Christmas at the UK's most easterly Observatory.

 

" The Jodrell Plank Observatory will be closed over the Christmas Holiday but we hope to be back in the New Year with a new bit of astro-kit on display. Thanks to all our readers around the world and we hope you will join us again in 2025". - Joel Cairo CEO of the Jodrell Plank Observatory.                         

Messier 45 in the Constellation Taurus

 

The Pleiades open star cluster visible within the stars of Taurus. Image Credit: Pip Stakkert

"Last night there was a three hour break in the clouds over Oulton Broad and Messier45, or the Pleiades open star cluster, was visible above the Observatory. As we have never imaged this target at a low to intermediate focal length, we decided to give it a go. The image is from a stack of 1 minute and 2 minute exposures at ISO1600. Just over 2 hours of data in total was used to create the image. The equipment employed was: a modded Canon 200d DSLR, a triband filter and a Samyang 135mm F2 lens, (the F ratio was increased by using filter rings). The cluster is quite close to us at 444 light years and is clearly visible to the naked eye on a dark and clear winter's night. The 'reflection nebulosity' is being created by starlight reflected from a cloud of gas, which the hot blue cluster stars are currently moving through. The reflection nebula cannot be seen with the naked eye but if you can see and count seven stars you have excellent eyesight". - Joel Cairo CEO of the Jodrell Plank Observatory.

'The Seven Sisters' reprocess, rotate and crop. Image Credit: Kurt Thrust

" In the end, Messier45 is all about the nebulous gas cloud the cluster is currently moving through. I therefore asked Kurt Thrust to reprocess the data and emphasise the 'wispy nebulosity' which surrounds the brighter elements" - Carl Segine  Outreach Officer at the Jodrell Plank Observatory.

'It's all about the gas' Image Credit: Kurt Thrust.

The remarkable software - StarSpikes4 Pro - Adding lustre to our clusters!

 

Messier 45, The Pleiades or Seven Sisters. Imaged from the JPO. Data credit Pip Stakkert. Processing Credit: Kurt Thrust.

Castor and Pollux Constellation Gemini. Imaged from the JPO. Data credit: Pip Stakkert. Processing credit: Kurt Thrust.

Widefield version Messier 45, The Pleiades or Seven Sisters. Imaged from the JPO. Data credit: Pip Stakkert. Processing Credit: Kurt Thrust.

Messier 31 Group of Galaxies in the Constellation Andromeda. Imaged from the JPO. Combined image, using data captured with a 66mm Doublet Refractor and a 135mm Samyang lens.(Canon 600d DSLR). Data Credit: Pip Stakkert. Processing Credit: Kurt Thrust.

" Many thanks to friend of the JPO, Prof Greg Parker, for recommending the excellent software StarSpikes4 Pro. The application of this software is a 'gamechanger' in adding heightened sparkle and colour to stars. Literally StarSpikes4 Pro adds lustre to our clusters"! - Joel Cairo CEO of the Jodrell Plank Observatory

Caldwell 14 or NGC 869 and NGC 884 on an autumnal night over Lowestoft. - 'The data rides again'!

The Double Cluster - widefield. Credit: Pip Stakkert.

The Double Cluster cropped. Credit: Pip Stakkert.

" Pip Stakkert wasn't at all pleased with Kurt Thrust's processing of the data in our last post. He has been badgering me all week to let him have a go at reprocessing the data and today I finally relented and let him have his turn. In my opinion these images are far superior to Kurt's". - Joel Cairo CEO at the Jodrell Plank Observatory.

Caldwell 14 or NGC 869 and NGC 884 on an autumnal night over Lowestoft.

The Double Cluster or Caldwell 14 in Perseus.
Canon 600d DSLR with F2 Samyang lens f=135mm
on a Star Adventurer EQ mount.: Image credit: Kurt Thrust

 " A very nice clear night in Lowestoft on 24-10-2024 but the rising Moon was a bit of a problem. We decided to image the Double Cluster, NGC 869 and NGC 884 using a widefield format. The above image was created by stacking 60x60 sec exposures at ISO800. Part of the Heart and Soul Nebula is visible top right. On another clear night we may try to image both, in one field or create a two pane mosaic." - Joel Cairo CEO of the Jodrell Plank Observatory ' The UK's most easterly observatory' 

Cropped and reworked detail

What an exciting week at the UK's most easterly Observatory!

