Please access taosastronomer.com's blog archive below --

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Larry's initial efforts with iOptron's original tracker system

Below is my youngest son Larry's initial effort using an iOptron tracker with his Nikon 3500 mounted and balanced on the unit. The data and image of the Orion Nebula (M41/M42) is below. I helped a little with the post-processing using DeepSkyStacker, GradientXTerminator, and adjustment layers in PSCS6.

both images ©Lawrence Greiner 2023

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Recent "adventures" with the Atik Infinity camera -- November, 2023

I have for several years had the Atik Infinity (video) camera. There is even a section of this website embracing its imaging advantages, as linked here. Below I have posted some new images, and will eventually post them on the page linked above. It's always a learning experience to reacquaint yourself with some of the cameras, software and other equipment recently acquired. In this case (and after a relatively long "re-acquaintance") I have decided on some new equipment and software issues to improve the images. But for now, here are the resultant photographs.

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Annular Eclipse -- October 14, 2023

After a cold and uneventful winter, my floating friends and I were fortunate enough to obtain several river permits.  We typically are lucky enough to secure permits on several western rivers, including the San Juan, Smith, and Salmon rivers.  The plan that after the floating included visiting western PA and the Cherry Springs State Park to experience eastern United States dark skies (impressive!) and also traveling to western NM to observe the annular solar eclipse, whose centerline tracked through remote Nevada, NM, Texas, etc.  See graph below:

(credit: https://nationaleclipse.com/maps_2023.html)

Our group camped at Ghost Ranch, a spectacular nefarious cowboy and former dude ranch that was more recently made famous by the habitation for many years by well-known artist Georgia O’Keefe.  We camped there at a nicely equipped campground, and then drove over to the centerline which essentially bifurcated the spectacular Chaco Culture NHP.  I urge readers to follow the links in this text to explore Ghost Ranch and Chaco Canyon. I brought only a visually-equipped vintage Celestron C5 -- everyone got a good view of the stages of the eclipse.

Notable during the eclipse was the surprising temperature drop during the stages near annular totality. This phenomenon is normal during a total solar eclipse -- it was also very noticeable during annularity. Also, the "thickness" of the "ring of fire" was surprising. I was expecting a thinner ring -- but actually the thickness was significant. On a more down-to-earth issue, a tarantula strolled across the large parking area during and after the eclipse, and was not to be deterred. One Native American man took him back to the side of the clearing, only for the arachnid to push across the area again. This time of year young males are "lookin' for love."

 

Below are photographs taken by good friends Beth Nelson and Amy Grant and others, who with their 'phones photographically recorded the eclipse event and a side trip down the rough dirt road backstreet to Chaco.

 

annularity partial -- taken using Solar Snap -- photo by Jerry Miller	annularity closing in on totality -- photo taken by MaryAnne Meyer	annularity totality -- taken again using Solar Snap -- photo by Amy Grant
pre-eclipse "instructional" conversation -- these and below photographs by Beth Nelson and others, map courtesy NPS -- observing point just off map on top right, Pueblo Pintado just below map	"Waiting for the Sun" -- not to be confused with this menacing classic from the Doors' album by the same name, linked here.

friends observing the eclipse -- Willis, Beth, Gary, Amy, Will, MaryAnne, Jerry (photographer unknown)	Beth and MaryAnne celebrating annular totality -- "Stoke was high" [an excellent new phrase I learned just this morning, 10/22/23 -- alcohol (champagne) may have been involved]

Pueblo Pintado -- just south of Chaco Canyon -- photo by MaryAnne Meyer	Pueblo Bonito / Chaco	Chaco walls
Chaco walls closeup	Chaco corner -- Mary Anne Meyer	Chaco Canyon landscape

 

Needless to say is that both on the river floats and especially at Ghost Ranch and Chaco we experienced some of the darkest skies in the United States.  Chaco is a designated International Dark Sky Park as well.

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Green Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF)

I did finally locate and view the green comet in late January and again in early February. Due to the extreme cold I was unable to acquire a decent in-focus image of the comet through my telescope -- frankly, that was the preferred method, as viewing it with the naked eye was not possible (magnitude estimate ~6.5 -- too dim for naked eye viewing here), although it was fairly easily visible with 10X50 binoculars. Using my photographic 127mm APO refracting telescope, I DID locate it and attempt a photograph, but it was so cold that my electric focuser (and my hands operating the on-site computer) did not function. So, just a few days ago I attempted an undriven photograph using a tripod-mounted Nikon D5500 with a 85mm f/2.0 lens. Below are the details and the photograph obtained.

Green Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF)
 Notes / photographed 02-08-2022 / after dark but before the
~8:00 P.M. rise of gibbous waning Moon

Stacking notes on green comet -- 10-15 images were considered, and after registration the best 8 (using star count) were used and combined in DeepSkyStacker.

All employed exposures were 8 seconds (beyond maximum unguided for this focal length unless you wish excessive star trails) at f 2.8 with the Nikon 5500 and manual focus 85mm f/2 lens -- ISO setting was 12800, resulting in very much noise (chrominance and shot), but this generally was “magically” removed by Topaz DeNoise AI routine on the Windows 10 machine, after which I moved the adjusted .tif file over to the main Mac and adjusted in PSCS6. Some unfortunate cropping was necessary as a result of the stacking.

That's Mars to the right; the comet is adjacent to the star iota Auriga -- the constellation sitting sideways in the sky. See chart below and especially notice the beautiful star fields pictured above and indicated in the constellation map.

Overall, I'm OK with this resultant final pic, although I sure wish I could have taken a higher-magnification shot through the telescope.

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New anti-noise digital tool

A theme discussed rather frequently within these pages is the bane of astrophotographers everywhere -- the subject of digital noise. Think of it as new-fangled grain, occurring on all digital images and especially prevalent in low-light situations. Astrophotographers typically take many "light frames" (those that contain the actual subject nebula or galaxy) and combine them with dark, bias, and flat frames using the same camera setup. These digital-noise-eliminating actions are described more thoroughly (but honestly, very minimally here compared to the many books, on-line classes, etc., that discuss such activity) in the post-processing section of this website. But, contained within all of the hand-wringing remains the elephant in the room, digital noise. This noise occurs in all digital images and is especially prevalent in long-exposure low-light situations or ones that are exposed at high ISO settings, the exact situation that occurs in astrophotography. So, noise is a bane (and a pain!) and needs to be minimized.

