A cold night imaging crater Copernicus and friends
Last night the atmosphere was particularly clear and steady here, so I took the opportunity to image some of my favourite lunar craters. All of the images below were captured using a Meade 203mm aperture Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope and a Philips SPC900NC webcam. I also used a red (Wratten #23A) filter in front of the webcam to filter out some of the wavelengths of light that are more detrimentally affected by atmospheric undulations.
The images below are all mosaics. Each mosaic pane was made by taking a short video with the webcam and then sifting out the best 250 frames to be stacked and processed together into one more detailed image. Then each of the panes are arranged together to create the final mosaic image you see below. For example, the Clavius & Tycho image was made by stitching together 16 individual panes.
- The floor of crater Copernicus in shadow & the ghost crater Stadius. Credit: Will Gater
- The Tycho, Maginus, Clavius & Moretus region (click to enlarge). Credit: Will Gater
- Crater Plato, the Vallis Alpes and the Montes Teneriffe. Credit: Will Gater
Exploring the dark skies of Mid Wales
Back in November I spent a wonderfully quiet week staying near the town of Rhayader, in Mid Wales. The Welsh countryside around where I stayed is renowned for its wildlife and dramatic scenery, but the reason I went there – of course – was for its dark night skies. Unfortunately of the seven nights I was there only one was clear enough to get the telescope out.
Below you’ll find a few of the images I captured over the course of that evening. As you can see, thin patchy clouds and haze enhanced the small amount of light pollution visible, so I didn’t experience the skies there at their absolute darkest; which I guess means I’ll just have to go back and visit again next year.
- Venus sparkles above the vibrant glow of twilight. Credit: Will Gater
- Jupiter shines through thin mist against a starry backdrop. Credit: Will Gater
- The magnificent Orion rises over the skyline. Credit: Will Gater
- The Triangulum Galaxy. Taken with a Canon 550D on a William Optics 66mm refractor, autoguided by a Sky-Watcher SynGuider & an 80mm refractor. Credit: Will Gater
- The constellation of Auriga (and several bright star clusters). Credit: Will Gater
- The Crab Nebula (M1). Taken with a Canon 550D on a William Optics 66mm refractor, autoguided by a Sky-Watcher SynGuider & an 80mm refractor. Credit: Will Gater
An astronomical autumn on Dartmoor
Autumn is easily my favourite season for astronomy, partly because of the return of the dark skies but also because of the wealth of objects visible in the sky around this time. On the one hand some of the stunning summer sights are still visible low in the west, while at the same time the grand winter constellations are beginning to appear over the eastern horizon.
This autumn I’ve managed to get to my favourite dark sky site, on Dartmoor, a few times – though, admittedly, the imaging conditions haven’t always been great. Below are a few of the astro-images I’ve got to show for those trips.
All were taken with an unmodified Canon 550D DSLR camera. The wide field images were captured with the DSLR on a tracking mount. The close-ups were taken with the DSLR mounted on a William Optics ZenithStar 66mm refractor on an HEQ5 Pro mount. The whole setup was autoguided by an 80mm refractor and a Sky-Watcher SynGuider.
- The Milky Way in Cygnus, Cepheus & Lacerta. Credit: Will Gater
- The Double Cluster (NGC 869 & NGC 884). Credit: Will Gater
- The Milky Way, the Andromeda Galaxy, M33 & the Double Cluster. Credit: Will Gater
The Hyades star cluster Credit: Will Gater
- The Dumbbell Nebula. Credit: Will Gater
So You Want To Be A Scientist 2011
Last year I wrote about a new BBC Radio 4 competition called ‘So You Want To Be A Scientist?’ that invites members of the public to submit ideas for a scientific experiment they’d like to carry out. One of the finalists in last year’s competition was amateur astronomer John Rowlands who investigated the summertime atmospheric phenomenon known as ‘noctilucent clouds’. The competition is back this year and the team behind it are once again keen to hear your ideas for experiments.
If your idea is one of the handful selected by the judges you’ll be paired up with a professional scientist to complete the experiment you’ve proposed. When the results of your study are in you’ll then have to present your research at the Cheltenham Science Festival; a panel of expert judges will then select their favourite experiment, with the winning citizen scientist being declared the BBC’s Amateur Scientist of the Year. You’ve got until 31 October to get your ideas in, so get thinking — you never know what you might discover.
