v.163 uploaded   28th April 2012
Sharnbrook Observatory

Welcome to my web site!

The slow progress through the backlog of images from the first few months of 2012 continues, and so
here are a few to start with.

All the images on my site are my own, obtained with relatively modest telescopes, cameras and filters.
As ever, I hope this encourages you to get out there and enjoy the treasures of our universe at first hand.

Best Wishes,  

Peter Garbett



Galleries...

African Skies     Mars                Venus


Equipment          Comets          Sun      

The Aurora          Deep Sky       Moon


Jupiter             Saturn            Noctilucent Clouds








Our nearest star - the Sun!


Microsoft Excel Worksheet

The above graph of sunspot activity represents approaching 17 years of my own data. The surge in activity in
the autumn of 2011 has been followed by a lull.







22.04.12   10:59 UTC
Coronado SM40 double stack on Orion 80mm ED apo refractor f = 600mm x 2.5 power mate
PGR Flea 3 CCD, Baader UV/IR rejection filter











22.04.12   10:28 UTC
Prominences
Coronado SM40 single stack on Orion 80mm ED apo refractor
x 2.5 power mate   PGR Flea 3 CCD








22.04.12     10:08 UTC
Substantial sunspot group with granulation
20cm Meade LX200 SCT @ F10; Baader Astrosolar film (photo), Baader Solar Continuum filter
PGR Flea 3 CCD








22.04.12  08:59 UTC
Sunspots and granulation
Orion 80 ED Apo refractor with x2.5 power mate; Baader Astrosolar film, Baader Solar Continuum filter
PGR Flea 3 CCD, Baader UV/IR rejection filter.









22.04.12   08:25 UTC
Some nice prominences
Coronado SM40 single stack on Orion 80mm ED apo refractor
x 2.5 power mate   PGR Flea 3 CCD








21.04.12   09:54 UTC
Prominence both on and off disk
Coronado SM40 double stack on Orion 80mm ED apo refractor f = 600mm
PGR Flea 3 CCD









21.04.12   09:53 UTC
Coronado SM40 double stack on Orion 80mm ED apo refractor f = 600mm
PGR Flea 3 CCD










21.04.12   09:51 UTC
Coronado SM40 double stack on Orion 80mm ED apo refractor f = 600mm
PGR Flea 3 CCD











21.04.12   09:20 UTC
Coronado SM40 single stack on Orion 80mm ED apo refractor f = 600mm
PGR Flea 3 CCD













21.04.12   09:19 UTC
Coronado SM40 single stack on Orion 80mm ED apo refractor f = 600mm
PGR Flea 3 CCD












21.04.12     09:15 UTC
80mm Orion ED apo refractor f=600mm;
Baader Astrosolar film, Baader Solar Continuum filter
PGR Flea 3 CCD













15.04.12   10:16 UTC
Substantial prominence
Coronado SM40 single stack on Orion 80mm ED apo refractor f = 600mm
PGR Flea 3 CCD










15.04.12   10:20 UTC
Numerous rominences
Coronado SM40 single stack on Orion 80mm ED apo refractor f = 600mm
PGR Flea 3 CCD











11.03.12     10:34 UTC
Large sunspot group
20cm Meade LX200 SCT @ F10; Baader Astrosolar film (photo), Baader Solar Continuum filter
PGR Flea 3 CCD








11.03.12     10:56 UTC
Large sunspot group approaching limb
80mm Orion ED apo refractor f=600mm;
Baader Astrosolar film, Baader Solar Continuum filter
PGR Flea 3 CCD











11.03.12   10:46 UTC
Dark filaments and plages
Coronado SM40 double stack on Orion 80mm ED apo refractor f = 600mm
PGR Flea 3 CCD









11.03.12   10:47 UTC
Dark filaments
Coronado SM40 double stack on Orion 80mm ED apo refractor f = 600mm
PGR Flea 3 CCD







    

25.02.12   10:40 UTC
Prominences
Coronado SM40 single stack on Orion 80mm ED apo refractor f = 600mm
PGR Flea 3 CCD










