The Astronomy Class
Snapshots - November - December 2001
Following software updates - and software troubles - we are back in town.
Jens Riggelsen had a cloudless sky during our recent aurora alert - and managed to get beautiful images from the recent Auroras - Nov 06, 2001. - approx 2220 MET- AAbenrAA 20 secs exposure time - Fuji HG Press 800 ASA - 50 mm.
This Image was shown too at the official homepage of the Danish Meteorological Institute - DMI.
Additional Aurora Images - EUC-Syd and AGS 1989-2001
Due to a donation by the Danish DNF foundation - we have been able to buy a digital focus - enabling us to improve our image system dramatically.
click at this image in order to get full triple size
LRGB Quadcolour technique : 3200 Sec L + 1800 Sec R + 1400 Sec G + 2000 Sec B - photographers - working on their own across 4 nights :
Lars T. Mikkelsen, Thomas Balstrup, Jens Riggelsen, Sean Paulsen, Kim Preisler Lorentzen, Marie Grønbæk, Rasmus Lind, Mads Clausen.
Distance to this famous Galaxy is more then 2 MILLION LIGHT YEARS...
Additional details : The Messier Catalogue
12-11-2001.jpg)
This 1 x 200 Sec CCD R - image was taken by Marie, Lars, Thomas, Kim, Rasmus and Mads at Nov 12 - 2001 - and shows the interesting Comet Linear 2000WM1
Click to read Sky & Telescopes article on this comet.
Full image is 1.2 x 1.2 Degrees...
Click to recieve 800 kbyte AVI movie (ZIP format).
Click to recieve 2 Mbyte AVI movie (ZIP format)
Please notice - this comet "seems to be moving backwards"...
Comet Linear , 200 Seconds exposure, 2001-November-19 at 20:29:27 UT.
Click to recieve AVI movie - showing the comets FAST movement during merely 17 minutes - from 20:15:30 UT to 20:32:56 UT -
256x256 388 Kbyte
512x512 1,50 Mbyte - best format
1024x1024 6,00 Mbyte
This comet has indication of an "anti-tail" ? - Click for pseudocoloured image.
Click to download the original FITS / TIFF format files.
November 22 - this very fast moving comet changes from night to night - photo - Thomas Balstrup and Lars T. Mikkelsen
Click for enlargement
November 23 - 1839 UT - iontail ? ("antitail ?") visible at position 7 'clock. Download 16 Bit FITS file format. These images have been kindly Larson Sekanina
processed by
Tom
Krajcit - New Mexico - click for details on this professional method . Please notice the enhanced jet structure within 10 Degree rotation image as well as the 5 Degree rotation image
Click to see full scale negative
Nov 23 - 2001 - 3400 Seconds combined and unprocessed photo - negative - please notice the sharp and double splitted iontail - 19:22:26 UT to 20:19:40 UT .
Download 1 Megabyte 32 BITS MAXIM FITS format - improved flatfield
Download 16 BITS screenstretched FITS format
November 26 - 2001 - 19:17:21 UT to 21:05:53 UT - 30x200 Seconds preliminary combined photo, taken by Lars T. Mikkelsen, Thomas Balstrup, Marie Grønbæk, Rasmus Lind and Claus Træger. Please notice that the previous iontail now appears to be hidden. (a projection effect ?)
32 BITS MAXIM FITS format
16 BITS FITS format
November 28 - 2001 : Impossible to get reliable photos - due to the Full Moon being very close. However - this comet appears similar to November 26.
Dec 06 . Observing this southward moving comet from + 55 Degree Northern Latitude is now becoming a difficult job.
8000 Second exposure - Dec 06 - 19:07:19 UT to 21:20:17 - 40 x 200 Seconds L CCD.
Observing conditions poor - haze coming up - our freezing photographers that night were Thomas Balstrup and Lars T. Mikkelsen.
Click to get uncompressed 32 bit MAXIM Fits file - cropped to 450 Kbyte.
Click to get autoscaled 16 bit Fits file. - which may be read by e.g. Avis Fits reader - this and other viewers may be found at the Dublin astronomy page.
Dec. 07 . 4800 Second exposure - Dec 07 - 20:25:39 UT to 21:47:53 - 24 x 200 Seconds L CCD.
Observing conditions very poor - but occasionally clear - Object almost at the horizon... Photographers : Marie Grønbæk - Rasmus and Kim P.
Click to get uncompressed 16 bit FITs file - cropped.
Click to get Maxim 32 Bit Fits file.
Please feel free sending your comments to our eager students.
Comet Linear will reach its brightness maximum December 2001 - and is presently visible in ordinary binoculars.
Also notice Michael Jägers comet photo - showing the "antitail" - (Gary W. Kronks homepage)
Click to get our Finding Chart Click to see a 3D JAVA applet of the orbit
Click to see a 3D drawing of the orbit - as given at Enckes homepage. Please notice the HIGH orbit inclination - this comet is entering almost perpendicular to the rest of the solar system.
Click to visit our image gallery of previous comet images..
IC 1795 - nebular region - 1600 seconds exposure, L - 2001-November-19.
Marie , Kim, Rasmus and Mads managed to get some beautiful Lunar images - Marie wants to measure the depth and size of these craters. Original 16 bit Maxim format
As well as preliminary snapshots from
The Plejades (7 star nebula) 50 Sec exposure time - clouds coming up. This cluster is easily identified as the heart of Taurus - by unaided eye you may observe 6 of these stars while living within light polluted areas.
From the dark countryside - and during clear and calm nights - you may be lucky to observe 14. The large number of stars within this 50 second snapshot gives an impression of the high sensitivity within modern ccd cameras.
In addition - a snapshot from the Orion Nebula - while it was rising above the cloudy horizon.
