Partial Solar Eclipse Images – 12th August 2026
NEVER LOOK AT THE SUN DIRECTLY. Please click here for solar observing safely.
Below is a fantastic collection of images and timelapse vidoes of the partial solar eclipse taken by CMHASD members on the 12th August 2026.
Kevin Langford
Images taken using a Canon EOS 750D with standard lens set to 55mm white light filter fixed on the mount. Fixed to standard tripod.
One picture taken every 5mins until the sun went behind that house.
The final picture was made up of the sun images merged with a picture of the house taken later. Affinity Photo was used to create the picture.
Honor Wheeler
Three images taken using a Canon M6II with x2 Barlow,
Coronado PST and EQ3 PRO Mount.
Exposure: ISO200,1/6s
Processed in Snapseed
Plus a timelapse video taken using a Dwarf3 smart scope. All taken at the pavilion.
George Buckberry
A time lapse video and a collage of images taken using a Dwarf3 Smart scope at the pavilion.
Tina Bishop
Timelapse video of the eclipse.
Taken using a Dwarf3 smart scope at the pavilion.
Guy Roberts
Jim Burchell The 12 images below were taken at the pavilion using a Pentax KP DSLR Body attached to a 102mm F11 refactor with Baader solar film attached. No colour correction has been applied.
Dan Stevens The three images below were taken using a Seestar s30 at the pavilion.
Leigh Slomer
Partial Solar Eclipse – 12th August 2026
NEVER LOOK AT THE SUN DIRECTLY. Please click here for solar observing safely.
Article written by CMHASD Chairperson Mr Gary Hunt.
CMHASD Partial Solar Eclipse Public Outreach Event — A Resounding Success
On 12 August 2026, the Crayford Manor House Astronomical Society Dartford (CMHASD) opened its doors — and its telescopes — to the public for a special outreach event to observe the Partial Solar eclipse. And what a day it turned out to be!
We estimate that at least 83 visitors joined us during the event, eager to see the Moon take a bite out of the Sun.
The excitement among visitors was genuinely infectious. Children and adults alike were “wowed” and awed by what they saw, while CMHASD members were equally excited to share the experience. There is something rather special about seeing the expression on someone’s face when they look through a telescope and suddenly realise that they are seeing the Sun in extraordinary detail — and not merely a bright blob in the sky.
Solar observing — safely, of course!
CMHASD provided multiple solar-safe observing telescopes, including two specialist hydrogen-alpha solar telescopes, one of which belongs to the Society. These gave visitors spectacular views of our nearest star, including features that ordinary white-light observing simply cannot reveal.
We also distributed free safe solar-observing spectacles to visitors. This was particularly appreciated given the national shortage of suitable solar glasses in the run-up to the eclipse.
Our members were particularly pleased to help children experience the eclipse safely. The enthusiasm of our younger visitors was wonderful to see, and several CMHASD members excelled themselves in explaining what was happening in ways that made sense to inquisitive young minds — without requiring anyone to sit an astronomy examination beforehand!
The weather behaved itself! We were blessed with excellent observing weather, providing first-rate visual conditions throughout the event. The eclipse was clearly visible and the views through the solar telescopes were spectacular.
The only celestial object apparently determined to make its presence felt rather too enthusiastically was the Sun itself, with temperatures becoming distinctly warm!
CMHASD therefore did what any responsible astronomical society should do: alongside telescopes, solar filters and astronomical expertise, we provided shade and natural comforts for visitors when required. After all, there is little point in observing the heavens if the observer has melted before reaching the eyepiece!
Bringing astronomy to our local community. CMHASD was particularly proud that this was the only officially organised public eclipse event serving the Boroughs of Bexley and Dartford.
The event demonstrated exactly why public outreach is such an important part of the Society’s work. We were able to bring astronomy directly to our local community, provide safe access to specialist equipment, answer questions, encourage curiosity and, most importantly, allow people to experience a remarkable astronomical event for themselves.
Meanwhile, several CMHASD members had travelled all the way to Spain to observe the total solar eclipse, experiencing the extraordinary spectacle of totality. Those of us remaining in Kent had to be content with a partial eclipse, although, judging by the expressions of our visitors, we weren’t doing too badly!
A tremendous team effort. As Chairperson of CMHASD, I am immensely pleased with the success of the event. Seeing so many members of the public, and particularly children, becoming excited about astronomy and experiencing the eclipse for themselves made all the preparation and hard work thoroughly worthwhile.
I would like to give my sincere thanks to Sonia, Diane, Tina and our Society Secretary, Mike, together with the many other CMHASD members who helped organise, prepare and run the event. Their enthusiasm, knowledge, patience and willingness to help the public throughout the day were exceptional.
I would also like to extend our sincere thanks to Sutton-at-Hone Parish Council for its support of the event.
The success of the day was a wonderful demonstration of what CMHASD can achieve when its members come together with a shared passion for astronomy and a desire to inspire others.
If you want to know more about astronomy (day or night), then please do contact CMHASD, and we will do our best to answer your queries, maybe even inspire you to join us.
And perhaps the best measure of our success was not the number of telescopes, solar filters or pairs of eclipse spectacles we handed out, but the number of people who walked away saying, in one form or another:
“Wow!”
For an astronomical society, that’s a pretty good day’s work.
I would also like to say thank you to those members who shared their photos of the event too. They really show the spirit of the day.
CMHASD Summer BBQ – 11th July 2026
On the 11th July 2026 CMHASD held its annual BBQ and what a super BBQ it was too – glorious sunny weather, expertly cooked food, cake, music, games galore and fantastic company all made for a great event.
A team consisting of Steve Floodgate, Tina Bishop, Diane Clarke, Steve Goldson, Jim Burchell, Gary Hunt, John Howarth and Mike Rushton set up from 11.30am, with assembly of three gazebos (one for the chefs and two for members to sit in the shade), the outdoor games and the telescopes for solar observing.
Steve, Jo and Tina set up their respective barbecues and very soon all was ready.
After a fantastic lunch cooked by our 3 brilliant chefs: Steve Floodgate, Jo Southgate and Tina Bishop… it was time for games.
One of the games which was introduced by Steve Goldson, was a Finnish skittle game called ‘Mölkky’ and is pronounced “milkay”. The competition amongst members was fierce, with many finding unique ways of tossing the baton and getting the points!
Croquet was played by several members too and just like Mölkky, competition between players was fierce.
THANK YOU To all the wonderful members who worked so hard to give us an amazingly enjoyable day AND, thank you to all those who attended and made the BBQ so much fun… Let’s all hope there is another BBQ in 2027?
The Society would also like to thank those members who shared their photos of the day and those members & family who helped pack away at the end. Thank you.
NLC – 29th June 2026
Two CMHASD members spotted Noctilucent Cloud (NLC) in the early hours of the 29th June 2026.
It was quite a display and below are some images taken by Diane Clarke and Jim Burchell of them.
Diane also put together a timelapse video of the NLC developing and fading away – which is stunning to watch.
Images by Jim Burchell from Swanley.
Images by Diane Clarke taken from Belvedere.
Congratulations
Congratulations to Simon Dawes for being a co-author on a paper published in the Monthly Notices of the RAS.
The title of the paper is ”A survey for variable young stars with small telescopes – XI. Spot Lifetimes
and Coverage Distributions.”
To read a copy of the paper click the link below.
Jupiter & Moons
A superb video of Jupiter and Moons Io & Europa taken by Simon Dawes.
Taken using a Mesu e200 mount, Celestron Edge 11HDQHY5III 715C colour camera.
2026-04-24 20:45-21:06UT
The top moon, moving away from Jupter is Europa and the one moving behind and towards Jupiter is Io
The shadow transit is of Europa.
CMHASD Solar Observing at Hall Place & Gardens – 2nd August 2026
CMHASD Public Outreach at Hall Place & Gardens – 2nd August 2026.
Post written by CMHASD Chairperson Gary Hunt.
WARNING: NEVER LOOK AT THE SUN DIRECTLY. Read the page on Solar Safety before attempting any kind of viewing of the Sun!
”A Brilliant Day of Solar Outreach at Hall Place! Our Solar Observing Public Outreach Event at Hall Place, Bexley, held alongside the popular Farmers’ Market on Sunday 2nd August, proved to be another tremendous success for the Crayford Manor House Astronomical Society.
