.M. 
There is still no date for Red Glare. As soon as one is announced I will post here.

Good news for comet watchers

Looks like there is some good news concerning comet ISON as reported in Nature.com. There is a good chance that ISON will survive the close approach with the Sun. And if it does, ISON will likely become visible to the naked eye in December.

Comet ISON is here ... sort of!

Well it's been over a year since comet ISON (C/2012 S1) was first discovered by Vitali Nevski and Artyom Novichonok of Russia on 21 September 2012. Now, just about to pass Mars’ orbit on the way to the Sun, C/2012 S1 will come to perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) on 28 November 2013 at a distance of 0.012 AU (1,800,000 km; 1,100,000 mi) from the center point of the Sun. That’s pretty darn close! If it survives its close encounter we may be in for a real treat come early December when ISON may become one of the greatest comets of all time.

Predicting comet brightness is difficult at best. There have been many flops in the last few decades (some will remember – or not – comet Kohoutek in 1973-74 which was then called the “Comet of the Century”). However, even though recent data suggests ISON will not be as bright as originally predicted it should still be visible to the naked eye and sport an easily identifiable tail.

Although not visible to the naked eye in October, those with binoculars or small telescopes should be able to pick up ISON as it heads closer and closer to the Sun. A good time to look is early in the morning on October 15 when ISON passes just 1° north of Mars in the constellation of Leo the Lion. It makes the leftmost point of a line created by Mars and Regulus, about 1° between each. The comet will be dim, about magnitude 9, but patient observers should be able pick her out. It's unlikely that you will be able to see any tail, but a fuzzy spot should be apparent.

ISON in the east, October 15, 2013 5:00 AM
About 22° above the horizon

As seen in a typical pair of 10x50 binoculars

As ISON approaches I will be planning to view it and will report any news here. Will ISON be the Comet of 'this' Century? We can only hope.

Last Centreville Launch of the Season

MDRA will host the last launch at the Central Sod Farm (Centreville, MD) on the weekend of Oct 12 and 13th, 2013. I will probably not be there - still working on other things.  Saturday's launch activities start around noon; Sunday goes from 9:00 to about 4:00 or so.

Starting in November we move to Higg's Dairy Farm in Price. Red Glare 15 dates have not been announced yet. Stay tuned!

Details on October's launch and other rocket info can be found on the MDRA site.

More Flares

Later on Saturday, Iridium 45 flared nicely. The moon was very near but the flare was still extremely easy to see. Here is a photo and video of the event.

 

Flare

Got up early this morning to capture a bright Iridium Flare. Had some issues with the camera but got this shot.

Iridium 80

September 14, 2013  5:18 AM   

Rocket Launch this weekend

MDRA will hold ESL 184, at The Central Sod Farm, (Centerville, Maryland). The launch will be 9-14-13 and 9-15-13. I will not be there as I haven't completed my latest projects and still have a lot of work to do about the estate. 

Go to MDRA for information on the launch.

More Iridium Flares

Two of the brightest Iridium flares are going to appear in dark skies this Saturday, September 14, 2013.  Iridium 80 will flare at about 5:18 AM. Then at 8:20 PM, Iridium 80 will put on a short show. The morning flare will be in the SW sky; the evening one in the SE. Both about 2/3 the way from the horizon to the zenith - roughly 60 degrees above the horizon. Details can be viewed on the Heaven's Above web site.

Update:  Be advised, these events are local events. The brightness of the flare diminishes on either side of the path on the earth. So although these two are very bright in Reisterstown, they may not be nearly as bright just 10-20 miles east or west (turns out that my house is almost directly in the path of many of the Iridium flares).  So check with the Heaven's Above site for your location.

Iridium Flares

Satellite flare is caused when the sun reflects off the shiny material of a satellite and reflects it back to earth. If you are in the path of the reflection you will see a flare, much like the flash you would see if someone held a mirror and directed sunlight to you.

Iridium flares are flares created from the set of Iridium satellites. Because of their large solar panels they tend to really product some impressive flares. Some get bright enough to be visible in the daytime. The video below is a flare I captured on September 6, 2013 at around 7:15 PM.

For more information on Iridium flares see the Wiki article on Satellite Flares.

If you are interested in viewing upcoming flares visit the Heaven's Above site where after an initial setup for your location you can get future sightings (where to look, etc.).

LADEE Launch from Westminster

The LADEE launch was fantastic!  Joan and I (and Lucy the dog) were treated to a really cool event from the hilltop parking lot of CrossLife Bible Church. Well, I'm not sure Lucy enjoyed it as much as we did :)

Here are some photos:

 Bright red-orange from the 1st stage booster ... although not visible in
this photo you could see a short tail of flame rippling from the glowing spot. 

 Later, LADEE is seen climbing and then ignition of next stage. I think
this is stage three but not sure.

Last minute or so.

LADEE Launch tomorrow evening

NASA’s launch of the LADEE lunar orbiter from Wallops Island will be visable for much of the East Coast on Friday evening.  Here’s NASA’s guide for viewing:

http://www.orbital.com/NewsInfo/MissionUpdates/MinotaurV/index.shtml

Cosmic Caterpillar

NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope locates protostar in very early evolutionary stage 4,500 light-years away.

Full story at GrindTV

Check out this photo - for those of you who remember Star Trek (the original series) doesn't this remind you of the planet killer in "The Doomsday Machine", 1967?

Random Rocket - Emerald Fire

High performance 3" fiberglass rocket. Test launch back in November 2012. Carries a GPS telemetry head in the nose cone.

Random Rocket Image - Talon-2

This is the Talon-2, a 6" diameter, 10' tall rocket. Used to get my Level 3 certification back in 2010.

Perseid Meteors this weekend

The best meteor shower of the year is coming to a sky near you.
Perseid Meteor Shower

Build log moved

Building details of the Gizmo-XLDD can now be found on the 'Current Project' page.

Building the Gizmo-XLDD

Welcome to XCalRockets' new blog!

Not sure what exactly I'm going to be blogging about, but to get this thing going I'm entering the log of my latest rocket project - the Wildman Gizmo-XLDD!  This is the 'stretched' Gizmo with Dual Deploy capability. All fiberglass, this thing weighs a ton! She has room for a big motor though with the 98mm motor tube. I'm planning a maiden flight on something a little smaller, say an L820-SK.

Building of this beast started this July after spending a few days weighing all the parts, entering them into RockSim and checking the fit. Then another day sanding and prepping - got to make sure the fiberglass is roughed-up so the epoxy can really grab-hold. Here are a few pics showing my progress ...

Here's the booster section ...

 

...injecting the epoxy...

 

 ...and a look inside to see the fillets forming nicely.