Specific programs combine and align all the subject and calibration images, as noted above. After that somewhat magical set of generally non-understood routines, the astrophotographer is left with a nice but incomplete image that needs to be post-processed. Again, entire writing and photographic careers as well as a plethora of not-altogether exciting YouTube videos are based on these highly-complex processes. Luckily, modern astrophotographers can employ any and all methodologies that have been discovered and used in the past, including not just carefully adjusting the brightness, color balance, contrast, levels, histogram, etc., but also manipulating (and often virtually eliminating) the digital noise created by both the acquisition and the post-processing manipulation of said precious image.

In the past, I have used various programs and routines to help with the noise-elimination issue. All present compromises; hence such practices must be applied judiciously and with great care. This process is often overdone, rendering the final photograph "just a bit" too sharp and often synthetic-looking. No More! With the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and a groundbreaking leader in this territory, Topaz Labs created a fantastic group of programs. Typical results applied to an otherwise good image are pictured below.

Important astronomer obit

"Jay M. Pasachoff, an astronomer at Williams College who spent more than 50 years traveling the world to observe solar eclipses and, with 74 sightings under his belt, probably witnessed more of them than any other human in history, died on Sunday at his home in Williamstown, Massachusetts. He was 79." His Williams College personal obit is attached.

https://president.williams.edu/in-memoriam/the-death-of-jay-m-pasachoff/

(I've witnessed five total solar eclipses, often with specific location and equipment suggestions gleaned from articles, books, and essays by Mr. Pasachoff.)

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Total Lunar Eclipse visible from the entire United States on the morning of November 8, 2022

As noted in the title, a Total Lunar Eclipse will be visible from the U.S. on the morning of Tuesday, November 8, 2022. I'll speak briefly to it here, but the link below will be very usable, especially in regards to where you live / what time zone you are in. Please note that times listed in the linked graphic are noted in (Mountain) Standard Time, not the foolish and outmoded Daylight Time.

Click on this text for a more detailed description of this special event, the last until 2025.

What is particularly striking to me about a Total lunar Eclipse is that as the full Moon moves into the Earth's primary shadow (umbra) as shown above, more and more stars "come out." The event is slow and almost purposeful. At totality the sky appears as it is during a moonless night. Further, during totality, it seems as though the Moon is hovering in 3-D over the landscape. Sometimes the Moon even disappears in the ethereal dust of the Earth's shadow. Stunning!

Here on this website I have included a rendition of another Total Lunar Eclipse as seen and photographed from Conifer, CO on the night of 12/21/2010, linked here. I'm hoping to get as good a group of images this time around. I have seen and photographed lunar eclipses for many years, and have been fortunate enough to actually get two of my images featured in Sky and Telescope magazine, linked here. In a way, those accepted photos gave me confidence and started me off on this astrophotographic adventure, which has now spanned parts of seven decades!

I'll be attempting to photograph the event through RVO's 127mm APO refractor. By using the superior AstroPlanner astronomy program, I have determined that there will be enough "space" around the Moon to capture some of those dimmer stars (and perhaps even a planet!) that will come out as the Moon becomes eclipsed. All I have to do is take those shots, now with an advanced astronomical digital camera! Wish me luck. Click this text for a link to advise as to how to photograph a Total Lunar Eclipse.

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Informal visit to "darkest sky" location in the eastern U.S.

Recently, during an annual get-together with three of my college friends, I visited the well-known designated dark-sky site in northwestern Pennsylvania, Cherry Springs State Park. Because the weather was generally atrocious during our stay, we toured the park during the day, links above.

We did experience one nice clear evening at our nearby accommodation ("Windows in the Woods" VRBO) and I took that opportunity to point out some of the major constellations. The Milky Way was obvious, a rare treat for most of my friends. Our visit was during a time of no evening moonlight. I'd estimate the dark-sky seeing as Bortle 2 or 3 -- explanation linked here, illustration from astrobackyard.com below. That number corresponds favorably to the seeing here at the Rabbit Valley Observatory. I have witnessed darker skies on remote islands in the Indo-Pacific and occasionally while camping on river trips in the southwestern U.S. But not often. See Zodiacal Light photo within this blog.

I brought out my vintage orange made-in-America (Celestron-Pacific) C5, remounted on an older modified iOptron SkyGuider camera mount. It turned out that such a mounting arrangement is fine for wide-angle shots of the sky; not so much for narrow telescopic views. Everyone did observe Jupiter and several of its moons, however. I have decided to remount the C5 (mine is in far, far better shape than this linked vintage model) on its original fork mount with slow motion controls. This arrangement with original tripod will be a bit more difficult to bring along on an airplane, but it will be far easier to use and aim up at sky objects. (As an aside, the TSA operatives did look quite carefully at my carry-on (the C5 and eyepieces) but did approve. I let them know it was a telescope.)

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Repair to existing domed observatory after "the" big flood

"Multiple roads and properties flooded along Tafoya Road in El Prado Monday evening (Aug. 22) following heavy monsoon rains." -- from The Taos News

To be frank, we escaped with minimal damage, but the rain and resultant wind and falling trees were so severe that it was dangerous even going outside. Our home was spared, although small waves lapped against our stucco dwelling, garage, and studio space. To the north of these buildings, a large lake (~5 feet deep) emerged in an adjacent arroyo. The arroyo did not drain, so the resultant lake was present for at least a week.

After the vortex, I went out to inspect the premises, and to my horror, the domed Rabbit Valley Observatory was under ~three feet of muddy water! I did what I could to the outside but didn't want to open the door, as there was indeed quite a bit of water within. Essentially, I did not wish to disturb the surroundings further.

I entered when the water finally receded (perhaps ten days or so). To my dismay, all the electric outlets and plugs were still underwater (they are located in the floor, see below), mud residue was present everywhere, and most depressing, several expensive CCD cameras that were stored in their sort-of waterproof plastic ammo boxes were floating around in the building!

When the water finally fully receded, I got to work with the power supplies and plugs. Most of the AC outlets, once dried, survived. Many of the external power supplies (110AC to 12 volts DC), having been underwater for more than a week, needed to be replaced (not a big deal) -- I have waited for more than a month to plug in and retool the sensitive camera and expensive electronic equipment.

The good news is, once retooled, the cameras, mount, computer, electric focuser, and other devices appear to be properly up and running!

