tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37938392259549053402024-02-21T02:56:09.238-08:00Notes from a Small ObservatoryThe trials, tribulations and small triumphs of a Charlotte, NC astronomer imaging under Bortle 8/9 skies.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07322608173250168685noreply@blogger.comBlogger630125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3793839225954905340.post-73900989034303271812023-04-20T06:33:00.003-07:002023-04-20T06:33:38.242-07:00Messier 106<p> After a long break due to an extended period of cloud and rain here in the Carolinas, I was finally able to get some imaging time. As it's late Spring, galaxies are the most promising imaging subjects. While galaxies are not the most idea objects to image with a RASA scope, the Mallincam DS10C allows some quite aggressive cropping, which enables me to get a decent image scale.</p><p>One of the more interesting, prominent targets is Messier 106. Discovered in 1781, M106 has an active, galactic nucleus powered by a central supermassive black hole and is classed as a Type 2 Seyfert Galaxy. </p><p>I've imaged M106 and number of times, and I combined those images with those I took the night before last, for a total of 860 images. These images are a mixture of white light and narrowband data, with integration times ranging from 6 seconds to 45 seconds. The total integration times was just over 3.5 hours.</p><p>The heavily cropped image below shows clouds of gas and dust surrounding the central nucleus. The galactic center is a little "blown" to emphasize this subtle data. The reddish areas are rich in HII and are likely regions of active star formation. The outer halo of stars would require a much longer integration time and it appears like grainy noise around the brighter parts of the galaxy.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1WfJiFJQHw5418MU8jOxTKSHcCxk8klplVmreXfAPPqdcJGSFDlMORal5diSYCqAkOgfXYv3CeUUPFhPKZrlrEPaFl2DMC4WOURXVcpsXqxxSqO50NmsHa-kIGspkd0lv9QEODIdrMmpgC0W-n1V6N1v13qYrzvoWUueQyVmuU-nMQvGSrK0LdKgS/s2004/m106combo4crop.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1257" data-original-width="2004" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1WfJiFJQHw5418MU8jOxTKSHcCxk8klplVmreXfAPPqdcJGSFDlMORal5diSYCqAkOgfXYv3CeUUPFhPKZrlrEPaFl2DMC4WOURXVcpsXqxxSqO50NmsHa-kIGspkd0lv9QEODIdrMmpgC0W-n1V6N1v13qYrzvoWUueQyVmuU-nMQvGSrK0LdKgS/w640-h402/m106combo4crop.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Here is another image, with a different crop and less processing.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNZhRvbcorNN68HfuruuEmF4-b10IqibFZDrMAGLr3yM8OvjMdwsPj1MvvWBSAfjo6vrzoKBNW4sk1o8bGOIEmDyr-oKGCwZBiaIXxfOuGigSpYnZVRDUU3ZdMrkSevRGjaH-exgXAQ_HjjQMKMli23yIePVrqs34-7HwVtgtiJEfPznS8ejjFR-4E/s987/M106combo-DeNoiseAI-standard.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="845" data-original-width="987" height="548" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNZhRvbcorNN68HfuruuEmF4-b10IqibFZDrMAGLr3yM8OvjMdwsPj1MvvWBSAfjo6vrzoKBNW4sk1o8bGOIEmDyr-oKGCwZBiaIXxfOuGigSpYnZVRDUU3ZdMrkSevRGjaH-exgXAQ_HjjQMKMli23yIePVrqs34-7HwVtgtiJEfPznS8ejjFR-4E/w640-h548/M106combo-DeNoiseAI-standard.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Finally, here is a lightly cropped and annotated image showing surrounding objects of interest. Ity also gives an idea of the actual image scale of the galaxy.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIIY_YYljOwoezklHHhgGuWBsk7yIPQL0YGbm27cU9SpWd1iHyI0z5NmCAZu6C4eq812FrjgH6kqAyWmq2QAmwiUdAj_xw7Z9wHSEQwYjosHkHjt0QmlXBvrED-JQKT9FpHoctd-meanWfxFRn0Nbsoxh5e5_MwvPEIMeDtIzjV4irMjns9V77GMdx/s1050/messier%20106%20annotated.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="731" data-original-width="1050" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIIY_YYljOwoezklHHhgGuWBsk7yIPQL0YGbm27cU9SpWd1iHyI0z5NmCAZu6C4eq812FrjgH6kqAyWmq2QAmwiUdAj_xw7Z9wHSEQwYjosHkHjt0QmlXBvrED-JQKT9FpHoctd-meanWfxFRn0Nbsoxh5e5_MwvPEIMeDtIzjV4irMjns9V77GMdx/w640-h446/messier%20106%20annotated.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Carloina Skieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03203816499803520868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3793839225954905340.post-76586004336381181762023-01-28T06:20:00.003-08:002023-01-29T13:39:27.479-08:00NGC 2264--The Christmas Tree Cluster and Cone Nebula<p> NGC 2264 is a star-forming region in the constellation of Monoceros. Dramatic clouds of ionized hydrogen gas and dust are clearly visible in this narrowband image. The star S Monocerotis can be found by drawing a line from the cone nebula to the bright star near the center of the image. It is a bright, eruptive variable, part of a multiple staar system with a hot, massive, main sequene O-type dwarf as the primary component. The first image shows a crop of the original image, the second is a wider field view of the nebula.</p><p>Tech card: RASA 8, Mallincam DS10C, NBZ filter, 213 x 45s integration (about 2.7 hours).</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigCOqB3DOqsgGLdtKlBhQLHE9l8f3ODPZhvsi6QC6P6RpeeiEeqIiFG4Pom7LtRwse3ZPt-fx0eqV9uWniyzLrnXr40oLRO3WAGzH-_vPOMCiSKNWWa8p4pIkaF8JWZ3-ckhwjX-4pR8_HUnkqcQSnE5434o2DMARC2XVdWnMBD65pTjVbVaqNj5UH/s2444/ngc2264proc1%20combocrop2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1610" data-original-width="2444" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigCOqB3DOqsgGLdtKlBhQLHE9l8f3ODPZhvsi6QC6P6RpeeiEeqIiFG4Pom7LtRwse3ZPt-fx0eqV9uWniyzLrnXr40oLRO3WAGzH-_vPOMCiSKNWWa8p4pIkaF8JWZ3-ckhwjX-4pR8_HUnkqcQSnE5434o2DMARC2XVdWnMBD65pTjVbVaqNj5UH/w640-h422/ngc2264proc1%20combocrop2.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPvA3yu6zPS6tSgv_BpgJTAeDWLpEl4bQJkFRxW0jPPCEE0iycv4bSXQtq4XwCjJaVCx68Ty2qZLohsSTDEV6DxrgCq0Td7Ti5rKRSsi8MLiz-IjE4iJHfiFyhNYU0rA-PAM5WtK7Y7WxSRCNCiH5EItP0EhF7VYzIbOMBSSVfkNXmAcfaIQoyXJIE/s3704/ngc2264proc1%20blended.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2676" data-original-width="3704" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPvA3yu6zPS6tSgv_BpgJTAeDWLpEl4bQJkFRxW0jPPCEE0iycv4bSXQtq4XwCjJaVCx68Ty2qZLohsSTDEV6DxrgCq0Td7Ti5rKRSsi8MLiz-IjE4iJHfiFyhNYU0rA-PAM5WtK7Y7WxSRCNCiH5EItP0EhF7VYzIbOMBSSVfkNXmAcfaIQoyXJIE/w640-h462/ngc2264proc1%20blended.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Carloina Skieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03203816499803520868noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3793839225954905340.post-54335990024591953192023-01-20T06:01:00.001-08:002023-01-20T06:08:24.227-08:00IC 410--The Tadpole Nebula<p> IC 410 offers a lot of visual drama for astrophotographers. It is currently well-placed for imaging early in the evening and it is bright enough that significant detail can be captures with relatively short integration times. The first image is a close crop, showing the Tadpoles and some fine details in nearby clouds of gas and dust. The Tadpoles themselves are thought to be sites of active star formation, sculpted into their shapes by winds and radiation from the cluster of stars in which they lie. The second image shows a wider view of the cluster and nebula.</p><p>Tech card: RASA 8; DS10C, NBZ filter. 188 x 45s integrations. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkpEh4OsbVNQLkezc-HV0x2eGPGy7fF8BxgEHvXWhgIePYqK07RxWI8DVeJGecr4pc7S-db3Mi1asBdrg9RqSmZF5srRHwqzqBYQwRy_v6LwDb4olFMXmiJZDzo9hCpqb8Fz6BlLpJHuWqzkwzKKU-6uM49ROd2Ou1xgckY8ZLq7nOAgh43G9Sgwwu/s1323/ic%20410%20close%20crop.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="913" data-original-width="1323" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkpEh4OsbVNQLkezc-HV0x2eGPGy7fF8BxgEHvXWhgIePYqK07RxWI8DVeJGecr4pc7S-db3Mi1asBdrg9RqSmZF5srRHwqzqBYQwRy_v6LwDb4olFMXmiJZDzo9hCpqb8Fz6BlLpJHuWqzkwzKKU-6uM49ROd2Ou1xgckY8ZLq7nOAgh43G9Sgwwu/w640-h442/ic%20410%20close%20crop.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdIc8JD-kMDKLlWNxesdHUN8hbaVdiYLikBKnhHMqWuhtKL4fF8hU1vkyt0eC1kVmXMmiLD0waasykS19BohF-sNS7_xi7G7lierrt5bKXQxJtCJZpxqtTySV4ZyN6gd_dcGg0dXS1MS7svWFKGl0S_YyHCRmMz1bwWsnigO_G4iXnPgPxleHWtrSy/s3034/ic410combo.