I discovered this lovely place last weekend on the east coast of Reunion Island. It was evident that I had to go back at night, despite the 30-minute walk through the forest to access the site. Unfortunately, the weather was not very favorable ... Arrived around 21h on the spot, I waited patiently hoping for a thinning ... which finally arrived around midnight. 10 minutes, no more, to take this shot.
Then it was the moonrise at 0:30 that allowed me to realize this shot. Our little rock reflects the first rays light from our natural satellite.
Re: Submissions: 2013 May
Posted: Sun May 05, 2013 3:53 pm
by staigerman
Seeing Sunspots thanks to California Fires?
I think I saw sunspot group 1734 by accident, taking a picture during sunset at Venice Beach, California, May 3rd Friday evening, the sky was a bit misty/foggy and visibility reduced by dust and smoke particles from the nearby Camarillo fires. See attached image. I only just realized this must be a sunspot group while reviewing the pictures. Based on spaceweather.com it looks like it could be #1734
Light from singly-ionized calcium ions in the Sun's upper photosphere and chromosphere (up to 2000 km altitude). Because the blue Calcium K Line (393.3 nm) is sensitive to magnetic fields, magnetically active structures show up in high contrast against the surrounding chromosphere. Places where moderate magnetic fields exist show up bright whereas images of high magnetic fields are dark.
In this CaK image, you typically see brightness along the edges of large convection cells called supergranules and in areas called plages. Dark sunspots are also visible.
Spots on the sun are areas of high magnetic field which appear dark to their surroundings (5,800K) due to their cooler temperature of around 3000-3500K. Spots consist of a dark central region (umbra) and are surrounded by an annular region of dark and bright filaments called the penumbra. Within a developing active region (sunspot
group) tiny spots form initially without a developed penumbra and are called pores. These are usually relatively short lived or can develop a penumbra and become a fully developed spot.
The chromosphere is a place of high solar activity. In the course of a few minutes we can observe changes in the ejecta and prominences, in the path of the filaments, and as matter flows following very characteristic arches. Chromosphere is also visible in the light emitted by the ionized calcium, in the violet part of the solar spectrum in a wavelength of 393.4 nm. This light comes from calcium atoms that have lost an electron.
1. Place the image in the center of the screen.
2. Position yourself at a normal distance from the monitor.
3. Now cross your eyes slowly.
4. Now make the two central circles overlap in one.
5. When you've got, focuses the central image while keeping the two overlapping images.
6. You will see that the Sun in three dimensions.
Light from singly-ionized calcium ions in the Sun's upper photosphere and chromosphere (up to 2000 km altitude). Because the blue Calcium K Line (393.3 nm) is sensitive to magnetic fields, magnetically active structures show up in high contrast against the surrounding chromosphere. Places where moderate magnetic fields exist show up bright whereas images of high magnetic fields are dark.
In this CaK image, you typically see brightness along the edges of large convection cells called supergranules and in areas called plages. Dark sunspots are also visible.
Re: Submissions: 2013 May
Posted: Sun May 05, 2013 11:02 pm
by Sergio
IC 4628 in Scorpius (aka Gum 56)
Greetings !!
An impressive arc shaped rim of HII structure located in Scorpius tail and known as the Prawn Nebula. The center portion of the nebula is very bright and it seems there is a faint reflection component embedding it. Bright stars are part of Open Cluster named Trumpler 24 which shines at magnitude 8.6 and spans over 60 arc minutes representing approximately 250 light years across.
More information and high resolution view in the following link
40 minutes of exposure time on the summit of Mauna Kea. Keck II was using the laser adaptive optics system. From left to right are the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope, Subaru, Keck I and II, Caltech Submillimeter Observatory, and NASA Infrared Telescope Facility.
Copyright: Kamila Mazurkiewicz
05.05.2013, Poland
I don't know what to say... Heart attack! For me it is a moment that stunned my mouth...
Sky-Watcher 1200/200, Canon 20D, ISO 100, 1/6000 s.
Copyright: Kamila Mazurkiewicz
17.04.2013, Poland
The photo depicts a black cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo), a loner, sitting quietly on a withered branch.
The sound of birds, the sight of dead trees in the backwaters of the Wisla river--I savor the taste of spring.
Kind regards,
Kamila
Re: Submissions: 2013 May
Posted: Mon May 06, 2013 4:40 pm
by geomorph
M100 Neighborhood, taken with a homemade astrograph from my backyard observatory in Northern Utah.
For a description and other versions of this object, visit the link below.
Bolid from eta aquarids meteor shower crossing the sky from left to
right, apparently above the center of the Milky Way while displaying
an impressive range of colors due to air ionization.
Photographed today at 4:30 AM local time in Formentera island.
(c) Manel Soria - http://www.frikosal.net
Iridescence is caused by parallel ice crystals driven in a common direction by high speed winds aloft. The tailings have to be thin enough that ice crystals all align in the same direction.
L- 3x20min, 6x30min bin 1x1 (4h)
RGB- 6x10min/each bin 2x2 (3h)
Ha-3x30min bin 1x1 (1.5h)
Saturn, MoonsEnceladus,Dione,Tethys
Posted: Tue May 07, 2013 7:36 pm
by Efrain Morales
Saturn on May 6th, 02:54ut. Under above average conditions. Also in view three principal moons Enceladus top Left of the rings and Dione top right and Tethys just below of it. Hexagon pole shows well here also.
A light over the sea called Jupiter
Posted: Tue May 07, 2013 9:13 pm
by Maria Rosa Vila
On May 4 in the Formentera island, Spain
Copyright: Maria Rosa Vila