Despite a day of hot temperatures and variable cloud cover, we welcomed well over 150 visitors between 10:00 am and 3:00 pm, all eager to experience our nearest star in a way that few people ever have.
The passing clouds certainly tested everyone’s patience at times! Just as visitors reached the eyepiece, the Sun would occasionally decide to hide behind a convenient cloud, leading to a few moments of anticipation (and the occasional collective sigh!). Fortunately, perseverance paid off, and when the skies cleared the reward was spectacular.
Image of the Sun taken by Dr Mike Rushton using a Dwarf3 smart scope. The Sun was active with a plenty of sun spots!
Those observing through our Hydrogen Alpha telescopes were treated to magnificent views of the Sun, including impressive sunspots and beautiful solar prominences dancing around the solar limb. The reactions from visitors were priceless, with countless expressions of amazement and wonder. Even a number of our own members experienced their first views through a Hydrogen Alpha telescope and were genuinely “wowed” by the incredible detail on display.
Events such as these are only possible because of the dedication and enthusiasm of our volunteers. It was undoubtedly an exhausting day, but one that demonstrated the Society at its very best.
A huge thank you goes to every member of the CMHASD team who gave up their Sunday to inspire the public and share their knowledge and passion for astronomy.
Special recognition must go to:
Dr Mike Rushton for organising the event.
Steve Floodgate and Dave Grist for taking on the transport, setup and all the inevitable heavy lifting.
And, of course, to every volunteer who welcomed visitors, answered questions, operated telescopes and helped create such a friendly and memorable experience.
Each person played an important role, and together they showcased exactly what makes CMHASD such a wonderful society. As Chair, I could not have been prouder of our Outreach Team and everything they achieved.
Our solar observing season isn’t over yet!
Our next opportunity to observe the Sun will be the Partial Solar Eclipse on Wednesday 12th August at the CMHASD Observatory, followed by our final Hall Place Solar Observing Event of the season on Sunday 23rd August.
As always, everything depends on one small detail…
The British weather!
We hope to see many of you there.”
Image of our Sun taken by Dan Stevens using a Seestar S30 smartscope.
The Society would like to thank Diane Clarke, John Archer, Mike Rushton and Dan Stevens for sharing their photos.
Observing/Informal Night – 23rd July 2026
Thursday 23rd July 2026 was an observing/informal meeting and we were treated to a stunning display of a Sun Pillar.
Below are some photos of the evening including 2 photos of member Andy Barber who washed the Dick Chambers Observatory Dome – Thank you Andy!
Noctilucent Cloud (NLC) by Jim Burchell
Two stunning images of rare Noctilucent Cloud taken on the 26th July 2026 by member Jim Burchell from Swanley, Kent.
Full Moon – 29th July 2026
A super image of the Full Moon taken on the 29th July 2026 by member George Buckberry using a Dwarf 3 smartscope.
Congratulations Kevin Smith FRAS
Congratulations to CMHASD member Kevin Smith for being elected a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society. Well done Kevin!
Conjunction of Venus with the Moon
On the 17th June 2026 there was a beautiful conjunction of Venus with the crescent Moon. Several members of the society imaged the event and below is a selection of their fab images taken at different times in the evening. Venus is the dot northwards of the crescent Moon.
Image by Dan Stevens taken at 9.30pmish with a Seestar S30.
Image by Jim Burchell taken using a Pentax KP body attached to 102 mm F7 Altair Astro refactor. 1 /60 sec, Iso 200 on a Skywatcher EQ5 mount. Cropped in Snapseed.
Image taken from Dartford.
The images below are all point and shoot using various phone cameras.
Image by Simon Dawes from Bexley.
Image by Jo Southgate from Dartford.
NOTE: Jo has Jupiter in her image too. It is the dot which is at the 4 O Clock position from the Moon.
Image by Kevin Langford from Bexley.
Image by Dominique Ferrand taken over London.
NOTE: Dominique has Jupiter in her image too. It is the dot which is at the 4 O Clock position from the Moon.
The Milky Way by Danny Pearce
Three fantastic full tracked panorama images of the Milky Way taken by member Danny Pearce whilst on holiday in June on La Palma. All images were taken from locations above the cloud inversion.
All of the images were taken with a Nikon Z6iii on a Skywatcher Star adventurer Mini tracker. Foregrounds were captured at dusk without tracking (9 panels) and sky as 9 x 120sec panorama and stitched in Lightroom.
The Sun by Jim Burchell
Three super images of our Sun taken by member Jim Burchell over 3 days in June. The single images were taken using a Pentax KP body attached to 102 mm F11 refactor and Badder solar safety film. The images were then processed in Snapseed.
Latest images by George Buckberry
A selection of super images by member George Buckberry taken using a Dwarf smartscope using the new firmware update.
Note: 2 images have a cropped image too.
2nd NLC sighting by CMHASD members
Last night at around 10.55pm BST – 27th June 2026 – several members got their 2nd sighting of rare Noctilucent Clouds (NLC).
The 1st two images are from Diane Clarke taken from Bexley.
The next 3 images are by Martin Crow – taken from Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex.
This image was taken by Jim Burchell from Dartford.
The next 2 images were taken by John Archer from East Sussex.
Latest deep sky images by Tina Bishop
Two super deep sky images by member Tina Bishop. Both images taken using a Dwarf3 smart scope.
M101 (The Pinwheel Galaxy) – 3 sessions totalling 7 hours 56 mins – mega stacked in Dwarfs Stella Studio.
Hercules Globular Cluster (M13). – 1 session of 3 hours 37mins.
The Moon in glorious detail…
Below are a super selection of 15 images of the Moon taken by Simon Dawes from Bexley. Details of how and when Simon acquired the images are on the photos.
Vallis Alpes (Latin for “Alpine Valley”) is a lunar valley feature that bisects the Montes Alpes range. It extends 166 km from the Mare Imbrium basin, trending east-northeast to the edge of the Mare Frigoris. The valley is narrow at both ends and widens to a maximum width of about 10 km along the middle stretch. Ref:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vallis_Alpes
Centre of the image is Aristillus is a prominent lunar impact crater that lies in the eastern Mare Imbrium. To the south is the smaller crater Autolycus, while to the southwest is the large Archimedes. To the northeast are the craters Theaetetus and Cassini. Ref:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristillus_(crater)
Aristoteles is a lunar impact crater that lies near the southern edge of the Mare Frigoris and to the east of the Montes Alpes mountain range. It was officially named in 1935 after the ancient Greek philosopher and astronomer Aristotle (383-322 B.C.) by the International Astronomical Union, using the classical form of his name.
To the immediate south of Aristoteles lies the slightly smaller crater Eudoxus, and these two form a distinctive pair for a telescope observer. An arc of mountains between these craters bends to the west before joining the walls. The smaller crater Mitchell is directly attached to the eastern rim of Aristoteles. To the west is the low, flooded feature Egede. Ref:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristoteles_(crater)
Maginus is an ancient lunar impact crater located in the southern highlands to the southeast of the prominent crater Tycho. It is a large formation almost three quarters the diameter of Clavius, which lies to the southwest. Ref:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maginus_(crater)
Ptolemaeus is an ancient lunar impact crater close to the center of the near side, named for Claudius Ptolemy, the Greco-Roman writer, mathematician, astronomer, geographer and astrologer. It measures approximately 154 kilometers in diameter.
To the south-southwest, Ptolemaeus is joined to the rim of the crater Alphonsus by a section of rugged, irregular terrain, and these form a prominent chain with Arzachel to the south. Ref:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ptolemaeus_(lunar_crater)
Hyginus is a lunar caldera located at the east end of the Sinus Medii. It was named after ancient Roman astronomer Gaius Julius Hyginus. Its rim is split by a 220 kilometer-long rille, Rima Hyginus, that branches to the northwest and to the east-southeast. The crater is deeper than the rille, and lies at intersection of the rille’s branches. Together, the crater and the rille form a prominent feature in an otherwise flat surface. Smaller craters along the length of the rille may have been caused by the collapse of an underlying structure.