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2242" data-original-width="3034" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdIc8JD-kMDKLlWNxesdHUN8hbaVdiYLikBKnhHMqWuhtKL4fF8hU1vkyt0eC1kVmXMmiLD0waasykS19BohF-sNS7_xi7G7lierrt5bKXQxJtCJZpxqtTySV4ZyN6gd_dcGg0dXS1MS7svWFKGl0S_YyHCRmMz1bwWsnigO_G4iXnPgPxleHWtrSy/w640-h472/ic410combo.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Carloina Skieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03203816499803520868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3793839225954905340.post-6147540670649842772023-01-10T07:24:00.007-08:002023-01-10T07:30:06.534-08:00Mars and Jupiter on January 9, 2023<p> Seeing was improved this evening. The high framerate of the DS10C enabled the capture of some quite subtle detail on Jupiter. Mars detail did not improve much, but as the disk is only 13.3 arcseconds in diameter, it is not surprising, given the 5 inch scope aperture.</p><p>Tech card: 5 inch Mak. DS10C with 5 x Barlow. Jupiter is a stack of 8K from 16K captures; Mars is a stack of 10K from 32K captures.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9J-C3ccD0at5e4rkZ8i0uD5rLWdYICoY5D50qXrAkC88kJZHYpF31k7ZvxSptRJtDyXidr-sswyhWeHkaUApTzI_iCTdojrst-7UIiiU85XXPNJmmkCR3i3rTfDlvCrNZbl9CDAHK-aCWlUoQ-AQn7BcAIxhWEvHSwkzz8KwMJ45oj-bpIGF1ZSOP/s755/jup3proc1-DeNoiseAI-severe-noise.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="755" height="542" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9J-C3ccD0at5e4rkZ8i0uD5rLWdYICoY5D50qXrAkC88kJZHYpF31k7ZvxSptRJtDyXidr-sswyhWeHkaUApTzI_iCTdojrst-7UIiiU85XXPNJmmkCR3i3rTfDlvCrNZbl9CDAHK-aCWlUoQ-AQn7BcAIxhWEvHSwkzz8KwMJ45oj-bpIGF1ZSOP/w640-h542/jup3proc1-DeNoiseAI-severe-noise.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUebmYezJL2jN0XpI50H-m13Td5vDJkMeA0AZFsR39P_lv7zpdxbzjGTFGxpFaDn4G7oSVnKJTMi4RXPt4dSb8VTpL5SN9tsIqV6z8dYSyFF8JscdGoWjrY8wygiY_qSH8h0rzLNnWh7fNdb-3MbSU06HeIaIjZeNzIa5qb5wwMRfsu2I9Iu3-cWCr/s394/mars4proc1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="369" data-original-width="394" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUebmYezJL2jN0XpI50H-m13Td5vDJkMeA0AZFsR39P_lv7zpdxbzjGTFGxpFaDn4G7oSVnKJTMi4RXPt4dSb8VTpL5SN9tsIqV6z8dYSyFF8JscdGoWjrY8wygiY_qSH8h0rzLNnWh7fNdb-3MbSU06HeIaIjZeNzIa5qb5wwMRfsu2I9Iu3-cWCr/w640-h600/mars4proc1.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br />Carloina Skieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03203816499803520868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3793839225954905340.post-41772931434076772292023-01-10T07:07:00.005-08:002023-01-10T07:32:41.710-08:00Jupiter and Mars on January 6, 2023<p>Seeing for planetary imaging has not been the best lately here
in NC. In an attempt to get better images under these conditions, I decided to
swap the DS10C for the Skyraider SLP. The main difference is that I can get
around 96 fps with the 10C, as opposed to around 47 fps with the SLP. The 10C
also captures at an increased bit-depth. The 10C captures were made at 1360 x 720
resolution, as opposed to 1024 x 768 with the SLP. Pixel sizes were also
different. The SLP has 2.5 um x 2.5 um pixels, whereas the 10C has 4.43 um x
4.63 um pixels, which significantly diminishes resolution. One thing that was
immediately apparent was how small the planetary images looked in the 10C
previews. I had to zoom Mars 200-300% to ensure I was properly focused.
However, the results, in average/poor seeing, were an improvement over the SLP
in those conditions.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Here is Jupiter on January 6.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For a 5 inch aperture under poor/average
seeing, the detail captured is quite decent. Similarly, Mars also showed
enhanced detail (though with pixelation—the disk is now less than 14 arcseconds in
diameter), with Syrtis Major dominating the disk.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Tech card: 5 inch Mak; DS10C; 5X Barlow. Jupiter is a stack of 10K images from a capture of 20K; Mars is a stack of 16K images from a stack of 32K images.</p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhjrL9Y1mpHbDOlUek7Fa2Bjo2LAxc2Ur_dDCnKJfgvzd0iSOEEaOfexyE1hVx4UPBMQGdp1Q6V6vNvXWySdGq4lxH1rz0PqkNOXIIhSwnvtmWXfgdKXGJAgqWDAddwugu3IkpUyf3HmsjjCIaNvJUgkav_gTNpfFLjJF4gKcmMCmZ2JsPSl3hCWVfL" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="805" height="573" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhjrL9Y1mpHbDOlUek7Fa2Bjo2LAxc2Ur_dDCnKJfgvzd0iSOEEaOfexyE1hVx4UPBMQGdp1Q6V6vNvXWySdGq4lxH1rz0PqkNOXIIhSwnvtmWXfgdKXGJAgqWDAddwugu3IkpUyf3HmsjjCIaNvJUgkav_gTNpfFLjJF4gKcmMCmZ2JsPSl3hCWVfL=w640-h573" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhgjqyoioHStH82vPR6yjWvHMFPOSOLpZbBCNW4UoT-WiI1w08bG_AkJxqVqsXoJpXoDdBQjKmYRhLzkOuoz473i17zl6cc7XOhK8cHcM5g1VE9C0lxrtFS_PrfeWAZWLbDOmu0n51vVjEk6TA4AC7Lbb8w9gKxo5UEprvhfGRd8BUrNJrvVM12gmn-" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="318" data-original-width="436" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhgjqyoioHStH82vPR6yjWvHMFPOSOLpZbBCNW4UoT-WiI1w08bG_AkJxqVqsXoJpXoDdBQjKmYRhLzkOuoz473i17zl6cc7XOhK8cHcM5g1VE9C0lxrtFS_PrfeWAZWLbDOmu0n51vVjEk6TA4AC7Lbb8w9gKxo5UEprvhfGRd8BUrNJrvVM12gmn-=w640-h466" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p>Carloina Skieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03203816499803520868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3793839225954905340.post-87473143486028504362023-01-07T05:36:00.019-08:002023-01-07T05:46:10.323-08:00Mars on 01/05/2023<p>Imaging conditions were poor tonight, with Mars scintillating as if under rapidly rippling water. This image is the best I could manage. It's the best 30% of 20,000 images captured at 47 fps with the Skyraider SLP camera. Mars' angular diameter is currently just 14 arcseconds and the gibbous phase of the planet is clearly visible. The dominant feature at the center of the disk is the triangular Syrtis Major. Syrtis Major was captured in the first sketch of Mars by Dutch astronomer Christiaan Huygens in 1659.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhfz4dJlXZ22qG4EntcEH5f2ApbOOatUZLPh2k5wObAghmHnHDGcGtVGufeInYhsFLh9Pb8kJmwDGHDVOxanZuXq7z-kVNm2UKv_zD4IqHyRNCw_wPH0T3tGB1dFxI1_hn_F0Do8BE6j8kQsYim3pkN6iqBg18o7lF4kdzbboXsbpFfkWGjQHuCBzX1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="557" data-original-width="562" height="635" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhfz4dJlXZ22qG4EntcEH5f2ApbOOatUZLPh2k5wObAghmHnHDGcGtVGufeInYhsFLh9Pb8kJmwDGHDVOxanZuXq7z-kVNm2UKv_zD4IqHyRNCw_wPH0T3tGB1dFxI1_hn_F0Do8BE6j8kQsYim3pkN6iqBg18o7lF4kdzbboXsbpFfkWGjQHuCBzX1=w640-h635" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p>Carloina Skieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03203816499803520868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3793839225954905340.post-31632442061886245652023-01-07T05:22:00.001-08:002023-01-07T05:22:23.451-08:00The Horsehead Nebula 12/29/2022<p>The dramatic Horsehead Nebula (Baranard 33), is almost impossible to see visually, and usually requires a narrowband filter to image successfully. It was discovered in 1888 by Scottish astronomer Willamina Fleming, who saw it on a photographic plate at the Harvard Observatory. Part of the much larger Orion Molecular Cloud, the Horsehead consists of large amounts of hydrogen gas and dense dust. The streaks in the red glow of ionized hydrogen in the image below are due to channeling by the nebula's magnetic field. This is a region of star formation, and the bright spots in the nebula's base are young stars in the process of formation.</p><p>Because of my limited horizon, I can image the nebula only for an hour at most, and this image represents about an hour of integration with 45 second subs.</p><p>Tech card: RASA 8, DS10C, NBZ filter, 1 hour of integration with 45s subs.