Jupiter and some Sunspots from a few weeks back

[Skywatcher]

managed to do some long overdue photography a few weeks back.

If anyone looks South at Sundown - 8pm Jupiter is looking spectacular at the moment and is up for most of the night

I was looking at him last night through my 10x50 bins and if you hold them very still or prop them on something you can easily see 4 moons around the main disc as tiny little pinpricks of light.

This is Jupiters'boring' side - no red spot as its on the other side - managed to get some colour in Ganymede though ( thats the red moon to the upper right) http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6124/6199784959_9e69779d6a_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/48304094@N08/6199784959/)
Jupiter and Ganymede (http://www.flickr.com/photos/48304094@N08/6199784959/) by Sidleydoc (http://www.flickr.com/people/48304094@N08/), on Flickr

Slightly less magnification 3 moons

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6158/6199785167_00d0038fc5_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/48304094@N08/6199785167/)
3 moons (http://www.flickr.com/photos/48304094@N08/6199785167/) by Sidleydoc (http://www.flickr.com/people/48304094@N08/), on Flickr

Also the sun is waking up this year and the number of sunspots has been off the chart !

Finally got the camera working as I like it and have finally managed some decent sunpot images and surface granultion

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6175/6200297490_d23aa544f2_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/48304094@N08/6200297490/)
AR 2 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/48304094@N08/6200297490/) by Sidleydoc (http://www.flickr.com/people/48304094@N08/), on Flickr

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6161/6200297786_3bbd9eb0c3_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/48304094@N08/6200297786/)
Sunspot tiny flares (http://www.flickr.com/photos/48304094@N08/6200297786/) by Sidleydoc (http://www.flickr.com/people/48304094@N08/), on Flickr

Roll on some clear cold dark nights this season

[MystikPiglit]

Fabulous! :thumbsup:

[catrancher]

Amazing photos!

And when you consider that some of those sunspots are around 20 times larger than the earth... well, it just goes to show you that Douglas Adams was right about the size of the universe!

Tom (:macwave:... big... really big...)

[Watchinherskip]

Ah a man after my own heart! Great stuff Chris! Tonight should be cool with the gibbous moon right near Jupiter.

It looks cool in the planetarium anyway!:yes:

[Skywatcher]

Would love to see that one day Dan for sure. I love Jupiter through a scope and can spend hours looking at it, its much smaller than with a photo but I still get a thrill looking at it directly and watching the moons gracefully move around - a few weeks back I actually saw detail in the red spot with my own eyes as we hit a brief spell of very still atmospheric conditions. I NEED to do more of this again

So nice o see orion in the sky again - each year I greet him now like an old friend, learning some of the night sky has been one of the best things I have ever done , you never feel alone :)

[Watchinherskip]

Very true Chris. If you get to these parts, do give me a shout and you can come over and fly through the universe with this digital planetarium...it really is thrilling. I never had feedback like that even with my best shows on the old optical mechanical one. Now you feel like you have to duck to allow Saturn fly bye. I like to look over and see the reactions on the people's faces (it is that bright now) and see kids pointing at things. Awesome.

Have you been up to see Saturn in the morning?

[Skywatcher]

Not yet but I can't wait - it is by far my favourite sight in the sky by a mile

[Dawn]

What's the bright "star" I can see out of my bedroom window at night. I think my bedroom is kind of south facing.

[Skywatcher]

Jupiter :thumbsup:

[Watchinherskip]

Not sure how it looks to you but Venus is very bright right around sunset here at our latitude.

[Dawn]

Jupiter :thumbsup:

That is outrageous. I can see Jupiter with my naked eye. :mental:

[Tink]

Do you have any idea how much I've missed you?

The enormity of what is depicted in these photos takes my breath away.

[Skywatcher]

:hug2: Tink


Venus is very bright in the west here for about an hour

cloud has been a problem this last few weeks though, that and being exhausted lol

[Watchinherskip]

Do you have any idea how much I've missed you?

The enormity of what is depicted in these photos takes my breath away.

Here..here!!!:thumbsup:

[Beccaberry]

Uh-mazing.

[Tink]

We had an incredible full moon last night and I do believe we saw Venus.

The boy was quite interested so now talk it turning to having him receive a telescope for Christmas...

