2014-10-24

Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

It is exciting to see some of the photos from the European Space Agency's Rosetta.   When I was a child watching a primitive Ranger space craft crash into the moon on black and white analog television, I never could have imagined watching these images coming to us from a space craft orbiting a comet! 

Check out this page for a wild view of the comet close up!
http://www.esa.int/spaceinimages/Images/2014/10/Comet_activity_10_September_2014

I have reserved time on an Internet telescope, Slooh.com, to see if I can grab some images.  If I catch anything it all it would be a dot that appears to move from picture to picture - each being taken about a half hour apart.  At 18th magnitude, it is so dim as to be doubtful - but ya gotta try!

0067P
Date       UT      R.A. (J2000) Decl.    Delta     r     El.    Ph.   m1     Sky Motion
            h m s                                                            "/min    P.A.
2014 10 24 000000 18 56 15.0 -29 08 13   3.278   3.120   72.1  17.7  18.5    0.49    077.9
2014 10 24 010000 18 56 17.2 -29 08 07   3.278   3.120   72.1  17.7  18.5    0.49    077.9
2014 10 24 020000 18 56 19.4 -29 08 01   3.278   3.119   72.1  17.7  18.5    0.49    077.9
2014 10 24 030000 18 56 21.6 -29 07 55   3.279   3.119   72.0  17.7  18.5    0.49    077.9
2014 10 24 040000 18 56 23.8 -29 07 49   3.279   3.119   72.0  17.7  18.5    0.49    077.9
2014 10 24 050000 18 56 26.0 -29 07 43   3.279   3.119   72.0  17.7  18.5    0.49    077.9
2014 10 24 060000 18 56 28.2 -29 07 36   3.280   3.118   71.9  17.7  18.5    0.49    077.9
2014 10 24 070000 18 56 30.4 -29 07 30   3.280   3.118   71.9  17.7  18.5    0.49    077.9
2014 10 24 080000 18 56 32.6 -29 07 24   3.280   3.118   71.9  17.7  18.5    0.49    077.9
2014 10 24 090000 18 56 34.8 -29 07 18   3.281   3.117   71.8  17.6  18.5    0.49    077.9
2014 10 24 100000 18 56 37.0 -29 07 12   3.281   3.117   71.8  17.6  18.5    0.49    077.9
2014 10 24 110000 18 56 39.2 -29 07 05   3.281   3.117   71.8  17.6  18.5    0.49    077.9
2014 10 24 120000 18 56 41.4 -29 06 59   3.282   3.117   71.7  17.6  18.5    0.49    077.9
2014 10 24 130000 18 56 43.6 -29 06 53   3.282   3.116   71.7  17.6  18.5    0.49    077.9
2014 10 24 140000 18 56 45.8 -29 06 47   3.282   3.116   71.7  17.6  18.5    0.49    077.9
2014 10 24 150000 18 56 48.0 -29 06 41   3.283   3.116   71.6  17.6  18.5    0.49    077.9
2014 10 24 160000 18 56 50.2 -29 06 34   3.283   3.116   71.6  17.6  18.5    0.49    078.0
