Jupiter j2012-08-17_09-47(-02)_rgb

My 2nd of the season, but off to a great start!

Astronomy / Solar System / Jupiter / 2012

Finally Finished Jupiter 2011/2012 Season

A total observation count of 28.  Of which, some were only live streamed on Google+ or not processed because of just terrible seeing.

Rest of season here: https://picasaweb.google.com/108750361778865447048/Jupiter2011

Some highlights include winning the November 2011 Cloudy Nights Imaging Contest Finals: http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/4959350/page/0/view/collapsed/sb/5/o/all/fpart/1

The almost lost ones are here, starting with this nice gem of Io transiting the GRS!

M14 and another for the Messier collection!

I don't know where to keep good, unlimited, full-res photos.  Even Picasa/Google/Plus keep shrinking them down as does Multiply.  Perhaps I need to put the thinking cap on.  Either way, here's one more for the Messier collection.

:)

Mars catchup

Just clearing some backlogs

Comet Garrardd (C/2009-P1) from back in March 2012

1st real light with this camera, my Canon 7D.  Soft focus and not many subs.  Better luck next time, but I think I'm hooked on using a DSLR with my 14" Akule!

Akule's turn DSO

Guiding works well, 7D works well... Galaxy, M90 acquired!

Venus' clouds!

Venus taken on February 26 from 2311 to 2347 UTC in UV.

I wouldn't have ever thought to look but Emil Kraaikamp had found rotations in the clouds of Venus in a short 30-60 min of time. I had some captures laying around from Feb 26 and may have found moment in the following animation of 3 frames: 2309, 2340, and 2346 UT. Look in the lower left hand portion near the 'pole' for a high contrast area that shows the progression of what I think to be a cloud. Venus has been a tough target this year due to weather, work and family but I'm excited for the upcoming transit of Venus over the Sun!

This is an Ir / sG / UV - false color composite:

Click to view full size image

Here's is the 3 frame animation:

Click to view full size image

Thanks!

Mike

Astronomy / Solar System / Saturn / 2012

2nd season with Akule

One of my Best Saturn photos

Only my second of the season if you can believe.  I am still waiting on good or even above average seeing.  It was extra special to share this view in color on our Virtual Star Party seen here via Universe Today: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sskgPHsoOGs

Click image for full resolution:

Rest of the season here:

http://maphilli14.multiply.com/photos/album/204

ENJOY!

Mike

M78 DSO Catch up

A few things to note.  I have a 65 lbs scope mounted on a CGE and I can guide and DSO image!  More on that in the future.  Here's quick test.

Secondly I have a new noise filter to play with thanks to Chris Go's advice, Topaz Denoise!

Enjoy!

Mike

Mars 20120208

I think this is my 1st post of Mars this apparation that I'm proud of! Only my 3rd of the season. Weather was avg to just above avg, I ranked it 3+ of 5. Right now I'll take what I can get, but Mars peaks at such a late / funny hour I loose soooo much sleep....

anyway, TIA and enjoy!

Mike

Asteroids Eros and Tyche

Yes a two for!

I was attempting to catch Eros, which is a Mars-crosser asteroid, and the first known to come within the orbit of Mars.  Eros was also the first asteroid to be orbited by a probe, NEAR Shoemaker. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NEAR_Shoemaker)

Fighting rain, clouds and bad seeing I missed closest approach by a few days. I also found I didn't know how to find the proper ephemeris.  This did cause me to miss imaging Eros the 1st time out.  That ended up ok, as I learned a lot about asteroid hunting and found a 2nd named asteroid, Tyche lurking right nearby!  Pleasant surprise!

So, the good stuff.   The following 17 sub-exposures of 2minutes each are taken on February 2nd, 2012 from 0528 to 0602 UT.

*WARNING* I didn't get perfect darks and there are some hot pixels drifting, but they're pixel sized, whereas the stars and asteroids are not.  The stars are bloated and oversized due to slag in focus over the capture period, bad seeing, surface winds knocking the mount, overexposure and some coma in the optics of my Newt.

Look for two 'streaks' in this 34minute stack.

Labeled view with Eros near the large arrow on the left and Tyche in the lower right. (Click for larger view 40% original sized)

Click here for the mouse over finder chart

Close up of Eros' motion

And Tyche, which is a mere 13.2mag and 40km in size.

Mouse over charts from Stellarium:

Here's a link to the larger, 67% size version 

Some things I learned:

 - How to use edit Stellarium database with new objects

 - How to lookup information in the MPC (http://minorplanetcenter.net/iau/MPEph/MPEph.html) by object, date and time

 - How to lookup a random area of the sky to find out what known objects are there in the MPC database (http://scully.cfa.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/checkmp.cgi)

 - I also found some discrepancies between the MINOR PLANET CENTER ORBIT DATABASE (MPCORB) orbital elements for #Eros located here (http://www.stellarium.org/wiki/index.php/Solar_System_Objects) Don't seem to agree with the +MPC listing here:http://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/MPEph/MPEph.html 

 - A program called Astrometrica can perform field plots for Asteroid ephermis discovery and measurements.   Thanks Dr. Pamela Gay!

Things I want to learn more about:

 - How to use Astrometrica to do what it's supposed to do.

 - Contribute my own observations to the community.

 - My 14" F/4.5 Newtonian scope has fairly noticeable coma that I'd like to understand more.

 - I may have  a budding asteroid hunting fever and may want to learn more about search strategies!

Thanks,

Mike

1st Mars of 2012

From 20120125 at 0600UT

Reprocessed using AutoStakkert2 Beta

and for comparison, the Registax version