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Lion Nebula SH2-132 - RC71

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Posts Made By: Dave Mitsky

April 18, 2006 02:25 PM Forum: Solar System Observing

Tax Day's Filaments, 2006/4/17

Posted By Dave Mitsky
An impressive wave of filaments was visible through my 40mm f/10 Coronado PST on Monday. Here's an afocal photo that I took with a 30mm Celestron Ultima and my Canon EOS Digital Rebel DSLR camera. The four filaments are approaching the leading (left) limb.

There were other filaments that didn't show up in the photos I took along with a few small prominences.

Dave Mitsky

April 18, 2006 02:43 PM Forum: Solar System Observing

Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 C, 2006/4/18 UT

Posted By Dave Mitsky
I finally had the opportunity to observe the C fragment of the periodic comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 on Monday night using the ASH 17" f/15 classical Cassegrain at 162, 202, and 259x and the 5" f/5 finder scope at 32 and 71x. I first saw the eighth magnitude comet fragment at approximately 2:00 UT (10:00 p.m. EDT). Although it was still rather low in the sky and the transparency was mediocre, C was rather easy to see (pun intended). Its coma was somewhat small and a short, fan-shaped tail was visible.

http://www.skyhound.com/sh/comets/73P.gif

Dave Mitsky

April 19, 2006 08:16 AM Forum: Solar System Observing

Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 Fragment B

Posted By Dave Mitsky
A fellow ASH member and I were able to observe Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 Fragment B from the Naylor Observatory last night. I'd already located the C fragment the previous night. After a few minutes of searching with an 18" f/5 Obsession, we tracked down B to the north of Psi Bootis.

Fragment B was rather ghostly looking and was obviously fainter than C, with a well-defined if somewhat dim tail. The ASH 17" f/15 classical Cassegrain provided a good view at 162x. I could see the B fragment through the scope's 5" f/5 finder and a 13mm Ploessl.

Earlier we observed the C fragment through another member's 10" f/10 Meade LX200, the 17" classical Cassegrain, and the 18" Obsession. The C fragment was visible through the Obsession's finder scope, a 66mm Williams Optics refractor.

I had to leave before we could locate the G fragment.

Dave

April 19, 2006 09:40 AM Forum: Solar System Observing

Tuesday's Loop Prominence, 2006/4/18

Posted By Dave Mitsky
There was a fairly nice loop prominence visible yesterday. Here's a meager afocal Canon Digital Rebel shot via a 30mm Celestron Ultima and a Coronado PST.

Dave Mitsky

April 20, 2006 12:37 PM Forum: Deep Sky Observing

Two New Companions

Posted By Dave Mitsky
It seems the Milky Way may have two more satellite galaxies:

http://kencroswell.com/BootesCanesVenaticiDwarfs.html

Dave Mitsky

April 24, 2006 04:33 PM Forum: After Dark

The HST Turns Sweet 16

Posted By Dave Mitsky
Have a look!

http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/newsdesk/archive/releases/2006/14/

Dave Mitsky

April 27, 2006 08:17 AM Forum: Solar System Observing

Fragments B and C, 2006/4/27 UT

Posted By Dave Mitsky
I traveled to the Naylor Observatory again last night to help out with observing portion of the ASH astronomy class. The B fragment was far easier to see through the 17" f/15 classical Cassegrain (162, 202, and 259x) and 5" f/5 finder scope than it had been last Wednesday. Try as I might I couldn't resolve the two pseudonuclei that are present in images since the split that occurred on April 21.

http://www.spaceweather.com/swpod2006/24apr06/james1.jpg

I had a look at the C fragment through the two aforementioned instruments as well as the ASH 110mm f/7.3 TAL Newtonian, a fellow ASH member's 10" f/10 Meade LX200, and the ASH 12.5" f/6.5 Cave Newtonian.

The combined light of the pseudonuclei of fragment B seemed similar in brightness to C's pseudonucleus.

I also viewed the Hyades, M45, the ISS, Mars and M35, Saturn and M44, Jupiter, M104, and Melotte 111 through a fellow ASH member's Oberwork 11x70 binocular and Jupiter and its four Galilean satellites and M104 through the 10" SCT.

Dave Mitsky

May 5, 2006 08:18 AM Forum: Digital SLR AstroPhotography

April's Young Cresent Moon, 2006/4/29 UT

Posted By Dave Mitsky
I took these images of the young crescent Moon using a Canon EOS Digital Rebel DSLR on Friday evening, April 28, at Cherry Springs State Park. The first was done with the stock 18-55mm EF-S zoom lens, the second with an 80-200mm EF-S zoom lens, and the third through my 101mm Tele Vue refractor at prime focus.

Dave Mitsky

May 9, 2006 02:46 PM Forum: Off Topic Discussions

Movin' Out

Posted By Dave Mitsky
I attended the road tour production of Billy Joel and Twyla Tharpe's "Movin' Out" at the historic Hershey Theater on April 30. This show had some of the most impressive dancing I've ever seen, it's really a ballet with a story line loosely based on the characters in some of Joel's songs, and the music, which was performed by a crackerjack band suspended high above the stage, was superb.

If you enjoy musical theater and the music of Billy Joel, "Movin Out" will be right up your alley.

http://gonyc.about.com/cs/broadway/gr/movinout.htm

http://www.broadway.com/gen/show.aspx?SI=19093

Dave Mitsky

May 22, 2006 08:42 AM Forum: Solar System Observing

Have PST, Will Travel

Posted By Dave Mitsky
There was a notable prominence on the Sun's trailing limb yesterday afternoon. I took my 40mm f/10 Coronado PST to my friend Tony Donnangelo's home so he could have a look. Tony, his wife, and I observed the Sun for a bit using my 8-24mm Vixen zoom eyepiece and new 5mm Tele Vue Nagler. I then took a few afocal photographs at approximately 21:00 UT using his Kodak DX3900 digital camera. Here's one of them. The prominence is located at about 4:00 o'clock.

Dave Mitsky

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