A Draconid meteor drops from the sky
- The Moon & clouds spoilt the peak of the Draconid meteor shower. Credit: Will Gater
After watching the clouds rolling in all day here I decided that the only way I’d have a chance of observing the peak of the Draconid meteor shower tonight would be if I followed the few gaps there were in the clouds by car. So, as the Sun was setting, I set off on a drive around Somerset looking for patches of clear sky. Unfortunately every time it looked as if I’d get a glimpse of the stars the clouds closed up obscuring everything. With complete cloud cover overhead I set off home thinking that was the end of the night.
Thankfully when I was about 15 miles from home the clouds broke and Jupiter and the Moon appeared to burst out of them in front of me. In an incredible stroke of luck there was a big lay-by about 100 metres ahead, so I pulled over and parked up. With small swathes of clear sky appearing overhead I set up the camera and began taking 20 second exposures at ISO 800.
- Gaps in the clouds afforded brief glimpses of a starry sky. Credit: Will Gater
Before the clouds closed in again I saw four Draconid meteors including a relatively bright one which I managed to photograph (below). It was a lot of effort to capture just one meteor on camera. Hopefully next time the clear skies will come to me so I don’t have to go chasing after them.
- A Draconid meteor shoots across the sky (click for a wide-field version). Credit: Will Gater
Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2011 results night
Video courtesy of Sky at Night Magazine. Remember to select the 720p HD option.
Two weeks ago I, and the rest of the Sky at Night Magazine team, travelled to Greenwich for the 2011 Astronomy Photography of the Year awards night. You’ll no doubt have seen many of the winning images splashed across the pages of newspapers, websites and blogs over recent weeks.
This was arguably the most difficult year to judge so far, with an astounding array of superb images submitted from all over the world. Above is the video we made on the awards night, which includes an interview with the overall winner Damian Peach whose stunning image of Jupiter, Io and Ganymede you’ll see below. I’ve also embedded below an excellent video profile of Damian, which was made by Lonelyleap Film for the Royal Observatory, Greenwich.
- The overall winning image — Jupiter with two of its moons, Io & Ganymede. Credit: Damian Peach
Video courtesy of Royal Observatory, Greenwich/Lonelyleap.
Comet Garradd glides by the globular cluster M71
Comet Garradd, M71 and the star fields of the Milky Way. Taken with a Canon 550D on a William Optics 66mm refractor, autoguided by a Sky-Watcher SynGuider & an 80mm refractor. Credit: Will Gater
Comet Garradd is currently putting on a great show as it tracks across the night sky. In the past few weeks it has passed by several deep sky objects including the globular clusters M15 and M71. I captured the above image last weekend as the comet (top right) was moving away from M71 (bottom left).
It’s certainly worth looking out for this comet if you have a small telescope. I could see it with ease through a 66mm refractor; admittedly from an observing site, on Dartmoor, with nice dark skies. The image above shows much more detail than the eye sees though, as it is composed of five minutes worth of exposures.
By the time I’d finished enjoying Garradd & M71 — in the same field of view — the Andromeda Galaxy had risen higher in the sky and I couldn’t resist capturing this image of it below. If you want to track down Comet Garradd yourself you’ll find a finder chart here. Happy comet hunting!
The Andromeda Galaxy. Taken with a Canon 550D on a William Optics 66mm refractor, autoguided by a Sky-Watcher SynGuider & an 80mm refractor. Credit: Will Gater
NASA’s Juno mission to Jupiter
- An artist’s impression of the Juno spacecraft at Jupiter. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Thanks to a tweet from the Guardian’s science correspondent Ian Sample I’ve been exploring this superb, Flash based, website covering NASA’s Juno mission.
After clicking on the ‘begin journey’ tab the site takes you through a series of narrated full screen videos that set the scene for the mission and explain some of key scientific objectives; between each video there’s an excellent interactive page, with further images and videos, allowing you to find out more about each topic. For example, here’s a page that covers the rocket that will launch Juno, while this one focuses on Jupiter’s atmosphere.
