Sun – H-Alpha – March 4, 2010
Sketch and Details by Erika Rix
2010 March 4
Solar h-alpha, Active regions 1051, 1052, 1053
PCW Memorial Observatory, Zanesville, Ohio USA – Erika Rix
DS 60mm Maxscope, LXD75, 21-7mm Zhumell
H-alpha sketch created scope-side with black Canson paper, white Conte’ crayon and pencil, white Prang watercolor pencil, Derwent charcoal pencil, black oil pencil.
Temp: -1°C, Humidity 75%
Seeing: Wilson 4, Transparency: 4.6/6
Light cirrus, calm, Alt: 35.1, Az: 140.0
NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory Launch
Sketch and Details by Stephen Ramsden
I know that this is a bit off the wall, but I got so inspired by the SDO going up safely that I decided to sketch it. Hope you like it.
_________________________________________________________________
NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory
Atlas V rocket
Cape Kennedy Space Center, FL USA
Feb 11th, 2010
This is colored Conte oil crayons, #2 pencils and a napkin for smudging on black Artagain recycled sketch paper. This sketch was my impression of several frames from the NASA launch video.
I was very thrilled when the SDO launched successfully. I cannot wait until data starts streaming into Goddard Space Flight Center from this, the first mission in NASA’s living with a star program. Great timing too as we have seen such a dramatic uptick in Solar activity the last few weeks.
Stephen W. Ramsden
Atlanta, GA
www.solarastrophotography.com
Sinus Iridum
Sketch and Details by Frank McCabe
In the waning moonlight the shadows of the Jura mountain peaks could be seen on the floor of Sinus Iridum. On this mid-August night I was experiencing and enjoying a full night observing and sketching. The moon occupied my time during the second half of this session all the way to sunrise. It was one of the rare nights with cool dry air and great seeing conditions.
Sinus Iridum (260km.) is what remains of the Upper Imbrium impact on the floor of the Sea of Showers. The dark basaltic lava floor with its wrinkled ridges could be clearly seen as the sunset shadow was approaching. Several notable and recognizable features could be seen and included Promontorium Heraclides at the southwestern end of the crater rim arc over to Promontorium Laplace on the northeastern side. Old craters Mairan (40 km.), Sharp (40 km.), Bianchini (38 km.), were all clearly seen and sketched as well as the younger impact scars of Harpalus (39 km.) and Bauguer (22 km.), with ancient Mare Frigoris (Lower Imbrium) beyond the remains of the ejecta of Sinus Iridum. Much of dorsum Zirkel (216 km.) and dorsum Heim (134 km.) could be seen paralleling the terminator at the lower end of the sketch.
I was pleased I did not miss this fine evening for observing and sketching at the telescope.
Sketching:
For this sketch I used: black Canson paper 9″x 12″, white and black Conte’
pastel pencils , and Conte’crayons, a blending stump, plastic and gum erasers. Brightness was decreased -2 using the scanner for this sketch
Telescope: 10 inch f/ 5.7 Dobsonian with 9mm (161x) eyepiece
Date: 8-15-2009 10:00-11:20 UT
Temperature: 16°C (60°F)
Clear , calm
Seeing: Antoniadi II
Co longitude 206.3°
Lunation days 24.3
Illumination 32.1%
ESO 350-40
Hover mouse over image to view labels
Sketch and Details by Scott Mellish
ESO 350-40
The “Cartwheel Galaxy”
Ring Galaxy
Ilford NSW Australia
13/12/09
56cm f5 Dobsonian telescope
Field: 27′
218x magnification
Sky Quality Meter reading 21:76
Black Canford paper
White oil pencil
White pen
White pastel chalk
The enigmatic Cartwheel Galaxy is a tough enough object to observe let alone sketch.
During a nice clear night in December I made an attempt to sketch it as accurately as possible to the actual eyepiece view, and I was reasonably pleased with the end result.
The trouble with the Cartwheel is that it is quite faint and ill defined in most amateur telescopes, as averted vision is required to capture glimpses of the more subtle features of the object.
To sum up the galaxy is visible as a soft oval glow some 2.0′ x 2.0′ in size, with the two unusual companion galaxies around 1.3′ to the left as can be seen in the sketch.
Another galaxy some 2.0′ above and slightly to the left of the companions was also visible, this galaxy has no relationship with the Cartwheel.
Sculptor was getting a bit low in the west whilst I was doing this sketch, but it was possible during moments of steady seeing and using averted vision to just barely make out the ring structure, but it was very faint.
I could not detect any hint of the “spokes” as seen in the Hubble image, but with a larger scope and steadier seeing they could quite possibly be a chance.
The brighter more active star forming region of the galaxy was discernible as a slightly mottled curved patch some 1.6′ x 0.4′ in size, as can be seen slightly off center to the lower right.
I have included a duplicate reference sketch for those unfamiliar with this elusive and very rare object.
Scott Mellish
Mars – January 7, 2010
Sketch and Details by Christian Gros
Bonjour,
Ce dessin a été réalisé à l’aide d’une lunette 120ED avec des grossissements allant de x150 à x360, par bonnes conditions mais par un froid polaire de -10°C !
Je me suis servi de crayons pastels sur feuille noire.
Object Name : Mars
Object Type : Planet
Location : Besançon / France
Date : 7 janvier 2010
Salutations
Christian Gros
Google Language Tools Translation:
Hello,
This drawing was made using a telescope 120ED with magnifications from x150 to x360, with good conditions but by a polar cold of -10 ° C!
I used pencil crayons on black paper.
