Gas Giants over Southwold and night scented honeysuckle.

 

The Gas Giant Planets - Jupiter and Saturn over Southwold, Suffolk. Canon 600d DSLR and Sigma lens at f=10mm and F=4.5. Stack of 3x20sec lights at ISO 3200. Credit: George Hammer Astro-Geologist at the Jodrell Plank Observatory.

Perseid Shower Compilation - Credit Kurt Thrust

" Nice to see the two gas giant planets, Jupiter and Saturn putting on such a good show low to the horizon in the south. We hope to be imaging both of these wonderful planets in the near future using the Jodrell Plank Observatory's 127mm Apo refracting telescope. Of course this is all subject to our adjoining neighbour, Mr. Schrödinger, allowing us to trim back his Lonicera periclymenum Serotina . We keep him on side by looking after his cat over the holidays!". - Joel Cairo CEO of the Jodrell Plank Observatory.

The Perseid Shower 2021 and other assorted meteors

 

A stack compilation of 30x20sec lights taken between 12:30 am and 02:30am on the 13th August 2021. Tripod mounted Canon 600d DSLR with a SIGMA 10-20mm lens at F4.5 and f=10mm. Credit Pip Stakkert.

"The whole Jodrell Plank Team relocated to the cliff top at nearby Pakefield and watched a wonderful show of Perseid and sporadic meteors as they fell over the North Sea. Pip Stakkert made a great effort to capture the magnificence of this year's splendid pyrotechnic display. We were all disappointed by the light pollution from the newly refurbished CEFAS cliff top laboratories and offices. Internal and external lights were on when we arrived and were still blazing away when we left Pakefield at 2;45am. The new LED lighting is very bright across a wide visual spectrum and the external scheme is poorly designed. It is something of a disgrace that a Government building dedicated to protecting the sea and fish stocks has lighting detrimental to the night sky!  A number of the meteors in the above image are clearly Perseids but some are not. The 'fireball' shown on the extreme top left of the image was a spectacular sight to the naked eye." - Kurt Thrust current Director of the Jodrell Plank Observatory.

New widefield Lens on trial

 

Milky Way from Cassiopeia to Altair - Sigma 10-20mm widefield lens on a tripod mounted Canon 600d DSLR. A stack of 10x30 second lights at ISO1600 and f=16mm. Credit: KurtThrust.

" Our sponsor Anita Roberts has provided the cash to enable the purchase of a recycled widefield lens for the 600d Canon Camera. Weather permitting we will use this excellent piece of  Japanese glass to capture Perseid meteors later in the week". Kurt Thrust current Director of the Jodrell Plank Observatory.

Arcturus through Noctilucent Clouds - Thrust pulls it off and keeps his job!

 

The star Arcturus shining brightly in the Constellation Bootes and through Noctilucent Clouds. One off RAW image taken with the Canon DSLR at f=18mm.and ISO800. Credit: Pip Stakkert.

"I should like to thank all the many followers of the Jodrell Plank Observatory for contacting our Outreach Coordinator Karl Seguine and expressing their support for our current Director Kurt Thrust. The Board of Trustees met on the 5th of August 2021 and a majority decision was made by the Trustees to issue Kurt with a written warning. He will also be offered counselling and a high-viz vest." - Joel Cairo CEO of the Jodrell Plank Observatory, for and on behalf of, Doris Jansen Chair of the Board of Trustees.