One lesson from this event is to at least unplug everything when done observing. Further, as I had done during the initial construction of Rabbit Valley Observatory, is to install an exterior elevated circuit-breaker switch for the observatory outside of it and always switch the breaker off after use. That procedure likely saved virtually all the electronic equipment, which would undoubtedly have shorted out if flooded while plugged into a live electrical circuit.

Linked here is the news article. Honestly, our yard and property looked very similar to the pictures. The newer roll-off-building observatory unit is on higher ground and hence not flooded.

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Classes offered at UNM / Taos

Recently I received this e-mail (copied below) from Scott Gerdes of the University of New Mexico -- the branch right here in Taos. He is referring to classes offered locally starting on August 22 and taught by Colin Nicholls. I will be contacting Mr. Nicholls after I return on August 13 to see if I can assist the class in any way; perhaps a field trip to the Rabbit Valley Observatory! Please contact the University at (575) 737-6288 for more details.

Second Observatory Building

Before the summer starts, I have been busy modifying and completing the second observatory building -- necessary because I have several other nice telescopes, including the GSO 10-inch f/4 reflector and the ES152mm Explore Scientific refractor that I wish to use atop the impressive Celestron CGX automated mount. Eventually I wish to attempt to shoot astrophotographs or real-time videos with it, perhaps remotely from inside the house, and maybe while dozing off or while watching another season of Star Trek Picard! But for now, I just wish to have an operating second observatory that is weatherproof and especially windproof.

I had previously constructed the Keter 4X6 garden shed and had mounted it on a rolling platform/sled. Unfortunately, the ground that I was rolling it onto was not level, and it was virtually impossible to line up with the pier while re-covering the mounted 'scope. I even damaged a finder 'scope while attempting to re-cover the 10-inch reflector with the heavy and cumbersome building. A friend noted that I really ought to mount the cart/sled atop level metal rails (just like the rails employed on roll-off-roof The Sawin Observatory I used as a child).

Below is the successful result -- adding the iron 4-inch "C" rails coated with rust-proof primer; the rails then mounted on a stained wood platform after leveling. Additionally, I changed out the rotating-base inflatable tires and wheels on the cart/sled with fixed-base solid thermoplastic wheels from ServiceCaster, so the building rolls unencumbered and easily along the somewhat elevated level rails. I also added a winch on the front business end just in case it was difficult to roll, perhaps in the winter with snow present. Further, I added two side chained-hold-downs -- we often have winds here that gust into the high double figures!

Note: the building rolls to the east and away from the mounted telescope. That way, if the preferred astronomical object is behind the building, just wait an hour and it will rise above the offending structure. Actually, the roll-off building turns out to be far enough from the telescope that this should not present a problem at all!

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Summer scheduling update

This summer I have a busy non-astronomical schedule. As such then, I will be postponing any/all viewing and imaging sessions for the time-being. In June I visit Yellowstone with one of my sons, and in July a long float down the Green River is scheduled. (I must note that both of these places DO exude very dark skies, so I might very well be found wandering around at night, peering skyward.)

August is for the most-part open, but then in September and October I have other scheduling responsibilities.

If you wish to schedule an observing session, let me know -- and we'll try to either fit it in, or perhaps suggest a later-in-the-fall evening to observe. The fall is generally very clear and dark, the smoke-creating forest fires are often on the wane, and life is perhaps more relaxed.

I wish everyone clear and dark skies! Do e-mail me, as I will check in from time to time, especially when and if there is connectivity!

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Lunar Eclipse May 15-16, 2022

Although it was cloudy (and horribly smoky) in the Taos, NM area on eclipse night, it was clear in the Denver area, where one of my sons makes his residence. As a result, I obtained no photographs, but Larry and his family, blessed by clear skies, obtained this beautiful shot; below it the EXIF data (Exchangeable Image File Format) for the photograph.

©Lawrence Greiner 2022

Reviewing the highlights, he shot it for 1/8th of a second at f/6/3 at a f/l of 300mm (standard telephoto kit lens at full extension and wide open). He employed a normal (undriven) field tripod with no guiding. Gain (ISO number) was a remarkable 9000! He only did minimal post-processing of the RAW image in Adobe Lightroom, perhaps enhancing the color a bit and sharpening the image slightly. I have done nothing but copy his .png output photograph. The shot was taken at 10:59:09 P.M. MDT. Looking it up, that indicates that the picture was obtained just AFTER totality ended locally at ~10:53 P.M. MDT. Eclipse details linked here. The fact that the image is virtually during the totality (just after, actually) is why the moon still displays its ruddy color, and the stars are (still) prevalent.

Some amazing subjective details I would note include the spectacular background star field that appears once the bright full moon is virtually/fully eclipsed. Also, even though the camera was undriven. the shot does not appear to have much drift at all. That is because of the short exposure time. Any longer would have trailed the stars and blurred the moon. Hence, this resultant photograph was a near-perfect mix of mount, focal length, ISO and exposure time. It shows what you can do with a bit of knowledge and patience, especially with the newer higher-ISO enabled cameras -- he use a newish Nikon 3500 DSLR. I didn't ask, but I would guess that he focused manually (note that the EXIF file shows the camera on Manual). Cheers, Larry! I'm proud.

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Something new I learned about Total Solar Eclipses -- even though I've witnessed and photographed five of them

In celebration of this year's Earth Day, I thought I would share this singular photo of the Sun's chromosphere, seen only when the eclipsing Moon moves onto or off the Sun, exposing the super-bright-and-must-be-filtered-or-you-will-go-blind-by-viewing-it -- the emerging "perilous photosphere." Entertaining senior editor Bob Berman of Astronomy Magazine put it this way recently . . . "It's a rare celestial wonder viewable for only a mere three seconds or so." Further, "I'd (Berman) never seen it myself in all my totalities" (at least a dozen, I'm sure). He discusses the merits of various filters and specifics and further notes the dangers of this particular phenomenon, which can only be photographed for those few seconds, BEFORE refitting the required filters used before and after totality. During totality, a brief time of <1 to at most 5 minutes generally, you take the filters off and can look at or photograph the Sun filterlessly. Evidently, I did just that for this chromosphere pic, just blindly shooting just before totality (but not looking, thankfully) even though this specific endeavor was ignorantly pursued, and although I would consider myself an established amateur astronomer, having embraced this avocation since I was ten years old, a period of over 60 years. Anyway, so apparently, I was more than a little lucky! Like Berman, I also had never seen or photographed it either. Here's that photograph from the 2017 eclipse as seen from Alliance NE . . . (photo details here) . . .

For much more on that eclipse, please click here . . .

Another fact that some view as a happy coincidence and others see as a religious proof -- terrestrially, only on the Earth in this planetary system can one experience a total (but not beyond total, where the apparent size of the/a Moon is either too large or too small to entirely eclipse the Sun). Only here on Earth can we witness such an incredible spectacle, our star showing off, if you will, its impressive, fantastic (and highly photogenic) atmosphere. In contrast, its brightness can be fully eclipsed for mere moments by our only natural satellite. That, to me, is the principle concept! Happy Earth Day!

In additional related astro news, here's a link to a Martian-style total solar eclipse . . .

Mars' moon Phobos is obviously not round. (It's thought to be a member of the "Flat-Mars Society.") In reality, Mars' moons are contemplated to be "captured" asteroids. And not round. Really.

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Super-cool "new" (to me) internet astronomical resource

I have been receiving Sky and Telescope Magazine since the late 1960s, and Astronomy Magazine virtually since its inception. I've even been fortunate enough to have a few of my astrophotographs published in these publications. This long relationship is generally chronicled in the history section of this website. Mostly, though, I've learned virtually everything I know about astronomy from these mags; at least until the internet exploded.

The most recent issue of Astronomy includes a very cool article entitled "How to Identify Objects in your Astrophotos." You'd think this would be simple; that is, if you are going to take a picture of a particular galaxy or whatever, wouldn't you know its designation? Yes, but almost always there are "companion" objects (other galaxies, extra star clusters, and of course an entire field of stars.) If you refer to my recent M45 shot, it shows a curious little "companion" galaxy adjacent to the main image, linked here.

The process is as follows: go to the website https://nova.astrometry.net Then, upload your image. You don't even need to identify the base image (say the Rosette Nebula, as below). It "plate solves" the image (yet another modern-day convenience that essentially figures out where your telescope is pointing even if you have no clue!), and then overlays its data base onto your image, with annotation if you wish. Amazing! For a lively conversation explaining the nuances of plate-solving, also click here. Below check out the annotated Rosette image recently obtained.

This particular annotation is not all that complicated, but for some groups of objects, like clusters of galaxies, this resource is fantastic. It can be used alongside detailed online star charts, like Aladin Star Atlas and ID database Simbad (for additional detail on noted objects).

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Close Encounter with a Packrat

In the southwest, there exist giant cute-looking rodents called packrats. They are far larger than mice (more like a large cat or small dog), although they have the same innocent look. And they are quite comfortable "nesting" (living full-time) under the hood of your car, or, as I discovered just yesterday, under an astronomical observatory! And they have a peculiar habit of chewing on plastic-covered wiring, among other things.

Packrat -- click on the © internet image to read a story from Arizona Sonora News Service

I knew something was up when I went out to prepare my domed observatory (pictured throughout this website) for an evening of astrophotography. It's spring, and that means imaging galaxies! When I approached the entrance, I noted extensive "excavation" under the deck, likely by local free-roaming dogs perhaps chasing a packrat. When I clicked on the power from the adjacent post (it is imperative that you always click OFF the main power after a session, as electrical storms and power outages could easily fry plugged-in sensitive cameras and equipment -- at least I did that properly!), nothing worked. But there was power to the plugs on the pole, just not beyond. Upon investigation, I found several chewed-up wires leading under the observatory's deck. I buried and shielded all the exterior Romex out to the observatory, but neglected to do so with the wiring under the deck. The main is GFCI protected at the breaker box, also a must.

So, yesterday (and today), I'm rewiring the faulty 110 mains, adding some protective sheathing, and also introducing some botanical rodent repellent (apparently smells awful to the packrats, but the local Tractor Supply lady says that some brands of dryer sheets work just as well)! I bought some anyway.

Pics below . . .

Finished(!) -- and the doors are hinged, so I can check things out in the future, as well as replacing the botanic rodent repellent every so often.

As to additional interesting particulars, I found a nice informative piece on these creatures. It turns out that packrats very much enjoy consuming the new wiring in recent model motor vehicles, as the insulation is soy-based; and packrats are vegetarians! Also, packrats in the desert southwest have been doing this sort of thing -- not eating wiring; instead constructing middens containing sticks, vegetation and human "debris" (like pottery chards and tools/utensils) -- for perhaps >20,000 years(!!!) -- there are packrat middens (consisting of centuries of stuck-together compressed vegetation, packrat debris, urine, and feces) in pre-Columbian Native American caves and overhangs! Packrats are among the best archivists of pre-Columbian American culture and climate. We astronomers should be so honored!

Paleo packrat midden in Joshua Tree National Park -- click image for an interesting article.	Enormous midden near Las Vegas is on a wall inside a cave.

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Shooting the Rosette Nebulae and associated Star Clusters

On March 2nd, I "obtained data" (a fancy way for astrophotographers to say "shot some pics") of the Rosette Nebulae and some adjacent star clusters associated with them (more than one nebula). I combined all the data and the resultant "finished" image(s) are presented below. Once I conclude preparing the detailed, laborious observing log, I'll link on this website over to a scientific and more complete discussion of this object on the main image page. But for now, here are the two images -- I'm not sure which is best -- again, just like M45 below, the post-processing is subjective; maybe it's an art! But also again, I digress . . .

or perhaps this one as below, which reduces the red and features a bit more of the inner "reflection" (bluish) nebula . . .

To be honest, I almost always have felt that the popular published images of this object are far too bright red/orange (see below) and ignore the subtle inner markings and colors. At a distance of 4900 light-years, those "darken regions of dust, best seen in the upper rim of the nebula, represent Bok Globules. Bok Globules are denser clouds of dust and gas that may be precursors of new solar systems." -- from Ruben Kier's book The 100 Best Astrophotography Targets

This image © https://orion2nebula.net/ -- a fantastic and beautiful website by Herbert Stoerzer dedicated to the constellation of Orion and the Orion Nebula (which this is NOT) -- this rendition is very, very nice, but a bit red, for me at least -- it is all very subjective.

The main reason that this is such a popular astrophotography target is that in time-exposed photographs such as these, you can see much more detail than by visually inspecting the object, even with the largest telescopes in the world. It is the magic of modern-day long-exposure specifically-designed digital cameras.

