Blog Archives - My Stardust Observatory

~ The (Ha) Sun with active prominences, filaments and sunspots ~

6/28/2024

With the (Ha) solar scope there was a lovely arch prominence firing away on the lower eastern limb of the Sun late this afternoon with quite a few wispy prominences all around the whole solar limb.

In the little white light refractor telescope you could see a completely different view with lots of small sunspots sprinkled across the solar surface. Sunspot AR 3727 & AR 3719 that are at opposite sides of the Sun look like twins as they are the same size and shape as one another…. quite surprising to see two sunspots that look so alike!

The white light image was taken with Orion 80mm refractor telescope with glass solar filter attached and a Canon 700D camera plus 2x Barlow lens. The Ha images were taken with a Lunt 60mm solar telescope and a Canon 700D camera with a 2x Barlow lens.

~ The Sun sprinkled with many sunspots of the 28th June 2024 ~

~ Imaging equipment (Ha) Lunt solar telescope & Orion 80mm refractor with Canon 700D plus 2x barlow lens ~

~ Stardust ‘Out of this World’ event Runaway Bay Library ~

6/28/2024

Runaway Bay Library, Lae Drive, Runaway Bay, 4216.
27th June 2024 from 4pm – 5pm (6 to 12 year old)

Image Credit: Gold Coast Libraries

Thank you to the librarians at the Runaway Bay Library for providing a safe and happy place for me to present our ‘Out of this World’ astronomy event.

The Stardust kids heard and learnt all about the exploration of our Solar System and how NASA is preparing with the Artemis mission for mankind to go back to the Moon.

We are not only just going back to the Moon for a visit but to set up a lunar base for future missions to explore the planet Mars…Wow, this is amazing stuff!

TO find out more about the Artemis mission and the future missions to Mars please go to the links below at:
https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/artemis/
https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/artemis/#Mars

My Astro Links page has many more links for you to discover the universe at:
https://www.mystardustobservatory.com/astro-links.html

~ Large Sunspots AR3712, 3713 & 3716 on western limb of Sun ~

6/23/2024

~ Large Sunspots AR3712, 3713 & 3716 on western limb of Sun 23rd June 2024 ~

Those three large sunspot groups have now rotated toward the western limb of the Sun. There was a lot of cloud late this afternoon and I just managed to get these images with the little refractor telescope, by the time I got the Lunt (Ha) telescope set up the sky had completely clouded out!

Oh dear, I did see some great activity on the surface of the Sun in (Ha) but was not quick enough to capture it!

The white light images of the Sun was taken with a small Orion 80mm refractor telescope and a Canon 700D camera plus 2x Barlow lens, exposures were 1/500th second and ISO200, 25 images captured and stacked in RegiStax6 processed in PS.

~ Starry Starry Night with Savvy Seniors at Helensvale Library ~

6/21/2024

~ Starry Starry Night with Savvy Seniors at Helensvale Library ~
21st June 2024 from 10.30 to 11.30 am

Helensvale Library
62 Sir John Overall Drive
Helensvale 4212

Presented by Noeleen Lowndes from the Southern Astronomical Society.

On Friday the 21st June, I had a lovely morning with the Savvy Seniors at the Helensvale Library giving them an Astronomy and Space presentation.

I’m pretty sure everyone will get their star charts and planetary Apps out over the next month and see what they can find in the night sky.

Thank you to Cathie the Helensvale librarian for inviting me to share my love of the night sky with your patrons :-)

To help you on your way in discovering the Cosmo please go to my Astro Links page at: https://www.mystardustobservatory.com/astro-links.html

FREE Star Charts at Sky Maps.com
*** Please check your latitude and download the current Sky Map ***
(e.g. I’m in the Southern Hemisphere so that is the star chart I download)
https://www.skymaps.com/downloads.html

The planetary Apps to find your way around the night sky are:
Sky Chart and Stellarium download both Apps for Free from the App store.