As well as the great graphics & engaging narration I particularly liked the ‘cluster’ of stars at the end of the presentation, each one representing an astronomical question.
As for the probe itself, it’s scheduled to be launched on an Atlas V rocket tomorrow (5 August). You’ll be able to watch the lift-off live, and in HD, on the NASA TV page here.
A celestial spectacle from the space station
- A crop of the NASA image. Click the image for the full resolution NASA version. Credit: NASA
I’m busy working on a new astronomy book at the moment, so don’t have much time to blog, but I really couldn’t let this amazing new image slip by without posting it here.
It was taken by astronauts on the International Space Station and has to be one of the best images from orbit I’ve ever seen. Aside from the impressive space hardware on show (that’s STS-135, Space Shuttle Atlantis, docked on the left hand side) the image shows numerous other celestial sights.
Beyond the solar panels and Space Shuttle we can see the green glow of the aurora dancing over the limb of the Earth, while in the background there are lots of objects familiar to amateur astronomers in the southern hemisphere. A quick glance shows the Coalsack Nebula, the rich star fields of the Milky Way, the Southern Cross, a hint of the Carina Nebula, and even the globular cluster Omega Centauri. Simply stunning!
Delving into the dark skies of Dartmoor
The sky was wonderfully clear over my favourite dark sky site on Dartmoor on Saturday night, meaning I was able to spend several hours imaging objects in and around the Milky Way. Below are some of my images from that session, including a few of the lovely noctilucent cloud display that appeared over the northern horizon at about 02:00 BST. Clicking on each image will open a larger version.
- The Milky Way in Scutum & Sagittarius. Credit: Will Gater
- The globular cluster M22. Credit: Will Gater
- Noctilucent clouds on the northern horizon. Credit: Will Gater
- A close-up of the NLCs showing intricate structures. Credit: Will Gater
- Wave structures within the 3 July 2011 noctilucent cloud display. Credit: Will Gater
- More wave structures within the 3 July noctilucent cloud display. Credit: Will Gater
Noctilucent clouds light up the horizon — 1 July 2011
The height of the display, at roughly 3am BST, as seen from latitude 51°N. Credit: Will Gater
At around 3am BST this morning I spotted my first noctilucent clouds of the 2011 season. It was a fairly modest display, but did show some nice Type IIIb cloud structures at one point. Below are a few images I captured, along with two animations I made showing the clouds’ movement and changing structures. Clicking on the images will open up a larger version.
A panorama showing the extent of the display across the NE horizon. Credit: Will Gater
ANIMATION: click the image below to view the wide-angle animation. Credit: Will Gater
ANIMATION: click the image below to view the close-up animation. Credit: Will Gater
Scanning the summer night skies
This month’s Sky at Night Magazine vodcast is all about some of the things you can see in the night sky during the summer months. From glittering star clusters to glowing nebulae there’s something for everyone to observe over the coming weeks; in fact, many of the objects covered in the video can be spotted with a good pair of binoculars.
The vodcast is illustrated with several star charts to help you track down some of the more elusive objects, but if you require something a little more detailed then have a look at the free planetarium program Stellarium.
As usual, make sure you select the 720p HD setting for the best video quality. Clear skies and happy summer stargazing!
Video courtesy of Sky at Night Magazine.
New article: “Islands of darkness”
I’ve written an article for the new issue of Sky at Night Magazine about the first International Dark Sky Places to be set up in and around the UK.
From Galloway Forest Park in Scotland to the island of Sark in the Channel Islands these places are home to some of the darkest night skies we have in this part of the world. They are havens for astronomers faced with the ever-growing blight of light pollution – rare places from where we can view the unspoilt night skies in all their beauty.
The article explores how these sites came to be recognised as International Dark Sky Places and what effect their new statuses are having on their surrounding regions. The piece also looks at what the future holds for some of the other dark sky locations across the country while highlighting a few places that may apply for this special designation soon.
You’ll find the feature – entitled ‘Islands of darkness’ – on pages 26-31 of the July 2011 issue of Sky at Night Magazine, available from all good newsagents.