[Skywatcher]

Don't buy in haste please :)

[Watchinherskip]

Saw Venus last night as DD and I were putting up outside Christmas lights. Grabbed that cheap Galileoscope refractor and got a great view of it near eastern elongation!:yes:

[Skywatcher]

Venus is putting on a nice show at the moment. Never seen clouds on her though, need a purple filter apparently - love seeing the different phases like the moon - really makes it seem 'real' ( daft thing to say )

Photographically nebulas are my favourite thing to image bar none, optically Planets have always given me a thrill beyond anything else. Saturn still makes me squeal with delight and seeing Mars' polar cap[s for the first time was a special moment as well

[Tink]

We'd not be able to afford anything too elaborate, Skywatcher. Best we can hope for now is a decent "entry level" one. Not even sure we'll be getting one, but I do think he'd like it...he's quite interested in anything to do with space, earth, planets, that sort of astronomical stuff. :yes:

[Skywatcher]

These are by far a better choice (in my opinion - would love watchinherskips input) , than the stuff you get from the mall with their wobbly mounts , which can ruin your lifetimes love of a hobby before its even started

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Celestron-21024-76-mm-Firstscope/dp/B001UQ6E4Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323765776&sr=8-1

or the infinity 76p amazing what you can see and a clever design that means its easy to use and stable - you will be able to see saturns rings with this ! but it will be very small

http://www.google.co.uk/products/catalog?hl=en&q=infinity+76+p&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=10417458877511433952#

[Watchinherskip]

These are by far a better choice (in my opinion - would love watchinherskips input) , than the stuff you get from the mall with their wobbly mounts , which can ruin your lifetimes love of a hobby before its even started

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Celestron-21024-76-mm-Firstscope/dp/B001UQ6E4Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323765776&sr=8-1

or the infinity 76p amazing what you can see and a clever design that means its easy to use and stable - you will be able to see saturns rings with this ! but it will be very small

http://www.google.co.uk/products/catalog?hl=en&q=infinity+76+p&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=10417458877511433952#

WOW...excellent scopes for the price, hard to go wrong with either. And pretty easy on the pocket. They are good quality for the price. Good call Chris!!!

[Skywatcher]

I thought so too ! considering how much you pay for one of those true awful 'National Geographic' ones that claim to give you 300x magnification (lol)

the 76p despite its odd appearance is a genuinely wonderful litle thing and so stable and easy to track with which is what you want

Had a play with one and saw some lovely craters and the rings and moons of saturn - shoudl be able to see orion nebulosity, andromeda galaxy etc with either no problem as well and will hopefully fuel a lifetimes obsession :D

[Tink]

Thank you so much for your suggestions! I really like the odd looking little blue one. :yes:

[Skywatcher]

:lol: I just knew you would :hug2:

[Watchinherskip]

That one looks like the old Edmund Scientific telescope. We had one at a previous school and it was a workhorse. It held up to the abuse of our students. Good choice, for price and durability.

[Watchinherskip]

managed to do some long overdue photography a few weeks back.

If anyone looks South at Sundown - 8pm Jupiter is looking spectacular at the moment and is up for most of the night

I was looking at him last night through my 10x50 bins and if you hold them very still or prop them on something you can easily see 4 moons around the main disc as tiny little pinpricks of light.

This is Jupiters'boring' side - no red spot as its on the other side - managed to get some colour in Ganymede though ( thats the red moon to the upper right) http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6124/6199784959_9e69779d6a_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/48304094@N08/6199784959/)
Jupiter and Ganymede (http://www.flickr.com/photos/48304094@N08/6199784959/) by Sidleydoc (http://www.flickr.com/people/48304094@N08/), on Flickr

Slightly less magnification 3 moons

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6158/6199785167_00d0038fc5_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/48304094@N08/6199785167/)
3 moons (http://www.flickr.com/photos/48304094@N08/6199785167/) by Sidleydoc (http://www.flickr.com/people/48304094@N08/), on Flickr

Also the sun is waking up this year and the number of sunspots has been off the chart !

Finally got the camera working as I like it and have finally managed some decent sunpot images and surface granultion

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6175/6200297490_d23aa544f2_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/48304094@N08/6200297490/)
AR 2 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/48304094@N08/6200297490/) by Sidleydoc (http://www.flickr.com/people/48304094@N08/), on Flickr

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6161/6200297786_3bbd9eb0c3_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/48304094@N08/6200297786/)
Sunspot tiny flares (http://www.flickr.com/photos/48304094@N08/6200297786/) by Sidleydoc (http://www.flickr.com/people/48304094@N08/), on Flickr

Roll on some clear cold dark nights this season

Wasn't able to see them from my work computer...but WOW...stunning work Chris!!! :yes: