My Stardust Observatory
  • Home
  • Introduction
  • Astro Blog
  • Education
    • NASA's Saturn Observation Campaign
    • Stardust Astronomy Club
  • Space Lego
  • Astro Links
  • Astro Events
  • Contact Me

~ Large sunspot group AR 4115 on surface of Sun 16th June 2025 ~

6/16/2025

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
There is another large sunspot group on the solar surface that is very active and will most likely produce a CME in the next couple of days.
 
While taking my images high cloud came across the sky and produced a lovely solar halo around the Sun, I took these images through a thin layer of cloud.
 
Images taken with a Seestar S50 telescope with the attached solar filter at 1x and 2x magnification, 20 images captured which were stacked in RegiStax6 and processed in PS.

Picture
0 Comments

~ Cyclone Alfred bears down on QLD coast 7th & 8th March 2025 ~

3/8/2025

0 Comments

 
Picture
We had been watching this cyclone for the past week as it travelled out at sea off the coast of Queensland as a Category 2 cyclone! Then on the 7th of March, Cyclone Alfred turned toward the coastline near the Gold Coast. We were right in the firing line, with the southern trailing arms of the storm producing winds at over 130km hour, it hit our coastline during the night of the 8th, the house was shaking and the wind sounded like a freight train! Oh My!!!
 
The last time the Gold Coast got a direct hit from a cyclone was over fifty years ago so we were very lucky indeed that it crossed just north of us near Morton Island and was downgraded to a Category 1 as it crossed over the islands to the north of us…Wow the power of nature, it’s so mighty :-o
 
Picture
Credit: Screenshot 6pm 9 News 7th March 2025 ~
0 Comments

~ Wow! Comet ATLAS (C/2024 G3) in western sky at Mt Tamborine ~

1/21/2025

0 Comments

 
Picture
We were not expecting that!
 
I grabbed my husband and camera and raced up to the top of Mt Tamborine to try and see if we could see the comet…. and Wow, I spotted the comets tail still in the very light twilight sky, which was amazing. As it got a little darker it came out in all its glory :-D
 
It was a bit smoggy from a bush fire low on the horizon, and I think that’s why the coma area of the comet was glowing a golden colour.
 
Images were taken between 7.30 – 8pm 20th January 2025, with a Canon 70D camera and Tamron 18-40mm lens on a tripod with exposures from a couple of seconds up to 30 seconds; ISO was from 200 to 1600.
Picture
0 Comments

~ Spectacular crepuscular rays at dawn (4.30am) 30th December 2024 ~

12/30/2024

0 Comments

 
Picture
I woke up very early this morning and looked out my bedroom window and Wow!

The eastern sky was just stunning; the dawn colours were amazing with beautiful crepuscular rays of light right up the horizon… I was off and running to grab my camera, what a way to start the day :-D

​ Image was taken with a Canon G7x M11 camera with manual focus, ISO 125 1/80th second exposure.
0 Comments

Early morning Rainbow after thunderstorm (6.40am) 23rd November 2024

11/23/2024

0 Comments

 
Picture
I just love it when we have an early morning thunderstorm, I raced outside with my camera when the Sun peeked out in the eastern sky to see what was happening in the west, and there it was!
A beautiful rainbow to light up my day :-)
 
Image was taken with a Canon 70D camera and Tamron 18-400mm lens with settings at 1/350th second and ISO200.
Picture
0 Comments

~ Incredible Mammatus Clouds before a severe thunderstorm ~

11/5/2024

0 Comments

 
Picture
~ Incredible looking storm clouds (Mammatus Clouds) ~
 
Oh Wow, this is what the sky looked like before the thunderstorm hit, how incredible are these clouds they looks so ferocious!!!
 
Mammatus clouds get their name from the cellular pattern of pouches hanging underneath the base of the cloud and are usually associated with severe thunderstorms.
 
We have been having thunderstorms nearly every afternoon at the moment but its been a long time since I’ve seen these amazing clouds…this time we didn’t get hail thank goodness, just a lot of heavy rain, thunder and lightning.
 
Images were just taken with my iPhone as the storm was approaching very quickly and I worry about getting hit with lightning!!!!
 
Some more information on these Mammatus Clouds at:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mammatus_cloud
 
https://www.antarctica.gov.au/news/2020/mammatus-cloud-show-captured-by-lucky-scientists/
Picture
​For an excellent High Resolution cloud chart please go to NOAA site at:
https://www.noaa.gov/jetstream/clouds/nws-cloud-chart
Picture
0 Comments

Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) on Mt Tamborine (Full Moon sky)

10/17/2024

0 Comments

 
Picture
We have had thunderstorms nearly every afternoon since the comet started its journey outward having survived its touch with the Sun.  My husband and I raced up to Mt Tamborine west of the Gold Coast to get a clearer view of the western sky.
 