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg6oRP6O68npK3L6GD471iFNUzUQjzmRqxWlGpFC4mZ4Zo0mrWDr20Bx10op9M4AoZzlWN3CLP59xUAZcNKjtZTz8STgTHGhgUPhvUeURVSr2pw7H1urZNHyozP--EkcZqcOAraKT9-wpyZmm-7ewz8WXrT1ylLHVsoP0ziIuYmsFMbSCtjD7w_KsJo" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2685" data-original-width="3591" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg6oRP6O68npK3L6GD471iFNUzUQjzmRqxWlGpFC4mZ4Zo0mrWDr20Bx10op9M4AoZzlWN3CLP59xUAZcNKjtZTz8STgTHGhgUPhvUeURVSr2pw7H1urZNHyozP--EkcZqcOAraKT9-wpyZmm-7ewz8WXrT1ylLHVsoP0ziIuYmsFMbSCtjD7w_KsJo=w640-h478" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p>Carloina Skieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03203816499803520868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3793839225954905340.post-38717347838582489022022-12-30T10:19:00.001-08:002022-12-30T10:19:28.867-08:00Mars on 12/25/2022<p> The Christmas skies were clear this evening, but the cold wave that passed through Charlotte from the Midwest gave us very transparent but unstable skies. Mars was difficult to image; the planet appeared to be under rippling water, with surface details appearing and disappearing every few seconds. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhw5d81-PbbtY2zH1HhN8ZW5VsZKxnt1E4RwTouA_kqaRI9kqNCNt1oI9W9xkNVCa9v-xb5WOgTT7B6uX3pXUps_e0Ul1YYsvRDLwJ3prDVw8Eny-LA1xYug3WHY16MaTPFKBOoS6DtiP7IK9RJQVFfIYJfTmaO85S43No_RNEVX8rx5n_MCnGmEm3R" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="616" data-original-width="895" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhw5d81-PbbtY2zH1HhN8ZW5VsZKxnt1E4RwTouA_kqaRI9kqNCNt1oI9W9xkNVCa9v-xb5WOgTT7B6uX3pXUps_e0Ul1YYsvRDLwJ3prDVw8Eny-LA1xYug3WHY16MaTPFKBOoS6DtiP7IK9RJQVFfIYJfTmaO85S43No_RNEVX8rx5n_MCnGmEm3R=w640-h440" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>This image shows the planet with linear wavelet processing. I pushed the processing as far as I could to enhance albedo features, while trying to perserve a "natural" image of the planet. The visible features can be identified from the Mars map of the area (below).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCnUIo-BjlFQFOSzCH3i6aVLcga-pirUinKhYXNMFiumdfobeWN5ujTB7-9N_PMWCrWn_obs_OMOoSsSrvt0BmWxSm-arQED7jX3z35axLISarxstYRsACj7Wtbt6a5Zf9fohTIe5C5FN55X-BJv1HKdWGsIzaQGBh6daOLQ5kklGgu3W4E1CjbppJ/s395/Mars%20%2012-26-2022%2002-40%20UT.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="391" data-original-width="395" height="634" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCnUIo-BjlFQFOSzCH3i6aVLcga-pirUinKhYXNMFiumdfobeWN5ujTB7-9N_PMWCrWn_obs_OMOoSsSrvt0BmWxSm-arQED7jX3z35axLISarxstYRsACj7Wtbt6a5Zf9fohTIe5C5FN55X-BJv1HKdWGsIzaQGBh6daOLQ5kklGgu3W4E1CjbppJ/w640-h634/Mars%20%2012-26-2022%2002-40%20UT.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Carloina Skieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03203816499803520868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3793839225954905340.post-35628681338125350932022-12-20T16:30:00.002-08:002022-12-20T16:30:41.983-08:00Is More Better? Mars on 12/18/2022.<p>Seeing was below average this evening, but I decided to see
if stacking significantly more images of Mars would produce a better picture
than a large, but smaller number. The “lucky imaging” approach captures many
frames at tens of frames per second. These frames are then stacked using
packages such as AstroSurface, Registax, Autostakkert, etc,. Each of these
packages ranks the captured frames by quality. The user then selects the
percentage of the frames they wish to stack and process. However, the benefits
of stacking decline as the number of frames increases. Stacking 1000 frames
rather than 500 makes for a much higher quality image, but as the number of
frames increases, the incremental improvement (i.e., the impact on the final
image) shrinks.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The first image is from a large stack. I combined several AVIs
captured sequentially to produce a large stack of almost 70,000 frames. I selected
45,000 frames for stacking. The second image is derived from 14,000 frames
selected from a stack of 25,000 frames.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The differences between these images is subtle. The saturation
of the first image (after color balancing), is a little more accurate.
Moreover, subtle atmospheric limb clouds (the blue-white haze) are visible. These
are missing from the second image. With more frames, I was able to back off
wavelet adjustment and reduce the edge “rind” on the left limb of the planet. Achieving
similar detail levels on the second image emphasized this rind.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">My conclusion is that more is very subtly better. Would this conclusion
be the case with a bigger aperture? I hope to test that out next year.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Images captured with a 5 inch Mak and Mallincam SkyRaider SLP.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkMch6G07iRnB4kMxrm-FJWY-DKzNExbJq3rOOIVxkBu1bn9WgcPDLeFN7n7eTYQoxqNR0iQep2CUO9SGncMeWB7CZtk-WI4_0gZC0nr-eGL9i_3KCqZXRLDC5VLX8rwIcrGjJFnZxSqBTzf5FvGijLPgCNU7-pcwgwB9NtPesae39E48f-6sUkh87/s473/MArsbig%202proc4crop.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="417" data-original-width="473" height="564" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkMch6G07iRnB4kMxrm-FJWY-DKzNExbJq3rOOIVxkBu1bn9WgcPDLeFN7n7eTYQoxqNR0iQep2CUO9SGncMeWB7CZtk-WI4_0gZC0nr-eGL9i_3KCqZXRLDC5VLX8rwIcrGjJFnZxSqBTzf5FvGijLPgCNU7-pcwgwB9NtPesae39E48f-6sUkh87/w640-h564/MArsbig%202proc4crop.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><o:p></o:p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7S43Dhd-IdQV2-5UM7HbQKqr1PTmf_s2WLx-o-HGPU8BqpZR13FJMrYhGRBU7krlAOdnkwa3_02RUSnbUL80mhsNvnPpJZIXbC7zOQKX14WPSvRC31DNXdist7SJOJ-KutHaCNp-YPGKVArmipWloBMTkmLCZUDN9kLLFzdCoi7zkqjf-VESHOMms/s424/mars1proc1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="424" data-original-width="361" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7S43Dhd-IdQV2-5UM7HbQKqr1PTmf_s2WLx-o-HGPU8BqpZR13FJMrYhGRBU7krlAOdnkwa3_02RUSnbUL80mhsNvnPpJZIXbC7zOQKX14WPSvRC31DNXdist7SJOJ-KutHaCNp-YPGKVArmipWloBMTkmLCZUDN9kLLFzdCoi7zkqjf-VESHOMms/w544-h640/mars1proc1.png" width="544" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>Carloina Skieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03203816499803520868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3793839225954905340.post-66951154129781356692022-12-18T10:17:00.002-08:002022-12-18T10:17:52.797-08:00Jupiter on 12/17/2022Seeing was slightly below average tonight after a cloudy day. Jupiter is close to its highest point in the sky by 6:30 local time, so it is ideally placed for imaging. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG0emlDtF4IsFLABlwSgVUP2AKH-CyG5ZKJRgXS2UtBYgMgj6eLg4Oqo2pES32ZyZEyslMwX9e5uj2d3Ao7xeMh8210ZaPsijL0vdhAOfiAGUm0EGm27VT2IeWBRKuy0tDaraLvVjq5rHTapvGAK21e1pGq-llhVnyskFwSWSl5d7Iw66F_gHxyFsK/s715/jup2proc5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="659" data-original-width="715" height="590" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG0emlDtF4IsFLABlwSgVUP2AKH-CyG5ZKJRgXS2UtBYgMgj6eLg4Oqo2pES32ZyZEyslMwX9e5uj2d3Ao7xeMh8210ZaPsijL0vdhAOfiAGUm0EGm27VT2IeWBRKuy0tDaraLvVjq5rHTapvGAK21e1pGq-llhVnyskFwSWSl5d7Iw66F_gHxyFsK/w640-h590/jup2proc5.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>The Great Red Spot (GRS) features prominently in this image. The GRS was likely discovered by Giovanni Cassini in 1665. This spot was observed until 1713, but then there is an observational gap of 118 years before it was again observed on September 5, 1831, with some 60 observations by 1879.. Since 1879 it has been continuously observed. </div><div><br /></div><div>There was a great deal of conjecture as to what the GRS was. We now know it is a massive, anticyclonic storm in Jupiter's atmosphere. If the early observations mentioned above are accurate, then it is a strom that has been raging for 357 years, with wind speeds as high as 432 km/h. </div><div><br /></div><div>More recently, in this century, the spot appears to be shrinking, with reports of the clouds at the edge shredding into the atmosphere. However, many astronomers believe the Spot's size is just a reflection of total cloud cover in the area, and not the actual size of the vortex that is creating it. The cloud shredding is, similarly, not related to the Spot. If this is the case, the Spot will be with us for many more years.