Monday, May 28, 2012
A Step by Step Guide to Making a Binocular Projection System for Viewing the Transit of Venus
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| What you will need for making a binocular projection system. Binoculars (of course), a tripod, a binocular tripod adapter (or, if you have an older model of binoculars, lots of gaffer tape), some sturdy cardboard, pencil, scissors, aluminium foil and gaffer tape. | Using your binoculars as a template, draw circles on the cardboard that forms the sun shield where the binocular lenses will fit. The sun-shield will stop the projected image of the Sun from being washed out. |
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| Carefully cut our the holes so your cardboard will fit over the lenses | Now set up the tripod and attach the adaptor. These adaptors can be bought at all good optical stores. |
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| Attach the binoculars to the adaptor. If your binoculars do not have an adaptor attachment, lashings of gaffer tape work as well. | Carefully slide the cardboard sun shield over the binoculars (yes, I used old pizza boxes, they work and are cheap). The carefully put the aluminium foil over one of the lenses (so that you don't have overlapping images. |
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| You may need to stabilise the sun-shield with a piece of tape. | And now you are all ready to go. here I am projection on to a wall, but you may want to use a stick attaching a piece of card to the binoculars, as walls and such will often be at an inconvenient angle so the image of the Sun is distorted (as in the example above). |
And now you have a low cost set-up for observing the transit of Venus (now just over a week away on June 6). You can photograph the projected image with a simple digital camera (see here for an example). Getting the imaged focussed may be a problem. I draw a small cross in pencil on the projection surface so the digital camera has something to focus on.
Do practise setting up and imaging before the day of the transit, so you are familiar with the set-up.
Always be careful to avoid looking at the sun directly (this can cause some frustration as you try and line the binoculars up using just the shape of the shadow). If you have small children with you, be alert that they don't try an look into the projecting eyepiece.
Now, get ready to enjoy the transit!
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Amazing Messier Object Images
Rolando Ligustri is an astrophotographer par excellence, and fellow iTelescope user. If you really want to see something amazing, head on over to his facebook gallery for this fantastic poster of Messier objects.
Labels: astrophotography
Waxing Moon, Sunday May 27
I've spent the weekend setting up my scopes and binoculars ready for the Transit of Venus on the 6th.
I've also put together some set-by-step guides to safe solar projection and setting up for digital imaging (hence tonights photos). I'll start posting them tomorrow.
Labels: astrophotography, Moon
Venus, Sunday 27 May 2012
Venus is only just above the horizon (compare this shot with last weeks and the previous weeks). Soon it will be unobservable in the twilight, before it transits the Sun.
The Transit occurs on 6 June, observational details are here.
Labels: Venus
Australia AND South Africa Both Win the Square Kilometer Array
In case you haven't hear the news, the site of the Square Kilometre Array, a massive synthetic aperture radio telescope that will greatly advance our understanding if the universe, has been awarded to BOTH South Africa and Australia.
This is a great outcome for both our countries, and science. We get the low
Of course, The Australian sees this result as a snub, not a win.
*Sorry, I wrote this at about 1 am, so I misunderstood what was going on. Australia basically gets to probe the very beginning of the Universe. Astroswanny has a much better article explaining what it means here.
Labels: Astronomy, miscelaneous, Radio Astronomy
Earth from Mars, May 2012
The morning sky on Mars is quite lovely at the moment, with Earth and Venus lined up in the east and Saturn close to the western horizon.
Once more the top search term for people visiting my blog, is "Earth from Mars", probably in response to more publicity about the "John Carter on Mars" movie (or a DVD release?). So, once more, here it is for you searchers.
Friday, May 25, 2012
Watching SpaceX go by
If you haven't heard, the first purely commercial spacecraft to the ISS, SpaceX, has been launched successfully and should be docking now. Sadly, from Australia neither the ISS or SpaceX is currently visible, but the should be seen in our skies on May 30. See Heavens Above for predictions for your location.