To my dismay there was a lot of smoke in the sky, it did make for a beautiful coloured sunset photo but for any chance of seeing the comet, well we would just have to wait and see!
 
I took some test shots with the camera and at 6.40pm you could just make out the comet low in the western sky, fantastic! Also, by this time the full Moon was now coming up in the opposite direction - Oh dear :-o  - Oh well - I did the best I could; the main thing was I got the Comet…Yay!
 
I really think if there had not been smoke and light from the Moon then the Comet would have looked truly spectacular.
 
My Images were taken with a Canon 70D camera and 18-400 Tamron lens on a tripod with numerous exposure settings from 2 seconds to 4 second and ISO from 400 to 3200.
Picture
0 Comments

~ Huge tail Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS (C/2023 A3) at dawn (4:22am) 7th October 2024 ~

10/7/2024

0 Comments

 
Picture
After a whole night of observing in my observatory, I opened the door and looked to the east at the pretty dawn sky and saw a very faint smudge; I asked myself could that be the comets tail?
 
All I had with me was my little Canon G7x Mark 11 point and shoot camera so I rested it on the car bonnet and took some images…Wow, yes there it was!
 
To my delight you could clearly make out this huge faint gas tail going right up the horizon, I just wish I had come out earlier and taken some images, but that’s all right I’ve managed to capture it anyway :-)
 
This Canon camera is just amazing for night-time shots, because its lens goes down to F1.8; the settings for these photos were 5-second exposures and ISO3200. I always use manual focus for infinity that way the stars are in focus.
 
I’m at my dark sky site at my Stardust Observatory in Leyburn, QLD, Australia.
Picture
0 Comments

~ Wow! Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS (C/2023 A3) at dawn in Australia

10/1/2024

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture


​~ Wow! Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS (C/2023 A3) at dawn (4:32am) in Australia on the 1st October 2024 ~
 
Wow, I could not believe my eyes when I went outside at 4.30am and saw the comet naked eye low in the eastern sky, it was as clear as could be; it was so exciting!
 
I had to work very quickly as dawn light was approaching, in the end I really had only about 6 minutes to work with but I’m so thrilled to have captured it…Woohoo!
 
My images were taken with a Canon 70D camera and a Tamron 18-400mm lens, exposure time was 6 second with ISO800 and they are only one-shot images.

Time of images from 4.32 to 4.38am, after that, the sky was just too light :-D

Picture
Picture
Credit: Star Chart from Stellarium App
0 Comments

~ Beautiful double rainbow in the sky this afternoon ~

9/28/2024

0 Comments

 
Picture
PictureRainbow Principles: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rainbow_principle.svg
I had to hurry home to get some photos of this vibrate coloured rainbow late this afternoon…it was very pretty :-)
 
Images were taken with just my iPhone on automatic.
 
Information from the UK Met Office website at:
https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/learn-about/weather/optical-effects/rainbows/double-rainbows
 
How are double rainbows formed?
Double rainbows are formed when sunlight is reflected twice within a raindrop with the violet light that reaches the observer's eye coming from the higher raindrops and the red light from lower raindrops.
This means the sequence of colours is inverted compared to the primary rainbow, with the secondary bow appearing about 10 degrees above the primary bow.
 
Rainbows are refracted and reflected sunlight and are complicated:
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/atmos/rbowpath.html
 
Rainbow Principles:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rainbow_principle.svg
​

https://old.atoptics.co.uk/rainbows/sec.htm
 
Now that was the science behind rainbows, but really, they are just a beautiful thing to see :-D

Picture
0 Comments
<<Previous

    Author

    I just love being under the heavens, come on a journey with me and I’ll share some of the amazing wonders of the Universe with you. Noeleen :-)

    Picture

    Archives

    July 2025
    June 2025
    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    November 2012
    October 2012

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    Annular Eclipse
    Astronomy Event
    Canon Camera And Lens
    Comets
    Deep Sky Object
    Education
    Equipment
    Lunar Eclipse
    Moon
    Observatory
    Planets
    Seestar S50
    Seestar Sun
    Sky Phenomena
    Software
    Solar Filter And Camera Lens
    Solar Telescope
    Sun And Sunspots
    Total Solar Eclipse
    Travel

Picture
For all current observations of the night sky please go to my Astro Blog:
http://www.mystardustobservatory.com/astro-blog

​
​Copyright information: 

You are welcome to use my images for educational and private use, please credit me.
If you need higher resolution images then please contact me on my contact page, thank you.