Observing Report: Saturn for the First Time this Year

I wanted to get a quick look at Saturn tonight. I put the ‘scope out at 8:30pm and let it cool for about an hour. I went out around 9:30pm. I used Sky Safari Plus on my iPhone and quickly located Saturn next to Spica in the South-western sky. I had my 21mm Baader Hyperion eyepiece in. I was stunned when I saw it for the first time in 2013. I remember the first time I ever saw it last year, and it had almost the same wow factor seeing it again. I popped in my 8mm Baader Hyperion to get a closer view. I was able to make out the Cassini division. For an even closer look I put in my 28mm adjustment ring. I was amazed as I saw the Cassini division and even some textures in the clouds. Despite average seeing, it was one of the most detailed views I’ve ever gotten of the ringed planet.

I did not take this picture

Super Moon 2013 + ISS Passover

Last night was a great night for imaging. The moon was at it's closest point to Earth since 1930. It was only about 221,824 miles away. Like May 2012, I wanted to get another picture of the "Super Moon".

1/1250 sec., ISO 200.

Also, here is a wide-field image with two separate exposures. 1/320 sec. for the moon, 1/2 sec. for the background. Both were shot at 300mm and ISO 200.

Finally, here is the ISS passover at 9:32 p.m.

15 sec., ISO 200. 18mm.

15 sec., ISO 200. 18mm.

The Sun Today

Here's some pictures of the sun today. There were some good spots, hoping they get better as we reach solar maximum.

1/1250, ISO 200.

Observing Report: 2 New Messier's + Solar Images

This is the first observing report of 2013. I haven’t been out a lot this year, this is my longest session, about 45 minutes. I completely forgot about the Messier marathon, and  when I remembered a week later it had been cloudy most of March. I’m hoping to get out a lot more this month, starting with tonight. I went out at 8:15pm, with two new Messier’s on my list; M40 and M94. Transparency and seeing was average, with no cloud cover. However, there is a lot of light pollution. I started the night by adapting my eyes, observing Jupiter and the Orion nebula first. Both were setting in the south-west sky. Then I moved onto M40, a insignificant double star. It is in the constellation Ursa Major, by the Big Dipper. After a little time looking I confirmed it. Not much to see. The highlight of the night was M94, a spiral galaxy in Canes Venatici. I was suprised by the brightness, a small smudge with a bright nucleus. I closed out the night by looking at a few open clusters around Orion and the star Sirius. Overall, tonight was satisfying and can’t wait to get out more. Two new Messier’s make that a total of 59/110.

I also got some solar images earlier today.

1/1250 sec., ISO 200

Cloudy and Busy

It's been cloudy nonstop here for the last month! I missed the Messier marathon and I haven't been out in a while. It's sunny during the day, but there is almost no sun spots to photograph. Hopefully it will clear up soon and I will get out on the first night I can. This is just an update, I'm still very much into astronomy but I've been really busy lately and haven't found the time.

99.4% Waxing Gibbous

Here's tonight's almost full moon. It's a 99.4% Waxing Gibbous. I forgot to set my camera on large mode so the image dimensions are smaller. Also, the messier marathon is about a month away, so I'm starting to think about that.

1/1250 sec., ISO 200

First Night Out In a While

I observed tonight for the first time in a while. Weather and me being busy has kept me in for the past few weeks. I got stunning views of Jupiter, the Moon, Orion Nebula and the Andromeda Galaxy. I got a picture of the waxing crescent moon too.

1/100 sec., ISO 200