</div>Carloina Skieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03203816499803520868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3793839225954905340.post-91533680867317010782022-12-18T06:35:00.003-08:002022-12-18T06:36:07.953-08:00Mars with 5x Barlow on 12/17/2022<p> Conditions tonight were better than yesterday and I decided to try some imaging with the 5x Barlow. This is a little crazy in the 125 mm f/15.3 Mak. The resulting focal ratio is f/76.5, for an effective focal length of 9,500 mm -- a little more than 31 feet!</p><p>The dim image meant I had to use a high gain setting to achieve a decent (47 fps) frame rate. Noise was high, but as I stacked about 13,000 of 26,000 captured frames, it was not an issue for the final image. The improved image size brings out some subtle detail on the disk which is missing on the 2x Barlow images.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN0SkUc8vojHVboLAMuf0n5S-JO0ZLjKR_-PCmZ4RvpXhCwF3yK2tNyVdUENbfkzbzUtHixliYv1lI4e8HoazPbAzsAx-d-qaWUhLbLLcrbn9IsGGRDv4VB399kMq70QC1Vz1Pll5ewsR2SZX0VuYnJa5X4KJLPW_A727Nc6wG7Iorg84o0RdT6tlH/s600/mars5x1proc1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="600" height="498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN0SkUc8vojHVboLAMuf0n5S-JO0ZLjKR_-PCmZ4RvpXhCwF3yK2tNyVdUENbfkzbzUtHixliYv1lI4e8HoazPbAzsAx-d-qaWUhLbLLcrbn9IsGGRDv4VB399kMq70QC1Vz1Pll5ewsR2SZX0VuYnJa5X4KJLPW_A727Nc6wG7Iorg84o0RdT6tlH/w640-h498/mars5x1proc1.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table>Here is the Mars map for this image:<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlbOX5WiIqi-Vvqju9gdFmeUv_l7Y2Yaf8Q7ukwRttJW53Ej8GgXa3TQoTvrm0o7Gd3lj4FbZSAAGNxZUwyVLnyBhF1TrTg6m0x5liroDiAyj9IVWRbti8adQ4eWurj9jvYYJ7vG8B-GdeMFihh2FEngIRk7jpl4lMw71ZpGjCP3Xd2efyPY1pJjL1/s397/Mars%2012-18-22%2003-09UT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="397" data-original-width="391" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlbOX5WiIqi-Vvqju9gdFmeUv_l7Y2Yaf8Q7ukwRttJW53Ej8GgXa3TQoTvrm0o7Gd3lj4FbZSAAGNxZUwyVLnyBhF1TrTg6m0x5liroDiAyj9IVWRbti8adQ4eWurj9jvYYJ7vG8B-GdeMFihh2FEngIRk7jpl4lMw71ZpGjCP3Xd2efyPY1pJjL1/w630-h640/Mars%2012-18-22%2003-09UT.jpg" width="630" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>Carloina Skieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03203816499803520868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3793839225954905340.post-8169851169528069732022-12-18T06:22:00.004-08:002022-12-18T06:22:42.300-08:00Mars on December 16, 2022<p>Despite less than average seeing, I imaged Mars twice tonight; once, when it was relatively low in the sky, and again when it was near the zenith. The images were passable, but definitely compromized by seeing. Before beginning the second imaging session, I had to clear dew off the scope corrector with a hairdryer. I've included Mars map comparisons for each image.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-Gw3-AxWLEwSoRHNynccAzmZIjGlB4qpRk8ek3Nyp7Mg1Jrv14xWb2UbZX6cmpCOLDpS7EBtsYOhux4NI_jt5LdDoxXc4ovUueVDcQbaMGt244cQaJ9QHcTlKIOUNwKwO7BzAFiRbB32T9EDmnlT3Wh_VrR1Yy6DCDAYy4IT6-OZ8enBEPf-ovkY7" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="364" data-original-width="389" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-Gw3-AxWLEwSoRHNynccAzmZIjGlB4qpRk8ek3Nyp7Mg1Jrv14xWb2UbZX6cmpCOLDpS7EBtsYOhux4NI_jt5LdDoxXc4ovUueVDcQbaMGt244cQaJ9QHcTlKIOUNwKwO7BzAFiRbB32T9EDmnlT3Wh_VrR1Yy6DCDAYy4IT6-OZ8enBEPf-ovkY7=w640-h600" width="640" /></a></div><br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhHvR5LqiPdLqL943v9ty0gFZsz8ir0msHtZ0kh2Nb98FQVi-Ar322XE9fG9thcTCkRWArvRrWFBRvAl79-RF4znAt5qstPyo_S90bksviH80hcvpyPcifXaJ8jIdE2gDWjFhZIKQfImO9AXntFkrZONWpqqh3MeXPedESRNAu56MDZ6SCVq9i9au6k" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="396" data-original-width="393" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhHvR5LqiPdLqL943v9ty0gFZsz8ir0msHtZ0kh2Nb98FQVi-Ar322XE9fG9thcTCkRWArvRrWFBRvAl79-RF4znAt5qstPyo_S90bksviH80hcvpyPcifXaJ8jIdE2gDWjFhZIKQfImO9AXntFkrZONWpqqh3MeXPedESRNAu56MDZ6SCVq9i9au6k=w635-h640" width="635" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhzh0i3AmYmO-jEUT5L5M4wbaYH10DTK80URxlUCbiIFePLiFbPLiTd8zxSg7LmxOQoWQ0MhwTjoiF0i8XMICtKwBhB_JGKQFXIfEBLFOc98inScLz4GizUuwFS32fbQ9CCBAGtd4WPoYkaJNfcagVsbM4rHiOk17kPFqps-SzpHa0rdX9x-T1y-xS9" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="277" data-original-width="386" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhzh0i3AmYmO-jEUT5L5M4wbaYH10DTK80URxlUCbiIFePLiFbPLiTd8zxSg7LmxOQoWQ0MhwTjoiF0i8XMICtKwBhB_JGKQFXIfEBLFOc98inScLz4GizUuwFS32fbQ9CCBAGtd4WPoYkaJNfcagVsbM4rHiOk17kPFqps-SzpHa0rdX9x-T1y-xS9=w640-h460" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgIcEMrXngVEcUTh4OWnDPwyKfkHzuSWViqUt9IQnBKRMc3W5rzELhRKyPf7D3IDOom8Hr-KuQxqTgb3C7fWHY-u3Cac6kaZxyPvjnleFIbFIEXvQICMYuuADEJN0cL3hyEIEMdWJ3him2eYbwDbUjE8YceRwJU2_HCPhJBnZ-mNSjsqHXT-aHmihc8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="396" data-original-width="387" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgIcEMrXngVEcUTh4OWnDPwyKfkHzuSWViqUt9IQnBKRMc3W5rzELhRKyPf7D3IDOom8Hr-KuQxqTgb3C7fWHY-u3Cac6kaZxyPvjnleFIbFIEXvQICMYuuADEJN0cL3hyEIEMdWJ3him2eYbwDbUjE8YceRwJU2_HCPhJBnZ-mNSjsqHXT-aHmihc8=w627-h640" width="627" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p>Carloina Skieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03203816499803520868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3793839225954905340.post-12201776205382688312022-12-18T06:15:00.002-08:002022-12-18T06:15:47.414-08:00Jupiter on December 16, 20200<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgYb-csyb3xbcHB_jLx7txuAuTWcJkQfiDcXOii-PXy4Ch7g8U7ZoixJ6-VT8hV5oXqOAq7uIbP4jaJ0IsJI5g6sVs8_MfyK4_usYFZoD-vD4Sx_fzcM-jGGlDfxli2UkaVQfUH5HHIoOQCD-vuowMqS6m1tpw3rZEk7F0lJyGEv_M7SA1Zn6jx0VBB" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgYb-csyb3xbcHB_jLx7txuAuTWcJkQfiDcXOii-PXy4Ch7g8U7ZoixJ6-VT8hV5oXqOAq7uIbP4jaJ0IsJI5g6sVs8_MfyK4_usYFZoD-vD4Sx_fzcM-jGGlDfxli2UkaVQfUH5HHIoOQCD-vuowMqS6m1tpw3rZEk7F0lJyGEv_M7SA1Zn6jx0VBB=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><p>Conditions were a little more challenging for imaging tonight, with haze and dewing. Neverthess, I was able to get a usable image of Jupiter which shows some nice detail on the cloud belts. This image was taken with the 125mm Mak and 2x Barlow and the Mallincam Skyraider SLP. This image is from a stack of 15,000 images, with 12,000 stacked in AstroSurface; wavelets in Registax.</p> <p></p>Carloina Skieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03203816499803520868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3793839225954905340.post-67379890071084259972022-12-15T08:15:00.003-08:002022-12-15T15:33:13.194-08:00Mars on 12/13/2022<p>Later the same evening I imaged Jupiter (last post), I also
imaged Mars. The planet is close to the zenith around 9:30 local time here in
Charlotte. Conditions were not as favorable as they were the last time I imaged
the planet (I had to remove heavy dew from the corrector using a hair dryer),
but I was able to capture a usable image using the 5 inch Mak and SLP imager (this is a stack of the best 40% of 15,000 frames).</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Looking at the Mars map below the image, it’s not as easy to
align the features with the map as it was in the previous image. Even early
Mars observers noted that dust storms and weather on the Red Planet can make significant
differences to surface features, and this appears to be the case with this image.