Venus

24.03.12  18:14 UTC
C14 @ F11;  PGR Flea 3 CCD
Schuler Astrodon UV filter


11.03.12  18:27 UTC
C14 @ F11;  PGR Flea 3 CCD
Schuler Astrodon UV filter


11.02.12  18:14 UTC
C14 with x2.5 power mate;  PGR Flea 3 CCD
Baader IR > 742 nm filter










Mars


29.03.12  Syrtis Major to left
Baader IR > 742nm filter  IR=19:41 UTC
C14 with x2.5 power mate;  PGR Flea 3 CCD







24.03.12  Notice the volcano poking
through the blue mist at extreme right!
Trutek Type 1  G, B filters  with Baader UV/IR rejection filter
and  Baader IR > 742nm filter
IGB: I=22:40 UTC; B=22:42 UTC; G=22:44 UTC
C14 with x3 TV Barlow;  PGR Flea 3 CCD





 

14.03.12  Abundant clouds/hazes
Olympus Mons is dark spot just right of centre
Trutek Type 1  R,G, B filters  (Baader UV/IR rejection filter added to B and G)
RGB: R=22:05:30 UTC; B=22:08 UTC; G=22:10 UTC
C14 with x2.5 power mate;  PGR Flea 3 CCD



02.03.12  Syrtis Major
Trutek Type 1  R filter  R=00:35 UTC
C14 with TV x3 Barlow;  PGR Flea 3 CCD








                     

02.03.12  Syrtis Major and clouds
Trutek Type 1  R,G, B filters  (Baader UV/IR rejection filter added to B and G)
RGB: R=00:09 UTC; B=00:11 UTC; G=00:14 UTC
C14 with x2.5 power mate;  PGR Flea 3 CCD
Separate R, G and B channels shown below colour image.






25.02.12  Syrtis Major to left
Baader IR > 742nm filter  IR=01:16 UTC
C14 with x2.5 power mate;  PGR Flea 3 CCD





Some lunar shots






Hadley Rille

30.03.12  20:23 UTC
C14 @ F11; Baader IR > 742nm filter;
PGR Flea 3 CCD







Cassini (top right) and Aristillus (bottom)

30.03.12  20:03 UTC
C14 @ F11; Baader IR > 742nm filter;
PGR Flea 3 CCD










Alpine Valley (top) and Cassini (bottom right)

30.03.12  20:20 UTC
C14 @ F11; Baader IR > 742nm filter;
PGR Flea 3 CCD






Archimedes, Aristillus and Autolycus

30.03.12  19:58 UTC
C14 @ F11; Baader IR > 742nm filter;
PGR Flea 3 CCD










Triesnecker Rilles and Hyginus Rille

30.03.12  19:57 UTC
C14 @ F11; Baader IR > 742nm filter;
PGR Flea 3 CCD












Hipparchus

30.03.12  19:55 UTC
C14 @ F11; Baader IR > 742nm filter;
PGR Flea 3 CCD









Davy crater chain, Ptolemaeus, Alphonsus and Albategnius

30.03.12  19:52 UTC
C14 @ F11; Baader IR > 742nm filter;
PGR Flea 3 CCD










Stofler and Maurolycus

30.03.12  19:50 UTC
C14 @ F11; Baader IR > 742nm filter;
PGR Flea 3 CCD










Triesnecker Rilles, Hyginus Rille and Ariadaeus Rille

30.03.12  19:18 UTC
C14 @ F11; Baader IR > 742nm filter;
PGR Flea 3 CCD













Abulfeda (large crater near top) and chain of impacts
29.03.12  19:10 UTC
C14 @ F11; Baader IR > 742nm filter;
PGR Flea 3 CCD















Descartes (centre) and Abulfeda (large crater near bottom)
Fans of Apollo 16 could locate the landing site and South Ray crater!