An introduction to dark matter from PhD Comics
With recent advances in astrophysics, cosmology and particle physics we’re entering an exciting period in our quest to understand the mysterious substance known as ‘dark matter’.
If you’ve ever wondered just what we do know about dark matter, and how scientists can study it, have a look at this video comic from Jorge Cham, of PhD Comics.
It’s a great introduction to the subject and shows nicely how several scientific fields have joined together to examine a significant, but elusive, component of the Universe we live in.
Hat tip to the Astronomy Twitter Journal Club blog where I first saw the video.
Starfields & skylarks – a night of imaging on Dartmoor
Capturing the night skies from the UK can often be a frustrating experience. You can spend ages setting up your scopes and cameras, carefully perfecting the mount’s tracking and getting everything in focus, but just as you’re ready to image the clouds have appeared.
Sometimes though it all comes together and you get a magical evening under the stars. For me, Friday night — on Dartmoor — was one of those precious nights.
I started taking images just before midnight. By the time I had finished, the sky towards the east was brightening and some very eager skylarks were beginning the dawn chorus. Below are a few shots I captured that night.
Seeing the Lagoon and Trifid Nebulae again reminded me that we have lots to look forward to over the coming summer months.
UPDATE 09.06.2011 — Here’s a short, admittedly poor quality, recording I made of the skylarks.
- The Lagoon (bottom) & Trifid Nebulae. Taken with a Canon 550D on a William Optics 66mm refractor, autoguided by a Sky-Watcher SynGuider & an 80mm refractor. Credit: Will Gater
- The crescent Moon over Haytor Rocks. Credit: Will Gater
- Venus sparkles in the eastern sky as dawn breaks. Credit: Will Gater
Noctilucent clouds and Audioboo
A noctilucent cloud display captured during summer 2010. Credit: Will Gater
I’ve just started using the website Audioboo to upload short pieces of astronomy themed audio to the Web. My first ‘boo’ (as they’re called) is all about noctilucent clouds – the ethereal glowing clouds that appear in the northern hemisphere’s night skies around this time of year.
I’ve embedded the audio below. If you’d like to see some of my pictures from previous years’ displays you’ll find them here and here.
A new astronomy column in BBC Knowledge Magazine
I’m very pleased to announce that I have a new column in the BBC’s excellent Knowledge magazine.
It’s called Above & Beyond and it’s where I’ll keep Knowledge readers up-to-date with what’s happening in the world of astronomy and space. There’ll be a certain practical element to the column too. So if there’s a planet worth looking out for or a meteor shower you just can’t miss, it’ll have all the details.
Knowledge is published, every two months, in the UK as well as in Bulgaria, Brazil, North America and Singapore. You’ll find my first column – all about the magical lure of Saturn – in the May/June issue, on sale this Wednesday.
Aurora hunting on the Sky at Night Magazine vodcast
Following on from the images I posted earlier this week, here’s the latest episode of the Sky at Night Magazine vodcast, which is all about my trip into the Arctic Circle in search of the aurora borealis. As usual, make sure you select the 720p HD setting for the best video quality.
Video courtesy of Sky at Night Magazine.
Chasing the Northern Lights in Finland
Last week I was lucky enough to have been staying in the Finnish village of Karesuvanto when the Northern Lights made an appearance. For about an hour, on the evening of the 17 March, the aurora pulsed and flickered over the moonlit landscape, putting on a remarkable show that I’ll remember for a long time to come. Below are some images I captured that night using a Canon 550D DSLR, 18-55mm kit lens and a static photo tripod. You can click on each image to see a larger version.
At the peak of the display the aurora covered large swathes of the sky.
At one point auroral rays appeared to descend from right above.
A bright auroral band over Karesuvanto.
The camera shows colours, such as purple & deep red, that weren’t obvious to the naked eye.
Auroral rays dance across the constellation of Hercules.
Several large and bright swathes of auroral light became visible at the height of the display.
The ‘black aurora’ [more info. here] is seen crossing overhead in this image.
Last week I was lucky enough to be staying in the Finnish village of Karesuvanto when the Northern Lights made an appearance. For about an hour on the evening of the 17 March the aurora pulsed and fluttered over the moonlit landscape, putting on a remarkable show that I’ll remember for a long time to come. Below are some images I captured that night. Click on each to see a larger version.