Hyginus is one of the few craters on the Moon that were not created as a result of an impact, and is instead believed to be volcanic in origin. Ref:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyginus_(crater)
On Monday, May 25, 2026 the Moon was in its
Goldschmidt is a large lunar impact crater of the variety commonly termed a walled plain. Ref:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goldschmidt_(crater)
Rupes Recta is a linear fault on the Moon, in the southeastern part of the Mare Nubium. The name is Latin for straight cliff, although it is more commonly called the Straight Wall. This is the best-known escarpment on the Moon. Ref:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rupes_Recta
Eratosthenes crater is a relatively deep lunar impact crater that lies on the boundary between the Mare Imbrium and Sinus Aestuum mare regions. It forms the western terminus of the Montes Apenninus mountain range. It is named after ancient Greek astronomer Eratosthenes of Cyrene, who estimated the circumference of the Earth, and the distance from the Earth to the Sun.
The crater has a well-defined circular rim, terraced inner wall, central mountain peaks, an irregular floor, and an outer rampart of ejecta. Ref:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eratosthenes_(crater)
Montes Apenninus are a rugged mountain range on the northern part of the Moon‘s near side. They are named after the Apennine Mountains in Italy. Montes Apenninus is the most prominent remnant of the outer ring of the Imbrium basin. Ref:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montes_Apenninus
Hesiodus is a lunar impact crater located on the southern fringes of Mare Nubium, to the northwest of the crater Pitatus. It was named after the ancient Greek poet Hesiod. Ref:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hesiodus_(crater)
Moretus is a lunar impact crater located in the heavily cratered highland region near the south pole of the Moon.
South of Moretus, the crater Short is located, while to the north is Cysatus. To the northwest lies Gruemberger, and Curtius is located to the northeast. Due to the location near the lunar limb, the crater appears oblong because of foreshortening. The crater is named after the 17th-century Flemish mathematician and geometer Theodorus Moretus.
On the lunar geologic timescale, this formation dates to the Imbrian period. Ref:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moretus_(crater)
Clavius is one of the largest crater formations on the Moon and the second largest crater on the visible near side (very close in size to Deslandres). It dates to the Nectarian period of the lunar geologic timescale. This crater is located in the rugged southern highlands of the Moon, to the south of the prominent ray crater Tycho. It is named for the Jesuit astronomer Christopher Clavius. Ref:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clavius_(crater)
Sun Pillar
A super example of a Sun Pillar taken by Martin Crow from Burham-on-Crouch, Essex on the 14th June 2026 using an iPhone.
”A light pillar or ice pillar is an atmospheric optical phenomenon in which a vertical beam of light appears to extend above and/or below a light source. The effect is created by the reflection of light from tiny ice crystals that are suspended in the atmosphere or that compose high-altitude clouds (e.g. cirrostratus or cirrus clouds). If the light comes from the Sun (usually when it is near or even below the horizon), the phenomenon is called a sun pillar or solar pillar. Light pillars can also be caused by the Moon or terrestrial sources, such as streetlights and erupting volcanoes.” Ref:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_pillar
The Moon
A super image of the Moon taken by George Buckberry on the 21st June 2026. The Moon was in the First Quarter phase with 51.59% illumination and 7.53 days old.
First Noctilucent Clouds spotted by Jim Burchell
The first sighting of Noctilucent clouds (NLC) by a CMHASD member this year was by member Jim Burchell in the early hours of the 9th June 2026. Below are 2 splendid photos Jim took of the NLC around 3am from Dartford, Kent. The photo on the right shows some fine detail of the NLC.
Then later that night on the 9th June around 10.50pmish they were spotted again by 2 other CMHASD members. Below is the photo taken of the NLC by Martin Crow from Burnham on Crouch in Essex.
Latest images from Danny Pearce
The Owl Nebula (also known as Messier 97, M97 or NGC 3587) is a planetary nebula approximately 2,030 light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major. Estimated to be about 8,000 years old, it is approximately circular in cross-section with a faint internal structure. Ref:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owl_Nebula
The Milky Way – 22nd April 2026
Taken at St Thomas Becket Church, Romney Marsh last night around 3am. It’s a tracked panorama with 9 panels each of 2 mins and 9 separate (non-tracked) panels for the foreground. Mashed together in Photoshop and Lightroom.
Camera is a Nikon Z6iii full frame with a 17-28mm Nikon f2.8 lens taken at 17mm.
Messier 13, or M13 (also designated NGC 6205 and sometimes called the Great Globular Cluster in Hercules, the Hercules Globular Cluster, or the Great Hercules Cluster), is a globular cluster of several hundred thousand stars in the constellation of Hercules.
5 hours of data using a FRA400 and PlayerOne585MC.
Markarian’s Chain – 23rd April 2026
Settling on the Astro filter; George Buckberry captured more data of the Markarian’s chain on the 23rd April 2026 using his Dwarf3 smartscope. He then stacked the new data with data already acquired on the 18th April 2026 and this is the resulting fabulous image.
Left is a labelled Markarian’s chain by Joe Renzetti from Sky & Telescope to help you identify the galaxies.
The Crescent Nebula
Only after 25 minutes of capturing data at 10 second exposures – the Crescent Nebula is appearing in Dan Stevens image that he took on the 19th April 2026 using a Seestar S30.
The Crescent Nebula (also known as NGC 6888, Caldwell 27, Sharpless 105) is an emission nebula in the constellation Cygnus about 5000 light-years away.
Markarian’s Chain
Experimenting: Three images of Markarian’s Chain taken by George Buckberry using different settings on his Dwarf3 smartscope. Which one do you like the best?
The Moon – 22nd April 2026
The Moon taken on the 22nd April 2026 by Jim Burchell and George Buckberry.
Jim took his image using a Seestar S50 smartscope and George took his using a Dwarf3 smartscope.
On April 22, 2026, the moon was in a Waxing Crescent phase, with approximately 31 to 35% illumination and 5.5 days old after the New Moon.
The Leo Triplet
The Leo Triplet by George Buckberry taken on the 26th April 2026 using a Dwarf3 smartscope.
The Leo Triplet (also known as the M66 Group) is a small group of galaxies about 35 million light-years away in the constellation Leo. This galaxy group consists of the spiral galaxies M65 (bottom right), M66 (bottom left) and NGC 3628 (top).
The Sun – 27th April 2026
WARNING: NEVER LOOK AT THE SUN DIRECTLY. Read the page on Solar Safety before attempting any kind of viewing of the Sun!
A super selection of Sun in white light images taken by members Jim & Simon on the 27th April 2026. The Sun was quite active with several sunspots.
The 1st image on the right was taken by Jim Burchell using a Seestar S50 smartscope.
The images below are taken by Simon Dawes. Details of how Simon took his images are on some of the photos.
Astroimages by Tina Bishop
Here is a fantastic selection of images taken by new member Tina Bishop and new to astroimaging too.
All images were taken using a Dwarf3 smartscope.
CMHASD Observing Evenings – April 2026
Below are a selection of photos taken from our observing evenings during April.
BAA Winchester Weekend 2026
Markarian’s Chain
An absolutely fantastic image of the Markarian’s Chain taken by George Buckberry using a Dwarf 3 smart scope last night. It was George’s 1st attempt at imaging the chain.
Markarian’s Chain is stunning curved string of at least eight galaxies, located near the core of the Virgo Galaxy Cluster. It features prominent galaxies like M84, M86, and the interacting pair “The Eyes” (NGC 4435/4438).
The chain starts with the large elliptical galaxies M84 and M86, and includes NGC 4435, NGC 4438, NGC 4461, NGC 4458, NGC 4473, and NGC 4477.
Left is a labelled Markarian’s chain by Joe Renzetti from Sky & Telescope to help you identify the galaxies.
Comet C2025 R3 (Panstarrs)
The latest Comet C2025 R3 (Panstarrs) images taken on the morning of the 14th April 2026.
This stunning image of the comet was taken by Jim Burchell from Dartford using a Seestar S50 smart scope.
This super image of the comet was taken by Kevin Smith using a Dwarf3 smart scope from a beach in Deal, Kent.
The Whirlpool Galaxy
M51a – The Whirlpool Galaxy and its companion M51b by Kevin Langford from Bexley.
This super image was taken using an ED102 APO, Pegasus NYX-101 mount, ZWO ASI071, and L-Pro filter.
7.5 hours over 3 nights (19/03/26 & 06-07/04/26).