Fantastic video of the docking here
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/videogallery/index.html?media_id=144472261
Fantastic video of the docking here
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/videogallery/index.html?media_id=144472261
Labels: ISS
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Carnival of Space #250 is Here.
Carnival of Space #250 is now up at Vintage Space. There's the SpaceX mission, asteroid mining, the 100 year starship organisation, antimatter propulsion and lots lots more. Zip on over for a read.
Labels: carnival of space
Transit of Venus, June 6 2012
My image of the 2004 Transit of Venus, taken with a Pentax K SLR and actual film. It's two weeks now until the Transit of Venus, the last one we will see until 2117. The rare transits of Venus occur when Venus passes directly between us and the Sun.
This occurs roughly ever 100 years or so, then there are two in quick succession, eight years apart.
The last was in June 2004, you can see my images from that transit here. The next starts just after sunrise on Wednesday June 6 (in Australia and New Zealand). June 5 in other parts of the world)
Safe solar projection rig for observing the sun with binoculars.The transit can be viewed without fancy equipment, using safe solar projection techniques. If you are at work, you can pop out and view it at lunchtime with simple, portable kit.
The best views will be with with telescopes, but you don't need lots of money to watch this once in a life time event.
I have set up a webpage for this years transit of Venus. It has timings of when the transit starts and ends for various Australian cities, viewing tips, and links to webcasts, public viewing and more information. I've also added it to the links on the side of the blog. I will be also adding more details of actually constructing some of these projection systems.
So go and have a read, and start preparing for the transit!
Labels: astrophotography, transit, Venus
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
The Sky This Week - Thursday May 24 to Thursday May 31
The First Quarter Moon is Tuesday May 29. The transit of Venus is two weeks away.
Venus is visible very low in the western evening sky. Mars is in the western evening sky, close to the bright Star Regulus. On the 29th the First Quarter Moon is close to Mars and Regulus. Saturn is
visible
near the star Spica. Mercury is lost in the twilight.
Evening sky looking North as seen from Adelaide at7 :00 pm local time on Tuesday May 29 showing
Mars, Regulus and the Moon. As well there is Saturn and Spica and comet Garradd. Similar views will be seen
elsewhere at the equivalent local time. The
inset shows the telescopic appearance of Saturn at this time. Click to embiggen.
The First Quarter Moon is Tuesday May 29.
Mars is in the constellation of Leo. It is the brightest object in the northern sky, and its distinctive red colour makes it easy to spot. Mars is rising before sunset and is at its highest in the northern sky around 7:00 pm local time.
Mars is not far from the bright star Regulus in Leo. However, it continues to move away over the week. On the 29th the First Quarter Moon is close to Mars.
Mars was at opposition on March 4, when it was biggest and brightest as seen from Earth. Sadly, this is a poor opposition and Mars will be fairly small in modest telescopes.
Saturn is above the northern horizon, not far from the bright star Spica. Saturn is high enough in the northern sky for telescopic observation in the evening, being highest at 9:30 pm local time. local time. Saturn was at opposition, when it is biggest and brightest as seen from Earth, on the 16th of April, but now is still a great time for telescopic views of this ringed world.
Comet C/2009 P1 Garrad is visible in the north-eastern sky. At magnitude 9, it is now observable only in telescopes . It's still relatively low to the horizon and the effects of light pollution means that the best views under dark sky conditions. By the end of the week the brightening Moon makes observation difficult.
Evening sky on Wednesday May 23 looking north-west as seen from Adelaide at 6:00 pm local time in South Australia showing Venus. The inset shows the appearance of Venus seen telescopically at this time. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time (click to embiggen)
Bright white Venus is visible in the evening western twilight sky from around half an hour after sunset for about half an hour.
You will need a clear, level horizon (like the ocean) to see it at its best.
Venus remains in Taurus this week. It starts the week not far from the star Elnath, and doesn't move very far away.