Simple selenological science explained
There was a certain level of bemusement in the Sky at Night Magazine office, a few weeks ago, when I brought in a bag of flour, part of a fridge and a torch for the filming of the latest vodcast.
All should be revealed now though, as the new episode went online today. The video covers some of the basics of lunar observing, with a bit of a practical twist; to explain a few of the concepts, I set up some simple demonstrations using everyday household items.
If you’ve ever wondered why the low Moon is orange sometimes, or what creates the dramatic bright streaks across the full Moon, this episode is one to watch. I’ve embedded it below and, as usual, for the best quality view click the 720p HD button.
Credit: Sky at Night Magazine
New article – How to see the aurora from the UK
Last year there were some beautiful images of the aurora borealis submitted to Astronomy Photographer of the Year. I’ve only ever seen the Northern Lights once, many years ago, and even then it was little more than a faint ruby-red glow on the northern horizon. But that was enough to whet my appetite and make me want to see them properly.
For this reason, a few months ago, I set out to learn exactly what would have to happen to create a big auroral display across most of UK, including southern England. The results of my research can be found in my new article in the February 2011 Sky at Night Magazine. In it I interview solar scientist Dr Jim Wild and aurora hunter Martin McKenna, to get their advice on what we should look out for. Over the next few years, as the Sun reaches the more active part of its cycle, we may get a visit from the Northern Lights so now’s the time to swot up. The magazine is on sale next week; pick up your copy to get prepared.
Calling all astrophotographers!
Today the Royal Observatory Greenwich, in association with Sky at Night Magazine, launched the 2011 Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition. This year, as well as the main judging categories, there’s a new special prize for the Robotic Scope Image of the Year. It’s aimed at astroimagers who use remote scopes, over the Internet, to capture their data before processing it.
I’m on the judging panel once again this year and, as before, I’m really looking forward to seeing what the world’s top astrophotographers have got in store for us. So, whether you use a remote observatory or your own kit, photograph meteors or the Moon, if you’ve taken an amazing astronomical shot recently make sure you enter it into the competition!
Logo credit: National Maritime Museum/The Royal Observatory, Greenwich.
The Night Sky Month by Month – out now!
I’m very pleased to announce that my new book The Night Sky Month by Month was published by Dorling Kindersley today.
The book is a month by month observational guide for both the northern and southern hemispheres. It includes details of which celestial objects to look out for each month, charts showing the positions of the planets, a detailed almanac and a guide to getting started in astronomy.
Over the last few days Dorling Kindersley has been tweeting tips on astronomical sights to look out for this week, so be sure to follow them on Twitter here. And, if you want a guide to what to see in the night skies throughout the year, you’ll find details of where to buy my book here.
Book jacket image courtesy Dorling Kindersley.
Savouring the sight of a Space Shuttle launch
One of the things that’s always slightly frustrated me about watching Space Shuttle launches is how quickly it’s all over, once it’s started. We spend hour after hour glued to the feed from NASA TV, watching the build-up and countdown, while the Space Shuttle itself leaps off the pad in a matter of seconds. Before too long it’s a bright fleck of light in the sky, and the launch is over.
You’re probably thinking “it’s a massive rocket Will, that’s what happens!”, and yes, of course, I realise that. But, to me, it feels like there’s hardly any time to savour the incredible beauty of the event.
Imagine my happiness, then, when I found out about a spectacular YouTube video doing the rounds called ‘Ascent – commemorating Shuttle’. It’s 45 minutes of stunning slow-motion Space Shuttle launch footage, compiled by Matt Melis from NASA’s Glenn Research Center. Here it is embedded below.
Credit: Matt Melis/NASA/KSC Imaging Services
I learnt a lot from the great commentary by Melis and his colleague Kevin Burke. But, by far, the main thing I realised from watching the video, is exactly how much I’ll miss this amazing spacecraft when it’s not flying anymore.
Update 25.01.11: I’ve updated the YouTube video above, as I see NASA Television have uploaded a 720p HD version of the film. Be sure to click that option for the best quality image.