Link to Kevin’s Flickrpage:
https://flic.kr/p/2s7w79z
Latest deep sky images by Danny Pearce
A fantastic selection of deep sky objects taken by Danny Pearce.
M101 – The Pinwheel Galaxy (also known as NGC 5457) is a face-on, counter clockwise intermediate spiral galaxy located 21 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Ursa Major.
Danny used a FRA400 and PlayerOne585MC with a UV/IR cut filter to acquire the image. 380 x 60secs subs were captured but many were infected by clouds and so ended up taking the best 180 or so. Stacked and processed using PixInsight.
M51a – The Whirlpool Galaxy (also known as NGC 5194) is an interacting grand-design spiral galaxy in the constellation Canes Venatici. It was the first galaxy to be classified as a spiral galaxy and is 31 million light-years away. Its companion is called M51b or NGC5195.
Taken on 12/04/26 from Dartford. Danny used an HEQ5 mount with a Skywatcher150PDS scope and PlayerOne585MC colour camera with a UV/IR cut filter. Exposures were all 60 sec length and Danny took 180. Stacked with Flats and Bias frames and processed in PixInsight.
M3 (also known as NGC 5272) is a globular cluster located 33.9 thousand light-years away in the constellation Canes Venatici.
This image was also taken by Danny on 12/04/26 from Dartford, using an HEQ5 mount with a Skywatcher150PDS scope and PlayerOne585MC colour camera with a UV/IR cut filter. Exposures were all 60 sec length and Danny took 72. Stacked with Flats and Bias frames and processed in PixInsight.
Sunspot Galore
A fabulous selection of Sunspot images taken by Simon Dawes this last week.
WARNING: NEVER LOOK AT THE SUN DIRECTLY. Read the page on Solar Safety before attempting any kind of viewing of the Sun!
Jupiter
Two super images of Jupiter taken by Simon Dawes on the 6th & 7th April 2026.
Comet C2025 R3 (Panstarrs) – 12th April 2026
HOT OFF THE PRESS – TAKEN THIS MORNING Comet C2025 R3 (Panstarrs) by Jim Burchell.
This fantastic image was taken using a Seestar S50 smart scope at 4:00 UTC 2026/04/12.
36×10 second stacked images.
The comet is currently in the constellation Pegasus; skimming through the Great Square of Pegasus.
Below is a link to finderchart for the comet based from Bexley.
https://in-the-sky.org/findercharts.php?obj=CK25R030&duration=28
The Jellyfish Nebula
The Jellyfish Nebula IC443, taken on the 17/18th March 2026 by member Kevin Langford.
Kevin acquired this stunning image using an ES102ED, with a focal reducer, L-eNhance filter on a Pegasus NYX-101.
4.8hrs of exposures.
Link to Kevin’s Flickr page.
https://flic.kr/p/2s6r8z8
Deep Sky images by Neil Webster
Two super deep sky images taken by member Neil Webster from St Mary Platt, Kent.
M97 – The Owl Nebula and M108. The Owl Nebula is on the left of the image and M108 on the right.
The Owl Nebula (M97) or NGC 3587 is a faint planetary nebula in the constellation Ursa Major, located approximately 2030 light-years away. Discovered in 1781, it is famous for two dark, eye-like spots produced by a hollow, barrel-shaped inner shell, giving it an owl-like appearance through telescopes.
M108 (also known as NGC 3556, nicknamed the Surfboard Galaxy) is a barred spiral galaxy about 46 million light-years away from Earth.
From the Earth, the galaxy is seen almost edge-on.
Neil acquired the image using an AA 115mm APO, EQ6 R, ZWO ASI294 MC, Optolong L Pro filter, Orion 50mm Guide Scope, and ZWO ASI290 MM Guide Camera.
Processed in APT, PHD, Nebulosity, and PS.
55 x 120s Subs, 30 x Flats/Bias, 29 x Darks.
06/04/2026
M44 The Beehive Cluster/Praesepe (also known as NGC 2632 or Cr 189)
M44 is an open cluster in the constellation Cancer.
Image taken using an AA 115mm APO, EQ6 R, 0.79x Reducer/Flattener, ZWO ASI294MC, Optolong L Pro filter, Orion 50mm Guide Scope, and ZWO ASI290 MM Guide Camera.
APT, PHD, Nebulosity, PS
121 x 60s Lights, 30 x Flats/Bias/Darks.
07/04/2026
Latest Atmospheric Optic images by members
Three stunning images of some Atmospheric Optics taken by members whilst out and about.
This superb image was taken by Honor Wheeler using a phone camera whilst walking in Surrey on the 22nd March 2026. The stunning image shows a Halo, Sundog, and Upper tangent arc.
This super image was taken by Janice McClean also using a phone camera on the 22nd March 2026 (Janice & Honor were on a walk together at the time) showing the Halo, Sundog and Upper tangent arc.
The Sundog is on the left of the photos and the Upper tangent arc is the white line going across the top of the halo (the circle).
A stunning image taken by Andrew Godden whilst on holiday in Malta on the 4th April 2026 using a phone camera of a Circumscribed halo with Parhelic circle.
The Moon – 22nd March 2026
Four great images of the Waxing Crescent Moon taken on the 22nd March 2026. The Moon had an illumination of about 15% – this is the percentage of the Moon illuminated by the Sun.
This image was taken by member George Buckberry using a Samsung smart phone set in normal mode. You can clearly see detail of the Moon in the Earthshine.
Earthshine is the faint sunlight reflected from Earth that illuminates the otherwise dark portion of the crescent Moon.
For more info about Earthshine follow the link below.
https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/advice/skills/earthshine-moon-what-is-how-see-it
The Moon taken again using a Samsung smart phone by George Buckberry but this time set in dark mode cleary showing the waxing crescent.
The Moon by Neil Webster.
Neil acquired the image using an AA 115mm APO, EQ6 R, ZWO ASI290MM, and R/IR filter.
3 frames: each 90s x 33fps (best 20% selected).
Processed using Firecapture, AutoStakkert, PS, and Microsoft ICE
Mare Crisium on the Waxing Crescent Moon by Neil Webster – It’s lovely to see some detail of the crater.
Sun & Moon by George Buckberry
The Moon & Sun by member George Buckberry; both taken using a Dwarf 3 smart scope.
The Heart Nebula (IC1805) by Honor Wheeler
A stunning image of the Heart Nebula (IC 1805) taken by Honor Wheeler on the 25th February 2026 using a Dwarf3 smartscope.
The Heart Nebula is a vast emission nebula in the constellation Cassiopeia located approximately 7,500 light-years away in the Perseus Arm of the Milky Way. It glows with a characteristic red light from ionized hydrogen gas, spans roughly 300 light-years and resembles a human heart in appearance.
Star Trails by Honor Wheeler
A fantastic image of Star Trails by Honor Wheeler taken on the 24th February 2026 using a Dwarf3 smartscope.
Lunar Corona
A great image of a Lunar Corona and Jupiter taken by member Gary Hunt on the 27th February 2026.
Jupiter is the dot on the right hand side of the Moon at the 2 o’clock position.
February’s deep sky images
A superb selection of deep sky images taken by members during February 2026.
Part of the Pleiades (M45) taken by Diane Clarke using a Seestar s50 smartscope on the 25th February 2026.
The Orion Nebula (M42) taken by Diane Clarke using a Seestar s50 smartscope on the 25th February 2026.
The Sun
Two images of the Sun taken using smartscopes on the 4th February 2026.
Taken by Jim Burchell using a Seestar s50.
February’s Moon images
A great selection of Moon images taken by members during the month of February.
Crescent Moon taken on the 22nd February 2026 by John Archer using a Dwarf3 smart scope.
Waxing Gibbous Moon by Neil Webster taken on the 28/02/2026.
The Moon was 11.38 days old and 92.1% illuminated. Neil used a AA 115mm APO, EQ6 R, ZWO ASI290MM and R/IR Filter to acquire the image.
6 frames. Each 90s x 32fps. Stitched in Microsoft ICE Firecapture, AutoStakkert and Photo Shop.
IC443 The Jellyfish Nebula by George Buckberry
A stunning image of IC443 – The Jellyfish Nebula taken by George Buckberry.
The Jellyfish Nebula (IC 443) is a supernova remnant located in the constellation Gemini. This nebula is approximately 5000 light-years from Earth and is estimated to be roughly 70 light-years in size.
