Category Archives: Uncategorized

2014/10/08 Total Lunar Eclipse

by

0

This is the 2nd of a series of 4 consecutive total lunar eclipses visible from US in year 2014 and 2015.

This composite is consisted of 21 images throughout the eclipse.

This composite shows the change of the brightness and color of the Moon, prior to and throughout the totality. The exposure of each image is 5s @ ISO 400.

This composite shows turquoise color seen during the eclipse. The exposure of each image is 1s@ ISO400.

This 12-pane composite shows the shape of the Moon while approaching the 2nd contact.

04:05:23, 5s @ ISO400
Red moon

03:54:20, 10s @ ISO400
Red moon at greatest eclipse

03:02:26, 1s @ ISO400
Moon in the earth shadow

03:02:12, 1/2s @ ISO 400
Moon in the earth shadow

02:40:04, 1/640s @ ISO 400
Lunar Eclipse

02:29:10, 1/50s @ ISO 400
Earth shadow – Umbra vs Penumbra

02:14:48, 1/1000s @ ISO400
First contact

01:51:27, 1/1000s @ ISO400
Full Moon before 1st contact

05:34:22, 1/1000 @ ISO400
4th contact

05:33:41, 1/250s @ ISO400
4th contact, resembles naked eye view of earth shadow

05:05:19, 1/400s @ ISO400
Half way out

04:19:34, 5s @ISO400
Red moon prior to 3rd contact

The time of the eclipse:
The 1st contact: 02:14:48AM
The 2nd contact: 03:25:10AM
The greatest eclipse: 03:54:36AM
The 3rd contact: 04:24:00AM
The 4th contact: 05:34:21AM

Location: Henry Coe State Park, Morgan Hill, CA
Equipment:
– CGEM
– AT111EDT
– AT72ED
– Canon T3i

2015/04/04 Total Lunar Eclipse

by

0

This is the third of a series of 4 consecutive total lunar eclipses visible from US in year 2014 and 2015. This is also a very special total eclipse, not because the Moon set shortly after the eclipse was over viewed at San Jose (so you could see Red Moon twice at that night), but it is the shortest total eclipse in almost 5 centuries. However some believe that it might just a partial eclipse as the Moon seemed never get dark.

Since the Moon was going to set right after 4th contact, I went to Henry Coe State Park for its wide open western horizon. The weather was clear entire night, though there might have been one or two very thin high clouds passed by.

This composite is consisted of 21 images throughout the eclipse.

This composite shows turquoise color seen during the eclipse. The exposure of each image is 2.5s @ ISO200.

This 26-pane composite shows the shape of the Moon while approaching the 2nd contact.

This composite shows the change of the brightness and color of the Moon, prior to and throughout the totality. From this composite, you can see that the moon always has some bright portion even within totality. The exposure of each image is 5s @ ISO 200.

03:09:57, 1/800s @ ISO200
Full moon with visible earth shadow

03:50:10, 1/10s @ISO200
Over exposure showed transition region of earth shadow

03:51:57, 1/160s @ ISO200
Half way through

04:05:11, 1s @ ISO200
Moon in the Earth shadow

04:05:17, 2.5s @ ISO200
Moon in the Earth shadow

04:20:14, 2.5s @ ISO200
Red and turquoise color

04:36:57, 1/10s @ ISO200
Crescent Moon, approaching to 2nd contact

04:55:27s, 10s @ ISO200
Red Moon at 2nd contact

04:59:38, 5s @ ISO200
Red Moon at greatest Eclipse

05:15:20, 5s @ ISO200
Moon after 3rd contact

05:48:56, 1/25s @ ISO200
1/3 of Moon emerged from Earth shadow

06:33:57, 1/50s @ ISO200
Moon became yellow as it started to set

06:37:26, 1/25s @ ISO200
Yellow moon approaching 4th contact

06:51:06, 1/50s @ ISO200
Red Moon after 4th contact, with Earth shadow visible, setting over coastal ridge across the silicon valley

The time of the eclipse:
The 1st contact: 03:15:48
The 2nd contact: 04:57:58
The greatest eclipse: 05:00:17
The 3rd contact: 05:02:37
The 4th contact: 06:44:48

Location:Henry Coe Stat Park, Morgan Hill, CA
Equipment:
– CGEM
– AT111EDT
– AT72ED
– Canon T3i

Comet Lovejoy (C/2017 E4)

by

0

2017/04/01

Took this image when the sky was starting to brighten, however the jet stream tail was visible, though much shorter than expected.

Exposure: 5 x 60″
Location: Panoche Hills BLM, CA
Condition: very good transparency, very good seeing
Equipment: SIG8300M + Baader LGRB filter, OAG8300 + STi, AT111EDT on AP1100.

Antares and M4 (2016/06/04)

by

0

Date: 2016/05/29
Location: Panoche Hills BLM, CA
Condition: Excellent transparency, excellent seeing
Exposure: L – 12x600s each
Date: 2016/06/04
Location: Panoche Hills BLM, CA
Condition: Excellent transparency, excellent seeing
Exposure: R/G/B – 5x600s each
Equipment: STF8300M + Baader LRGB/Ha/O3/S2 + OAG8300, FSQ85+0.73x reducer on CGEM

M16/M17 (2016/06/04)

by

0

M16/M17 – Red (two panel mosaic)

M16 – Ha

Date: 2016/05/29
Location: Panoche Hills BLM, CA
Condition: Excellent transparency, excellent seeing
Exposure: M17_Ha – 11x1200s
Date: 2016/06/04
Location: Panoche Hills BLM, CA
Condition: Excellent transparency, excellent seeing
Exposure: M16_R: 8x600s, M17_R: 8x600s
Equipment: STF8300M + Baader LRGB/Ha/O3/S2 + OAG8300, FSQ85+0.73x reducer on CGEM

M16 – Eagle Nebula (2016/07/02)

by

0

Captured narrow band images. RGB version can be seen here.

M16 – HaRGB

M16 – Narrow band as false RGB

M16 – Narrowband Hubble Palette

Location: Panoche Hills BLM, CA

Date: 2016/07/02, 2016/07/03, 2016/07/08

Condition: Excellent transparency, excellent seeing

Exposure: Ha – 14×900″, O3 – 14×900″, S2 – 14×900″

Equipment: SBIG8300M + Baader LRGB/Ha/O3/S2 + OAG, AT111EDT on CGEM

M8 – Lagoon Nebula (2016/07/01)

by

0

M8 – Narrowband false RGB

M8 – Hubble Palette

M8 – Hubble Palette

Re-processed Hubble palette to reduce magenta stars, the result is better than the first try.

Date: 07/01/2016, 07/02/2016

Location: Panoche Hills BLM, CA
Condition: excellent  transparency, excellent seeing
Equipment: AT111EDT on CGEM, guided by OAG-8300/ST-i. STF8300M+FW8+Baader LRGB/Ha/O3/S2
Exposure: O3 – 1200sx13, Dark/Bias/Flat calibrated, S2 – 1200sx13, Dark/Bias/Flat calibrated
Software: Pixinsight