<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghOB9vtAHEgK9TrsmLngkLHy-GV9QAeVlALyULbzppi1Dc-vzSNGgW9WoLBr09sid98NMUodf-Z3ShX8x2nnUS89xp-MIvYNj3NM-CPFJTGkfnM6rAQkWrFs2kvz_uxDb5brnTSxsbgq1FyTI_zRxlGRaJmPqMbBUcuxgj_g3x1BvgMy7JYdMb-f5j/s492/mars3proc-DeNoiseAI-clear.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="492" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghOB9vtAHEgK9TrsmLngkLHy-GV9QAeVlALyULbzppi1Dc-vzSNGgW9WoLBr09sid98NMUodf-Z3ShX8x2nnUS89xp-MIvYNj3NM-CPFJTGkfnM6rAQkWrFs2kvz_uxDb5brnTSxsbgq1FyTI_zRxlGRaJmPqMbBUcuxgj_g3x1BvgMy7JYdMb-f5j/w640-h468/mars3proc-DeNoiseAI-clear.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPJGRa4aP6qxsc6qQ_0cwlHkBwWqkVtsG2BxtwHIdlFzQ4xDjxksyByBW6YvN95Oy8RGsX1BVNPf326TLtTPhXN4uwDlwZ50l0bar2QYw9Ne3AxFTUJg9CWUT937f37ElfYT3gLQnutQq82fIsNvf926qUNoqVO9DH2oHSDLPj6d2NXm7Bd4VSG6Cc/s400/mars%20121420220249UT.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="396" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPJGRa4aP6qxsc6qQ_0cwlHkBwWqkVtsG2BxtwHIdlFzQ4xDjxksyByBW6YvN95Oy8RGsX1BVNPf326TLtTPhXN4uwDlwZ50l0bar2QYw9Ne3AxFTUJg9CWUT937f37ElfYT3gLQnutQq82fIsNvf926qUNoqVO9DH2oHSDLPj6d2NXm7Bd4VSG6Cc/w634-h640/mars%20121420220249UT.jpg" width="634" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal">Nevertheless, some features identifiable: the north polar
cap, and, at the top of the globe, Mare Sirenium, Mare Cimmerium, and Solis
Lacus. The lighter, circular feature below center left is Amazonis, part of the Tharsis
bulge, with its massive volcanoes, including Olympus Mons, the largest known volcano
in the Solar System. Adjacent lighter areas,A rcadia, and Elysium,
are also visible.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Many of these names originated from the observations of Percival
Lowell. Lowell was a businessman, as well as a brilliant mathematician and avid
astronomer. From 1893 to 1908, he studied Mars from his well-equipped private observatory
in Flagstaff, AZ. Using his 24 inch Alvan Clark and Sons refractor, he noticed
what he called “non-natural features” on the planet—the famous (or infamous)
canals.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYUGPhZzJ04oq6l-UpM3Oj6GLzDSzdIwYSkaHFoEWR2KALaOphsVLahAiT_ivxynyGWzT-cvn-pWztBLcyxLOxj8HmDj73lR9lwuGbXydCUcGt55rjjHcKk2WCGrIBkCZOybyiKCvXZVER_TXcU9jERriOIODiORBLYBdxKQ0lGJvIvfdk_a4aRDzI/s1383/lowell%20canals.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="623" data-original-width="1383" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYUGPhZzJ04oq6l-UpM3Oj6GLzDSzdIwYSkaHFoEWR2KALaOphsVLahAiT_ivxynyGWzT-cvn-pWztBLcyxLOxj8HmDj73lR9lwuGbXydCUcGt55rjjHcKk2WCGrIBkCZOybyiKCvXZVER_TXcU9jERriOIODiORBLYBdxKQ0lGJvIvfdk_a4aRDzI/w640-h288/lowell%20canals.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Lowell's canal map--1905</div>
<p class="MsoNormal">Lowell was consumed by the romantic vision of a mighty
civilization struggling to survive as their planet slowly withered around them.
The canals formed a vast transportation network, moving water from the polar regions
to the dry deserts in temperate and equatorial regions. He also gave features
on the planet romantic and evocative names (Arabia, Amazonis, Elysium, etc.),
which created an exotic image of Mars in the popular imagination. The Barsoom
novels of Edgar Rice Burroughs echoed this sentiment, while H.G. Wells explored
its darker side in War of the Worlds. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But even in Lowell’s time, there were many who doubted the
existence of the canals he so carefully mapped. The great astronomer E.M.
Antoniadi reported seeing canals occasionally, but he believed they were an
optical illusion caused by the brain joining up fleeting, fine details into
linear features (I have, myself, seen linear features when visually observing
Mars, only to have them break up into a complex of fine detail in moments of
good seeing). Others criticized the whole idea of using open canals to
transport water as preposterous, as evaporation would consume any water long
before it reached lower latitudes. The overwhelming consensus was that the
Martian climate was too hostile to support the development of complex life forms
such as those Lowell envisaged. But despite this, the idea of a Mars with some
sort of life persisted—I have a 1960s astronomy book which says the scientific
consensus was that the dark areas on the planet were evidence of hardy,
lichen-like plants.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The probe Mariner 4 put the final nail in the coffin of this
belief. Its pictures showed a cratered, dry, moonlike world with an atmosphere
far thinner than had been previously thought. However, these images resulted in
an overcorrection of our perception of Mars. The track of the probe took imaged,
by serendipity, the most moonlike areas of the planet. Future probes, such as
the Viking landers, showed a much more Earth-like planet with bright skies and
a landscape not unlike the US desert southwest.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Now, we know Mars is a dynamic world of winds and storms, of
cratered plains and sand dunes. It is indeed an alien place, but our perception
of it is still colored by the romantic imagination of Percival Lowell.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Carloina Skieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03203816499803520868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3793839225954905340.post-50657653096259996052022-12-14T12:12:00.005-08:002022-12-14T15:35:14.900-08:00Jupiter and Europa (did I capture surface detail on the Galilean Moon?)<p>Last night was cold and a little hazy, so I decided to do
some planetary imaging. Jupiter was high in the sky at 6 pm Eastern when I
began imaging. Haze can sometimes benefit planetary imaging but seeing did not
seem to be particularly good. Capella was twinkling low on the horizon in
unsteady air. I took a quick peek at Mars (also low on the horizon), but it was
scintillating, and no detail was visible. However, conditions were better
towards the zenith, and Jupiter’s image indicated average seeing conditions. I
took some test frames with the 5 inch Mak and Skyraider SLP imager. I was
puzzled by the low framerate (about 12 fps), when I noticed I was running at 2048
x 1536. I reduced the resolution to 1024 x 768 (my usual imaging resolution with
this camera) and achieved about 48 fps.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Jupiter image below if about 45% of 15,000 captured
frames. The quality graph in AstroSurface was surprisingly flat, and the resulting
image of Jupiter (wavelets in Registax) showed unexpected detail. Textures are
visible in the north Polar Region and North Temperate Belt. Loops and eddies of
gas can be see in the North Equatorial Belt, with swirling clouds in the
Equatorial Zone. In the Southern hemisphere, one of the 3 white storms in the South
Temperate Zone/Belt is visible (the white oval). Two moons are also visible in
the image—Callisto (nearest Jupiter on the lower left) and Europa (further to
the left and higher in the image). These moons appear irregular when zoomed,
which is an indication of the quality of seeing when they were imaged.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Out of curiosity, I processed an image of Jupiter captured
at the lower frame rate (750 of 1500 frames) and I noticed that the moons
appeared round. I zoomed in on Europa and was surprised to see what looks like
albedo detail. The image below shows this zoomed image. My quick, back of the
envelope calculation, indicates that Europa’s angular diameter is 1.04
arcseconds. Given that the 5 inch scope can resolve about 0.9 arcseconds, that’s
remarkable (unless it’s an illusion!). The color does seem to match that of
Europa’s dark features.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8CD00qffmLT3dRUXy6l3TawRcZuu1BY_kE81eoSQXmOOluQShhYLPHiVtVrilPm9RwXlfsuZAarxME_CbL9YbtDIFwBucX5IlCumgVgZA1_zlc7GjuyUwkfOICpsSMJJvQLAgEBwBVUahm3BeoyYdShIVJ2tyfskDiYPwtIQBsPvQ3J_plWWg-62O/s784/jup4proc-DeNoiseAI-severe-noise.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="555" data-original-width="784" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8CD00qffmLT3dRUXy6l3TawRcZuu1BY_kE81eoSQXmOOluQShhYLPHiVtVrilPm9RwXlfsuZAarxME_CbL9YbtDIFwBucX5IlCumgVgZA1_zlc7GjuyUwkfOICpsSMJJvQLAgEBwBVUahm3BeoyYdShIVJ2tyfskDiYPwtIQBsPvQ3J_plWWg-62O/w640-h454/jup4proc-DeNoiseAI-severe-noise.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzIUkBWIm06rk7d-4lfSfPZxI5QOTnO57sRWtWf6OFfPHf4WHim7R5Su_ft2I8lz9ln3BBbFsB1Zs0FCSPgN6WW8Op5VSU4NHBjVV_wrBYCU2jGeBlUkhfYzA3sAsGdcLuE5YAlFWcjj_CKsMdFLVXCZFHK-4E2XIkHAm6wVqOVTI8tsgUQ2p1dAbt/s90/europa.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="82" data-original-width="90" height="583" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzIUkBWIm06rk7d-4lfSfPZxI5QOTnO57sRWtWf6OFfPHf4WHim7R5Su_ft2I8lz9ln3BBbFsB1Zs0FCSPgN6WW8Op5VSU4NHBjVV_wrBYCU2jGeBlUkhfYzA3sAsGdcLuE5YAlFWcjj_CKsMdFLVXCZFHK-4E2XIkHAm6wVqOVTI8tsgUQ2p1dAbt/w640-h583/europa.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>Carloina Skieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03203816499803520868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3793839225954905340.post-28516901313561716642022-12-13T08:49:00.002-08:002022-12-13T09:00:49.055-08:00NGC 7822<p> My last post for NGC 7822, a star forming region in the
constellation of Cepheus, was on October 26 of this year. The image I posted
was a short integration of 33 x 45 second subs (a total of about 25 minutes).