Solar Halo’s by Jim Burchell
Two superb images of the same Solar Halo taken by Jim Burchell on the 17th February 2026.
Orion’s belt by Danny Pearce
A stunning widefield view of Orion’s belt by Danny Pearce taken on the 28th Feb 2026. Danny used an Askar FRA400 on a HEQ5 mount with .7x reducer to give a FL of 280mm. The camera was a PlayerOne Poseidon-M mono (IMX571) and a Ha filter was used.
Jupiter by Simon Dawes
Two images of Jupiter taken by Simon Dawes. Seeing was poor on both nights but still great images were achieved.
Taken on the 2nd March 2026; using a Celestron Edge 11HD telescope, Mesu e200 mount and QHY colour camera.
Latest deep sky images taken from the 11th to 15th March 2026
Here are the latest fantastic deep sky images from members taken from the 11th to the 15th March 2026.
M81 (and M82) by Jim Burchell
Huge Sunspot AR4366
Hot off the press – 2 images of the Sun showing the enormous Sunspot AR4366; taken on the 4th February 2026. The image on the left was taken by Jim Burchell using a Seestar s50 smart scope and the image on the right was taken by George Buckberry using a Dwarf3 smart scope. Both taken from the Dartford area.
AR4366 has unleashed dozens of solar flares including a powerful X8-class flare on the 1st February 2026. Most sunspots never produce even one X-flare but this week, giant sunspot 4366 has fired off six; the latest being an X4.2-class explosion on the 4th February.
Below is a diagram of the sun with the sunspots labelled and an image of just AR4366. Both these images were taken from the website spaceweather.com.
”The image of the Sunspot AR4366 was taken by amateur astronomer James Kevin Ty on Feb 3rd from his backyard observatory in Manila. “This sunspot started as an inconspicuous pore just a few days ago. Since then it has grown hugely in size!” he says.
SUNSPOT ARCHIPELAGO: Sunspots are magnetic islands on the sun. Sunspot AR4366 is a complete archipelago. Scroll down to scan more than 200,000 miles of island chain.
The island metaphor is apt. Sunspots are buoyant concentrations of magnetism that float on a sea of solar plasma. Archipelago 4366 consists of one big island twice as wide as Earth plus dozens of lesser isles ranging in size from US states to small planets.
AR4366 is currently facing Earth.” Ref:Spaceweather.com
CMHASD at Wentworth School – 28th January 2026
CMHASD Secretary Dr. Mike Rushton wrote ”On Wednesday 28th January 11 members of the Society were involved in our annual outreach visit to Wentworth School. 73 children from Year 5 were split into four groups who rotated through four preplanned tasks.
One involved a short talk on general astronomical topics with some visual aids. The second was a short slide show of images taken in the main by our members. The third in the gym involved everyone running around in circles to demonstrate the movements of all the planets in the solar system. The fourth was observing. We were lucky that in a week of bad weather we had a clear night. With six telescopes (2 reflectors, 2 refractors and 2 smart scopes) everyone saw the Moon, Jupiter, Saturn, the Orion nebula and the Andromeda galaxy. All of this was well received and fun for us, the teachers and the children.”
Below is an article about our visit to Wentworth School in their newsletter.
This is the final image of the Orion Nebula the children saw developing on a Dwarf3 smartscope by Dr. Mike Rushton. It is made up of a total of 196 images, each 15 seconds long in exposure.
This is the final image of the Andromeda Galaxy the children saw developing on a Seestar S50 smartscope by member Diane Clark.
Below is a wonderful card made by the pupils in appreciation of our visit last week.
The Trifid Nebula by Richard Bohner
A fantastic image of the Trifid Nebula taken by Richard Bohner in July 2025 from Cottonwood in Arizona, USA.
Richard used a Seestar s50 smart scope to take the image.
The Trifid Nebula (catalogued as Messier 20 or M20 and as NGC 6514) is an H II region in the north-west of Sagittarius about 4100 light-years from Earth.
The Moon
Two great images of the Moon taken by George Buckberry using a Dwarf3 smart scope.
A Waxing Crescent Moon on the 23rd January 2026. 22.8% illuminated. Ref:https://theskylive.com/moon/2026-01-23
A Waxing Gibbous Moon on the 27th January 2026. 65% illuminated. Ref:https://theskylive.com/moon/2026-01-27
More deep sky images taken using a Dwarf3 smart scope
A super selection of deep sky images taken by member George Buckberry using a Dwarf3 smart scope on the 3rd & 5th January 2026.
The Crab Nebula (catalogue designations M1, NGC 1952, Taurus A) is a supernova remnant and pulsar wind nebula in the constellation of Taurus. Ref:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crab_Nebula
A close up of the Crab Nebula.
The Triangulum Galaxy is a spiral galaxy 2.878 million light-years (ly) from Earth in the constellation Triangulum. It is catalogued as Messier 33 or NGC 598. The Triangulum Galaxy is the third-largest member of the Local Group of galaxies, behind the Andromeda Galaxy and the Milky Way. Ref:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangulum_Galaxy
Bode’s Galaxy (also known as NGC 3031 or Messier 81) is a grand design spiral galaxy about 12 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major. Ref:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messier_81
The galaxy above it (centre top of image) is the Cigar Galaxy also known as Messier 82.
The Rosette Nebula (also known as Caldwell 49) is an H II region located near one end of a giant molecular cloud in the Monoceros region of the Milky Way Galaxy. Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosette_Nebula
The Elephant’s Trunk Nebula (IC 1396A) is a concentration of interstellar gas and dust within the much larger ionized gas region IC 1396 located in the constellation Cepheus about 2,400 light-years away from Earth. Ref:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elephant%27s_Trunk_Nebula
Latest ExoClock Observations by Simon Dawes
These are the latest Exoplanet transits that member Simon Dawes has observed for the ExoClock project.
To find out more about the ExoClock project click here.
XO-6b is a transiting exoplanet, orbiting the star XO-6 around 760 light years (230 parsecs) away from Earth. It was discovered in 2016 by the XO planet search team.
XO-6b orbits XO-6, a faint 10th magnitude star in the constellation Camelopardalis.
XO-6b is classified as a hot Jupiter. The planet has an orbital period of just 3.8 days and an average orbital separation of 0.082 astronomical units. Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XO-6b
EPIC 246851721 b is a gas giant exoplanet, 3x the mass of Jupiter, it takes 6.2 days to orbit its (F-Type) star and is 0.07229 AU from its star. It was discovered in 2018.
The F-type star EPIC 246851721 is a star in the constellation of Taurus. EPIC 246851721 distance from Earth is 1224.38 light years away.
Simon said ‘‘It’s the shallowest transit I’ve attempted at 5 milli-mag. on a mag 11 star.”
WASP-33b is an extrasolar gas giant planet orbiting the A-type star HD 15082 in Andromeda. It was the first transiting planet discovered to orbit a Delta Scuti variable star. Its mass is 2.093 Jupiters, it takes 1.2 days to complete one orbit of its star, and is 0.0239 AU from its star. Its discovery was announced in 2010.
KELT-2Ab is an extrasolar gas giant planet that orbits the F-type star KELT-2A approximately 440 light-years away in the Auriga.
Its mass is 1.7 Jupiters, it takes 4.1 days to complete one orbit of its star, and is 0.05497 AU from its star. Its discovery was announced in 2012.
Qatar-1b is a gas giant exoplanet that orbits a a metal-rich K dwarf star in Draco. Its mass is 1.294 Jupiters, it takes 1.4 days to complete one orbit of its star, and is 0.02332 AU from its star. Its discovery was announced in 2010 and was the first planet discovered by the Qatar Exoplanet Survey.
Aurora seen last night
Last night Aurora was spotted over the UK and 2 CMHASD members managed to image it through the clouds.
Apparently the CME, X1.9 ‘Halo’ solar flare that sparked this aurora took only 25 hours to reach Earth! Usually CME’S take 3 to 4 days!
The 1st image on the right was taken by member Honor Wheeler from Dartford using a Canon M6II, Rokinon 12mm lens, set at ISO800, f8, and 6sec.
Honor said ‘The aurora was difficult to see visually but my camera picked it up. A lot of light pollution reflecting off the clouds also didn’t help but any aurora seen from home is a nice, unexpected bonus.’
