Trawling the old photos

Staying at home for obvious reasons at the moment, with plenty of time on my hands to trawl through some old astronomy pictures and sketches.

Over the next few days/weeks/Months! I will put on several posts of bygone astro images.

Here are a few to start with:

Above photo showing the projection method of observing the Sun. 

The telescope used was a 6 inch Tal2 reflector, a great white light solar scope. 

Also really good for observing Saturn.

----------

Notice the four distinct craters along the terminator between the five and six o'clock positions:

Crater names: from left to right: Furnerius, Petavius, Vendelinus, Langrenus  (the chain of four).

Best seen around third day after a New Moon.

-----------

Above photo taken at a friends smallholding, some five years ago.. I think! 

I wrote an Englyn poem to compliment the photo.

----------

Final image, a sunspot picture I took, using my trusty old Tal1 reflector. 

It may have only been a 4 inch reflector, but it delivered some beautiful views of the Sun (with proper filters fitted.) 

Plus some great views of Mars at opposition.

Sadly though, this telescope was not much use for observing Jupiter. 

Clear Skies, Stay safe.

First sunspot of the year - for me at least.

You can just make out the spot, just off centre of the image.

Granted not the best picture, but I'm happy just to be outside solar imaging again.

The little 70mm refractor is not that brilliant for solar photography, especially if your aim is good quality solar photos, but it is ideal for projecting and sketching the sunspots.

November the 7th 2019  was the last time time I viewed a sunspot, happy to see one today.

Lets hope 2020 reveals many more sunspots..

December frost and Venus returns

Through the viewfinder

The first day of December and the skies are blue over Pembrokeshire.

Also the winter frost is upon us, a welcome sight, considering the deluge of rain these past couple of weeks... Thank you sky gods !

Venus make a welcome  return tonight, haven't seen her for several months.

Pulled out the old Hitachi digicam and captured a few Venus shots.

Venus amongst the trees

She dipped down under the Preseli hills at around 5.15pm, leaving behind a beautiful crescent Moon.

A perfect evening for all Pembrokeshire Astronomers

Nos da Venus 

A good start to this Christmas month.