2014 10 24 170000 18 56 52.5 -29 06 28   3.283   3.115   71.6  17.6  18.5    0.50    078.0
2014 10 24 180000 18 56 54.7 -29 06 22   3.284   3.115   71.5  17.6  18.5    0.50    078.0
2014 10 24 190000 18 56 56.9 -29 06 16   3.284   3.115   71.5  17.6  18.5    0.50    078.0
2014 10 24 200000 18 56 59.1 -29 06 10   3.284   3.115   71.5  17.6  18.5    0.50    078.0
2014 10 24 210000 18 57 01.4 -29 06 03   3.285   3.114   71.4  17.6  18.5    0.50    078.0
2014 10 24 220000 18 57 03.6 -29 05 57   3.285   3.114   71.4  17.6  18.5    0.50    078.0
2014 10 24 230000 18 57 05.8 -29 05 51   3.285   3.114   71.4  17.6  18.5    0.50    078.0
2014 10 25 000000 18 57 08.0 -29 05 45   3.285   3.113   71.3  17.6  18.5    0.50    078.0
2014 10 25 010000 18 57 10.3 -29 05 39   3.286   3.113   71.3  17.6  18.5    0.50    078.0
2014 10 25 020000 18 57 12.5 -29 05 32   3.286   3.113   71.3  17.6  18.5    0.50    078.0
2014 10 25 030000 18 57 14.7 -29 05 26   3.286   3.113   71.2  17.6  18.5    0.50    078.0
2014 10 25 040000 18 57 17.0 -29 05 20   3.287   3.112   71.2  17.6  18.5    0.50    078.0
2014 10 25 050000 18 57 19.2 -29 05 14   3.287   3.112   71.2  17.6  18.5    0.50    078.0
2014 10 25 060000 18 57 21.5 -29 05 07   3.287   3.112   71.2  17.6  18.5    0.50    078.0
2014 10 25 070000 18 57 23.7 -29 05 01   3.288   3.112   71.1  17.6  18.5    0.50    078.0
2014 10 25 080000 18 57 25.9 -29 04 55   3.288   3.111   71.1  17.6  18.5    0.50    078.0
2014 10 25 090000 18 57 28.2 -29 04 49   3.288   3.111   71.1  17.6  18.5    0.50    078.0
2014 10 25 100000 18 57 30.4 -29 04 42   3.289   3.111   71.0  17.6  18.5    0.50    078.0
2014 10 25 110000 18 57 32.7 -29 04 36   3.289   3.110   71.0  17.6  18.5    0.50    078.0
2014 10 25 120000 18 57 34.9 -29 04 30   3.289   3.110   71.0  17.6  18.5    0.50    078.0
2014 10 25 130000 18 57 37.2 -29 04 24   3.290   3.110   70.9  17.6  18.5    0.50    078.0
2014 10 25 140000 18 57 39.4 -29 04 17   3.290   3.110   70.9  17.6  18.5    0.50    078.0
2014 10 25 150000 18 57 41.7 -29 04 11   3.290   3.109   70.9  17.6  18.5    0.50    078.0
2014 10 25 160000 18 57 44.0 -29 04 05   3.291   3.109   70.8  17.6  18.5    0.50    078.0
2014 10 25 170000 18 57 46.2 -29 03 59   3.291   3.109   70.8  17.6  18.5    0.50    078.0
2014 10 25 180000 18 57 48.5 -29 03 52   3.291   3.109   70.8  17.6  18.5    0.51    078.1
2014 10 25 190000 18 57 50.7 -29 03 46   3.291   3.108   70.7  17.6  18.5    0.51    078.1
2014 10 25 200000 18 57 53.0 -29 03 40   3.292   3.108   70.7  17.6  18.5    0.51    078.1
2014 10 25 210000 18 57 55.3 -29 03 33   3.292   3.108   70.7  17.6  18.5    0.51    078.1
