Monday (23-December-2024) — New Jersey

Sixteen-Years Ago Today. Osprey in flight with a fish. Fort DeSoto Park. (23-Dec-2008, Florida).

Stellina has Returned from a round trip to France.

The Vaonis Stellina automated telescope arrived back today after a trip to France to repair the camera sensor. The instrument was still under warranty so the only cost was a getting shipping fly case so the telescope would be protected while in transit. I dropped the package off at a local UPS store on the 11th and it arrived back today. The sun was shining so I set it up on a tripod and tested it with a solar observation. Clouds are forecasted for tonight, so I will need to wait to check it out at night. Hopefully, the comet will still be visible.

Sun with sunspots. Image taken with a Stellina Telescope (400 mm, f/5)
Sun with sunspots. Image taken with a Stellina Telescope (400 mm, f/5)

Silhouettes of Jets and Geese Transiting the Sun.

Today, I captured images of a flock of geese and several jets transiting the sun while looking at the sunspots (we are at or near the solar maximum). I was viewing the sun with a Vespera Classic and Vespera Pro automated telescope using solar filters. One of the jets had a trailing condensation trail that continued in front of the sun for 12 additional images (~15 seconds)

Flock of geese transiting the sun with sunspots. Image taken with a Vaonis Vespera Classic Telescope (200 mm, f/4, 1/4000 sec) with a solar filter.
Flock of geese transiting the sun with sunspots. Image taken with a Vaonis Vespera Classic Telescope (200 mm, f/4, 1/4000 sec) with a solar filter.
Silhouette of a jet transiting the sun with sunspots. Image taken with a Vaonis Vespera Classic Telescope (200 mm, f/4, 1/4000 sec) with a solar filter.
Silhouette of a jet transiting the sun with sunspots. Image taken with a Vaonis Vespera Classic Telescope (200 mm, f/4, 1/4000 sec) with a solar filter.
Sun with sunspots and the silhouette of a jet. Image taken with a Vaonis Vespera Pro Telescope (250 mm, f/5, 1/714 sec) with a solar filter.
Sun with sunspots and the silhouette of a jet. Image taken with a Vaonis Vespera Pro Telescope (250 mm, f/5, 1/714 sec) with a solar filter.

Jet with condensation trail passing in front of the sun. Images captured with a Vespera Classic telescope fitted with a solar filter. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery

Saturday (30-November-2024) — New Jersey

Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS)

The comet and tail keep getting smaller and fainter. The estimated magnitude of the comet is now +9.52. I am only showing images from the Stellina and Vespera-Pro telescope which were not fitted with filters. The length of the comet tail can be estimated based on the field of view for the telescope’s digital sensors. Stellina (1.0° x 0.7°) and Vespera Pro (1.6° x 1.6°). The jpg images were processed to increase the brightness (Capture One Pro) and reduce the noise (Topaz AI).

Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS). Composite of 30 images taken with a Vaonis Stellina Telescope (400 mm, f/5, 30 x 10 sec).
Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS). Composite of 30 images taken with a Vaonis Stellina Telescope (400 mm, f/5, 30 x 10 sec).

Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS). Composite of 31 images taken with a Vaonis Vespera-Pro Telescope (250 mm, f/5, 31 x 10 sec).
Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS). Composite of 31 images taken with a Vaonis Vespera-Pro Telescope (250 mm, f/5, 31 x 10 sec).

Friday (29-November-2024) — New Jersey

Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS)

The past two nights clouds prevented observation of the comet. The comet and tail keep getting smaller and fainter. The estimated magnitude of the comet is now +9.45. I am only showing images from the Stellina and Vespera-Pro telescope which were not fitted with filters. The length of the comet tail can be estimated based on the field of view for the telescope’s digital sensors. Stellina (1.0° x 0.7°) and Vespera Pro (1.6° x 1.6°). The jpg images were processed to increase the brightness (Capture One Pro) and reduce the noise (Topaz AI).

Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS). Composite of 30 images taken with a Vaonis Stellina Telescope (400 mm, f/5, 30 x 10 sec).
Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS). Composite of 30 images taken with a Vaonis Stellina Telescope (400 mm, f/5, 30 x 10 sec).

Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS). Composite of 31 images taken with a Vaonis Vespera-Pro Telescope (250 mm, f/5, 31 x 10 sec).
Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS). Composite of 31 images taken with a Vaonis Vespera-Pro Telescope (250 mm, f/5, 31 x 10 sec).

Tuesday (26-November-2024) — New Jersey

Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS)

The comet and tail keep getting smaller and fainter. The estimated magnitude of the comet is now +9.2. I am only showing images from a Stellina and Vespera-Pro telescope not fitted with filters. The length of the comet tail can be estimated based on the field of view for the telescope’s digital sensors. Stellina (1.0° x 0.7°) and Vespera Pro (1.6° x 1.6°). The jpg images were processed to increase the brightness (Capture One Pro) and reduce the noise (Topaz AI).

Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS). Composite of 30 images taken with a Vaonis Stellina Telescope (400 mm, f/5, 30 x 10 sec).
Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS). Composite of 30 images taken with a Vaonis Stellina Telescope (400 mm, f/5, 30 x 10 sec).

Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS). Composite of 31 images taken with a Vaonis Vespera-Pro Telescope (250 mm, f/5, 31 x 10 sec).
Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS). Composite of 31 images taken with a Vaonis Vespera-Pro Telescope (250 mm, f/5, 31 x 10 sec).

Sunday (24-November-2024) — New Jersey

Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS)

The comet and tail keep getting smaller and fainter. The estimated magnitude of the comet is now +9.1. I am only showing images from the Stellina telescope since the Vespera telescopes are fitted with filters for viewing emission nebulae.

Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS). Composite of 30 images taken with a Vaonis Stellina Telescope (400 mm, f/5, 30 x 10 sec).
Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS). Composite of 30 images taken with a Vaonis Stellina Telescope (400 mm, f/5, 30 x 10 sec).