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Zodiacal Light

In late winter/early spring in the evening (as well as in the autumn in the AM) an odd and interesting cosmic phenomenon takes place; the zodiacal light becomes more easily visible from Earth. As I recently failed to adequately describe this to my neighbor, I will instead dispense with that dull struggle and link you here to an actual accurate scientific explanation of the event. 

For the last several evenings, the local sky devoid of any moonlight and our semi-rural location on the mesa west of Taos, NM relatively absent of artificial light, I have been going outside after sunset and peering west to get a glimpse. It is a visual/wide-angle lens event, and to see it requires dark-adapted eyes (avoid bright indoor white lights and wait a few minutes in the night to become dark-adapted). Understand that before we moved here to these impressive dark skies, I had only seen the zodiacal light twice in my life, once while camping in remote Canyonlands National Park (I wrote about it here), and once on a frightening non-light equipped power boat transfer in Zimbabwe, having arrived far too late to our Spurwing Island Safari Camp in the middle of Lake Kariba, the largest man-made incarceration of water in the world (think a far larger Lake Powell). As an aside, during our stay we witnessed elephants retracing their ancient DNA-imprinted migration patterns by entering the lake and swimming many kilometers to the deep water in the middle -- the place their ancestors once drank from the now-submerged Zambezi River, countless miles downstream from the majestic Victoria Falls. This text links to that essay.

But I digress.

Last night (02-28-2022) I decided to attempt to photograph the ethereal zodiacal light event.  This text links you to a description of how that can be accomplished with typical DSLRs and a common tripod.  The photograph below was taken at 18:48 P.M.  Additional shooting data below:

Camera -- Nikon D5100 on Manfrotto tripod
Lens –- 16mm f/2 Samyang lens
Shot at –- f/2.4, 10-second unguided exposure, ISO 6400
Processed with –- Camera Raw and Photoshop CS6

Seen here is the view west after sunset and dusk -- the Pleiades star cluster is upper left, and Hyades just above it and near the left border of the photograph, a wide angle shot. The cone of zodiacal light is emanating from the horizon (bottom of photograph) upward just about "touching" the Pleiades. The "ray" doesn't move, and generally fades from view about 1 1/2 hours after dusk. It can be as bright as the Milky Way, but is generally a bit dimmer and certainly more amorphous.

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Additional Update to the Update below . . .

I reworked the M45 image again, using some additional post-processing techniques -- now I can't decide which one is better, although I do certainly like both/all of them. Click on either image below to be linked to a page to compare larger images side-by-side . . .

or maybe

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Update -- early December, 2021

I have just completed the post-processing and upload of the previously-posted individual "test version" image of the Pleiades/M45. This "finished" image consists of 18 combined light frames plus a mathematical algorithmic grouping of calibration frames, as explained both in this website's post-process section and alongside the display of the larger image. Below is a small version of this "finished" (whatever that means) astrophotograph -- click on it to view the larger image and read a conversation about its acquisition and processing. There is (to me) also a fascinating discussion of a photobombing galaxy within (or rather cosmically far behind) the cluster.

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Update -- November 29/30, 2021

I have returned to my "regular" observatory, and all is well. I have not previously had a chance to try out my new main imaging camera, the ZWOASI2400MC Pro, as shown here in the equipment section. Although there turned out to be a few software/hardware issues (almost always the case), I did manage to obtain (only) one image -- that is, really only one frame, not stacked or processed in any way (other than some minor "stretching" accomplished momentarily and on-site, Gain =180.) The first-light image with this camera is of M45, the familiar star cluster Pleiades. Here it is:

There are some issues, of course -- but given that usually I obtain 15 or more images, and then combine them with calibration images to remove thermal noise and vignetting (as certainly seen here) -- the image shown here using the outstanding ZWOASI2400MC Pro camera is really satisfying. I'm sure it will be a wonderful tool to work with. (Oh yes, the above image was one frame, 180 seconds and UNGUIDED, a further testament to the great Losmandy G11 non-automated German equatorial mount.)

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Personal Update -- late November, 2021

I was invited to attend a nice Thanksgiving dinner with new friends David and Heather. During the "event" Heather took an unsuspected portrait with her new Canon rig -- see below. I guess I am a storyteller at heart.

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Additional Update -- November 19, 2021

This morning at about 02:10 A.M. local Mountain Standard time, I got up and wandered outside to view the eclipsing Moon. It turned out to be a glorious sight, even though the Moon was only deeply partially eclipsed; ~95-98% . The eclipsed side of the Moon was visible as a deep ruddy, yellowish color and the non-eclipsed part was just a thin crescent of white. As always, what is spectacular about a total eclipse of the Moon (and this one, too, as it turned out) is that during the total (or near-total) stage(s) the Moon's bright light dims and many stars "come out" or reappear. A difference here was that the "near-totality" was instantaneous -- generally the Moon stays in the full projected shadow of Earth (the umbra) for quite a long time, perhaps and hour or more. This morning, the moon was in Taurus, alongside Orion -- all the stars of those constellations "came out" and even the Great Nebula in Orion (imaged here, and previously) was visible. Quite a sight. Soon however, since I went out with virtually no clothes on, I had to retreat back into the house.

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Update -- November, 2021

For much of the summer and fall, and when I have been in town, I have concentrated on updating Rabbit Valley Observatory by reinstalling the excellent Celestron CGX automated go-to German Equatorial mount on the exterior pier (previously installed and pictured to the right and below on this page), installing this time a visual/photographic10-inch f/4 GSO rich-fleld reflecting telescope on it, and then completing the installation by building a rolling shed to cover the instrument. I chose a KETER Manor 4x6 Resin Outdoor Storage Shed, as pictured below with the original domed unit.

I built and then modified it by cutting a slot in the floor, thereby allowing the shed to roll off off and out of the way on the pier-mounted telescope, as below, left.

Once the building is rolled off (note security chains to hold it in position during storms and high winds, the CGX-mounted 'scope is revealed, as below.

Below is close-up of the finished unit, with electric hook-up pole in the background.

The 'scope is equipped with a Rigel electric focuser attached to the excellent stock GSO 3-inch focuser, two finders, and an Astromania 60mm photographic guide 'scope. I intend to use this 10-inch 'scope for both visual and (especially) video astronomy for visitors, and hopefully wow them with the automated features of the go-to mount and sensitivity and auto-stacking capabilities of the Atik Infinity video camera.

