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.

Full Moon March 2024

 

The Full Moon -24 March 2024 66mm ED Altair Lightwave Refractor and QHY5111462c colour camera. Credit Pip Stakkert.

" Very pleased with the definition and detail in this image, which was largely the result of using James Ritson's latest Lunar macro for Affinity Photo 2 in combination with AstroSharp and AstroClean. We have also attached below a high coloured version and the softer version, which did not have James' macro applied". - Kurt Thrust current Director of the Jodrell Plank Observatory.

Saturated colour version
Highlights the differences in albedo and changes in surface mineralogy.
Credit: Kurt Thrust

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.

" Asterisms are prominent groups or patterns of stars smaller than constellations. The 'Plough' is a very prominent asterism in the Northern Hemisphere sky and it's stars sit within the larger constellation Ursa Major- The Great Bear".- Kurt Thrust current Director of the Jodrell Plank Observatory.

"Still awaiting a clear cloud free night here on the East Coast of the United Kingdom!

With so much time on our hands, Kurt directed the COAST Robotic Telescope on Tenerife to image the excellent asterism Greg 3 discovered by Greg Parker and so named for very obvious reasons. 

What on Earth has happened to the weather? It has even been poor in Tenerife.

Greg 3 may be found at - Right Ascension: 09h 38m 00.0s and Declination: +15° 17' 00", which puts the asterism between the constellations Leo Major and Cancer . The asterism covers about 15 minutes of arc in the night sky so about half that of the Moon.

Star map showing the location of Greg3 
 Map Credit: Astrometry Net

To see Greg 3 you will require a small telescope and an eyepiece delivering a magnification of approximately x80. The stars in the asterism range in magnitude between 8 and 11, are therefore quite faint and well below what might be seen with the naked eye.

Greg Parker is an extraordinarily talented imager and excels in his portraiture of stars! We recommend spending time  viewing his astrophotography, which is showcased on his 'New Forest Observatory' Blog!  follow the link:

New Forest Observatory

 

Here at the Jodrell Plank Observatory we cannot remember such a poor spring time for observing the night sky. But we are not downhearted! 

Lets hope for better nights to come!" - Joel Cairo CEO at the Jodrell Plank Observatory.

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.

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.

Last look at the Winter Constellations Orion, Gemini, Taurus and Monoceros.

 

No shortage of Hydrogen alpha light looking South from the Jodrell Plank Observatory. Astro-modded Canon 200d DSLR with Sigma EX wide field lens all mounted on the Star Adventurer EQ mini-rig. Image Credit: Pip Stakkert 

"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.

Gemini, the Jelly Fish and Monkey Nebulae

The Jelly Fish Nebula IC443 and open star cluster Messier 35 - Canon 600d DSLR and Samyang 135mm fixed lens at F2. Stack of 30x2 minute sub lights at ISO800.

 

A widefield image showing the location of M35 at the foot of one of the twins.

The same image shown top - with added infra-red from the WISE space telescope. Credit: Kurt Thrust, Astrometry.net and NASA.

The constellation Gemini the twins is home to a number of interesting astronomical nebula and open star clusters which can be seen and imaged with a small telescope or camera lens. The open star cluster, Messier 35 can be seen through a pair of 10x50 binoculars. - Kurt Thrust current Director of the Jodrell Plank Observatory.

IC443 The Jelly Fish Nebula -COAST Robotic Telescope with SHO filters. Credit:: Open Observatories, Open University telescope.org

NGC2174 The Monkey Head Nebula -COAST Robotic Telescope with SHO filters. Credit:: Open Observatories, Open University telescope.org