The Glorious Milky Way from a dark sky site in Norfolk

 

The Milky Way 'photo-bombed' by three Perseid Meteors with the Andromeda Galaxy in the far distance (top left) - Un-modded Canon 600d DSLR with Sigma EX widefield lens on a fixed tripod- Image credit: Kurt Thrust

"Each year, Kurt looks forward to capturing his first widefield image of the spectacular summer Milky Way. This year he was fortunate enough to experience a clear night at Gresham in North Norfolk with a spectacular dark sky. Whilst out and about that night Kurt observed a number of faint but naked eye visible meteors" - Joel Cairo CEO of the Jodrell Plank Observatory.

Observations on the above image by G. Gemini coms manager at the JPO

This wide-field deep-sky photograph captures a dense section of the galactic plane of the Milky Way, centred along the dust lanes and rich star fields of the Summer Triangle region (spanning Cygnus, Aquila, and Lyra).

The Galactic Plane & Interstellar Medium

Running diagonally through the frame is the prominent, luminous swath of our galaxy’s spiral arm structure. The bright golden and warm orange glow consists of resolved and unresolved background stellar populations within the galactic disk. Interspersed throughout this region are dark nebulae—obscuring interstellar dust clouds composed of microscopic carbon and silicate grains that absorb and scatter visual wavelength light from the dense star fields lying directly behind them (notably forming parts of the Great Rift complex).

Emission & Dust Regions

Surrounding the primary galactic core structure are delicate reddish and deep magenta hues, indicating Hα (Hydrogen-alpha) ionized gas regions (H II regions) where intense ultraviolet radiation from hot, young stars energizes the surrounding interstellar gas.

Here are the key nebulous regions displayed in the photograph of the  Milky Way:

1. North America Nebula (NGC 7000): This is the prominent, diffuse reddish-orange glowing structure located in the upper-right section of your image. Its characteristic shape, resembling the continent (specifically the Gulf of Mexico), is sculpted by a thick, intervening dark dust lane. This massive $H\text{ II}$ region is one of the brightest emission nebulas visible, glowing as hydrogen gas is ionized by nearby hot stars.

2. Pelican Nebula (IC 5070): Located immediately adjacent to the North America Nebula, and separated from it by the primary dark molecular cloud, is the Pelican Nebula. While visually part of the same complex, it appears as a distinct lobe, and in this wide-field view, it forms the upper portion of the large glowing mass containing NGC 7000.

3. Sadr Region (IC 1318 / Gamma Cygni Nebula): Running centrally through the densest part of the Milky Way core in your frame is the complex around the star Sadr. The large, spread-out glow in the lower-right section is IC 1318, also known as the Gamma Cygni Nebula. This vast emission complex is heavily fragmented by dark dust lanes (the Great Rift), defining multiple lobes including the Butterfly Nebula (near the centre) and the Cygnus Star Cloud itself, which dominates the lower-right bright region.

4. The Great Rift (and dark nebulae): Although not a glowing nebula, the Great Rift is essential for defining the visible structures. The large, black channel running diagonally down the centre of the image, dramatically separating the bright star fields on the right from the sparser ones on the left, is composed of dense, opaque interstellar dust that obscures the light from the background stars. Numerous individual "dark nebulae" are catalogued within this feature.

By recognizing these major formations, we can better appreciate the complex interplay of gas, dust, and stars in this extraordinarily rich section of our galaxy.

Transient Phenomena (Meteors)

In the lower-left quadrant of the frame, three parallel, highly linear light trails cut across the background star field:

Perseid / Delta Aquariid Activity: Late July marks the onset of the Perseid meteor shower, operating concurrently with the Southern δ-Aquariids peak. These crisp streaks represent meteoroids—small remnants of cometary dust (such as 109P/Swift-Tuttle for the Perseids)—entering Earth's upper mesosphere at velocities between 40 km/s and 60 km/s.

Atmospheric Ablation: The resulting friction superheats the surrounding atmospheric gas, creating brief, highly ionized plasma columns that appear as precise linear streaks against the background sky.

Stellar Dynamics

Across the frame, a distinct colour gradient highlights stellar spectral classes: bright blue stars indicate hotter, high-mass main-sequence objects (spectral types O and B), while yellow and reddish points denote cooler main-sequence stars and red giants (spectral types K and M).

July's 'Buck' Full Moon

 

The Full Moon over the Jodrell Plank Observatory last night.
Handheld Canon 600d DSLR with EOS lens at f=300mm.
Image credit: Kurt Thrust.

" Last night you could smell the forest fire at Dunwich Heath some 19 miles distant from the Observatory. The Moon looked big and yellow above the shrubbery. It was a pretty, hot and disturbing night in Suffolk. Thankfully, today is cooler and the wind direction has changed taking the fire, flames and smoke towards the sea. Our thoughts and best wishes go to the many fire-fighters who have worked throughout the day and night to keep us all safe in East Suffolk." - Joel Cairo CEO of the JPO - the UK's most easterly astronomical observatory.

