Last time Martin Crow Crayford Manor House Astronomical Society About the use of binoculars. Types of mount. Telescope types. Finders, eye pieces, etc.

Last time

Martin Crow Crayford Manor House Astronomical Society

About the use of binoculars.

Types of mount.

Telescope types.

Finders, eye pieces, etc.

Setting up and using visually.

This week: Observing


About observation

Types of observation


So what are going to be seeing when we observe?

Our Solar System





Our Solar System



Mercury

Venus

Mars

Saturn

Aldebaran

Jupiter

Martin Crow 2002 April 24


2010 April 04

Our Solar System



Mars 2003 Aug 23




Jupiter 2011 Nov 19 DMK 41as02, 2.5x powermate on C9.25Processed in AvistaxMartin Crow


Our Solar System













The Magnitude system

The scale of measuring brightness is believed to have originated with Hipparchus (190 BC – 120 BC). It divide up the visible stars into 6 brightness's,1 for the brightest and 6 for the faintest.

In 1856 Norman Pogson formalised this by defining a 1st magnitude star as 100 times brighter than a 6th magnitude star. Therefore the difference between magnitudes is the 5th root of 100 = 2.51.

So: 1st to 2nd magnitude has difference of 2.51 1st to 3rd =2.51 x 2.51 = 6.3 1st to 4th = 2.51 x 2.51 x 2.51 = 15.8 1st to 5th =2.51 x 2.51 x 2.51 x 2.51 = 39.7 1st to 6th = 2.51 x 2.51 x 2.51 x 2.51 x 2.51 = 100

The star Vega is set at zero magnitude. This is its apparent magnitude.

On this scale Sirius is -1.4, the Moon -12.74 and the Sun -26.74

Types of observing


Visual observing

The eye is our primary means of exploring the world around us.

Good for exploring the whole sky

Doing meteor watches


Types of observing


Visual observing





Nick James

Types of observing


Visual observing




Observing eclipses of the Sun an Moon



Types of observing


Visual observing




Observing eclipses of the Sun an Moon

Observing atmospheric phenomena


Honor Wheeler

Types of observing


Visually assisted observing

Binoculars

Good for exploring the sky more deeply

Variable stars

Solar observing – not direct

The Classical planets and some of the brighter asteroids

Comets

Types of observing


Telescopes

Visually assisted observing

Good for fainter objects

Variable stars

Solar observations – not direct

Luna observations

Planetary observations

Double stars


Types of observing


Imaging

Point and shoot and DSLR cameras on or off a tripod

Good for wide field sky shots – constellations, atmospheric phenomena, meteors and planetary conjunctions.








Martin Crow Crayford Manor House Astronomical SocietyHonor Wheeler




Mercury

Venus

Mars

Saturn

Aldebaran

Jupiter

Martin Crow 2002 April 24

Types of observing


Imaging

Moon images

Point and shoot cameras set up afocally on a telescope

Planets

Maybe some of the brighter deep sky objects

Solar images – not direct


Exposures of 1/125 sec @ iso 100 will get you started, though experimentation will givethe best results.

Images of the eclipsed Moon require longerExposure times.



Exposures of between 1/30 to 1/5 sec at iso 100 are to be expected.


M42Pleiades

Both images were on a driven mountExposures of 15 sec in both cases.

Types of observing


Imaging

DSLR on a driven equatorial mounted telescope

Luna images

Solar images

Planets

Comets

Types of observing


Imaging

DSLR on a polar aligned driven equatorial mounted telescope

Deep sky objects

Photometry of variable star and asteroids

Faint comets




Types of observing


Imaging

Web cam on a driven equatorial mounted telescope

High resolution image of the Moon and planets

High resolution white light images of sunspots

Web cam technology


Image of Jupiter taken using film (1990).

Observing the Planets


With a telescope and webcam (Lucky dip imaging)

What you need:

A webcam with CCD sensor

Adapter and infrared blocking filter

A laptop and free software from the internet – Registax or Avistack.




How does it work?







Registax in action – hopefully!









Images by Simon Dawes






Types of observing


Data mining

Solar and Heliospheric Observatory

Astrogrid

Zooniverse

Local and National societies


Crayford Manor House Astronomical Society

www.cmhas.wikispaces.com

Local and National societies


British Astronomical Association

www.britastro.org

Observing


Keep an observing log book

Date and time yyyy/mm/dd hr:mm UT

Weather – cloud, haze, temp.

SeeingI – perfect seeing, without a quiverII – slight undulations, with moments of lasting calmIII – moderate seeing, with larger tremorsIV – poor seeing, with constant troublesome undulationsV – very bad seeing, scarcely allowing a rough sketch to be made

Observing targets

Equipment used

Note and comments


Before you go out


Plan what you are going to observe

Think about what you hope to see – use reference material.

Think about what you might need:

Red light

Planisphere \ chart book

Warm clothes

Garden recliner?

Hand warmers

Flask of coffee or tea

Note book \ recording sheet and pencil

Any questions



Last time Martin Crow Crayford Manor House Astronomical Society About the use of binoculars. Types of mount. Telescope types. Finders, eye pieces, etc.

Documents

moon slide

time martin

avistax martin

solar system martin

magnitude system

th magnitude star

types of mount

telescope types