The Astronomy hobby thread

[Eric Hahl]

Originally Posted by flatbutt

Me too but I hate hernias.

Indeed!

[flatbutt]

Hey Eric, are you set up for solar?

https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/eclipses/2023/oct-14-annular/where-when/

[Eric Hahl]

Originally Posted by flatbutt

Hey Eric, are you set up for solar?

https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/eclipses/2023/oct-14-annular/where-when/

Yes, I have a white light solar filter. Hopefully the skies are clear.
Here's some shots from the last eclipse.

[flatbutt]

Comet Nishimura animation. No not mine.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1697869128449528129

[doug_porsche]

Just an FYI.
NASA will be at the Albuquerque International Balloon Festival during the Eclipse.

https://www.krqe.com/news/balloon-fiesta/nasa-will-be-at-2023-balloon-fiesta-during-annular-solar-eclipse/

[flatbutt]

An Einstein Cross!!

https://www.space.com/cosmic-wildflower-eso-very-large-telescope-photo

[flatbutt]

[Rusty Heap]

Gravitational Lensing is hard to get your mind around, that gravity can bend light.

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by Rusty Heap

Gravitational Lensing is hard to get your mind around, that gravity can bend light.

I hear you but since light is both a wave and a particle....yeah ...hard to get my mind around too.

[Pazuzu]

What is wild is the Predicted Supernova.

A supernova happened in a lensed galaxy. We saw it in one galaxy. Then, we saw the same supernova in a SECOND galaxy. We were seeing the exact same galaxy, and the exact same supernova, but the light path was distorted such that it was lensed 2 different times, and the light travel time was significantly different. Turns out there was a THIRD galaxy that might have been the same one lensed again, so they predicted that we should see the supernova a THIRD time, and then a FORTH time in the future!

And we did see it a third time.

It's been named Requiem, since it keeps honoring the death of itself.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Rusty Heap

Gravitational Lensing is hard to get your mind around, that gravity can bend light.

Originally Posted by flatbutt

I hear you but since light is both a wave and a particle....yeah ...hard to get my mind around too.

And we all know about black holes, so much gravity that light can't escape.

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by Pazuzu

What is wild is the Predicted Supernova.

A supernova happened in a lensed galaxy. We saw it in one galaxy. Then, we saw the same supernova in a SECOND galaxy. We were seeing the exact same galaxy, and the exact same supernova, but the light path was distorted such that it was lensed 2 different times, and the light travel time was significantly different. Turns out there was a THIRD galaxy that might have been the same one lensed again, so they predicted that we should see the supernova a THIRD time, and then a FORTH time in the future!

And we did see it a third time.

It's been named Requiem, since it keeps honoring the death of itself.

Such lensing could explain why we see so many galaxies. Yes, there are more than one can count but it may be that a percentage of the objects that we're seeing are duplicates due to lensing.

Fascinating.

[flatbutt]

Osiris Rex supposed to land in Utah this weekend. Some serious math involved in this mission!

https://www.nasa.gov/osiris-rex

[Eric Hahl]

A couple more shots from recent weekends.

6 hours of total exposure utilizing 2 minute sub exposures on the Lions Head nebula in Cepheus.
Lots of stars and hard to process this one. Will have to revisit it someday.


I managed to collect 10.8 hours of exposure over two nights on IC1396.

[flatbutt]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/astronomers-worry-about-bright-object-in-night-sky/ar-AA1hzL9F?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=b560347fe53546b895985c3ae17467c8&ei=14

[Eric Hahl]

^
From an Astro-photographers viewpoint I never understood the problem with the above. The Satellite only ruins one photo of the stack of photos, usually counted in the hundreds. The software used to create astro photos can easily remove the outliers yet day in and day out we hear about satellite's ruining photos. Every one of the photos I've posted in this thread probably has an average of 10 or more satellite's streaking through them. Can you see any?

[flatbutt]

It's more than that for me Eric. I consider it to be the pollution of our sky. It's not as bad as LEDs being on all night in my neighborhood and I know I'm probably in the minority but that's mt PoV.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Eric Hahl

^
From an Astro-photographers viewpoint I never understood the problem with the above. The Satellite only ruins one photo of the stack of photos, usually counted in the hundreds. The software used to create astro photos can easily remove the outliers yet day in and day out we hear about satellite's ruining photos. Every one of the photos I've posted in this thread probably has an average of 10 or more satellite's streaking through them. Can you see any?

Exactly. I think it's mostly a pointless complaint, at least if the complaint is that it harms astronomy or AP. I've had satellites shoot past something that I was viewing. Other than very occasionally (especially since Iridiums were mothballed) seeing a flare shortly after dark or before dawn, they aren't big enough or bright enough to cause a problem with viewing.

The only way that they could be a problem for AP was if someone was shooting with film, and I can't imagine that happens much these days.

Originally Posted by flatbutt

It's more than that for me Eric. I consider it to be the pollution of our sky. It's not as bad as LEDs being on all night in my neighborhood and I know I'm probably in the minority but that's mt PoV.

Yep, pollution, relatively non-impactful. When we moved in, I think our power bill included a $25/mo charge for a light on the pole in our yard. I called the power company and asked if I could have the light disabled/removed/disconnected. They disconnected it. I'd rather have the ability to turn a light on/off when I want it on or off. We have a metal halide light that was here when we got here. I ran it at night for several months. It attracted all sorts of interesting insects (Luna moths, dobson flies, etc...), and on multiple occasions I used to see an opossum with a bad leg having a feast under the light at night when the bugs were in full-force. But I got a notification about trying to cut down on light pollution in the spring and fall during the times that birds are migrating. I turned the light out, and haven't ever turned it back on. I am happy for it to be dark, and on the occasions that I go outside for any reason, it's great to see fireflies, shooting stars, the milkyway, etc....

[Pazuzu]

Originally Posted by Eric Hahl

^
From an Astro-photographers viewpoint I never understood the problem with the above. The Satellite only ruins one photo of the stack of photos, usually counted in the hundreds. The software used to create astro photos can easily remove the outliers yet day in and day out we hear about satellite's ruining photos. Every one of the photos I've posted in this thread probably has an average of 10 or more satellite's streaking through them. Can you see any?

You're not an astronomer.

Meaning, every second of time that an astronomer has under dark skies at a research telescope is valuable. They wait months or years for their 1, 2, *maybe* 3 nights at a scope, and every minute of dark time is accounted for. 10% of the images having a satellite flare across it would ruin a years worth of planning and grant funding.

Also, BIG scopes with BIG cameras are far more sensitive than your astro-rig, obviously. You might take 13 hours of one location, 5 minutes at a time and toss the bad 10%. They might take 10 minute exposures at 100 different locations in a night, so any that have a satellite might be an entire data point ruined.

Research imaging is a very different beast than astro-imaging. Variable stars, spectroscopy, occultations, all imaging runs that cannot afford to have a satellite scream across the chip flaring the CCD.

[Eric Hahl]

^
Never said I was an astronomer. Welcome to the 21 century folks, it ain't gonna get any less satellites. Wish I'd be here long enough to see city lights on the unlit side of the moon.