The resulting image needed significant noise reduction in Topaz DeNoise, but
the result was worthwhile. Last night, I decided to add to this data. Before
clouds rolled in, I was able to capture an additional 200 subs. The image below
is a stack of 233 x 45 second integrations, for a total integration time of
about 3 hours. The result shows a much better contrast balance and more detail in
the surrounding nebula. Click and zoom for more detail. The second image is a crop of the core region of the nebula, showing its "Pillars of Creation" features.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Tech card: RASA 8, NBZ filter, DS10C camera. 233 x 45 second
integrations.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYk_CawJ0Yx0GuVHr9AFplvBBLVHXCt4RFVJNLJEe-ulvqZfkf-UmVihx0dsS73uGLXve8SM7SK8li_7IIrFE9d4-izJPnczmnSV0dFm-R1Pdp1EogG5GBnGbFMVdfZ8kmP2QQvlGrsdXsgg-Yghyfh2kmO19NMm5Mivf11YlDycDmOJj6yjLYdPTH/s3488/NGC%207822%20combo%20proc1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2451" data-original-width="3488" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYk_CawJ0Yx0GuVHr9AFplvBBLVHXCt4RFVJNLJEe-ulvqZfkf-UmVihx0dsS73uGLXve8SM7SK8li_7IIrFE9d4-izJPnczmnSV0dFm-R1Pdp1EogG5GBnGbFMVdfZ8kmP2QQvlGrsdXsgg-Yghyfh2kmO19NMm5Mivf11YlDycDmOJj6yjLYdPTH/w640-h450/NGC%207822%20combo%20proc1.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBg8P95ySU0JB5yjkY-QM-mC2HZiIrbPSpdnCopGqjKGG1wTZ6La82H8I25TPFeo-Em0uW7AzmRVnKX1PfUF3ran0wa4v4v0hlFS3xuXz3YipGm-BFDrxDyHrbodOiutNLm-is7m0tSC9Q8TeR97-Gqb-rbs0Dt9_KCZ21z6Qtaq8_OvpLkhFk-G_c/s1400/NGC%207822%20combo%20proc1%20crop1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1400" data-original-width="1087" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBg8P95ySU0JB5yjkY-QM-mC2HZiIrbPSpdnCopGqjKGG1wTZ6La82H8I25TPFeo-Em0uW7AzmRVnKX1PfUF3ran0wa4v4v0hlFS3xuXz3YipGm-BFDrxDyHrbodOiutNLm-is7m0tSC9Q8TeR97-Gqb-rbs0Dt9_KCZ21z6Qtaq8_OvpLkhFk-G_c/w496-h640/NGC%207822%20combo%20proc1%20crop1.png" width="496" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>Carloina Skieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03203816499803520868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3793839225954905340.post-72659204837886512552022-12-06T11:11:00.004-08:002022-12-06T11:34:23.443-08:00Mars Reprocessed<p> I decided to try a slightly different approach to Mars processing. I captured 2 AVIs last time I imaged Mars and I decided to combine them in PIPP, a free software package that allows pre processing of planetary video captures before stacking with separate software (like AstroSurface). One option is a "join" function for video files. Using this function, I combined the two separate SER files into one AVI with just over 23,000 frames. I then stacked the image in Autostakkert, selecting the best 50% of the frames.</p><p>Although the images of Mars in the last post look very like the Martian map in terms of color, etc., they are not an accurate representation of the way the planet looks through the eyepiece. Visually, Mars is not deep orange, but is more of a pale ochre color. The dark areas are not black, but have a bluish cast to them. In addition, the images have a prominent ring, or "rind" to them--it can be seen close to the edge of the planet. The rind has a number of causes, but is primarily an artifact of wavelet processing. Fixing the problem is also complex and challenging, but one way is to minimally process the image to reduce (but not eliminate) the effect.</p><p>I processed the large image stack mentioned above in Registax using this more minimalistic record. The result is a more natural looking image of the red planet that still shows some subtle detail, including some edge haze missing from the previous images.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXz2ZFfMlwqdLrz8EQg3_SrvQhGsLogZVGTwzi6vD-u-DprvpKfBl2At5dbq_uVmohOElO_0PplVcgWpJFi_M_wo3JB772vWDVxQkHeXCAF2rxQbT-hwoCcD2HcehJgpD3gERomQ4eLopqdUTEoQCxU6JfT4yQCMCqaYhvkv4t-t8oU-m_s-lqb-7z/s342/marsstakkertproc3.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="297" data-original-width="342" height="556" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXz2ZFfMlwqdLrz8EQg3_SrvQhGsLogZVGTwzi6vD-u-DprvpKfBl2At5dbq_uVmohOElO_0PplVcgWpJFi_M_wo3JB772vWDVxQkHeXCAF2rxQbT-hwoCcD2HcehJgpD3gERomQ4eLopqdUTEoQCxU6JfT4yQCMCqaYhvkv4t-t8oU-m_s-lqb-7z/w640-h556/marsstakkertproc3.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Carloina Skieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03203816499803520868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3793839225954905340.post-15101344820284199172022-12-02T11:00:00.000-08:002022-12-02T11:00:13.230-08:00Mars Under Good Seeing<p>The same evening I imaged Jupiter under good seeing conditions,
Mars was also favorably placed for imaging, but not until much later. Mars’
oppositions vary in quality. In favorable oppositions—like that in 2020, Mars
is relatively close to the Earth. Its disc has a relatively large angular
diameter and lots of detail is visible. In less favorable oppositions, the planet
is further away from Earth, with smaller angular diameter and much less detail
visible. In 2018, the planet had an angular diameter of 24.2 arcseconds. In
2020, it was 22.4 arcseconds. In 2022, it is only 17 arcseconds. 2025 and 2027
will be even worse, with 14.5 and 13.8 arcseconds respectively.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">While I can image Mars early in the evening, it is currently
low in the sky and detail is lost in the thicker atmosphere the light passes through.
It is not until 11 pm that the planet rises above blocking trees and offers an
optimal imaging target. The image below is the best 30% of 15,000 captured
frames. Given the angular size of the planet and the small scope used, the
captured image is quite decent. I have included a map to show the features
captured, including (most obviously), Syrtis Major, the North Polar Cap and a
suspicion of the South Polar Cap at the 2 o’clock position.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Tech Card: 5 inch Mak, SLP imager, 2x Barlow. Best 30% of 15,000
frames stacked in AstroSurface with wavelets in Registax. <o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcLvcVu1KV4nmjpZDPK0U3WwEDFtx3Wk1EeFJRB09fkQ3qFj2cdfBWjHZduY6uHO0L1VFwGj_P5Mr4lwLSli5XYRxIfn82d4zg9doPdesELjbdjxwxKABPXQF7-53B1cmI4MZgNQoXqxmcftCOr6jfYNTQxoHQVvPb0aLI-QzUupMQ-Vn2h6ikEbwz/s368/mars%20registax3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="368" data-original-width="312" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcLvcVu1KV4nmjpZDPK0U3WwEDFtx3Wk1EeFJRB09fkQ3qFj2cdfBWjHZduY6uHO0L1VFwGj_P5Mr4lwLSli5XYRxIfn82d4zg9doPdesELjbdjxwxKABPXQF7-53B1cmI4MZgNQoXqxmcftCOr6jfYNTQxoHQVvPb0aLI-QzUupMQ-Vn2h6ikEbwz/w542-h640/mars%20registax3.png" width="542" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVTP3KeS19IWsD9r_eomqvgnAqkNntn04THB1f4j-JkK2QpZJnwPdm1w2PgrkJ6m0FBfN5QdP5zuutqbWyzsx-RLZcJrOfcV1IRt4rs5HTIEb_AydsZb_-9Av5DsmeSOdj81sgsfhdQ6sjv-v6HrGqe4Lg3JO-DO9ki3mVIWn-fyryR9ePMszF4Ecx/s397/marsmap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="393" data-original-width="397" height="634" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVTP3KeS19IWsD9r_eomqvgnAqkNntn04THB1f4j-JkK2QpZJnwPdm1w2PgrkJ6m0FBfN5QdP5zuutqbWyzsx-RLZcJrOfcV1IRt4rs5HTIEb_AydsZb_-9Av5DsmeSOdj81sgsfhdQ6sjv-v6HrGqe4Lg3JO-DO9ki3mVIWn-fyryR9ePMszF4Ecx/w640-h634/marsmap.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>Carloina Skieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03203816499803520868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3793839225954905340.post-18032079272946255492022-12-02T10:36:00.002-08:002022-12-02T10:36:33.071-08:00Jupiter Under Good Seeing<p>When I lived in Indiana, sky conditions were rarely
favorable for planetary imaging. Skies were either hazy and stable, masking detail,
or transparent and unsteady, making the planets shimmer as though under rapidly
moving water. Here in North Carolina, conditions are frequently favorable for
imaging planets, and last night proved to be the case.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Shortly after sunset, Jupiter is approaching its maximum
altitude in the sky, making circumstances ideal for imaging. I set up the 5-inch
Mak with a 2x Barlow and the Mallincam Skyraider SLP camera. The SLP is an excellent
camera; its small pixels (2.5 um x 2.5 um) support the capture of fine detail.
Even though it is only a USB 2.0 camera, it can capture at nearly 50 fps, which
is adequate for “lucky imaging” under good seeing. Lucky imaging is a technique
where large numbers of images are captured rapidly, and the best of them are
stacked and processed. Such an approach minimizes the effects of short-term
variations in the Earth’s atmosphere and helps to ensure a high quality result.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This picture of Jupiter was captured using this technique.