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Important Update -- September, 2021

The Taos Astronomer will be out of town and unavailable during the entire month of September. After that, I anticipate clear autumn days and dark productive nights. Thanks for your patience -- see you this autumn/winter!

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Update -- July 8, 2021 -- observing session with Monte and Mara

Given the typical smoke in the sky summers here, I was not too hopeful that the Milky Way (something either person had seen, ever(!). We decided to take our chances on their second (and final) night/morning here, Thursday, July 8, 2021. I suggested they get here about 12:30 AM, so Sagittarius was on the meridian. It was wonderfully clear and transparent. 

We sat out in chairs for about ½ hour to get our eyes acclimated, and the Milky Way was obvious; I pointed out some constellations and two dark rifts in the Milky Way, both clearly visible.

We then opened up the observatory, and observed the following objects:

Jupiter
Saturn

After initializing the DSCs (one star), I then concentrated on DSOs, including:

M11
M22
M8
M17
M57
M13

And others. We generally used the excellent but no longer available 32mm University Optics eyepiece, but did go up to the 13mm for higher power views of the planets and tight clusters (and M57, of course). The DSCs performed excellently –- all objects directly in the field of view, and generally centered, which was good, especially since the new finder arrangement was not set up well. I did that the next morning. The cover fabric also worked very well – no leaks whatsoever.

Note -- I prefer the laser pointer both for getting the telescope very near the target, and also hand-held to point out constellations, etc.

Another note –- I did not slide the dome back, hence we concentrated only on objects in the southern sky, with few exceptions. This is sub-optimal, but, this time around, fine, as there were many objects to choose from in the south.

We packed up about 3:30 AM

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Update -- December/January, 2021

Every year, I send out, both by snail-mail and linked digitally of course, our Christmas/Holiday greeting. This year's version, including photographs of seven comets (and one meteor shower), concerns my long personal history vis-a-vis such celestial visitors and is entitled "A Half-Century of Comets," linked here for your enjoyment. It is embedded in an otherwise undisclosed location within this website! Enjoy!

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Update -- December 22, 2020

Last evening, I enjoyed entertaining several guests, who came over to view the conjunction (Jupiter and Saturn), appearing low in the western sky just after sunset. As a bonus, we also looked through my original and classic Celestron-Pacific C-8 (that's Cheryl and I standing with that very C-8 in Zimbabwe, 2001) at the moon. We observed from our side porch up on the mesa west of Taos, NM.

Neighbor Leslie R. and her two children attended, along with her visiting brother, partner, and their children. We all wore masks, but I advised the observers to remove their face covering while looking through the eyepiece to ward off any "steaming up" of the optic.

Two of the children were "old enough" to look through the telescope and ascertain the resultant image's details. I had them climb a ladder, warning them not to touch the telescope -- "It might move or fall over" -- and then look through the superb 32mm classic Konig eyepiece from University Optics. I have a complete set (1¼ and 2-inch), with some duplicates for use out in the observatory as well.

I have found that children are far more honest and straightforward than most adults with this process, either saying "I don't see anything" or "I see the holes in the Moon" or whatever. Both kids that looked through the scope (first and second-grade children) described the view perfectly and answered some questions, like "Which one is Saturn?" "The upper one. " "Do you see the rings around Saturn?" With awe, of course -- "Yes!" "What do you see beside Jupiter?" "Little stars in a row." "Those are its moons, its satellites." "OK." "Is that one really far away but lined up a moon?" "Yes, of Jupiter." "How about that other one, way far away?" "I don't know." (It turns out, accessing the diagram below -- yes, it was a distant moon of Saturn.)

Chart from free Planetarium program Cartes du Ciel -- linked here

I discussed the notion that Jupiter has no solid surface, sort of like jello, but I also used the word viscous -- "hey, what's wrong with learning a new word" -- but its moons do have a solid surface. "And maybe someday we could land on one of those moons and look for signs of life."

Below is an image world-renowned astrophotographer Adam Block obtained; I'm re-posting it here © Adam Block, all rights reserved. Note that due to our telescopes' differing configurations, his image appears slightly different in perspective.  Telescope's optics reverse the image, plus various photographic configurations often flip the image again.  That's why this image is a bit different -- the sky chart above accurately depicts our scene with our configuration -- Mr. Block's image accurately depicts how the individual planets and their moons looked through the eyepiece.

I once took an all-night astrophotography class on Kitt Peak in Arizona with Adam Block -- the course featured only Mr. Block and me for the entire night.  It was a wonderful gift from my wife, Cheryl, who did assist with the image gathering.  Pretty much I watched and did what he asked -- he has grown to be one of the most significant and respected astrophotographers in the world. 

 

So all of our guests, Cheryl, and I viewed the scene telescopically -- the beautiful alignment. Like most of you reading this, I "just" consider this a beautiful and rare phenomenon, not some positive omen (although we could use one!) or possessing some profound spiritual or religious meaning.

I believe that the heavens -- the night sky –- are quite magnificent all by themselves. There is no need to trump up "this year's only blue moon on October 23" or other such nonsense. This event was just a beautiful thing! I hope you saw it, too. Happy Holidays!

Update -- November 12, 2020

Recently I have had several communications with potential visitors. Due to the continuing pandemic and fears of Covid-19, and as previously noted, we really aren't having any RVO observing nights at the moment. Some groups did choose to cancel or delay their visit as well. Hopefully, things will "normalize" soon.

There have been two visitors of note, however, a fellow astrophotographer from Florida and his partner and co-astrophotographer Heather. David, as well as being a wonderful budding astrophotographer, also was a significant member of a very well-known southern rock band early-on, and continues creating and playing to this day, albeit mostly now classical musical forms.

During their real-estate centric visit, they DID decide to purchase a home out near the very small, regional airport. Their new home is also "conveniently" located only 2-3 miles from our place! This area offers unfettered horizons and, other than one pesky but avoidable rotating tower light, is virtually dark at night. I met them out there last night and gave my tacit approval (who cares, right?) of their new seasonal home.