2014 10 25 220000 18 57 57.5 -29 03 27   3.292   3.107   70.6  17.6  18.5    0.51    078.1
2014 10 25 230000 18 57 59.8 -29 03 21   3.293   3.107   70.6  17.6  18.5    0.51    078.1
2014 10 26 000000 18 58 02.1 -29 03 15   3.293   3.107   70.6  17.6  18.5    0.51    078.1
2014 10 26 010000 18 58 04.4 -29 03 08   3.293   3.107   70.5  17.6  18.5    0.51    078.1
2014 10 26 020000 18 58 06.6 -29 03 02   3.294   3.106   70.5  17.6  18.5    0.51    078.1
2014 10 26 030000 18 58 08.9 -29 02 56   3.294   3.106   70.5  17.6  18.5    0.51    078.1
2014 10 26 040000 18 58 11.2 -29 02 49   3.294   3.106   70.4  17.6  18.5    0.51    078.1
2014 10 26 050000 18 58 13.5 -29 02 43   3.295   3.106   70.4  17.6  18.5    0.51    078.1
2014 10 26 060000 18 58 15.7 -29 02 37   3.295   3.105   70.4  17.6  18.5    0.51    078.1
2014 10 26 070000 18 58 18.0 -29 02 30   3.295   3.105   70.3  17.5  18.5    0.51    078.1
2014 10 26 080000 18 58 20.3 -29 02 24   3.296   3.105   70.3  17.5  18.5    0.51    078.1
2014 10 26 090000 18 58 22.6 -29 02 18   3.296   3.104   70.3  17.5  18.5    0.51    078.1
2014 10 26 100000 18 58 24.9 -29 02 11   3.296   3.104   70.2  17.5  18.5    0.51    078.1
2014 10 26 110000 18 58 27.2 -29 02 05   3.296   3.104   70.2  17.5  18.5    0.51    078.1
2014 10 26 120000 18 58 29.5 -29 01 59   3.297   3.104   70.2  17.5  18.5    0.51    078.1
2014 10 26 130000 18 58 31.8 -29 01 53   3.297   3.103   70.1  17.5  18.5    0.51    078.1
2014 10 26 140000 18 58 34.1 -29 01 46   3.297   3.103   70.1  17.5  18.5    0.51    078.1
2014 10 26 150000 18 58 36.4 -29 01 40   3.298   3.103   70.1  17.5  18.5    0.51    078.1
2014 10 26 160000 18 58 38.7 -29 01 33   3.298   3.103   70.0  17.5  18.5    0.51    078.1
2014 10 26 170000 18 58 41.0 -29 01 27   3.298   3.102   70.0  17.5  18.5    0.51    078.1
2014 10 26 180000 18 58 43.3 -29 01 21   3.299   3.102   70.0  17.5  18.5    0.51    078.1
2014 10 26 190000 18 58 45.6 -29 01 14   3.299   3.102   69.9  17.5  18.5    0.52    078.1
2014 10 26 200000 18 58 47.9 -29 01 08   3.299   3.101   69.9  17.5  18.5    0.52    078.1
2014 10 26 210000 18 58 50.2 -29 01 02   3.300   3.101   69.9  17.5  18.5    0.52    078.1
2014 10 26 220000 18 58 52.5 -29 00 55   3.300   3.101   69.8  17.5  18.5    0.52    078.2
2014 10 26 230000 18 58 54.8 -29 00 49   3.300   3.101   69.8  17.5  18.5    0.52    078.2
2014 10 27 000000 18 58 57.1 -29 00 43   3.301   3.100   69.8  17.5  18.5    0.52    078.2
2014 10 27 010000 18 58 59.5 -29 00 36   3.301   3.100   69.7  17.5  18.5    0.52    078.2