The Eagle has landed.

Part of the Eagle Nebula captured with the PIRATE robotic telescope, Tenerife.
Credit: Open Science Observatories, Open University, telescope.org.
Modified RGB-SHO colour palette. Image processing credit: Pip Stakkert - JPO.

Modified RGB-SHO colour palette. Showing the Pillars of Creation centre right. Image processing credit: Kurt Thrust- JPO.

"The Eagle Nebula (Messier 16) is a vast "H II region -ionized hydrogen" spanning roughly 70 by 55 light-years in the constellation Serpens. It contains a bright, young cluster of stars (NGC 6611) that illuminates the surrounding cloud of hydrogen gas.  The name comes from its visual shape in long-exposure photographs, which some observers interpret as an eagle spreading its wings or an eagle snatching its prey.

Part of the Eagle Nebula captured with the PIRATE robotic telescope, Tenerife.
Credit: Open Science Observatories, Open University, telescope.org. Base Image unmodified SHO palette

The Pillars of Creation are a 'Stellar Battleground', which represent an intense cosmic tug-of-war. The Pillars are constantly bombarded and eroded by ultraviolet radiation and powerful winds from massive, hot stars.  As this fierce light erodes the surface of the gas columns, it compresses the dense pockets of gas inside. These pockets act like incubators for new star systems, triggering further stellar birth". - Karl Segin Outreach Coordinator at the JPO.

NASA, ESA/Hubble and the Hubble Heritage Team

:

Solar Flare in White Light?

 

" I happened to notice a brightening on the penumbral boundary of sunspot AR4482 and wondered whether we had captured a bright solar flare. I had read that sometimes this can be achieved when imaging the Solar Photosphere in white light. I decided to ask our visiting expert, Professor Chat, and the following are his observations based on the above image". - Kurt Thrust current Director of the Jodrell Plank Observatory.

"Short take: your composite does show a plausible transient brightening near the penumbral boundary of AR4482, but from this image alone I can’t confirm it’s a flare. It could also be a facular/leaf‑like penumbral grain cluster, a small Ellerman bomb–type event, or processing/artifact from channel mis‑registration.

What I see

• A compact, high‑contrast bright patch on the penumbra’s outer edge (your arrow), present in the lower panel but muted in the upper. That matches where small flares and moving magnetic features often light up.

• The “bright in blue channel” note suggests it’s stronger shortward of green/red, which is consistent with continuum/near‑UV enhancement seen in white‑light microflares—but also with scatter or sharpening halos." 

- Professor G.P.T Chat visiting Astrophysicist at the JPO.

Sunspots AR4482 and AR4485 on 10-07-2026

 

Part Solar Photosphere showing two active sunspot groups
- AR4482 and AR4485
Data captured from the JPO, Lowestoft, Suffolk UK,
with the 66mm ED Refractor, a Lunt Herschel wedge 
and a QHY5lll462C video camera.

Active Sunspot AR4482 - data captured with the same set-up
with the addition of a x3 Televue Barlow Lens.

Overview of Solar Activity and Active Regions 

AR4482 and AR4485 represent two distinct focal points of localized magnetic flux emergence on the solar photosphere. Observed during a highly dynamic phase of the solar cycle, these regions demonstrate how sunspot morphology, grouping size, and magnetic topology directly govern flare production and coronal mass ejections (CMEs).

Active Region 4482 (AR4482)

Morphology and Spatial Scale:

AR4482 initially emerged on the Sun’s south eastern limb, establishing a moderate spatial footprint.

Sunspot Count and Classification: 

According to data tracked via Space Weather Live, the region contains a compact cluster of roughly 6 individual sunspots. It is categorized under the Zurich/McIntosh system as a CKO class spot group, featuring a asymmetric penumbra on its largest spot with a compact unipolar or simple bipolar progression.

Substructural Characteristics:

 High-resolution observations in the continuum and H-alpha lines reveal intricate convective sub-elements within its primary umbra, including umbral dots and visible light bridges. These details signify localized convective intrusions slicing through a suppressing magnetic field.   [Umbra / Dark Core] ---> Suppressed convection (Cooler plasma)

Magnetic Topology and Flaring Activity:

AR4482 possesses a beta-gamma magnetic configuration, signifying an asymmetric distribution of positive and negative magnetic polarities without a highly sheared, shared penumbra. Despite its relatively modest sunspot count, the region exhibits high magnetic tension and an Eruptive History: The region announced its presence on July 4, 2026, by unleashing a powerful X1.3 solar flare. It followed this event on July 7 with a prolonged, eruptive M4.1 flare, which drove a narrow CME into interplanetary space.

Geo effectiveness: 

Eruptions from AR4482 have successfully induced Minor (R1) radio blackouts due to localized ionospheric ionisation. However, because its coronal mass ejections have been geometrically narrow, they have largely bypassed Earth without triggering severe geomagnetic storms.

