Parker Solar Probe on its way

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins APL/Ed Whitman High-Res Image

Hours before the rise of the very star it will study, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe launched from Florida Sunday, Aug. 12 to begin its journey to the Sun, where it will undertake a landmark mission. The spacecraft will transmit its first science observations in December, beginning a revolution in our understanding of the star that makes life on Earth possible.

For the complete story of this remarkable project head on over to APL.

Some New Images

It's been a really poor year for astrophotography - very few clear nights, and when I get them, I'm busy doing other work. In the summer its harder because you only get 5.5 hours of darkness (which starts at 10:30PM making imaging on weeknights tough). But here are a few more photos I've taken recently.

M17 - Omega Nebula - July 9, 2018
EdgeHD11 w/Hyperstar  f/2
QHY10 - 120x90sec at -20C

First up is the Omega nebula. The Omega Nebula, also known as the Swan Nebula, Checkmark Nebula, and the Horseshoe Nebula (catalogued as Messier 17 or M17 or NGC 6618) is an H II region in the constellation Sagittarius. It is between 5,000 and 6,000 light-years from Earth and it spans some 15 light-years in diameter. The cloud of interstellar matter of which this nebula is a part is roughly 40 light-years in diameter and has a mass of 30,000 solar masses. The total mass of the Omega Nebula is an estimated 800 solar masses.

First Quarter Moon - July 19, 2018
William Optics GT102 f/5.6
ASI1600mm Pro - 250 frames stacked

Next is our moon, ol'Luna, at the 1st quarter phase. This one got me "Top Pick" on Astrobin.com where I host all my astrophotos.

Comet 21/P - July 8, 2018
EdgeHD11 w/Hyperstar f/2
QHY10 - 30x90sec at -20C

Last is a periodic comet, 21P/Giacobini-Zinner, which I got just recently. This comet will be brightening in the next few weeks, so as long as the skies cooperate I'll attempt better captures.