2014-08-15

NGC 834 - A Private Little Galaxy

Photographing NGC 834, I found it to be a tiny galaxy from our view here on earth.  It certainly was not very bright, but it is far from the dimmest in the NGC.  It has an interesting shape and features.  Notice the slightly irregular shape.  There is a brighter area near the center, and a dark crescent-shaped lane above that bright area.  I wondered what Hubble would make of it, but there is no  image of NGC 834 in the HST index. 

What I did find really interesting about this galaxy is a little note on the NGC IC Project pages.  "This was discovered by WH, who remained its sole observer at the time the NGC was compiled.  - Dr. Harold G. Corwin, Jr."

Herschel discovered NGC 834 in 1786.  The NGC was compiled in 1888.  That means that for 102 the only human eyes to see this galaxy was Herschel.  Such a private little galaxy.

2014-08-04

Comet C2014 E2 (Jacques)

Comet C2014 E2 (Jacques) is now a 6th magnitude object and easy to view and photograph.  The coma is very bright and the tail has an intricate structure.

C/2014 E2 Jacques is so named because it is a non periodic comet (hence the "C" as opposed to "P" for periodic comet that returns every several years) that was discovered in 2014.  The letter E indicates it was discovered in the first half of March (the letters indicate the half month of discovery, A for first half of January, B for second half, C for first half of February, D for second half, and E for first half of March, etc).  The digit 2 indicates this was the second comet discovered in March, 2014.  Jacques refers to the name or group making the discovery, in this case Cristovao Jacques of the SONEAR Observatory near Oliverira, Brazil.  

When it was discovered, it was at 14.7 magnitude, which is very dim.  It is now 6.9 magnitude.  This means that in a very dark viewing site, such as the Everglades of Florida, the object will be a very dim one when viewed with the unaided eye.  In the light pollution of a city like Orlando, Florida, the object will not be seen without a telescope.  To really view the comet, a telescope and camera are a must.

The comet will reach perigee (the closest approach to Earth) on August 28, 2014.  It will be 52,000,000 miles, or 84,000,000 kilometers away.  That is quite a distance, but astronomically speaking it is not that far - just a little more than half the distance between the earth and the sun.


2014-07-28

Supernova 2014bv Fading

The supernova 2014bv is fading, but still very bright and worthy of observations.

It is located in NGC 4386.

Here are two images, the first from earlier this month, followed by a more recent one taken a few hours ago.




2014-07-27

NGC 6564

Look at NGC 6564 and what do you see?

Not much

Maybe there is a double star - maybe not.

Here is the thing with 6564:  It was discovered by Albert Marth in 1864.  Marth was a 19th Century German astronomer who went to England in 1853 and worked for a fellow named George Bishop - Bishop was a wealth wine merchant who was a patron of astronomy and gave Marth funding so that the astronomer could be free to pursue his interests.  At that time it was rare that a person would be paid to be an astronomer.  He made extensive calculations of transits of various planets FROM other planets.  He predicted transits of Earth as seen from Mars.  Imagine - he was working as if we might be able to see Earth from Mars (smile)

Now about NGC 6564.  We are not quite sure what Marth saw.  One source says, "NGC 6564 is probably a triple star 1.5 seconds preceding and 1.5 arcmin south of Marth's position. There is no galaxy near that he might have seen, and the triple would probably match his view of it with Lassell's 48-inch. Marth found two other galaxies the same night (N6375 and N6379); the mean offset of their positions from Marth's is in the same direction and about the same size (1 second of time and 1 arcmin) as those for the triple. All in all, this amounts only to circumstantial evidence, but it is the best we can do at the moment. - Dr. Harold G. Corwin, Jr."

2014-07-18

NGC 6636

NGC 6636 is an interesting galaxy - in part for it's apparent proximity to a different galaxy.

First, about NGC 6636 - It is located in Draco and was discovered in 1836 by Lewis Swift.  I find the structure interesting.  Take a look at the center - there is the galactic core, but also two other similarly bright areas near the center - a clumping of light sources.  It has a nice apparent size and shape that is pleasing to the eye.  

But there is that star that looks like it might be  a supernova candidate - the kind that makes you google other images to be sure it has been there for a while.  It has - but it is not a star.  That is actually another galaxy. MCG+11-22-047.  Simbad says it is a Seyfert Galaxy.

Seyfert galaxies have quasar-like nuclei - meaning they are very luminous, distant and bright but unlike quasars, we can clearly see their host galaxies (although with Slooh.com it just looks star-like).

The galaxies get their name from Carl Seyfert, who first described their type in 1943.

The star like galaxy is in the upper left of the core, just on the edge of the upper spiral.





2014-05-12

The Zombie Galaxy - or is it Zorro's Galaxy? NGC 3718

NGC 3718 has some dark lanes, common to many galaxies.  What is unusual is that from my perspective, and perhaps yours, it looks like someone has cut a "Z" across the galaxy.  It reminds me of the Mark of Zorro - or perhaps it is a suggestion that this galaxy is full of zombies!

It was discovered by Friedrich Wilhelm Herschel  in 1789.  Located in Ursa Major, it is part of the M109 Galaxy Group.