Member Martin Crow from Burnham – on – Crouch, Essex managed to capture some images of the Aurora through gaps in the cloud on his iPhone. On the right are 2 of his images.
New Dwarf3 presentation by George Buckberry
Member George Buckberry has written another presentation about his recent experiences with the Dwarf3 smart scope. To see a copy of his presentation click on the link on the right.
To see George’s previous presentation about the Dwarf3 go to the ‘New to Astronomy & Resources‘ page where you will find the link.
The Sun & Full Moon – 3rd Jan 2026
The 3rd of Jan 2026 saw the 1st Full Moon of the year and several members got out their scopes and cameras and took some lovely images of the Moon. Some members also took the opportunity to image the Sun that day too.
Sun & Full Moon by Honor Wheeler.
Taken using a Dwarf3 smart scope taken from Dartford.
The Sun by George Buckberry.
Taken using a Dwarf3 smart scope taken from Hextable.
The Full Moon by George Buckberry.
Taken using a Dwarf3 smart scope taken from Hextable.
Full Moon rising by John Howarth taken from Bexleyheath.
Full Moon rising by Gary Hunt taken from the Isle of Sheppey.
Full Moon rising by Kevin Smith taken from Deal, Kent.
Full Moon rising by John Archer taken from East Sussex.
Full Moon by Dominique Ferrand taken from London.
Full Moon by John Archer taken from East Sussex.
Taken using a Dwarf3 smart scope. The photo is made up of a stack of 20 images.
The Horsehead and Flame Nebula
Below are 2 images of the Horsehead Nebula and Flame Nebula taken by member George Buckberry. The 1st on the 31st Dec 2025 having only 17mins and 45 seconds of total exposure and the 2nd on the 1st Jan 2026 having 1 hour and 15mins total exposure; both taken using a Dwarf3 smart scope. The Horsehead Nebula is located in the centre of the images and the Flame nebula is located at the top middle of the images.
The Horsehead Nebula, also known as Barnard 33, and its companion, the Flame Nebula, sit near the star Alnitak in Orion’s Belt.
The Horsehead Nebula is a small dark nebula located about 1,375 light-years from Earth and is located just south of Alnitak, the easternmost star of Orion’s Belt and is part of the much larger Orion molecular cloud complex within the Orion B cloud. It is one of the most identifiable nebulae because of its resemblance to a horse’s head.
The Flame Nebula, designated as NGC 2024 and Sh2-277, is an emission nebula also in the constellation Orion. It is about 1350 light-years away. The Flame Nebula also lies within the Orion B cloud of the larger Orion Molecular Cloud Complex.
The bright star Alnitak the easternmost star in Orion’s Belt, appears very close to the Flame Nebula in the sky. But the star and nebula are not physically associated with one another. Alnitak lies 1260 light-years from Earth.
The Sun & Moon – 31st Dec 2025
The Sun & a Waxing Gibbous Moon (89.7% illuminated and 11.64 days old) taken on the last day of the year 2025.
The Sun by Honor Wheeler taken from Dartford using a Dwarf3 smartscope. 50 stacked images and processed in Snapseed.
The Sun taken by George Buckberry from Hextable using a Dwarf3 smart scope.
The Moon taken by Honor Wheeler from Dartford using a Dwarf 3 smartscope. 50 stacked images and processed in Snapseed.
The Moon taken by Neil Webster from St Mary’s Platt.
The image is made up of 6 frames: each 90s x 33fps (20% selected by AS). Neil used a AA 115 APO, EQ6 R, ZWO ASI290MM and R-IR Filter to capture the images and then processed them using Firecapture, AutoStakkert, Photoshop and Microsoft ICE.
Congratulations to…..
Congratulations to Simon Dawes, Martin Crow and Gary Hunt on the latest paper published by the ExoClock project of which they are co authors ”ExoClock Project IV: A homogeneous catalogue of 620 updated exoplanet ephemerides” To see a copy of the paper click on the link below.
https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.14407
Then another congratulations to Martin Crow for being a co author on the following paper titled ”TrES-1b: A Case study in detecting Secular Evolution of Exoplanet Orbits.” To see a copy of the paper click the link below.
Congratulations
Congratulations to Honor Wheeler for her superb Lunar Eclipse image taken on the 7th September 2025 being shown at the BAA (British Astronomical Association) Society Meeting sky notes and in their Lunar section too!
Honor acquired the image using a Canon M6II, 18-400mm lens, set at ISO1000, F6.3, and 1/500sec
The Orion Nebula
The Orion Nebula taken by George Buckberry on the 1st Jan 2026 using a Dwarf3 smart scope. This is a brilliant image as it was acquired just after a total of 15 mins of exposure. Just shows what smart scopes can do!
”The Orion Nebula (also known as Messier 42, M42, or NGC 1976) is a diffuse nebula situated south of Orion’s belt in the constellation of Orion. It is one of the brightest nebulae and is visible to the naked eye in the night sky with an apparent magnitude of 4.0. It is 1,344 ± 20 light-years (412.1 ± 6.1 pc) away and is the closest region of massive star formation to Earth. M42 is estimated to be 25 light-years across (so its apparent size from Earth is approximately 1 degree). It has a mass of about 2,000 times that of the Sun. Older texts frequently refer to the Orion Nebula as the Great Nebula in Orion or the Great Orion Nebula.” Ref:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orion_Nebula
The Rosette Nebula
A stunning image of the Rosette Nebula taken by Kevin Smith on the 27th Dec 2025 using a Dwarf3 smartscope. The image is a total of 5 hours and 57 mins of exposure.
The Rosette Nebula (also known as Caldwell 49) is a huge star-forming region spanning 100 lightyears across and located 5,000 lightyears away.
It can be seen in the Monoceros constellation in the winter months and is located between stars Betelgeuse in Orion and Procyon in Canis Minor. Draw a line between Betelgeuse and Procyon, look just south of that line, about halfway along, and you will find it.
The last Supermoon of 2025
A fabulous selection of Supermoon images taken on the 4th/5th December 2025. The year 2025 featured a rare series of three consecutive supermoons: the October 7th Harvest/Hunter Moon, the November 5th Beaver Moon, and the December 4th Cold Moon, where the Moon appears larger and brighter than usual. These supermoons occur when a full moon coincides with the Moon being at or near its closest point to Earth in its orbit.
For more information about the term ‘Supermoon’ and where Full Moon names originate; check out the following sites/pages: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supermoon
https://www.almanac.com/full-moon-names
https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/moon/full-moon-names.html
George used a Dwarf3 smartscope to take this image.
The Moon by Diane Clarke taken using a Seestar 50 smartscope.
The Moon taken by Neil Webster. The image is made up of 8 frames. Each 90s x 32fps. The image was taken using a AA115 APO, EQ6 R, ZWO ASI290MM, and R/IR Filter. It was processed using Firecapture, AutoStakkert, Photoshop, and Microsoft ICE. Taken from St Marys Platt, Kent, UK.
Deep Sky images by George Buckberry
A super selection of deep sky images taken by George Buckerry on the 4th and 31st Dec 2025 using a Dwarf3 smart scope.
Lunar Halo – 13th Dec 2025
Four fab Lunar Halo images. All taken on the night of the 13th Dec 2025.
By Martin Crow from Burham-On-Crouch.
By Gary Hunt taken from Isle of Sheppey.
By Honor Wheeler from Dartford.
By George Buckberry from Hextable.
Christmas Quiz – 2025
CMHASD members David Grist and Steve Floodgate pulled out all the stops to provide a night of head scratching, puzzlement and fun. Thank you Dave & Steve for all your hard work & effort creating the quiz. It was a great night and we are all looking forward to the next one!
Chairman Gary Hunt wrote: ‘Title: Quizmas, Klingons & Missing Trophies at Crayford Manor House!
On Thursday evening, 11th December 2025, CMHASD Pavilion, once again echoed to the sounds of festive cheer, competitive groaning, and the unmistakable hum of suspicious transporter activity, as the Astronomical Society’s Christmas Quiz warped off in fine style.
The evening was masterfully created and run by Dave Grist and Steve Floodgate, affectionately (and accurately) known as Eric’n’Ern, channelling Morecambe and Wise with added astronomy and fewer dancing routines. Their efforts ensured chaos, laughter, and confusion were course delivered in precisely the right orbital trajectory.