Attached within the our digital communications was one of David's and Heather's efforts, an outstanding photograph of M31, the Andromeda Galaxy. I'll post it below, © David & Heather, all rights reserved. Also, I will take the liberty of naming it and concurrently paying homage to what turns out to be both my and Davids' all-time favorite Star Trek episode, TNG's "Darmok," review linked below. I am naming the galaxy shot below "David and Heather at Night." (Editor's note -- watch the episode!) Literary comment on this significant episode linked here . . .

https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/06/star-trek-tng-and-the-limits-of-language-shaka-when-the-walls-fell/372107/

Isn't their image magnificent? They used for this effort an unmodded recent CanonEOS and for post-processing the Mac-based software AstroPixelProcessor, link below . . .

https://www.astropixelprocessor.com

I look very forward to their moving here and learning and growing with their experiences! Hey, they even put up with my non-stop storytelling.

As a point of reference and comparison, recently I have been using the superb Astrophotography Tool (APT) for image acquisition at the telescope. One of its really excellent routines is the Bahtinov Aid Grabber focusing tool and routine -- here's the link to that very modestly-priced program . . .

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I'll conclude with this mind-blowing, brilliant scene from "Darmok" --

https://youtu.be/ANvlLcOTy6M

One more -- the ending of the other really, really outstanding episode, "The Inner Light" . . .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQKp27ZDuCk

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And, just a reminder -- Comet NEOWISE -- please click on this text.

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Additional Final Update -- July 28, 2020 -- Comet NEOWISE

I sought out and viewed the comet last night about 10 P.M. local MDT, only with binocs and with difficulty. It is clearly much dimmer and displayed much less tail; further, the bright quarter Moon brightened up the sky considerably. I think that will be the last I see of this spectacular comet.

On another note, in one of my previous logs I mention the difficulty of getting a clean astrophotograph of the comet without a Starlink satellite streak. Linked here is some additional detail.

I saw these satellites moving through (shown on the above time exposure and as explained in the linked article), as well as the ISS streak ~90 degrees to the Starlink satellites. This issue, I conclude, is a real problem with large consequences.

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Final Update -- July 23-27, 2020 -- Comet NEOWISE

Last Thursday, July 23, I am excited to report that the local newspaper published two of my Comet NEOWISE photos, along with an article containing some of my observing notes. Please access the article by clicking this text.

In the last week, after the spectacular viewing of the night of July 20, it has been very cloudy and rainy (rare for here!) and so I have concluded that, given the weather pattern and the encroachment of an ever-expanding moon phase, we are likely not to see the comet again.

But why have so many people been unable to see the comet at all, even though seasoned observers have not had a problem; especially considering that this comet is considered to be the brightest and most observable since Comet Hale-Bopp. This article on the ever-increasing specter of light pollution, linked by clicking on the image below, may clear that up. Here's the salient point:

"Comet NEOWISE has turned out to be the most photogenic since Comet Hale-Bopp in 1997, but if you’re having trouble finding it with your naked eyes, you’re not alone.

No matter how many star-charts you consult, finding this icy visitor from the outer Solar System is not as easy as it should be. 

Is it your eyes? Is it you not knowing exactly where to look? 

No -- it’s light pollution where you live, which is likely increasing each year. 

That makes the once-in-a-decade appearance of a bright comet a big moment; it could be your first, and possibly your last, chance to see a comet with the unaided eye."

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Update -- July 20/21, 2020 -- Comet NEOWISE

Updated "final" (nothing is ever final) images of Comet NEOWISE, linked here.

First clear sky since 7/12/20; went up on the mesa, set up white iOptron SkyGuider Tracking EQ mount, reviewed polar alignment instructions (using cell ‘phone’s GPS to determine Polaris’ location on the polar finder’s reticle) and waited. I had determined that an 85mm lens (mounted on the ball head) would be just about right, given the recent photographs published on the web, and considering a rough estimate of the size of the comet’s tail. I focused to infinity — always required for astrophotography and slightly to the right of this lens’ preset mark — on a distant airport light, and waited. Although waiting for nightfall and a glimpse of the comet was a very calming exercise, nevertheless as it got darker, a huge cloud started to obstruct the northern sky. So, after much planning and waiting, I finally gave up, about 21:30 MDT and drove the short distance home (5 minutes).

Upon arriving back home, those clouds had already started clearing out, so I unloaded and viewed with the Pentax XCF 12X50 binocs (FOV is 5.6 degrees). And, perhaps about 22:00 MDT it did clear up, and the beautiful Comet NEOWISE was fully exposed. Visually, you could just make out the comet’s ion tail as well as a very obvious, even with the naked eye, its dust tail. Estimated (difficult for such an extended object) magnitude was 1.5. After 20 minutes or so of viewing, the sky remained clear; so I decided to take a few non-guided “snapshots” of the comet. I put the ball head on the regular tripod and composed the pics, best one as pictured here. I set the exposure time for 8 seconds (500 rule suggests 4 seconds to avoid star streaking with this config), guessing (slightly incorrectly) that any longer would show too many star trails on an unguided platform. To compensate, I set the ISO at a noisy 6400, and shot one stop down at f/2.8. As the comet started to set, clouds also reappeared, but frankly I think I was lucky to see and photograph it at all! One additional notation — there was a constant barrage of satellites “flowing” through the field of view, essentially ruining many of my photographs. Some observers and photographers have previously noted that “they” were the ISS, but there were quite a few, suggesting the new barrage of communications satellites recently put into orbit.

Concluding, visually the comet was at least 6 degrees long, ion tail barely visible to the naked eye, yellow/whitish dust tail obvious, long, and spread out.

Specific data below:

Comet NEOWISE below pointer stars of the Big Dipper, taken on a fixed tripod from our back “yard.” (Nikon 5100, Nikon 85mm f/2 lens, F/2.8, ISO 6400, 8 seconds, 22:24 MDT, 07/20/2020)

Updated "final" (nothing is ever final) images of Comet NEOWISE, linked here.

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Update -- July 13, 2020 -- Comet NEOWISE

Cloudy this morning, so I updated this website to include my "final" (nothing is ever final) images of Comet NEOWISE, linked here.

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Update -- July 12, 2020 -- Comet NEOWISE

Mountain horizon generally clear, comet rising to the left (north) of previous location and clearing the local mountains between 4:15 and 4:20 MDT. My 10X50 binoculars have a field of view of 7 degrees. The comet extends over at least 1/2 of the FOV, or 3.5 degrees in length. I would say that the length is a bit more than that, perhaps then 4 to 4 1/2 degrees long. The head is still quite tight, star-like and bright (as Capella in Auriga), the tail relatively unchanged other than its rotational pivot away from the sun.

