2014 Solar System in Review

I can sit and complain about clouds being so bad this year all I want, but the fact of the matter is 2014 was a great year and I'm blessed to spend it with my friends and family!

Spanning from January 4th to December 30th (Never give up!), all photos are mine, including the Earth and all taken within the calendar year of 2014.

While last year was the year of the comet with 4, this was the year of the asteroid for me with over 12.  I say over 12 because as I learned to hunt these tiny and faint things amidst the stars I found some images of poor quality and sometimes iffy results.


Here's the high resolution version on imgur as google shrinks it.

Here's the high res version with labels on imgur

Sun - 20141021

Sunspot map from the same day: http://www.spaceweather.com/images2014/21oct14/hmi1898.gif?PHPSESSID=117sfv869vda0snais43gtol01

My other solar photos here

Solar

Earth via my amateur nature collection

Nature

Nature

Nature

Lunar Eclipse - 20141008

Lunar Eclipse 2014

Mars - 20140327

This image was featured on the Spaceweather!

Mars 2013-2014

Asteroids and minor planets

This year was the year of the asteroid as I got my MPC site designation by observing 3 asteroids in one field of view over 3 nights!

http://astromaphilli14.blogspot.com/2014/06/asteroid-trifecta-with-animation.html

My work in progress table

Asteroids

Jupiter - 20140104

This image was Published in Sky & Telescope April 2014

Jupiter 2013

Saturn - 20140508

Saturn 2014

Uranus - 20141112

I also made a moon animation! http://astromaphilli14.blogspot.com/2014/09/uranus-and-5-moon-animation.html

Solar System - Uranus - All years

Neptune - 20140827

Neptune All Years

MISSING from 2014 are:

Mercury

1-Mercury

Venus

Astronomy / Solar System / Venus / All years

Pluto

Pluto - All years

Finally

If you enjoyed this post please check out my other work on my homepage:
http://maphilli14.webs.com/

Also check out previous years 'best of':
http://maphilli14.webs.com/solarsystemreviews.htm


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Asteroid Trifecta with animation.

I've got the bug, the bug of observing minor planets.  I think it started with the pass of Eros in 2012 (http://astromaphilli14.blogspot.com/2012/02/asteroids-eros-and-tyche.html)  When treating my images I found another little drifter, faintly moving through . I was hooked!  I thought I had discovered something. Turned out the classic case of what's new to me was something already discovered in 1886 but whatever. In learning more since then I've struggled with getting the hang of things. After upgrading from a DSLR to a CCD I found myself reinvigorated. With some recent clear skies and a bit more patience and some growing discipline I have observed this group of three asteroids; (1530) Rantaseppa, (4478) Blanco, and (4687) Brunsandrej. All within the same FOV for my scope and camera of 37.5 x 28.3 arcmin.  Then in an effort to get a +Minor Planet Center designation I found them again a few days later, all still 'apparently' together.

Using Astrometrica to measure position and magnitude you will see the number designation followed by the magnitude in parentheses.

NOTE there are MANY other asteroids in this fov as there are most, but my 2min subs in the 14" didn't quite make out the fainter, say mag18-20+ objects.  Not yet!

Night one - 20140221

Full field

(1530) Rantaseppa

(4478) Blanco

(4687) Brunsandrej

Boring! it was fun to see, but on Night 2

Night TWO - 20140224

In this video you will see an animation of the three asteroids moving over the course of 23:27 to 23:45 EDT or just 17 minutes of movement!

Easiest to click the direct YouTube link and make fullscreen HD (http://youtu.be/rpSW-wN1NS4)