scotty1

Wet snow settling here so no observing so far. Just wondered if the aurora may show tonight Scotland if it's clear skies up there.

Thanks for the tips Peter I hope you get the shots with M3. Regards Scotty

Excellent image , I tried to capture this scene with a Pentax k70 and 55-300 Pentax zoom on a static tripod. I had 9 minutes of data, but DSS ended up stacking just over 5mins. I'm a beginner and only used DSS once before. Hope you don't mind me asking a couple of questions 🤓. Did you move the comet away from nearby stars before stacking using the comet settings? Any tips on getting the really black background, I tried this before with 46P Wirtanen, I think I stretched the stacked subs in DSS. I understand It's best not to do the stretching in DSS ? I don't have photoshop but I use rawtherepee. After stacking did you move the RGB histograms to align over each other in DSS.? Thanks

The weather in the UK is looking quite rough for comet spotting. We did have clear skies Sunday, but a full moon too! I got a couple of shots with my DSLR. I hope to get Leonard again in December. I've set my alarm for 4am, incase the clearing skies now over Linc's make it to east Anglia. Edit: 7am Luckily the sky cleared at 05.15, had 45 mins before the dawn. Taking short exposures on static tripod, as expected the comet is brighter with more tail showing, compared to last Sunday. Now with less moonlight it's helping to show the comet off. What size is this comet? Thanks

I'm not sure if it's a satellite flare? I've been out during the early hours for the last week or so, I haven't seen a single meteor, the moon mostly likely washed them out. Good views you have there.

I borrowed my brother's bins earlier before the moon rose. They are Swift Newport mk ll 10X50. We've had them since the 80s and seem good for astro, and general use.

I was looking at this flyby with stellarium mobile. With a static tripod DSLR, and 300mm lens. I don't expect to capture an APOD type of image 😉 I tried a few shots last night and picked up the whale and vaguely hockey stick. Shame the moon is diluting these clear skies.

I noticed this halo too, the thin cirrus was creating it. Around the time of a full moon is best to see these. I've yet to photograph a moonbow, but for that showery weather, and a near full moon is needed. A slight halo last Thursday with my cat.

The glare of the moon this morning was impressive, quite clear skies with patches of stratus despite a very cloudy forecast. Although It clouded up around 5.30 am. Had a quick go at photographing comet Leonard with a static tripod and DSLR. Managed to get bad a photo, but had issues with focusing my zoom lens, which seemed to loose focus every time I did the camera GPS calibration for the Astrotracer. More practice is needed with my K70, as it's slightly different interface to setup compared to my K5.

Imagine the size of the canon balls!!🤔

Same for the Geminids this year. A 79% moon. I have photographed Geminids during a full moon, as they are usually more active than the Leonids. Mostly cloudy last night, went out for an hour to try my new lens anyway... but perhaps clearer tonight.

This may of been September the 10th. This was my second comet that I managed to photograph, the first being Halebop in 97 ☄️ thanks for your replies Scotty

Yes very lucky to get the ISS in the field of view, particularly as I was just pointing my camera in the general direction of the comet. 😂

I took a photo that I saved to my phone of Comet 21P/ Giacobini-Zinner in 2018. I was unsure ware to point my camera as I didn't have any astro apps, or much knowledge of the constellations.From my garden I pointed my camera and 90mm macro lens in the general direction of the comet. Luckily the ISS tracked by during a 4 second exposure on a static tripod.The second photo is a crop. Pentax K5 Tamron 90mm f2.8 ISO 10,000. I know a little more now that I have stellarium, just the basics a few constellations and star names. Which messier object is above the Comet? Thanks Scotty

Awesome job! KEF REF 103s too 🙂

This was last night... A nice view of the moon 🌙 and Jupiter setting from the loft. Also Orion and the winter circle rising. The seeing was not great but the stratus clouds held off for a couple of hours. First light for my Pentax DA* 11-18mm 2.8 which arrived yesterday.

Thanks It was up around KP 7-8 for a few hours, the best display I captured was just after midnight. I seem to remember the Spaceweather gallery showing photos of weak Aurora captured from Paris that night. The moon was about 50% lit I recall with clear spells. One thing I should have done in hindsight, was drive another four miles to a lake, to get some reflections....🤨 I was so excited I just got away from the town and stopped to get some shots. Although I didn't know if there was a chance to see anything, until I saw the back of my camera after a long exposure! I've only seen a good naked eye display once from Suffolk in November 87 perhaps . There were crimson pillers slowly shifting in the sky.

I missed the recent Aurora 3/4Nov 2021 due to cloud and showers. In 2015 and 2016 I managed to get a few shots of the Aurora from Suffolk UK. Pentax K5 tamron 17-50mm f2.8 at f3.5 ISO 3200 20secs. First shot from the loft about 11pm on 21-12-2015, and luckily caught an Ursid or sporadic meteor. Next shot taken 3 miles out of town around midnight 21-12-2015 I couldn't see any colours by eye, but there was was a faint white area visible low to the horizon. The last shot is from 9-5-2016 from the same location nr Bury st Edmunds. The Aurora watch site was showing Amber for this time. Since 2016 new housing areas have added to the light pollution at this location. I'm hoping for more opportunities to capture the Aurora locally during this solar cycle. Regards Scotty

A brief view of the crescent 🌘 moon, Venus and Jupiter earlier. Cloud is increasing again now, the forecast is cloudy for the next week or so, across most of the UK.

I don't own a scope, so I use my cameras and try widefield shots. And the occasional comet with a zoom lens. Earlier this evening I tried to see the moon and Venus, too much cloud though. About an hour ago I looked outside briefly to check the visibility. As soon as I walked outside, a moderately bright meteor was seen in the east traveling west. This could of been a Taurid, I had thought of heading out of town and setting up a couple of DSLRs tonight, Incase any fireballs were around. The sky is quite hazy now with cirrus, plus I have a nasty cold... 😴 Just came indoors after sitting in the garden for 40 mins, observed one Taurid meteor that was not anything too bright. Left my camera taking 15 sec exposures in the loft, the sky is less milky than earlier. Time for bed now. Good luck to anyone observing tonight. Edit Didn't get any meteors on camera, I've just ordered a 11-18mm f2.8 lens, could be good for astro.....

Here's my UKMON report of the fireball I saw last evening. A few others witnessed it too. https://ukmon.imo.net/members/imo_view/report/242476

At 20.35 a bright orange/yellow meteor was seen in the north. The meteor tracked from the north east towards the plough. One of the best meteors I've seen, perhaps a September Epsilon Perseid, it's the peak time for this meteor shower. Anyone else see this? must of been captured on the all sky cameras.

I think as the earth rotates during the night, earth faces headon into the meteor stream in the early hours. With the Perseids the radiant is higher after midnight too. I didn't see any last night too murky. Six on Tuesday night, also last Friday one Perseid seen

@ Simon Did you stack these in photoshop? and blend it with a foreground shot?. Lovely photo.

I don't use Clear Outside. But judging by sat24 , Wales, West Midlands and Northern England seem to be in luck for tonight. The south east is not so good.