Messier 51 - The Whirlpool Galaxy

The Messier 51 Group -  M51A or NGC 5194 - interacting grand design spiral galaxy - and dwarf galaxy M 51B or NGC 5195- in the Constellation Canes Venatici  - COAST Robotic Telescope -telescope.org -Open University - credit: Pip Stakkert. 

" Two galaxies Messier 51A and the smaller NGC 5195 are interacting gravitationally and as a result creating star formation in the core area of M51. Both galaxies are estimated to be 25 million light years distant from Earth. The accentuated spiral structure of the Whirlpool Galaxy is thought to be the result of direct interaction between it and its companion galaxy NGC 5195, which may have passed through the main disk of Messier 51 about 500 - 600 million years ago. In this hypothesis, NGC 5195 came from behind Messier 51 through the disk towards the observer and made another  crossing as recently as 50 - 100 million years ago.  Currently, NGC 5195 is believed to be slightly behind Messier 51. A number of supernovae have been observed in M51." - Kurt Thrust - acting CEO and current Director of the Jodrell Plank Observatory.

Credit : Wikipedia

Meteor Rig fully operational

" Simultaneously captured by the Canon 600D and 400D DSLRs with matching EFS 18-55 mm. lenses, this very bright meteor flashed across the sky in the early hours of the 30th of July 2019. Weather and moonlight permitting, here at the Jodrell Plank Observatory, we are now ready for the Perseid Meteor Shower 2019. " - Jolene McSquint Fleming Instrumentation Engineer and Associate Astronomer at the Jodrell Plank Observatory.

Oh those summer nights!

Alpha Capricornid or Delta Aquarid Meteor seen against the summer Milky Way Canon 600D DSLR - EFS 18-55mm lens at f=18mm on a Star Adventurer mount. 50 x 30sec lights at ISO1600

The Milky way sure is dusty!

Combination of images taken with  a QHY5-11 planetary camera and a Canon 600D DSLR both using an Altair Astro 66mm Doublet refractor on a Star Adventurer equatorial mount.

"Tell me more tell me more" - Kurt Thrust acting CEO and current Director of the Jodrell Plank Observatory

New Meteor Rig

Jolene McSquint-Fleming our instrumentation engineer has been
working hard in the 'clean room' building a dual camera 'Meteor Rig'

" It will not be long before the Perseid Meteor Shower 2019 will be lighting up the skies over the Jodrell Plank Observatory. Jolene has been hard at work building a new rig to enable more of the night sky to be imaged simultaneously. We are currently awaiting the delivery of a matching 18-55mm Canon EFS lens but we have already been testing the rig using lenses that we have to hand. We have captured images of Capricornid Meteors and inadvertently the bright trail of the International Space Station when it flew over Lowestoft" - Kurt Thrust acting CEO and current Director of the Jodrell Plank Observatory.

How low can you get?

"This year Jupiter and Saturn are so low from our latitude that we can get only our tiny 66mm Altair Astro refractor to track them across the sky. For a challenge, we decided to try and obtain images of Jupiter and Saturn using this little scope. The above composite image was compiled by Pip Stakkert using the Canon 600D DSLR and the QHY-11 planetary camera. The red spot, the two equatorial bands and three of the Galilean Moons are easily seen and a tiny Saturn with a number of its moons can be viewed under the dark line of Mr Schrodinger's television aerial" - Kurt Thrust acting CEO and current Director of the Jodrell Plank Observatory.

The Summer Milky Way and Saturn over the Jodrell Plank Observatory

"Whilst most of the United Kingdom has been enjoying hot warm weather, Lowestoft has been sitting under a blanket of cloud. This last weekend, the weather took a turn for the better and we enjoyed two nights of warm clear skies.


"The planets Saturn and Jupiter were shining brightly very low in the South as viewed from the Jodrell Plank Observatory. At our latitude and in May, June and July, the night sky never gets properly dark. Imaging activity is therefore at a minimum over the summer period. 

This year, with Saturn and Jupiter so low and barely rising above our neighbour's roofs, planetary imaging using the large refractor is not possible. Our imager in chief, Pip Stakkert, being at a loose end, decided to take this image of the southern Milky Way using a Canon 600D DSLR mounted on a Star Adventurer equatorial mount. 

Saturn can be seen in this summer sky portrait nestling between the two roofs and dimmed by the light pollution which unfortunately hugs the horizon". - Kurt Thrust acting CEO and current Director of the Jodrell Plank Observatory.

The LVST goes live with Perseid Meteor Shower Data from 2016!

When a meteoroid enters the Earth's atmosphere it acquires energy due to formation of a shock wave and creates a trail of ionised gas or plasma. The plasma reflects radar signals. 

"The LVST makes use of the 'back and forward scatter' of radio waves broadcast by the GRAVES radar transmitter which operates at 143.05 MHz and is located near Dijon in the South of France .  Please explore the data on the following pages which the Jodrell Plank Team hope to build upon over the coming years. Meteors have shaped our planet and created the opportunity for our mammal ancestors to exploit. Without the intervention of the Chicxulub Meteor, 66 million years ago, we would not have evolved and the dinosaurs would still be in charge"!  Jodrell Plank Community outreach coordinator – Karl Seguine 

"Are you sure they aren't still in charge" - Kurt Thrust -acting CEO and current Director of the Jodrell Plank Observatory

Having mashed up and crunched the numbers, right or wrong, interesting insights into the strengths and weaknesses of statistical analysis and  the 2016 Perseid meteor shower have been gained. 
If you are interested please click the link here:

2016 Perseid Shower Statistics

or click on the permanent link on the vertical navigation bar under the Total Page Views, which will take you to the LVST Home Page.