Of about 5,000 captured frames, 2,500 were stacked and processed to produce the
final image. Given this image was taken with a very small (but high quality)
telescope, the result is a tribute to the excellence of the seeing and the
effectiveness of the lucky imaging technique; a great deal of detail is visible on the planet, including white oval storms. The moon visible in the image is
Io.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Tech card: 5 inch Mak, SLP imager, 2x Barlow. 2500/5000
frames stacked in AstroSurface with wavelets in Registax. Color normalization
in Nebulosity 4.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ZdMXdMP1gVcuP2Xl089_9dC9XaJypL9CPju4J_plryBpFESxpDsabrOEoRLZD_lohP0OgHZm8nTUCjidOi1bYYcecj1bqz_XZSCWW4HI_kA4_PGElmtD5cHU7pl3xnyE4b7tBeY72MogV_bi7bkjXYk5yDbScE_TIcw6sH8VRO3t9jWVDeUD1hnK/s615/jupiterregistax3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="615" data-original-width="589" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ZdMXdMP1gVcuP2Xl089_9dC9XaJypL9CPju4J_plryBpFESxpDsabrOEoRLZD_lohP0OgHZm8nTUCjidOi1bYYcecj1bqz_XZSCWW4HI_kA4_PGElmtD5cHU7pl3xnyE4b7tBeY72MogV_bi7bkjXYk5yDbScE_TIcw6sH8VRO3t9jWVDeUD1hnK/w612-h640/jupiterregistax3.png" width="612" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>Carloina Skieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03203816499803520868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3793839225954905340.post-9341584964176695512022-12-01T12:13:00.001-08:002022-12-01T13:16:41.958-08:00The California Nebula--NGC 1499<p> NGC 1499 is a large emission nebula in Perseus. Its low surface brightness makes it a difficult object to see visually, despite its magnitude of 6, but it is relatively easy to image with a narrowband H II filter. At 2.5 degrees in length, it is a good object for imaging with the RASA 8. The bright star in the image is Xi Persei. Also known as Menkib, Xi Persei is a blue star 12,000 times brighter than the sun; its radiation ionizes the hydrogen in the nebula and creates the object we see.</p><p>The California Nebula is a difficult object for me to image. I have only a 45 minute window from when iot emerges from one set of trees and disappears into another. Despite that, the F/2 ratio of the RASA was able to pull out some decent detail.</p><p>Tech card: RASA 8, DS10C, NBZ filter. 60 x 45s integrations.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7c6MhbEujeMfO0hNFhe3RvZpb7xmL0qY6sVj0Ac6g53r7bDe35eqytnq55cPUZ5a4_59WoYtT6ysf6uRRTOOfdhP6_xB__wKWNdydy0o0C9cw8QGPJ0sNEJyw0T4OR-vvD8j97sb25EWSKhv9Y6unn6aMERCut9t_W0shG2w4mWby51HblN2twGln/s3332/californiaproc1combo1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2182" data-original-width="3332" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7c6MhbEujeMfO0hNFhe3RvZpb7xmL0qY6sVj0Ac6g53r7bDe35eqytnq55cPUZ5a4_59WoYtT6ysf6uRRTOOfdhP6_xB__wKWNdydy0o0C9cw8QGPJ0sNEJyw0T4OR-vvD8j97sb25EWSKhv9Y6unn6aMERCut9t_W0shG2w4mWby51HblN2twGln/w640-h420/californiaproc1combo1.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>Carloina Skieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03203816499803520868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3793839225954905340.post-89595434926162022692022-11-29T11:26:00.003-08:002022-11-29T11:53:54.219-08:00Messier 33<p> M 33 is the third largest galaxy in the Local Group, after the MilkyWay and M 31. The spiral structure is clearly visible in the images below. Initially discovered before 1654, the galaxy was rediscovered by Charles Messier in 1764. William Heschel also catalogued the galaxy in 1784, and it was among the first spiral nebulae identified by Lord Rosse. Edwin Hubble observed classical Cepheid stars in the galaxy, allowing him to demonstrate that M 33 was a galaxy in its own right.</p><p>For comparison, I've posted two images of M 33. The first consists of about 5 hours of data in 45 second segments, captured over two nights. The second is one night of data for comparison (2.5 hours in 45 second segments). Note the increase in the extent and detail of the galaxy in the longer exposure.</p><p>I have also included an astrometry annotated image, showing several of the galaxy's components visible in the pictures. Click and zoom for larger images. I have also added an image with clarity boosted to show details of the clouds of gas and dust near the core.</p><p>Tech card: RASA 8, DS10C, DMZ filter </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6qenctKMYFHribnxCpLiWOSIKue2iC3qMWRpz-OY1MhrBiBGEAj0N-3m1BBEE5qU9nU0pmZoLNAQX-67ar7ciHsDDwgKR2PnkbBkkHoBXkK7HSpgd3o11B1rto-g7IrP9WzrK_U3Jls83LhaM2E3o7fIqyKNO2yHqt0ccTZGd4at-is34hafjVPvw/s2267/M33bigcomboproc2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1562" data-original-width="2267" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6qenctKMYFHribnxCpLiWOSIKue2iC3qMWRpz-OY1MhrBiBGEAj0N-3m1BBEE5qU9nU0pmZoLNAQX-67ar7ciHsDDwgKR2PnkbBkkHoBXkK7HSpgd3o11B1rto-g7IrP9WzrK_U3Jls83LhaM2E3o7fIqyKNO2yHqt0ccTZGd4at-is34hafjVPvw/w640-h440/M33bigcomboproc2.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKOAD7W3COGBJynpx6GXiyhbUDtGprmXRjU_pZDjaH5bwDYzt5wcRwmA5cbnz2KJamAaqiTt_ipwK5XEmggApqJxQEJI605nHPtrz0sY0_EvH0LEG3m5nam6y_GNUHdzXZeu5Ca-VG89iLiM0hciIlyqT2xlCCXMbAjAc6RFB2NO8UR6Rg4o_Wedau/s2211/M33proc2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1866" data-original-width="2211" height="540" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKOAD7W3COGBJynpx6GXiyhbUDtGprmXRjU_pZDjaH5bwDYzt5wcRwmA5cbnz2KJamAaqiTt_ipwK5XEmggApqJxQEJI605nHPtrz0sY0_EvH0LEG3m5nam6y_GNUHdzXZeu5Ca-VG89iLiM0hciIlyqT2xlCCXMbAjAc6RFB2NO8UR6Rg4o_Wedau/w640-h540/M33proc2.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuiCZlDo03nT9usKvMtzSQo0DB8gAeI5owyd20JFGRbGpPPVMtTbQR9gopL6hbzhFsLzHQN_bGyV82acKSBhjZOb0IKrN73m9rFfKi-hQW08g0adwdFUzBAUrxZlp5Ro0jCOPg-acWWg_lWvawEetGUZyPxCGRL-ywksNHs8nJgd9INhyCUzStxSdX/s2039/M%2033%20astrometry.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1672" data-original-width="2039" height="524" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuiCZlDo03nT9usKvMtzSQo0DB8gAeI5owyd20JFGRbGpPPVMtTbQR9gopL6hbzhFsLzHQN_bGyV82acKSBhjZOb0IKrN73m9rFfKi-hQW08g0adwdFUzBAUrxZlp5Ro0jCOPg-acWWg_lWvawEetGUZyPxCGRL-ywksNHs8nJgd9INhyCUzStxSdX/w640-h524/M%2033%20astrometry.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjivysPQ9bA-e9UtrmEPsccYeZJeJsK5cQLevkBoSLIW642vxRHhTehALJ5i_A_DAFtqbzs7eK5DNKxpxRYEZZhq2RxlPIePJslbl0MNFvGBvAqMsnnHSOcIrKd-em6Yhlz6I2SrYXaN5EImvVpgaytF5X83OyMoIYv0Q5gRL_ZJQVeW_yQQqpM2yw4/s1459/M33bigcomboproc3clarity.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1459" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjivysPQ9bA-e9UtrmEPsccYeZJeJsK5cQLevkBoSLIW642vxRHhTehALJ5i_A_DAFtqbzs7eK5DNKxpxRYEZZhq2RxlPIePJslbl0MNFvGBvAqMsnnHSOcIrKd-em6Yhlz6I2SrYXaN5EImvVpgaytF5X83OyMoIYv0Q5gRL_ZJQVeW_yQQqpM2yw4/w640-h350/M33bigcomboproc3clarity.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Carloina Skieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03203816499803520868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3793839225954905340.post-21939524243702224672022-11-22T10:13:00.001-08:002022-11-22T10:13:30.147-08:00M 31 Reprocessed<p> The big question in astrophotography is, "when do I stop reprocessing?" Here are two more processed images of M31. The first is balanced to show the vivid colors in the galaxy itself, the second is processed to bring out more of the dust and gas clouds surrounding the galactic core. Click for larger versions</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBm0wZaI9Aob9tvQBPH5RekzqQXo-VUrhDmA3KcMcDjpMtKx-V1ae2Ofg8grgVzUfcXlIq6Hb1QM4NKOnsJ1Rt0O-g18e8VAH-g_kk0wNU_F-eqIpBbQwPSutpQuvXV1zGB6-bLoJXkSc5zWHS98qjgv-Ut2D5mdKI-AUrLVWxLL61fz91FBph8SsU/s3639/m31%20procnew2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2444" data-original-width="3639" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBm0wZaI9Aob9tvQBPH5RekzqQXo-VUrhDmA3KcMcDjpMtKx-V1ae2Ofg8grgVzUfcXlIq6Hb1QM4NKOnsJ1Rt0O-g18e8VAH-g_kk0wNU_F-eqIpBbQwPSutpQuvXV1zGB6-bLoJXkSc5zWHS98qjgv-Ut2D5mdKI-AUrLVWxLL61fz91FBph8SsU/w640-h430/m31%20procnew2.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8OMUDwW8WIYzsAvH_lKJV1LzO_aQKnSxt0n3__NecUwupRweusfo5AeEl2bcgsq2-SB3TTlraxLrGHCJpG4JsVm3n4izAoTrHHw5HMsVSFbW7PQpNzWou5SZGj8BbK3DYuxu-l6-3MUsNc2RvPjMB-0X8GFyi8oEoIvSvwoHsfvZ43vmp_Xcmix0q/s1435/m31%20proc3crop-DeNoiseAI-low-light2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="991" data-original-width="1435" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8OMUDwW8WIYzsAvH_lKJV1LzO_aQKnSxt0n3__NecUwupRweusfo5AeEl2bcgsq2-SB3TTlraxLrGHCJpG4JsVm3n4izAoTrHHw5HMsVSFbW7PQpNzWou5SZGj8BbK3DYuxu-l6-3MUsNc2RvPjMB-0X8GFyi8oEoIvSvwoHsfvZ43vmp_Xcmix0q/w640-h442/m31%20proc3crop-DeNoiseAI-low-light2.