Four teams boldly went where quizzes have gone before:
The Vulcans
The Klingons
The Andorians
The Borg Collective
After multiple rounds — including space-themed LP album covers, astronomical knowledge, and a paper based round of astro celebrity images that proved some stars age better than others — it became increasingly clear that the Klingons were on a despicable, bloodthirsty mission. A significant score (best not questioned too closely) propelled them well into the lead.
Festive snacks flowed freely, fuelling brains and banter alike, while the annual Christmas Jumper Competition was convincingly won by ‘comet maker’, Debra, whose ROG creation dazzled judges and competitors alike without causing a mass extinction event.
Victory was ultimately declared: the Klingon Team triumphed (a resounding Qapla’! echoed through the hall), and the traditional annual prize of Goats’ Cheese was duly awarded. Sadly, the actual trophy was nowhere to be found, having apparently been “beamed up” by Scotty, allegedly on the orders of the Vulcans. A Star Fleet inquiry may follow. Or not…
Post-quiz celebrations involved the liberal quaffing of Klingon Blood Wine (or something suspiciously similar), cementing the evening as both educational and mildly hazardous.
For those unable to attend in person, Eric’n’Ern and Mike thoughtfully recorded a special version of the quiz, allowing members to play — or replay — the fun at home, free from time pressure, judgement, or missing trophies.
All in all, the evening was a resounding success: festive, funny, and thoroughly enjoyed by all. Same time next year — assuming the trophy rematerialises.
Live long, and prosper, set phasers to stun, and pass the cheese.’
Jim Burchell’s images – 18th Nov to the 26th Nov 2025
A super collection of images taken by member Jim Burchell from the 18th to the 26th Nov 2025.
John Archer’s images – 21st Nov to the 28th Nov 2025
A superb collection of images taken by member John Archer from the 21st to the 28th Nov 2025 using a Dwarf3 smartscope.
The Moon on the 28th Nov 2025
Latest images 11th to 20th December 2025
A fabulous selection of images taken by members Kevin Smith, Dan Stevens and George Buckberry from the 11th to the 20th December 2025.
Kevin Smith using a Dwarf 3 smartscope
The Horsehead Nebula. A total of 4 hours 15mins exposure time.
Dan Stevens using a Seestar smart scope
George Buckberry using a Dwarf3 smartscope
T
The Sun with a single sunspot……..
Stargazing at Hall Place – 26th Nov 2025
CMHASD Chairman Gary Hunt wrote; “CMHASD was honoured and delighted to deliver the Hall Place Stargazing Event on Wednesday 26th November 2025, to the people of Bexley and beyond!
The event was sold out months in advance, and its popularity seems to grow each successive event! The aim of our outreach, is to share the beauty of the night sky, explain just what we see, and hopefully spark further interest and desire to explore more about the subject. Sadly the weather on Wednesday night meant we could not use our telescopes to observe the wonderful night skies, however, we exhibited a range of telescopes and equipment. CMHASD members gave up their personal time to answer questions about astronomy. Other members, gave presentations on what telescope to get, the night sky, and even made a comet! The visitors all expressed their appreciation, some had said they had been before and wanted to return! A great evening and very worthwhile!”
Below are a selection of photos taken of the evening.
The Moon – 29th November 2025
An absolutely stunning image of the Moon taken by member Neil Webster on the 29th November 2025.
MOON: Waxing Gibbous, 66.8% illuminated and 9.56 days old.
Neil acquired the image using an AA 115 APO, EQ6 R, ZWO ASI 290MM, and R/IR filter.
8 frames: each 90s x 31fps (best 20% selected)
Processed using AutoStakkert and Photo Shop.
Craters Clavius, Tycho etc.
Check out Neil’s Flickr page at https://www.flickr.com/photos/137388222@N05/
Copernicus, Archimedes, Plato, Montes Apenninus, Montes Caucasus and Alpine Valley.
The Moon – 30th November 2025
A super image of the Moon taken by member George Buckberry on the 30th November 2025; using his smart scope Dwarf3. The image was taken at 16:35 UTC, Exp 1/320s, Gain 10, and a VIS filter was used.
Comet C/2025 K1 (Atlas)
Here is member George Buckberry’s latest image of Comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) taken on his Dwarf3 smart scope on the 26th November 2025. The image is made up of 12 stacked images at 15S exposure, Gain 60 and Astro filter. The first is the full image and the second is a crop of the first to show a zoomed in image of the Comet.
17th/18th November 2025 images by George Buckberry
The latest images from member George Buckberry. Taken using a Dwarf3 smart scope.
Moon
A fantastic image of a waning gibbous Moon taken by member Diane Clarke on the 8th November 2025 using a Seestar s50 smart scope.
Dwarf3 images by Dr. Mike Rushton
Two super images taken by Dr. Mike Rushton using his Dwarf3 smart scope on the 12th November 2025 of the North America Nebula (Caldwell 20) and the Sun.
George Buckberry’s Dwarf3 images from the 8th and 9th November 2025
A super collection of images taken by member George Buckberry on the 8th and 9th November 2025 using his Dwarf3 smart scope.
The Moon: 16 subs at 1/400th S exposure, Gain=0 and a Vis filter.
Details of how George took the rest of his images with the Dwarf3 are on written the photos.
John Archer’s latest deep sky images
Two fantastic deep sky images by member John Archer taken on the 8th November 2025 using his Dwarf3 smartscope. Details of how John took his images are on the photos.
George Buckberry images taken on the 2nd Nov 2025
Three super images by member George Buckberry taken on the 2nd November 2025 using a Dwarf3 smart scope. All the images were run through Stella Studio.
- The Moon
- 300 stacked images at 15S exp, Gain10 and a Vis filter used.
- The Veil Nebula
- A four panel mosaic of 200 stacked images at 15S exp, Gain60 and a Duo Band filter used.
- NGC281 Pacman Nebula
- 710 stacked images in total at 15S exp, Gain60 and a Duo Band filter used. The image consists of three image data sets Mega Stacked.
NGC 281 PACMAN NEBULA by member Neil Webster
A stunning image of NGC 281 the PACMAN NEBULA by member Neil Webster.
”Shot with an 89% Moon which made processing a challenge!! But, Gradient X Terminator saved the day!!’‘ said Neil
Image taken using – AA115mm APO, EQ6 R, ZWO ASI294MC Pro, Optolong L Enhance Filter, Orion 50mm Guide Scope and ZWO ASI290 MM Guide Camera.
Processed using APT, PHD, Nebulosity, PS (Camera Raw), Star X Terminator, and Gradient X Terminator.
45 x 240s Light, 12 x Darks, 30 x Flats/Bias
St Marys Platt, Kent 02/11/2025.
To see a higher resolution image of the nebula taken by Neil click the link below to be taken to Neil’s flickr page at https://www.flickr.com/photos/137388222@N05/54905884718/
Congratulations to Honor
Congratulations to member Honor Wheeler for her image below of the Lunar Eclipse taken on the 7th September 2025 being published in the British Astronomical Association (BAA) Lunar section circular and at the BAA meeting sky notes.
Info: Canon M6II, 18-400mm lens, ISO1000, F6.3 and 1/500sec.
More great comet images by George Buckberry using his Dwarf3 smart scope
- Comet C/2025 R2 SWAN on the 28th October 2025.
- (60 stacked subs, Exp15S, Gain60 and Astro Auto with Watermark)
- The 2 images below are of Comet C/2025 R2 SWAN on the 25th & 28th Oct 2025 by George.
- Comet C/2025 R2 SWAN on the 25th Oct 2025.
- Comet C/2025 R2 SWAN on the 28th Oct 2025.
- This final image is of Comet C/2025 A6 Lemmon through clouds on the 28th October 2025.
Comet C/2025 R2 (SWAN)
Two super images of Comet C/2025 R2 (SWAN) taken by members Jim Burchell and George Buckberry using their smart scopes.
”C/2025 R2 (SWAN), initially designated as SWAN25B, is a long period comet discovered on September 10, 2025 by Vladimir Bezugly on images captured by the Solar Wind Anisotropies (SWAN) camera of the Solar and Heliospheric Observer (SOHO). At the time of discovery the comet was just a few hours away from its perihelion transit, already as bright as magnitude 7.3 and with a well developed tail.” Ref:https://theskylive.com/c2025r2-info
Jim Burchell
George Buckberry
Comet C/2025 K1 ATLAS by Jim Burchell
Member Jim Burchell managed to capture the Comet C/2025 K1 Atlas on the 24th October 2025 in Virgo. C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) was discovered in May 2025 by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS).