Venus is now rapidly sinking towards the horizon, and this will be the last week it is reasonably easy to see. Venus is quite large, and a very thin crescent, the crescent shape can be seen even in strong binoculars. In two weeks tine Venus will cross the disk of the Sun in a rare transit, the last until 2117.
See my Transit Webpage for details of when the transit is, and how to view it.
Jupiter and Mercury are lost in the twilight.
With Mars past opposition and Saturn high in the sky, there are lots of interesting things in the sky to view with a telescope. If you don't have a telescope, now is a good time to visit one of your local astronomical societies open nights or the local planetariums.
Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm AEDST, Western sky at 10 pm AEDST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.
Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.
Evening sky looking North as seen from Adelaide at7 :00 pm local time on Tuesday May 29 showing
Mars, Regulus and the Moon. As well there is Saturn and Spica and comet Garradd. Similar views will be seen
elsewhere at the equivalent local time. The
inset shows the telescopic appearance of Saturn at this time. Click to embiggen.The First Quarter Moon is Tuesday May 29.
Mars is in the constellation of Leo. It is the brightest object in the northern sky, and its distinctive red colour makes it easy to spot. Mars is rising before sunset and is at its highest in the northern sky around 7:00 pm local time.
Mars is not far from the bright star Regulus in Leo. However, it continues to move away over the week. On the 29th the First Quarter Moon is close to Mars.
Mars was at opposition on March 4, when it was biggest and brightest as seen from Earth. Sadly, this is a poor opposition and Mars will be fairly small in modest telescopes.
Saturn is above the northern horizon, not far from the bright star Spica. Saturn is high enough in the northern sky for telescopic observation in the evening, being highest at 9:30 pm local time. local time. Saturn was at opposition, when it is biggest and brightest as seen from Earth, on the 16th of April, but now is still a great time for telescopic views of this ringed world.
Comet C/2009 P1 Garrad is visible in the north-eastern sky. At magnitude 9, it is now observable only in telescopes . It's still relatively low to the horizon and the effects of light pollution means that the best views under dark sky conditions. By the end of the week the brightening Moon makes observation difficult.
Evening sky on Wednesday May 23 looking north-west as seen from Adelaide at 6:00 pm local time in South Australia showing Venus. The inset shows the appearance of Venus seen telescopically at this time. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time (click to embiggen)
Bright white Venus is visible in the evening western twilight sky from around half an hour after sunset for about half an hour.
You will need a clear, level horizon (like the ocean) to see it at its best.
Venus remains in Taurus this week. It starts the week not far from the star Elnath, and doesn't move very far away.
Venus is now rapidly sinking towards the horizon, and this will be the last week it is reasonably easy to see. Venus is quite large, and a very thin crescent, the crescent shape can be seen even in strong binoculars. In two weeks tine Venus will cross the disk of the Sun in a rare transit, the last until 2117.
See my Transit Webpage for details of when the transit is, and how to view it.
Jupiter and Mercury are lost in the twilight.
With Mars past opposition and Saturn high in the sky, there are lots of interesting things in the sky to view with a telescope. If you don't have a telescope, now is a good time to visit one of your local astronomical societies open nights or the local planetariums.
Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm AEDST, Western sky at 10 pm AEDST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.
Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.
Labels: weekly sky
Comet C/2011 L4 Panstarrs
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Rather nice little picture if I say so myself.Taken with iTelecope T14. Stack of 4 images, stretched in FITS liberator, summed in ImageJ and then stacked and despeckled.
Labels: cluster, comet, comets, iTelescope
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Venus,Saturday 20 May 2012
Venus is rapidly heading towards the horizon (compare today shot with last weeks). Soon it will be unobservable in the twilight, although on the 22nd and 23rd the thin crescent Moon will be close by, don't forget to watch out for that.
And don't forget that on 6 June Venus will transit the Sun. I'll be putting up observing details later.
Labels: Venus
Saturday, May 19, 2012
SOHO Sees Jupiter and Its Moons
Tip of the hat to the Bad Astronomer and Sungrazing Comets on Twitter.
Click to read about or order
Click to read about or order