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Carloina Skieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03203816499803520868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3793839225954905340.post-820884477223054272022-11-20T08:37:00.002-08:002022-11-20T12:43:17.621-08:00Messier 16<p> As we head towards Winter, many of the summer imaging objects begin to disappear from the sky. The Eagle Nebula (M16) is not visible from my site here in Charlotte as it never rises above the surrounding trees and houses. This image was taken in Northern Indiana with my very basic portable setup--a WO GT-71 21st anniversary edition scope with FR/FF, a DS10C imager and L-eXtreme filter, and a venerable, first-generation iOptron SmartEQ Pro mount. The edge stars are distorted because I have not yet found the correct spacing distance for the FR/FF on the GT-71. The spacing on the 21st Anniversary Edition is different from the standard scope (even though WO tech support denies this--but it is impossible to achieve focus with the scope using their recommended spacer setup). </p><p>This image represents about one hour of total integration time (30-second subs). It is a wide field view of the nebula and you can just see the Eagle at the center (see cropped image and/or click and zoom). I manually dithered the scope every 20 integrations. This final image is a crop of the original capture. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizA40OSLa-iVngQDjtoLWtvBehtl-zg66xnGPrtBpCgL4CJscRg6vO673eFRkr4utZTp4BJp47blro174Ddt81QwOZImZZ6hsZHNQH82FztOi98Re-l01pzTzmKmELGfYAI6RVsOw-B__puHbqIrUcKt7Y67JfuCub3mZb-jYnzXZ3AjVuiO1e5QwX/s2802/M%2016%20eagle%20combo2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1948" data-original-width="2802" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizA40OSLa-iVngQDjtoLWtvBehtl-zg66xnGPrtBpCgL4CJscRg6vO673eFRkr4utZTp4BJp47blro174Ddt81QwOZImZZ6hsZHNQH82FztOi98Re-l01pzTzmKmELGfYAI6RVsOw-B__puHbqIrUcKt7Y67JfuCub3mZb-jYnzXZ3AjVuiO1e5QwX/w640-h444/M%2016%20eagle%20combo2.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisI7NIOgNmc9YiAYhPiRNRNy3BF4-cMDj-MgelwW5uC5Llc9Gc8jT18_TUfqwK1LE_FmBMRfhTe5D2ADqJ4XOy3PKgTg_g8hjDQMd3mPEmJoKnOKWZYW4XgFFJ7vu90LekxhqDx_y05GluWb9pYLgVbGzttUlZz4U8EnkjfStP69AYUStiohFtvTY-/s926/M%2016%20eagle%20combo2%20crop.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="759" data-original-width="926" height="524" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisI7NIOgNmc9YiAYhPiRNRNy3BF4-cMDj-MgelwW5uC5Llc9Gc8jT18_TUfqwK1LE_FmBMRfhTe5D2ADqJ4XOy3PKgTg_g8hjDQMd3mPEmJoKnOKWZYW4XgFFJ7vu90LekxhqDx_y05GluWb9pYLgVbGzttUlZz4U8EnkjfStP69AYUStiohFtvTY-/w640-h524/M%2016%20eagle%20combo2%20crop.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Carloina Skieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03203816499803520868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3793839225954905340.post-90868987472521297992022-11-18T08:56:00.003-08:002022-11-18T08:59:58.098-08:00Messier 31<p>November is the best month to observe our nearest large galactic
neighbor, Messier 31. While M31 was observed and cataloged by Persian astronomers
in 964, it was not recognized as an external galaxy until 1925, when Edwin
Hubble observed a Cepheid variable star in the galaxy and was able to establish
that the ‘nebula’ was definitively outside our own galaxy. Hubble’s work settled
the ongoing ‘great debate’ about whether the observed spiral nebulae were part
of our galaxy or were ‘island universes’ beyond it.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">With its bright core, spiral arms and dark lanes of gas and
dust, it is a wonderful object for astro imagers. This image was taken with a narrowband
filter, which highlights red HII regions in the spiral arms. The large image
shows the whole galaxy and the crops of the spiral arms and core show some of
the wonderful detail in this object.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Tech card: RASA 8; DS10C; NBZ filter. The final image integration
time was 2.9 hours of 40 second subs.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Click on the images to see larger versions, then click again to zoom even further.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih0G7bZFeGKgyHibXl_pNKO7JQo764tDQC6bpwgKznE925YGFvzDlcZNxXeHPVlGukAJHDM3GjNHv-NOjaQQe1Eu1rBiLnzIWVwXs7sGZnAxIl8_8s2M-VQghDgosPpYs6vo2TcHXYdRKa0wa_cmwctiP4VigNYkXFcm7L5VtKHTsFKNbp9_V7xlp_/s3624/m31%20combo.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2615" data-original-width="3624" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih0G7bZFeGKgyHibXl_pNKO7JQo764tDQC6bpwgKznE925YGFvzDlcZNxXeHPVlGukAJHDM3GjNHv-NOjaQQe1Eu1rBiLnzIWVwXs7sGZnAxIl8_8s2M-VQghDgosPpYs6vo2TcHXYdRKa0wa_cmwctiP4VigNYkXFcm7L5VtKHTsFKNbp9_V7xlp_/w640-h462/m31%20combo.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDH61Y9-ox41K7IX_Zpir5Gr9WF93_Ci0klbwS_0QfBBd6wIfnBOwq4nlIbpT_5P9n7Ptfe5O5DTyGMQykkQjibGDHjM22QEUPXQu9W-XwGabsqp6q4tUFCmv9KEffD34BnfqBCyk6H5RlXx_DqMcZnJIEqHUApOQDvknGdvgoP4DV_XB5GuNz3LWI/s1980/m31%20combo%20crop.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="913" data-original-width="1980" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDH61Y9-ox41K7IX_Zpir5Gr9WF93_Ci0klbwS_0QfBBd6wIfnBOwq4nlIbpT_5P9n7Ptfe5O5DTyGMQykkQjibGDHjM22QEUPXQu9W-XwGabsqp6q4tUFCmv9KEffD34BnfqBCyk6H5RlXx_DqMcZnJIEqHUApOQDvknGdvgoP4DV_XB5GuNz3LWI/w640-h296/m31%20combo%20crop.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal">The bright, greenish patch at the 7 o'clock position is NGC 206, a bright region of star formation in M31 itself.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPANFm8JqDciXTXjbVTCtLWX6CIa1opkQ61K_1il5opplW0HcH7pjENXk4wvVTxDwSlGAND3X3OH5myYTAZ-JqfJt3gWmpdLdSnVVoHiUaBfg-om3sqvNE-cgl8cZk9dmICx-krwB3098wzuMfkPVvfiTxf27ERTmDoPQkJjHT5Ic_HQdEMYjP0y36/s1349/m31%20combo%20crop2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1090" data-original-width="1349" height="518" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPANFm8JqDciXTXjbVTCtLWX6CIa1opkQ61K_1il5opplW0HcH7pjENXk4wvVTxDwSlGAND3X3OH5myYTAZ-JqfJt3gWmpdLdSnVVoHiUaBfg-om3sqvNE-cgl8cZk9dmICx-krwB3098wzuMfkPVvfiTxf27ERTmDoPQkJjHT5Ic_HQdEMYjP0y36/w640-h518/m31%20combo%20crop2.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal">Details of the red H II regions and swirling dark dust lanes are visible in this crop of the core regions of the galaxy.</p>Carloina Skieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03203816499803520868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3793839225954905340.post-39193614236801128392022-11-09T17:07:00.002-08:002022-11-09T17:07:15.599-08:00Mars!<p> After my Jupiter imaging session last night, I turned my attention to Mars. From my site, I can only currently image Mars when it is low in the sky. As it rises, it disappears into the trees that surround the observatory site. Last night's image was taken at about 2:00 UT. Mars was low in the NE sky. I imaged with the 125 mm Mak and 2x Barlow. I managed to get about 1800 frames before trees intervened. This image shows very little detail, but faint markings are visible and the gibbous phase is apparent. </p><p>The 2022 opposition is not particularly favorable. The maximum disk size on December 8 is 17 arcseconds--as compared to 24.2 arcseconds in the favorable opposition of 2018.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9hG1OFrPv9WUGJJO_1KV9JLrZskA0flvknx3F-MnhAn-gBswW1rQN2gWvSnyKmCi-fJ7hd2GQo31xdT7uASl0Vk-2PZ3QyxgQt14WCy4T7iroNsx--nJdRfAoua21q7lDqzmEkvWnq07Z0IJC3uvPE-PKOj0L_fQl7JulRTzHIuipGvMi946dvBlp/s401/mars2proc2-DeNoiseAI-standard.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="401" data-original-width="313" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9hG1OFrPv9WUGJJO_1KV9JLrZskA0flvknx3F-MnhAn-gBswW1rQN2gWvSnyKmCi-fJ7hd2GQo31xdT7uASl0Vk-2PZ3QyxgQt14WCy4T7iroNsx--nJdRfAoua21q7lDqzmEkvWnq07Z0IJC3uvPE-PKOj0L_fQl7JulRTzHIuipGvMi946dvBlp/w500-h640/mars2proc2-DeNoiseAI-standard.png" width="500" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Carloina Skieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03203816499803520868noreply@blogger.com0