 

 Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS photographed, just after sunset on the 14th of October 2024, from St Michael's Church, Oulton Broad Suffolk. Tripod mounted Canon 600d DSLR with Canon F1.4 f=50mm lens at ISO1600. - image credit Joel Cairo and the away team.

" The whole Jodrell Plank Observatory team has been taking good advantage of the few weather windows over Lowestoft to enable them to capture images of the recent  Auroral activity and the splendid Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS). The cometary images were captured from the graveyard at St Michael's Church Oulton Broad, which provides one of the few unobstructed western horizons near to the Observatory. Our sponsors; Anita and George Roberts, joined the team at the church to view the comet and bearing in mind their great age, it was good to see them still getting out, ah bless!  Anita met a former pupil  and now teacher at the local school, Charlotte, who was excited to share her experience of viewing the comet with her nursery class. We hope these images engage the youngsters in her care.

The comet has survived its recent encounter with the Sun and is heading back out into deep space only to return thousands of year in the future.

The tail on this comet is the longest we have seen over Lowestoft and as a gauge of scale, covered an area of sky, observable to the naked eye, equivalent to that covered by the three bright stars; Alkaid, Mizar and Alioth, which form the 'handle' of the Plough asterism." -

Joel Cairo CEO of the Jodrell Plank Observatory.

In this separate exposure, you can just make out the anti-tail pointing down and right towards the Sun
Image credit: Kurt Thrust

Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS - image credit: Pip Stakkert

" A few nights before the appearance of the comet, the whole team was mobilised at about midnight to witness and image the most incredible display of the Aurora over Oulton Broad. To see such a display at latitude 52.47 degrees North is both exceptional and a witness to the high levels of magnetic activity within the layers of the Sun's atmosphere. The aurora was visible to the naked eye as dancing curtains and rapidly changing rays and the sky from west through north to east was alight with a red rosy glow. We have literally hundreds of images which our 'imaging technician' Pip Stakkert is currently processing for future blog posts.  The following was taken from Sands Lane, just outside the Observatory, and gives some idea of the activity on the night and Morning 10th and 11th October 2024." - Kurt Thrust current Director of the Jodrell Plank Observatory.

Auroral Curtain, early hours 11_10_2024, tripod mounted Canon 600d DSLR with Canon F1.4 f=50mm EOS lens. image credit: Kurt Thrust

Cassiopeia the Queen of the Night

 

The Constellation Cassiopeia (The big 'W' asterism in the Northern Sky)
A compilation - 3 pane, widefield image.
Captured with the Jodrell Plank Observatory's mini-rig : Canon 600d DSLR
with a 135mm F2 Samyang Lens all on a Star Adventurer EQ mount.
  - Image Credit: Pip Stakkert

" What a marvelous clear and steady sky, early morning in Lowestoft on the 29th of September 2024. The whole Jodrell Plank team team were out under the stars, including a guest appearance by the elusive Comet, our neighbour Mr. Schrodinger's cat. We all enjoyed observing and recording the wonderful and most beautiful constellation Cassiopeia 'The Queen of the Night'.

Pip Stakkert set about using the Observatory's un-modded camera to record 30 minutes of one minute duration exposures at ISO1600 of three separate but overlapping areas of the constellation Cassiopeia. This part of the night sky is awash with stars and nebulosity. We were pleased to have recorded the bright emission nebula NGC281 (aka The Pacman Nebula) and the reflection nebula around the bright variable star Gamma Cassiopeia (centre star of the 'W' asterism). A number of open star clusters, including the magnificent M103 with its central red giant star, can be seen in the completed compilation image." - Kurt Thrust current Director of the Jodrell Plank Observatory.

"When I look up at the very distinctive 'W' asterism, which forms the 'bones' of the constellation Cassiopeia, I am reminded of the character, 'The Queen of the Night' in my favourite opera 'The Magic Flute' by Mozart" - Joel Cairo CEO of the Jodrell Plank Observatory.