29.03.12  19:08 UTC
C14 @ F11; Baader IR > 742nm filter;
PGR Flea 3 CCD













Aristoteles (upper right) and Eudoxus (lower right)

29.03.12  19:03 UTC
C14 @ F11; Baader IR > 742nm filter;
PGR Flea 3 CCD
















Sunrise over Hyginus Rille and Ariadaeus Rille

29.03.12  18:56 UTC
C14 @ F11; Trutek Type 1 R filter;
PGR Flea 3 CCD










 

Arago (top centre), Ritter & Sabine (centre left)

28.03.12  19:04 UTC
C14 @ F11; Trutek Type 1 R filter;
PGR Flea 3 CCD












Torricelli R (towards bottom left)

28.03.12  19:02 UTC
C14 @ F11; Trutek Type 1 R filter;
PGR Flea 3 CCD














Theophilus, Cyrillus and Catharina

28.03.12  18:59 UTC
C14 @ F11; Baader IR > 742nm filter;
PGR Flea 3 CCD











Janssen (bottom left)

28.03.12  18:57 UTC
C14 @ F11; Trutek Type 1 R filter;
PGR Flea 3 CCD












Burg and Lacus Mortis

28.03.12  18:52 UTC
C14 @ F11; Trutek Type 1 R filter;
PGR Flea 3 CCD












Atlas and Hercules (lower centre)

28.03.12  18:47:30 UTC
C14 @ F11; Trutek Type 1 R filter;
PGR Flea 3 CCD











Posidonius

28.03.12  18:46 UTC
C14 @ F11; Trutek Type 1 R filter;
PGR Flea 3 CCD













Gassendi

03.02.12  19:58 UTC
C14 @ F11; Baader IR > 742nm filter;
PGR Flea 3 CCD











Eratosthenes (upper) and sunrise over Copernicus (bottom left)

01.02.12  20:24 UTC
C14 @ F11; Trutek Type 1 R filter;
PGR Flea 3 CCD










Sunrise over Copernicus

01.02.12  20:14 UTC
C14 @ F11; Trutek Type 1 R filter;
PGR Flea 3 CCD




Jupiter

   

             


14.01.12
Jupiter with Ganymede in close attendance
C14 with x2.5 power mate;   PGR Flea 3 CCD; quite good underlying seeing.
Trutek Type 1  R,B filters  (Baader UV/IR rejection filter added to B)
R =18:09:45 UTC; B = 18:11 UTC; R[G]B, with separate R and B
channels shown below the colour image.








Saturn

14.01.12
Crude image at low altitude
C14 with x2.5 power mate;   PGR Flea 3 CCD; quite good underlying seeing.
Baader IR > 742nm filter; Trutek Type 1  B filter with Baader UV/IR rejection filter;
IR =05:26 UTC; B = 05:40 UTC; I[G]B











Other sites of personal interest...

Amateurs                                                                              Commercial

Damian Peach's site                                                                Telescope House

Ian King's site                                                                         Coronado Hydrogen Alpha Filters

Jack Newton's site                                                                  Celestron U.K.

Nik Szymanek's site                                                                Meade

Rob Gendler's site                                                                  Starlight Xpress Ltd

Stefan Seip's site                                                                   True Technology Ltd

Steve Mandel's site                                                                Ian King Imaging

Thierry Legault's site                                                             Modern Astronomy



Organisations                                                                       Software

Astro buy/sell                                                                        K3CCDTools for image capture etc       

American Meteor Society                                                       Registax for processing webcam images

Big Bear Solar Observatory latest images of the Sun                Firecapture software for Flea 3 etc

British Astronomical Association                                            Satellite predictions                

Cloud forecast for UK

Cloudy Nights reviews

Greenwich Mean Time

Luton Astronomical Society                                                    

Observing Planets around other Stars via Transits!

Periodic error test results for mounts
(Google translator from French)

Prince Albert (South Africa) site

SpaceWeather.com for solar activity and far more!

Unisys Jet Stream Forecast to assess likely seeing conditions

Jet Stream Forecast

Uk astro imaging forum

UK IR satellite cloud cover





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Established October 2000.           Copyright: P.J.Garbett