Object Name: Mars
Object type: Planet
Location: Besançon / France
Date: January 7, 2010
Greetings
Christian Gros
Sun – January 14, 2010, 2038 – 2200 UT
Sketch and Details by Erika Rix
2010 Jan 14, 2038UT – 2200UT
Solar h-alpha and white light, AR1040, Cycle 24
PCW Memorial Observatory, Zanesville, Ohio USA – Erika Rix
DS 60mm Maxscope, LXD75, ETX70-AT w/tilt plate, 21-7mm Zhumell
H-alpha sketch created scopeside with black Canson paper, white Conte’ crayon and pencil, white Prang watercolor pencil, Derwent charcoal pencil, black oil pencil. White light sketch created scopeside with white copy paper, #2 pencil, 0.5mm mechanical pencil.
Sketches were rotated and flipped to match standard solar orientation. West is to the right and north is to the top.
Temp: 1.8°C-10.7°C, Humidity 61%-30%
Seeing: Wilson 4, Transparency: 3/6
Light cirrus, calm, Alt: 15.4, Az: 223.8
Part of Basin Schiller – Zucchius
Sketch and Details by Frank McCabe
After 12 cloudy days and nights I was anxious to get out under a clear sky to make an attempt at sketching a lunar target of opportunity. Before selecting a target I noticed the moon was moving through the Pleiades and created a very interesting binocular target. With the moon at 12.5 days into the lunation, the waxing gibbous phase was showing me the Schiller – Zucchius basin very nicely. I centered on two craters to one side of this 3 ringed basin. First the young Copernican period crater Zucchius (65 km.) with its terraced inner walls and shadowed floor looked deeper than its 3.3 km. measured depth because of the light and shadow. Sharing a common wall with this crater is the ancient and similar sized Segner (68 km.). This pre-Nectarian crater looked old and worn. Its rim was low and had nothing in the way of central peaks just a small nearly centered crater Segner H. Extending from the north side of crater Segner’s outer rim is a ridge which is a short wall segment of the second basin ring. What looks much like a shallow depression and measures about the same size as these two craters is the central ring of the basin and can be seen at the lower left (Northeast) in the sketch.
A photo of this entire basin credited to Gary Seronik can be seen on LPOD for October 17, 2004
http://www.lpod.org/archive/LPOD-2004-10-17.htm
I found myself sketching quickly in the cold air which was rapidly dropping in temperature as I sketched. After about an hour I considered the sketch finished and returned to the indoor warmth to thaw out.
Sketching:
For this sketch I used: black Canson paper 9″x 12″, white and black Conte’
pastel pencils , and Conte’crayons, a blending stump, plastic and gum erasers. Brightness was not altered but contrast was increased +2 using the scanner for this sketch
Telescope: 10 inch f/ 5.7 Dobsonian with 6mm (241x) eyepiece
Date: 12-29-2009 4:45-5:45 UT
Temperature: -8°C (18°F)
Clear, calm
Seeing: Antoniadi IV
Co longitude 60.6°
Lunation 12.7 days
Illumination 90.7%
Frank McCabe
Messier 42, 43 and NGC 1977
Messier 42 Trapezium
Sketch and Details by Kiminori Ikebe
M42 (NGC 1976) Ori diffuse nebula Difficulty level 1
M43 (NGC 1982) Ori diffuse nebula Difficulty level 2
NGC 1977 Ori diffuse nebula Difficulty level 3
Date of observation: 1995/01/25 22:08
Observing site: Hoshinomura
Transparency/seeing/sky darkness: 2/4/2
Instruments: 30×125 binoculars
Width of field: 1.6‹
This is the brightest and most interesting diffuse nebula among those that are visible from Japan. It shows very complex structures and extremely difficult to draw. North of this nebula a diffuse nebula called NGC 1977 is clearly visible.
NGC 1999: This nebula is relatively bright with complex structures. If this nebula was a separate object, it could attract more attention of observers.
M42: Even at this magnification the four stars of the Trapezium are resolved and a dark band intruding the bright nebulosity from the east is noticeable. There are three stars along this dark band. There is also a dark band south of the Trapezium.
M43: The star at the center stands out and the southeast side of the nebulosity is sharply defined by dark areas.
Wolf Crater
Montes Harbinger
Schiller Crater
Sketches and Details by Dale Holt
I have assembled three sketches made at my hand over the Christmas holiday. The first caught my eye because of its shape under the illumination on the evening of observation. It struck me how it looks like a ‘love heart’ I later researched and found that this worn and likely flooded feature? Was Wolf no longer a Wolf’s den! But in my sketch perhaps a Wolf’s heart?
The second of my sketches, and personal favourite of the three is of the magnificent mountain range, Montes Harbinger, I was drawn by the brightly illuminated peaks and anthracite black, jagged and far reaching shadows reminiscent of the angry wood hungry teeth of an old rip saw!
Finally for the of my trio, completed last night it depicts the giant foot print of Schiller, seeing was good and detail plentiful, a wonderful way to spend an hour.
I hope these trio find favour with you? Drawn using my 6″ refractor in all cases & rendered with pastel & watercolour pencils upon black artist paper.
Happy New Year, Dale
NGC 6302 – The Bug Nebula
Sketch and Details by Scott Mellish
NGC 6302 “The Bug Nebula”
Planetary Nebula
Sagittarius
19/09/09
Ilford NSW Australia
56cm f5 dobsonian
Field: 15′
Magnification: 314x
Sky Quality Meter reading: 21:38
Black Canford paper
White pen
White pencil
White pastel chalk
Blending stump
It had been a while since I visited the Bug Nebula.
As Sagittarius was getting a bit low in the west I thought I might catch it before it went behind the trees.
I was pleased with the eyepiece view and remembered the Hubble image of it.
While the Hubble image wins hands down with subtle detail, the view through a large aperture dob is certainly nothing to be ashamed of.
Scott Mellish