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Update -- July 11, 2020 -- Comet NEOWISE

A little after 4:00 this morning the comet cleared the mountain ridge skyline as seen in the previous adjacent photographs. The sky was hazy and a bit cloudy (for here) so I decided to not attempt any photographs. I did notice that the comet's tail was starting to "tip" a bit northward, an indication of it turning as it pivots around the sun. It will appear in the evening sky in a little over a week. It was easily visible to the naked eye. As to nomenclature, the comet's name, technically C/2020 F3 NEOWISE comes from its discoverer -- the satellite NearEarthObjectWide-fieldInfraredSurveyExplorer -- C indicates a comet, 2020 the year of discovery, and F3 indicates that it was discovered the second week of March. I prefer the "old" comets -- the ones that carry the human discoverer's name(s) like Halley and Hale-Bopp, or Comet Hyakutake, named after its intrepid and patient Japanese discoverer Yuji Hyakutake, who has discovered several comets.

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Update -- July 10, 2020 -- Comet NEOWISE

As you can likely surmise by noting this website's new logo image above, I was able to solve the focus problems (employing a different manual-focus lens -- the Rokinon 14mm f/2.8 ED, using LiveView on the Nikon 5100 to focus carefully on Venus and the Hyades star field, and stopping down the lens a bit) -- the excellent results are below . . .

Data on the above photographs -- top image -- Comet NEOWISE, Auriga rising just above comet, Venus in the Hyades to the right, Pleiades above. Foreground is west of Taos, NM on the mesa, large double mountain is Taos Mountain, the sacred mountain of the Pueblo people. More distant pointed Wheeler Peak (tallest in NM) to the left of Taos Mountain. The close-up vertical shot is merely a crop of the horizontal image, first-magnitude star Capella in Auriga top right in the pic. Taken on a fixed tripod from our front porch. (F/4, ISO 3200, 15 seconds, 04:35 MDT, 07/10/2020)

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Update -- July 9, 2020 -- Comet NEOWISE

After viewing the comet for two straight days, I felt it was time to image it. I dutifully looked at star charts and decided that the best and most artistic framing would be to include the local mountains and the adjacent lovely star field. I awoke at 04:00 MDT and set up just outside our front door. I employed a manual-focus wide-angle fast Samyang 16mm f/2 lens on the Nikon 5100. I didn't get the focus quite right (no auto-focus here -- it must be manually focused, difficult in the dark), although I'm relatively happy with the result. Tomorrow morning I'll attempt to improve my efforts, which might allow me to enlarge and crop the resultant photo. I do very much like the resultant field-of-view.

Data on the above photograph -- Comet NEOWISE, Auriga rising just above, Venus in the Hyades, Pleiades above. Foreground is west of Taos, NM on the mesa, large double mountain is Taos Mountain, the sacred mountain of the Pueblo people. More distant pointed Wheeler Peak (tallest in NM) to the left of Taos Mountain. Taken from our front porch. (F/2, ISO 1600, 4 seconds, 04:28 MDT, 07/09/2020)

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Update -- July 7, 2020 -- Comet NEOWISE

This morning, about 04:45 MDT, my wife Cheryl spotted this comet above Wheeler Peak, east and slightly north of our location just west of Taos, NM. We both viewed it through 10X50 binocs -- it took up about 1/4 of the FOV (Field of View), and Cheryl DID see it with the unaided eye as well. It was perhaps first magnitude, although since the sky was starting to brighten, this was difficult to judge. Below I will link to an informational website, as this comet promises to get brighter, especially as it moves to the evening sky later in July. But for now, try locating it in the northeast sky before dawn. Beautiful!

https://www.space.com/comet-neowise-july-2020-night-sky-forecast.html

Below is a photo taken on the morning of July 5, 2020 from Lebanon © Maroun Habib -- this image very similar to our view through binoculars.

. . . and a shot from the Mojave Desert in California, © Daniel S. Perry, July 7, 2020, 05:27 PDT.

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Update -- July 4, 2020

I have returned from a (rather annual) San Juan River float trip; seven days and six nights through the remote Goosenecks in southwestern Utah -- immersed deep in a canyon adjacent to Monument Valley. Astronomical reports include (often) waking up in the middle of the night to a magnificent, star and Milky Way-studded dark night sky. (I sleep under the stars as long as the weather is OK. Nights were very warm.) One night I awoke and remarkably viewed a brighter-than-first-magnitude object "streak" (more like "creep") slowly across the entire sky! Originally I thought it to be a very amazing meteor (albeit too slow and too long, I felt), but, after returning I learned that it was very likely an asteroid, per the below-linked article.

https://abc11.com/asteroid-green-fireball-australia-nasa/6248723/

The movie shown on the news clip seemed to reveal an object much like what I saw, plus it was the correct date.

An event like this just proves once again that the simple act of sleeping out under a dark sky can result in some momentous sightings!

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Humor update -- May 1, 2020

There's a community very near where I once lived in Colorado, west of Denver in the foothills. They offer humor (generally puns) on their billboard, and recently there was one of an astronomical theme.

 

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Observing schedule for Spring 2020

Due to the coronavirus outbreak, no visitation to Rabbit Valley observatory is possible for now. But, as astrophotography is the ultimate "social-distancing" activity, I'll be configuring cameras and equipment and taking some photos, I'm sure. I hope to catch the latest comet. You can too! Read about Comet Atlas here!

Update -- The Yellowstone class was great, including the intense white-knuckle driving experience out to the Lamar Buffalo Ranch under heavy, heavy snow and white-out conditions. With newly-acquired knowledge and photographs, I was able to finish and have developed a simple website to present my new wildlife photo/observational guide book entitled Yellowstone's Megafauna -- In the Wild. Click the text above to access and read the book. If you wish a signed hard-copy, e-mail me at willisg@rmi.net.

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Observing schedule for early 2020

I will be visiting Yellowstone National Park in early to mid-February for a seminar "The Intelligence of Animals," by George Bumann, M.S. I have attended many Yellowstone Forever seminars over the years -- all are highly recommended! After that, the "warmer" spring observing session is upon us. Please e-mail me at taosastronomer@gmail.com to schedule a night under the stars!

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Recent Rabbit Valley Observatory news -- early November 2019