To find out more about this very friendly group of people
please see the details below with the link to the Gold Coast Libraries website.

https://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/libraries/Whats-on/Savvy-Seniors-858613695677
NOTE: No need to book, just drop by on the third Friday of each month and enjoy!

~ Sun with large sunspots & Moon on the 19th June 2024 ~

6/19/2024

Three Large Sunspot AR3712, AR3713 & AR3716
on surface of Sun on the 19th June 2024

The sun looked awesome late this afternoon with those three large sunspot groups on the surface of the Sun, AR3712 is looking huge!
Looking through the Lunt (Ha) solar telescope you could see solar activity around each sunspot area.

After taking pictures of the Sun I looked around and saw a beautiful waxing gibbous in the eastern sky and took a couple of images once it got dark.

The white light images of the Sun & Moon were taken with a small Orion 80mm refractor telescope and a Canon 700D camera plus 2x Barlow lens. The Ha images taken with a Lunt 60mm solar telescope and a Canon 700D camera with a 2x Barlow lens.

~ Image of the Moon taken with small 80mm refractor telescope and Canon 700D camera with 2x balow lens ~

~ Yay! I’m finally unpacking my new ZWO Seestar S50 telescope ~

6/18/2024

I cannot believe that I’ve left this little telescope in the box since Christmas time, but after going along to our last club meeting at SAS, and seeing all the wonderful images that some members have taken,
I finally decided to get it out of the box :-)

I’ve got so used to using my solar setups that I didn’t think it would be up to much, I’m particularly interesting in using it to take white light images of the Sun and having the solar filter included in a real bonus!

Anyway, after getting it outside and playing around with it for quite a while I couldn’t even get it to find the Sun! Oops must be doing something wrong will get back to you soon….

It’s going to be interesting to compare the two solar setups when I get it working properly :-)

~ Huge Sunspot AR3712 on surface of Sun 17th June 2024 ~

6/17/2024

~ Orion 80mm telescope ~

By late this afternoon new sunspot group AR3712 had grown even larger on the surface of the Sun. The other sunspot AR3716 also appears to be getting bigger and is an interesting shape. There were a couple of active prominences around the limb and a dark filament on the solar surface as seen in the (Ha) solar telescope.

We are now having some beautiful clear sunny days, perfect for solar observing :-)

The white light image was taken with Orion 80mm refractor telescope with glass solar filter attached and a Canon 700D camera plus 2x Barlow lens, exposures were 1/500th sec and ISO200.

The Ha images taken with a Lunt 60mm solar telescope and a Canon 700D camera with a 2x Barlow lens, this is a composite image with one set of images for disc (exposures 1/320th sec and ISO200) and one set for faint prominences (exposures 1/20th sec and ISO200).

Beautiful Pink coloured Skies at Sunset & Sunrise 'Keep Looking up' : - )

6/12/2024

~ Stunning sunset colours ~

For the past few days we have had the most glorious sunrises and sunsets, with stunning pink and crimson colours.

There has also been a lot of activity with large bands of wave clouds quickly moving across our daytime sky,
at times, I've just had to stop the car to take pictures :-)

All these images were taken with just an iPhone as I was out and about in the car
from the 9th June until the 12th June 2024.

Keep looking up; you never know what you’ll find : - )

Stardust ‘Out of this World’ at Runaway Bay Library 27th June 4-5pm

6/2/2024

~ Stardust ‘Out of this World’ ~

Runaway Bay Library, Lae Drive, Runaway Bay, 4216.
27th June 2024 from 4pm – 5pm (6 to 12 year old)

Image Credit: Gold Coast Libraries

Come with us on an educational adventure through the solar system!

NASA spacecrafts have visited every planet in our Solar System, now we are going back to the Moon to set up a lunar base in preparation for us to live on Mars… Wow!

Come to the library to hear about mankind’s next space adventure, presented by Noeleen Lowndes
Astronomy & Space educator from the Southern Astronomical Society.

Contact: Gold Coast Libraries
07 5667 5940