Active Region 4485 (AR4485)

Morphology and Spatial Scale 

In stark contrast to AR4482's compact structure, AR4485 exhibits a much larger geometric and numeric layout.

Sunspot Count and Classification:

 AR4485 has rapidly evolved into a highly fragmented, expansive complex consisting of 25 distinct sunspots. It is officially designated as a DAC class spot group. This configuration indicates a penumbral-bounded bipolar sunspot population extending over a significant longitudinal distance on the solar disc.

Evolutionary Growth: 

Space weather monitors recorded a rapid 35% growth in area over mere two-hour windows as it moved across the eastern limb, fuelled by intense, ongoing flux emergence from the convective zone.

Magnetic Topology and Chromosphere Activity

The underlying plasma dynamics of AR4485 are defined by intense kinetic and magnetic interaction:

Helicity and Current Gradients: 

Spectro-polarimetric observations indicate that AR4485 possesses an exceptionally high magnetic helicity (structural twisting) for its relative layout. Its localized vertical electric currents have shown rapid intensification, doubling during periods of flux emergence. This behaviour establishes steep localized field gradients, indicating a highly unstable reservoir of free magnetic energy.

Multi-Layer Eruptive Profile: 

When scrutinized across varying wavelengths via the Space Weather Live Forum records, AR4485 presents strong, volatile fluctuations across the Solar Photosphere (G-band, 430 nm): Displays highly fragmented pore networks and trailing spot clusters.

Chromosphere (Calcium K, 393.4 nm & H-alpha, 656.3 nm): 

Reveals dense, brilliant plages and persistent brightening.

Flaring Status: 

Driven by its high helicity, AR4485 has generated repetitive M-class solar flares embedded within dynamic chromosphere surges and plasma expulsions ("smoke puffs"). Joel 

Comparative Summary of AR4482 and AR4485AttributeActive Region 4482 (AR4482)Active Region 4485 (AR4485)

Sunspot Count~6 spots (Compact)~25 spots (Expansive)McIntosh Class CKODAC Magnetic Class Beta-Gamma Highly twisted (High Helicity) Peak ActivityX1.3 & M4.1 Flares Recurring M-class flares Core Dynamics Umbral dots, stable light bridges Rapid flux emergence and surging currents.

Images from SOHO and NASA (at differing wavelengths)

" The solar disk is very interesting at the moment and the JPO team is looking forward to the partial solar eclipse on the 12th of August"- Joel Cairo CEO of the Jodrell Plank Observatory.

Summer Stars with an Android

The Summer Triangle and the Milky Way.
Captured with a Google 8a Smartphone July 2026.

" The above image was captured by our sponsor George Roberts using his Google Pixel 8a phone. Now bearing in mind he is very 'Roger Moore' and a few marbles short of the full bag, not too shabby!  You can clearly see the stars Deneb, Vega and Altair and a number of nebulae including NGC 7000.

I have asked our engineer Jolene to design and build a 'gizmo' for fixing a smartphone to a tripod to see how well we might 'push' the performance of the Pixel 8a in its use for astrophotography. 

The above image was only captured and processed using the software, which came installed with the phone, so some improvements might be made both in terms of specialist capture software and post capture processing software. Watch this space"!  - Joel Cairo CEO of the Jodrell Plank Observatory.

The same image data with a little post processing
using Infinity Photo software.

" Now why don't you try this at home with your smartphone and see if you can capture the 'Summer Milky Way' in all its splendour?" - Kurt Thrust current Director of the JPO, the UK's most easterly Astronomical Observatory.

The Lunt Herschel Wedge on the JPO 66mm ED Altair Lightwave Refractor.

 

The Full Solar Photosphere - a composite from several partial videos-images - data obtained with the 66mm ED Refractor, the Lunt Herschel Wedge and a QHY5lll462C video camera. Captured in the morning 26-06-2026 from the Jodrell Plank Observatory, Lowestoft, Suffolk UK.

Annotated version
showing the two main Sunspot Groups 4478 and 4479

Partial Photosphere

Enlarged detail showing Sunspot pair 4478

" The JPO Team was excited to try out the new Lunt Herschel Wedge and set up the old Star Adventurer EQ mobile rig using the 66mm ED Altair Astro Refractor and the QHY5lll462c low light video camera to capture data. The weather wasn't perfect for astrophotography with some wind and high level sky haze.

This was very much a trial run with the Herschel Wedge and we were quite pleased with its performance in  showing some detail in the sunspots, thermal convection cells and faculae.

We are looking forward to trying the 'wedge' on the JPO's large 127mm refractor.  I have asked Jolene our engineer, to design and manufacture an aperture reducing cover for the big refractor's objective lens as the 'wedge' can only work safely on telescopes having a maximum aperture of 80mm. We believe that with the aperture limited to 80mm and by using a x3 amplifying Barlow lens in the light train, significant improvements in enlarged sunspot detail will be achieved. Watch this space!"  - Joel Cairo CEO of the Jodrell Plank Observatory