Vern’s Weblog

Periodic comet P/2006 HR30 (Siding Spring) is currently in the constellation Cygnus. As you can see in the below image it is quite “asteroid-like” in appearance.  I’m now not surprised that we couldn’t find it last week visually as we were looking for the customary nebulous head. Even though it is nearly directly overhead shortly after sunset, it is quite faint, vmag estimate is 13.9.

Images taken from Louisville, CO on Nov 26, 2006 between 17:59 MST to 18:04 MST and 18:15 MST to 18:19 MST. Telescope was Celestron Nexstar11, F3.3 focal reducer, and Astrovid Stellacam II video camera. Images were dark subtracted and flat field corrected with ImagePlus, aligned and stacked with Registax4.

Comet C/2006 L2 was low, thin clouds in the area, and the sky was already brightening when these images were taken. Not to mention that the comet is also quite dim (vmag 13), so these images are quite poor. Image was discovered by Robert McNaught at the Siding Spring near earth object survey on June 14, 2006.

Images taken at 05:42 to 05:44, 05:44 to 05:46, and 05:58 to 06:00 from Louisville, CO with Celestron Nexstar 11 telescope, F3.3 focal reducer, and Astrovid Stellacam II video camera. Integrate 128 frames (4 sec), medium gamma, and 9/14 gain. Images were dark subtracted and flat field corrected with ImagePlus. Aligned and stacked with Registax4.

Comet C/2006 L1 Garradd is currently in constellation Leo. Brightness estimate is near vmag 9 and it should continue to brighten slightly for the next couple months.  It was discovered in June 4, 2006 by Gordan Garradd as part of the Siding Spring Survey search for near earth objects .

Images taken from Louisville, CO at 05:30 to 05:32 and 05:54 to 05:56 MST with Celestron Nexstar 11 telescope, Meade F3.3 focal reducer, and Astrovid Stellacam II video camera. Gain set at 9/14, medium gamma, and integrate 128 frames (4 sec).  Dark subtracted and flat field corrected with ImagePlus, stacked and aligned with Registax4.

Located in the constellation Andromeda is a sextet of faint galaxies (NGC 48, 49, 51 and IC 1534, 1535 and 1536). Estimated distance is 300 million light years.  NGC 51 is the brightest of the group at vmag 14.1

Image taken from Louisville, CO at 21:31 to 21:46 MST with Celestron Nexstar11 telescope, Meade F3.3 focal reducer, and Stellacam II video camera.  SCII set at 9/14 gain, no gamma, and integrate 256 frames (8 sec). Dark subtracted and flat field corrected with ImagePlus, aligned and stacked with Registax4. Sky was mostly clear, temperature 40 °F, no wind, transparency very good, and turbulence 5/10.

Here is an image of the Mercury transit in h-alpha. I had grand plans of imaging Mercury with the Toucam at fairly high magnification as it entered the sun’s disk. I spent some time figuring out the position relative to the new giant sunspot (which will probably be designated AR10923). Then I got the bright idea of planetary tracking Mercury with the scope. On the monitor it looked about right about 20 - 30 degrees or so below AR 10923. I kept watching, it was 12:12:40 MST and still no Mercury — panic as I should have seen it 20 or 30 seconds earlier! Fortunately, I had set up the A1010 refractor nearby and easily spotted it visually at low power. It took a minute or so to find it and then reset the capture software. The scope had the RA correct but the declination was wrong. I should have known better as I could have easily confirmed North/South.

Equipment was a Solarscope LTD 50mm h-alpha telescope and Phillips Toucam 840. One hundred seconds video at 15 fps. About 1/4 of the frames were removed because of high wind gusts jittering the view.

Below image of Mercury transit of the Sun taken at 12:40pm in white light.

Image taken with Celestron Nexstar11 telescope, Celestron F6.2 focal reducer, and Phillips Toucam 840 webcam. Sky was clear, wind 10-20 mph, turbulence was poor (4/10), temperature was 82°F, transparency very good.