We were very sad to hear that the astronomer and astrophotographer, Professor Ian Morison died in April of this year. Although we never met this man, his books on the shelves of the Jodrell Plank Observatory are a source of constant reference and in themselves are a joy to read. His online ‘Astronomy Digest’ provided us with the latest reviews of software and equipment, which inspired us to learn and improve. His generosity in sharing his exceptional knowledge and experience, freely within the public domain, speaks well of this man of science.
The Jodrell Plank Observatory
Thursday 2 May 2024
Professor Ian Morison - RIP
We were very sad to hear that the astronomer and astrophotographer, Professor Ian Morison died in April of this year. Although we never met this man, his books on the shelves of the Jodrell Plank Observatory are a source of constant reference and in themselves are a joy to read. His online ‘Astronomy Digest’ provided us with the latest reviews of software and equipment, which inspired us to learn and improve. His generosity in sharing his exceptional knowledge and experience, freely within the public domain, speaks well of this man of science.
Thursday 18 April 2024
The Owl Planetary Nebula
The Owl Planetary Nebula, Messier 97. The COAST robotic telescope SHO filters, Mount Teide, Tenerife, Open University, telescope.org. Images processed by Kurt Thrust |
Planetary nebulae have nothing at all to do with planets. They are the glowing gas 'left overs' from stars, which having run out of hydrogen to fuse, consequently left the main sequence to end their existence as white dwarf stars surrounded by glowing ionised gas shed by the progenitor stars earlier in the process.
The Owl Nebula may be found in the constellation Ursa Major, the Great Bear, and is approximately 2000 light years distant. The progenitor star, some 8000 years ago, swelled to become a red giant and then over a period of time shed mass in three shells. The nebula contains hydrogen, helium, nitrogen, oxygen and sulphur and is currently approximately 2 light years in diameter. At its centre a white dwarf star is condensing, with an effective temperature of 123,000K. For comparison our sun has an effective temperature of just under 6000K. So white dwarf stars are very very hot even though nuclear fusion has long stopped. Over aeons, white dwarf stars will lose their residual heat, cool to absolute zero and become cold black dwarf stars.
The Owl Nebula cannot be seen with the naked eye or with the aid of 10x50 binoculars but on a good clear night from a dark rural site, it might be glimpsed through a small telescope. - Joel Cairo CEO the Jodrell Plank Observatory.
Monday 25 March 2024
Full Moon March 2024
The Full Moon -24 March 2024 66mm ED Altair Lightwave Refractor and QHY5111462c colour camera. Credit Pip Stakkert. |
Saturated colour version Highlights the differences in albedo and changes in surface mineralogy. Credit: Kurt Thrust |
Thursday 21 March 2024
Asterism Greg 3 in the Constellation Leo Major
The asterism Greg 3 found by Greg Parker - COAST Robotic Telescope Mount Teide, Open University telescope .org. |
Sunday 17 March 2024
Interstellar glider
''Interstellar Glider' fractal art and astro-image collage by Jodrell Plank sponsor - George Roberts. Fractal software INCENDIA. |
With the weather preventing any views of galaxies, nebulae, stars and moons, the staff at the Jodrell Plank had time to consider and discuss the potential for interstellar travel using low mass robotic craft powered by coherent light beams from high energy lasers based here on Earth. One of the Observatory's generous sponsors and senior citizen scientist, George Roberts, made this image of a diaphanous robotic interstellar craft set against the back drop of deep space. - Kurt Thrust current Director of the Jodrell Plank Observatory.
Monday 11 March 2024
The Solar Photosphere in March 2024
A part of the Sun's Photosphere captured with the 127mm Meade apo refractor and the QHY5111492c planetary camera at F7.5 |
The active Sunspot Group 3599 captured with the same telescope and camera but at F22 |
A copped section (Top left) of Sunspot Group 3599. |
A cropped section (Bottom right) of Sunspot Group 3599. |
Kurt Thrust captured these images from the Jodrell Plank Observatory on 06-03-2024. The upper atmosphere at the time was a bit hazy and consequently the images are a little 'soft' . After all the dreadful weather we have experienced recently, here on the East Coast of England, actually being able to see the Sun was a real treat!
The Sun is our nearest star and the photons of sunlight we captured with our telescope and camera took approximately 9 minutes to travel the 150 million kilometres from the Sun to the Lowestoft - Karl Segin outreach coordinator at the Jodrell Plank Observatory.
The venerable 127mm Meade Apo telescope with white light filters in place for imaging the Sun safely in white light. |
Sunday 10 March 2024
Last look at the Winter Constellations Orion, Gemini, Taurus and Monoceros.
"The southern sky provides a wonderful vista awash with Hydrogen Alpha light. The constellations; Orion, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer and Monoceros can be seen in the above widefield image with their associated clouds of molecular gas and nebulae". Joel Cairo CEO of the Jodrell Plank Observatory.