Astronomy thread/Kìng a teri tanhìyä tìftia

Vawmataw · March 19, 2015, 05:20:13 PM

QuoteI found 108 Messiers by heart without star charts.

This guy deserves a trophy!

QuoteNow I prepare solar filters and next equipment for tomorrow solar eclipse.

Good luck!

Toliman · March 20, 2015, 09:40:51 AM

Today partial solar eclipse succesfully observed

. Weather during eclipse was very good and sky was totally clear.
I observe through my telescope with solar filter. Very well was visibe mountains on Moon edge and very nice was occultation of one bigger sunspot by Moon edge. Arround maximum phase (74%) was good obvious decrease of brightness of the sky and I fell decrease of temperature . And during it I saw Venus by naked eye. Next nice view was reappearance of covered sunspot.
It was very nice.

Vawmataw · March 20, 2015, 09:41:29 AM

Quote from: Toliman on March 20, 2015, 09:40:51 AM
Today partial solar eclipse succesfully observed . Weather during eclipse was very good and sky was totally clear.
I observe through my telescope with solar filter. Very well was visibe mountains on Moon edge and very nice was occultation of one bigger sunspot by Moon edge. Arround maximum phase (74%) was good obvious decrease of brightness of the sky and I fell decrease of temperature . And during it I saw Venus by naked eye. Next nice view was reappearance of covered sunspot.
It was very nice.

And I had to miss this

Toliman · March 20, 2015, 09:48:17 AM

QuoteAnd I had to miss this

It's sad. In time of eclipse, Sun was under horizon in your country.

Vawmataw · March 20, 2015, 09:52:43 AM

Yes

archaic · March 21, 2015, 08:40:57 AM

You should write to Ed Holder, and complain!

Lance R. Casey · March 22, 2015, 02:27:18 PM

Quote from: Toliman on March 20, 2015, 09:40:51 AM
Today partial solar eclipse succesfully observed .

...and photographed:

Vawmataw · March 22, 2015, 02:44:55 PM

Very nice ma Lance!

archaic · March 22, 2015, 06:03:22 PM

Mllte!

`Eylan Ayfalulukanä · March 29, 2015, 12:53:43 AM

Txantsan, ma Lance!

What did you use for a filter and camera for those pictures?

On other subjects:

There was a nice Messier Marathon here Friday evening. But I got called to the zoo to help butcher a cow (Meat on the hoof usually has to be dealt with right away.)

So tonight (Saturday night), our club was supposed to have a Messier Marathon. They called it due to high winds. But it wasn't windy anywhere else. Hmmm.... So, I am trying it at home this evening. The moon seems unusually bright for approximately first quarter, plus there is a persistent haze of clouds (forecast calls for clear skies). It might have something to do with a lunar eclipse happening here in a few days. I'm having some luck, but presently stopped at the Virgo supercluster, as it is behind clouds....

Lance R. Casey · March 29, 2015, 04:40:05 AM

Quote from: `Eylan Ayfalulukanä on March 29, 2015, 12:53:43 AM
What did you use for a filter and camera for those pictures?

Nothing, really. Or, more to the point -- a Canon superzoomer together with a very suitably thin layer of clouds and the windows of this here transportation device:

`Eylan Ayfalulukanä · March 30, 2015, 01:24:58 AM

Txantsan! What were you doing in a snowcat? I have to hitch a ride in one of these, occasionally.

BTW, conditions improved later for the Messier Marathon. Saw 105 out of 110 objects! This was my first full Messier marathon in several years.

Lance R. Casey · March 30, 2015, 06:09:42 AM

Quote from: `Eylan Ayfalulukanä on March 30, 2015, 01:24:58 AM
Txantsan! What were you doing in a snowcat? I have to hitch a ride in one of these, occasionally.

Going to do this (the massif in question is the one in the background in the pic above):

Toppturshelg på Sylarna

`Eylan Ayfalulukanä · March 31, 2015, 03:07:13 AM

Good for you! Usually, there's some broken piece of gear waiting to be fixed at the mountaintop

Did the altitude improve the eclipse view?

`Eylan Ayfalulukanä · April 03, 2015, 05:22:25 PM

There is a lunar eclipse this evening, visible over the Pacific, as well as parts of Asia, Australia and the Americas. This eclipse (weather permitting) will be streamed live from where I work to the world. You can watch it here: http://www.ustream.tv/star-gazers-eclipse If you are lucky, you might even hear me somewhere in the broadcast!

Vawmataw · April 03, 2015, 05:29:07 PM

ssssh! Don't tell that, or else the clouds will come.

Toliman · April 03, 2015, 05:41:12 PM

Quotessssh! Don't tell that, or else the clouds will come.

It's true. Weather can be very malevolent.

From Europe this lunar eclipse is not visible, I must wait to 28th september 2015.

ayeers · April 04, 2015, 08:57:01 PM

sky in hungary is clear and full moon

Toliman · April 05, 2015, 01:06:30 PM

I cleaned primary mirror in my telescope now (ideal activity for Easter

... but it was really needed)

Now I need only good weather...

`Eylan Ayfalulukanä · April 06, 2015, 02:05:33 AM

Although there were clouds off and on before the eclipse, we had clear skies for the entire umbral portion of the eclipse, until the moon set partially eclipsed. The short total eclipse was amazingly dark for such a peripheral eclipse, and I was able to capture a movie of the entire total portion. All in all, it was one of the prettiest eclipses I have ever observed!

Here's an image of the moon just after totality ended

Here's a view with a different set of exposure settings. It shows the contrast between light and dark better:

I aosl experimented with some other astrophotography during the night.
Here's a dramatic picture of the sickle of Leo, with some wispy clouds in the foreground:

Here's a picture of Jupiter with its moons. This was interesting, as when not expanded, it looked like a blurry shot of Jupiter:

I'm still trying to figure out the best way to post the eclipse movie.