The latest Comet C/2025 A6 Lemmon images
On the 24th & 25th October 2025 several CMHASD members took the opportunity to image Comet C/2025 A6 Lemmon whilst there was a break in the clouds or thin cloud. Below are their superb images.
George Buckberry
All 3 images taken using a Dwarf3 smart scope on the 25th October 2025.
Jim Burchell
Taken on the 25th October 2025 using a Seestar S50 smart scope.
Taken on the 24th October 2025 using a Seestar S50 smart scope.
Mike Rushton
Taken on the 24th October using a Dwarf3 smart scope – looking through thin cloud.
Kevin Smith
Taken on the 24th October 2025 using a Dwarf3 smart scope.
Honor Wheeler
Colour image and an inverted image of the comet taken on the 24th October 2025 at 7.43pm.
Honor used a Canon M6II, Tamron 18-400mm lens and a Skywatcher Star Adventurer mount. The camera settings were ISO1600, F13 and 30sec.
Comet C/2025 A6 Lemmon – 21st Oct 2025
Comet Lemmon, or C/2025 A6 (Lemmon), was discovered by astronomers at the Mount Lemmon Survey, in Arizona, on the 3rd January 2025.
The comet is currently low in the northwestern sky after nightfall in the constellation of Boötes, not far from the bright star Arcturus.
On the 24th Oct it will still be above Arcturus but near the star Izar. (Note: The handle of the Big Dipper points towards Arcturus.), and in the coming days it will move into the constellation Serpens.
Sky chart showing the location of C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) at the end of October 2025. Credit: Astronomy Now magazine.
On the evening of the 21st Oct 2025, several CMHASD members managed to image the comet quickly through a gap in the clouds or with a thin veil of cloud.
CMHASD member George Buckberry captured the comet at 7:40pm using his Dwarf3 smart scope. His fantastic image below is made up of only 3 stacked images at 15S, gain 60 and Astro filter. Then run through Stellar Studio and no other processing.
The Water mark also shows NGC 5641 which was a little further West at the time George took the images of the comet.
Kevin Smith captured the comet also using a Dwarf3 smart scope on the 21st Oct around the same time as George. His fantastic images are below.
Honor Wheeler captured the comet at 7.19pm using a Canon M6II, Tamron 18-400mm, set at ISO3200, 3″ and F6.3. Her superb image is below.
Finally member Jim Burchell captured the comet a little bit later on the 21st Oct at 20:19 BST. Jim used a Pentax KP set at F5.6, 20sec, 135 mm and iso 800 on a Skywatcher star adventure. His super image is below.
CMHASD SAGAS trip to the South Downs Planetarium
On Saturday the 19th July several CMHASD members of the society went to The SAGAS Astronomical Convention. This was a one day event for amateur astronomers and enthusiasts held this year at the South Downs Planetarium & Science Centre, Chichester.
About SAGAS
SAGAS was established in 1973 to provide a forum where Astronomical Societies across the South of England to meet, share ideas and discuss issues or concerns of mutual interest. This has allowed member societies to support and inspire each other, and further the interests of their own members.
Why join?
SAGAS provides a hub that helps Astronomical Societies collaborate and share of knowledge.
Member Diane Clarke wrote….
”The event was hosted by Dr John Mason and the volunteers at the South Downs Planetarium & Science Centre. John can be seen here liaising with one of the volunteer staff, all of whom looked after us throughout the day.
Nick James, the BAA Comet section director spoke to us about viewing comets such as “C/2020 f3 Neowise among others from various locations and Mr Ian Sharp spoke to us about getting started with Photometry. Nick & Ian can be seen in this photo chatting with CMHASD member Rita Whiting.
Dr Nicolas Bonne, a Public Engagement and Outreach Fellow, from the University of Portsmouth spoke to us about making astronomy accessible to the visually impaired community. This was achieved by using 3D printed models such as the Martian Grand Canyon, known as the Valles Marineris and The Whirlpool galaxy also known as Messier 51.
Dr Samantha J. Penny from the University of Portsmouth, spoke to us about a ”Universe of Tiny Galaxies” with regard to how they helped illuminate the universe with UV light clearing the fog of hydrogen gas that permeated the universe in its first billion years.
Dr Kathy Romer from the University of Sussex spoke to us about ”Explaining Cosmology through Analogies” using such everyday items as a chocolate orange & a cheese triangle.
Then to finish the day Dr John Mason took us on a virtual trip to see ”The Skies Over Southern England in 15000 CE” using the Planetarium’s 48-year-old Viewlex-Minolta S-IIb star projector. To quote John “We use this venerable projector to give pin point stars”.
The whole day was very interesting & enjoyable and I look forward to the next one!”
Dwarf3 images by Kevin Smith
Two super deep sky images by member Kevin Smith taken using his Dwarf3 smart scope from Deal in Kent. The first image is of the North American Nebula and the second of the Maia Nebula.
The North America Nebula, also known as NGC 7000 or Caldwell 20, is an emission nebula in the constellation Cygnus, close to the star Deneb. It is named because its shape resembles North America.
The Maia Nebula is a bright reflection nebula in the Pleiades cluster (M45) within the constellation Taurus. The nebula has the designation NGC 1432 in the New General Catalogue. The Maia Nebula is illuminated by and surrounds the blue giant star Maia (20 Tauri), the fourth brightest star in Messier 45 and is composed of interstellar dust that reflects the star’s light creating a distinct ethereal appearance. It is approximately 400 light-years from Earth.
Star Trails by Simon Dawes
A fantastic star trail image by member Simon Dawes taken whilst at Kelling Heath Autumn Star Party on the 20th September 2025.
Simon acquired the image by using a Sony A7SII mirrorless SLR camera on a Manfrotto static tripod & Viltrox 20mm f2.8 lens. 240x 30s exposures (4 hours) were done and stacked using Astro Pixel Processor.
The Lobster Claw Nebula with the Bubble Nebula by Kevin Langford
A superb image of the Lobster Claw Nebula with the Bubble Nebula taken on Monday 22nd September 2025 from Bexley by CMHASD member Kevin Langford.
The Lobster Claw Nebula, also known as Sharpless 157 (Sh2-157), is an emission nebula located in the constellation Cassiopeia about 11,000 light-years from Earth. Its name comes from its distinct shape, which resembles a lobster’s claw and is formed by glowing gas, dark dust, and stars.
To the left of the claw in the image, you can see NGC 7635 – the Bubble Nebula, which is much more widely known. Also visible is the star cluster NGC 7510, above the lobster claw pincers (Chelae).
Kevin’s image consists of 3hrs in total of exposures.
Kevin acquired the image using an ES 102ED APO, 0.7x focal reducer corrector, Pegasus NYX-101, ZWO ASI071, Orion MMAG, L-eNhance filter.
It was then processed in Siril and Affinity photo.
To see a more detailed view of the image check out Kevin’s Flickr page at https://www.flickr.com/photos/77708720@N08/54809019524/
The Eastern Veil Nebula by Diane Clarke
The Eastern Veil Nebula, also known as NGC 6992, is an expanding supernova remnant in the constellation Cygnus, bordering the constellation Vulpecula. It was formed by the explosion of a massive star 20 times more massive than the Sun that exploded approximately 8,000 to 10,000 years ago. It is composed of heated gas and dust and is part of a larger structure called the Cygnus Loop.
Active Sun
NLC Season 2025
A super collection of Noctilucent Cloud (NLC) images and a timelapse video taken by CMHASD members during the months of June & July this year.
First we have the 23rd June 2025 where several members managed to capture the clouds.
Member Martin Crow using his iPhone; taken from Burnham-On-Crouch.
And finally a timelapse video of NLC on the 23rd June 2025 taken by member Honor Wheeler also from Dartford.
Member Jim Burchell also caught NLC on 3 more nights. These were taken on the 30th June 2025 from Dartford.
These on the 3rd July 2025 taken from Dartford.
And finally a stunning display on the 8th July 2025 taken from Swanley by Jim.