This image was taken with the remote controlled telescope Slooh.com

2014-05-11

Supernova in Galaxy 6dFGS gJ135603.2-433432

When you are looking at a galaxy that is designated with the outrageously long name: 6dFGS gJ135603.2-433432, then you know there is something strange or unusual happening in that galaxy far, far away.  In this case, we are looking at a supernova, which is designated PSN J13560419-4335099.  The possible supernova discovery by E. Conseil was reported on May 6, 2014.  It was not visible on images made in April - was someone really looking at this galaxy as recently as April?

The image below was taken with a half meter scope - is it possible for it to be visible to this telescope WITHOUT the supernova?





2014-04-21

Observing Our Galaxy's Newly Discovered Globular Cluster

PSO J174.0675-10.8774 is the designation for the newly discovered Globular Cluster of our galaxy.

A Globular Cluster is a tightly bound, spherical system of stars orbiting a galaxy.  One would not find such a cluster near the center of a galaxy, but on the edges and within the "halo" of a galaxy.  As a teenager, I assumed the term was pronounced like "glob" ular cluster.  But it occurred to me one day that this was stupid - it had to be like a globe and should have been pronounced "globe" ular.  Nope, I was right the first time.  Go figure. 

Most globular clusters are very round in nature, looking very much like a globe.  Occasionally some are like globs, lacking a perfect spherical shape. 

Omega Centauri (ω Cen), also known as NGC 5139, is seen below - perfect example of the beauty of a globular cluster.



Now compare the image above with the one below. 





I took this image of the newly discovered globular cluster using one of the remote controlled telescopes on the Canary Islands (Slooh.com).  Without enhancing the image, the globular cluster is not visible.  I have imposed a small area onto the original image, and in that small, enhanced image, the globular cluster is visible.


PSO J174.0675-10.8774 was found in the stacked photometric catalog of the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System 1 (Pan-STARRS1) Survey. The announcement of this discovery was published in March, 2014, at this link:  http://arxiv.org/pdf/1403.6593v1.pdf.

This relatively unattractive globular cluster is significant because it is believed to be the most distant such system from our galaxy's center, and suggests that the discoveries of globular clusters orbiting our galaxy has not yet been completed!  In other words, stand by - there may be more to be found in the years ahead.
 

2014-03-21

Update on Supernova 2014J in M82

 Supernova 2014J in M82 is the brightest supernova we have seen in a while.   

SN 2014J is the closest type Ia supernova since 1972, and the closest of any type since 2004.  

Close - well, at a distance of 11.5 million light years, it's not really all that close unless you are an astronomer!


2014-03-19

Update on M65 and Supernova 2013am

This is an update from a blog posting from last year:
http://myquestar.blogspot.com/2013/03/supernova-in-m65.html.

I see no visual appearance of last year's supernova, the first ever seen in Galaxy M65.





2014-03-16

Double Transit of Jupiter!



The shadow of one moon, Ganymede, is clearly seen in the image above.  You can just make out the partial shadow of Io.  The images below, however, show both shadows very well.  


2014-03-13

Comet 134P/Kowal-Vavrova


Comet 134P/Kowal-Vavrova is one of many periodic comets.  It's orbital period is 15.6 years. 

It was discovered May 8, 1983. The announcement was made in September by Charles T. Kowal, who had discovered the comet by examining photographic plates made May 8, 9 and 15 with the 1.2-m Schmidt telescope at Palomar Observatory.  The comet appeared as a diffuse, condensed trail on the three plates. He estimated the magnitude as 16.

Shortly after the September announcement of the discovery, it was determined that asteroid 1983 JG was actually the same celestial body as the comet.  The discoverer of the suspected asteroid was Zdenka Vavrova of the Klet' Observatory in the Czech Republic.  Therefore his name was also assigned to the comet.

Jim Scotti recovered the comet with the Spacewatch telescope at Kitt Peak on December 5, 1997 when it was 22nd mag.


On this return, as with the two previous visits into inner Solar System, the comet is not a very impressive comet, but it is an interesting challenge for the astronomer.