Macastronomer

I’m awaiting confirmation that Eagle Bluff is available to the RAC for tomorrow and Saturday.

Tomorrow is not looking good as clouds go, but Saturday is potentially a GNfA (Glorious Night for Astronomy)!

I will post throughout the day as I find out more.

Happy Observing!

Duane

Friday is looking decent before until 1AM. I’m going to be at a retreat (bringing my scope to show a bunch of kids Jupiter) so I won’t be around. But, I wanted to give a heads up that I think the first half of Friday night will be a glorious (half) night for astronomy!

It will also be about 8° out there. If you go out, keep warm!

Duane

Nice one, Bob.

I hope that sungrazer survives its trip around the Sun. If it does we’ll have another comet to focus on before the end of the year.

The comet was barely visible last night. I was wondering if it had faded that much or was it this thing’s fault?

This was a few shots, a couple exposed for the Moon and a couple exposed for the silhouetted land.

Nice. Keep ’em comin’.   :).    The last shots I took last night was 8 shots with my iPhone. I stacked those tonight, aligned and stacked them, corrected the horizon, and stretched the image with curves to get this.

So glad to see several of you out there tonight.

I processed my first comet images from tonight (Oct 15th 2024) and got a surprise. M5 is up and to the right of the comet!  In this image you can also make out the other tail (pointing forward). I’m so glad I got out!

Thank you Bob, for spotting it first. Once you directed my eyes to the right spot I could see it. Before that it was invisible.

Nicely done, Josef. We were at Root River Park. It’s a dim naked eye comet, but longer exposures can pull it out nicely. Here’s a vertical image with it a bit higher up in the sky.

C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS
2024-Oct-12 194mm 2sec f22 ISO3200

C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS

2024-Oct-12

103mm 2sec f22 ISO3200

If you’re already heading there then I will try to get out there as well.

darn cloud situation has changed quite a bit in the last 2 hours.

Clouds are getting iffy again. I might observe from Autumn Ridge Church. Anybody have plans yet?

Going to check out the comet at Root River tonight. I’ll try to be there before around 7:00 and wait for the sky to dim. I’ll be there until about 8 when the comet sets.

I’m hoping to make it too. My son had a seizure today and I’m in the ER right now waiting for tests to be done.

Awesome! Anybody else out there planning to go?

if I’m on my own, I may head to root river. It’s so much closer. But if others are planning to go I would be happy to join.

If anybody wants to observe, I can’t do Friday; but I’ll be out on Saturday if anybody wants to join me.

I pray it’s clear!