Bode’s Galaxy (M81) & the Cigar Galaxy (M82) by Jim Burchell

A super image of Bode's Galaxy & the Cigar Galaxy in the constellation Ursa Major taken by member Jim Burchell on Wednesday 27th March 2024.  Jim captured the image using a Seestar S50 smart telescope and stacking 60 x 10 second images.
 
Bode's Galaxy is towards the top of the image and the Cigar Galaxy is towards the bottom of Jim's image.

Bode’s Galaxy also known as Messier 81 (M81) is a grand design spiral galaxy which lies approximately 11.8 million light-years from Earth, with an apparent magnitude of 6.9.

The Cigar Galaxy which is also known as Messier 82 (M82) lies close to M81, and is often photographed together with Bode's Galaxy as Jim has done.  M82 is called the 'Cigar Galaxy' because of the elongated elliptical shape produced by the tilt of its starry disk relative to our line of sight. 
 
The Cigar Galaxy is a starburst galaxy approximately 12 million light-years away from Earth with an apparent magnitude of 8.4. The starburst activity is thought to have been triggered by interaction with the neighbouring Bode's Galaxy.
 
Both galaxies can be found about 10 degrees northwest of the star Dubhe in Ursa Major.

Exoplanet transit of Qatar-9b

One more for the Exoclock project. This time the transit of exoplanet Qatar-9b measured by Simon Dawes and Martin Crow on the same night.  Qatar-9 b is a hot Jupiter exoplanet in Ursa Major that orbits a K-type star. Its mass is 1.19 Jupiters, it takes 1.5 days to complete one orbit of its star and is 0.0234 AU from its star. Its discovery was announced in 2019.

The Sun by Jim Burchell – 24th March 2024

NEVER LOOK AT THE SUN DIRECTLY. Please click here for solar observing safely.

A super image of the Sun taken by member Jim Burchell.  The image is showing an extremely large Sunspot group AR3615 in the middle of the Sun.

Jim took the single image using a Pentax KP camera attached to a 102 mm Altair refactor fitted with a solar filter and then processed in Snapseed.

The Moon by Neil Webster

A super selection of Moon images taken by member Neil Webster in March 2024.

22nd March 2024

A Waxing Gibbous Moon, 94.7% illuminated and 12.47days old.

7 frames each 90s x 32fps. Best 20% aligned and stacked in Autostakkert. Processed in PhotoShop.

Neil captured the Moon using an AA115 triplet APO, EQ6 R, ZWO 290MM and Astronomik R/IR filter (642-840nm).

 

24th March 2024

A Waxing Gibbous Moon, 99.9% illuminated and 14.53 days old.

Check out Neil's flickr page for higher resolution images at https://www.flickr.com/photos/137388222@N05/

Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks by Jim Burchell

Two fantastic images of Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks taken on the 15th & 18th March 2024 by member Jim Burchell. The images were taken using a Seestar S50 smartscope.  On both nights Jim had a very small amount of time to capture the comet due to clouds rolling in. The image taken on the 15th is a stack of 6x10 second images and the image on the 18th is a stack of 18x10 second images. 

Comet 12P/Pons Brooks on 15th March 2024

Comet P12/Pons Brooks on 18th March 2024

For more information about the comet and how to locate it check out https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/advice/comet-12p-pons-brooks

The Sun – 25th Feb 2024 by Jim Burchell

NEVER LOOK AT THE SUN DIRECTLY. Please click here for solar observing safely.

A splendid image of the Sun taken on the 25th February 2024 by member Jim Burchell.  Jim captured the image using a Seestar S50 smart scope fitted with a solar filter and processed in Snapseed. The giant sunspot AR3590 that can be seen on the Sun in Jim's image was more than ten times wider than Earth when the image was taken.

Messier 52 by Diane Clarke

A super image of Messier 52 or M52, also known as NGC 7654 taken by member Diane Clarke on the 6th March 2024 during a brief clear spell in the weather. 

Messier 52 is also known as the Scorpion Cluster or the Salt & Pepper Cluster and it is an open cluster of stars in the constellation of Cassiopeia. The cluster has an apparent magnitude of 6.9 and lies at an approximate distance of 4,600 light years from Earth.

Diane acquired the image using a Seestar S50 smart scope, 270 x 10s subs, stacked & processed using Affinity Photo.

Visible at the bottom of the image is part of the Bubble Nebula also known as C11 and NGC7635.

The Whirlpool Galaxy (M51a) by Diane Clarke

A great image of the Whirlpool Galaxy, also known as Messier 51a (M51a) or NGC 5194 and its companion NGC 5195 taken by member Diane Clarke on the 3rd March 2024. 
 
The Whirlpool Galaxy was the first galaxy to be classified as a spiral galaxy. 
 
NGC 5195, which is also known as Messier 51b (M51b) is a dwarf galaxy and is the smaller object to the upper left to the Whirlpool galaxy in the image. NGC 5195 is gravitationally interacting with the Whirpool Galaxy.  Both galaxies are found in the constellation Canes Venatici.
 
Diane acquired the image using a ZWO SeeStar S50 smart scope, taking 96 x 10sec subs and processed in Affinity photo.
 

Lunar Clair-obscur Effects – French for “light” (clair) and “shadow” (obscur)

Some fantastic images showing two 'Clair-obscur' effects visible on the surface of the Moon taken by member Jim Burchell on the 19th & 20th January 2024.
 
Clair-obscur effects are revealed when light and shadow interact with the Moon's craters and other features to trick the eye into seeing something that isn’t really there.  Below are 7 of the best recognisable shapes created on the surface of the Moon.
Photo ref:https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/advice/skills/clair-obscur-effects-on-moon
 
Most Clair-obscur effects require specific timing. Some last for days and are easy to see. Others last for a few hours and are more challenging.  Clair-obscur effects on the Moon are not one-time or rare events; this is because lunar lighting patterns repeat in a cycle of approximately 29.5 days, so each effect can be observed from somewhere on Earth once every month.
 
All of Jim's images below were a single shot; taken with a Pentax KP body attached to 102mm Altair Astro refractor. The images where then processed in Snapseed.
 
Lunar V
 
Plato's Hook
 
For more information about Clair-obscur effects check out:

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