Watercolor – Page 2 – Astronomy Sketch of the Day

The tropical Scorpion

Last month my family visited the home town in southern Vietnam where (my) wife’s mother lives. Several days and nights passed too fast as (they) always did to appreciate enough the tropical life and nature. The feeling of daily life here is always bright , busy, active,pleasant ,greenish,abundant and warm and noisy, the sun shines far intensely than in Korea, every roads every rivers flooding with motorcycles , boats , peoples, …. One late afternoon we visited a near temple to pray, have a conversation with a Buddhist priest ,rest until the sun set and ate noodles in a small restaurant near the temple . When the darkness spread on the west horizon where still remained in vermillion hue, I could see the magnificent Scorpion in full of stars, constellation rising 40 degree altitude which I always could only see the scorpions head in Korea, my location. Reaching mother’s house I aimed my hand binocular at the scorpion’s tail and I saw 7-8 globular, 8-10 open clusters. On the other nights I saw the Sirius hang on almost 75 degree altitude and the Altair hang on the zenith. I love Vietnamise song much, that helps artwork,astronomy together . —————-

Object; Constellation scorpio

Observe/ Sketch for 2 hours; (September) 9, 2014

Water color painting for 4 hours ; (September) 10, 2014

naked eye (with eyeglasses) , x1 power

Location ; Southern Vietnam ,T.P.Cantho near Equator [ ca 5 degree N]

White paper [50 x35 cm] with pencils , watercolors with brushies

4 Dimensions for Jacques

C/2014 E2 Jacques - August 24, 2014 — C/2014 E2 Jacques – August 24, 2014

Object Name (C/2014 E2 Jacques)
Object Type (Comet)
Location (Varages Provence France)
Date (24-08-2014)
Media (watercolour, 4 white paper, Paint.net and 3D photo maker)
With our sketches we are staying with 2D only, the two dimensions of our papers.
So, I project to reach 3D with anaglyph (cyan-red) glasses. It’s not so easy to make four watercolour layers, two inverted one naked eye for the sky and another through the eyepiece for the comet, plus two classical views one for the telescope and one for the landscape… and then compile all of them with stereo slip.

But on top of that I want to reach another dimension, the time! Today, it was the good time to try that!
This Lautter refractor, was build in 1830 ! The telescope and this lovely mount aren’t copies but originals. In the year 1830, the comet Jacques was very far from the today’s orbit. To give an idea of this 1830 old-time, we just invent photography and railway, the country of Belgium, the cities of Miami and Victoria doesn’t exist yet. That gives us an idea of the fourth dimension.
The light coming from the comet Jacques was seen trough those very old lenses.
The watercolours show this old lady refractor of Jean-Luc and Caroline, my friends from the “La Blaque” domain, near Varages in Provence.
This antiquity was shown for the first time to the public during our yearly star party : august 2014 24th; what a success! I was lucky to receive some EP time (just 15 minutes) to sketch the comet Jacques. Regarding the long queue of curious waiting for a view of the comet I was quite happy.
A diameter of 180mm f/d 15 with a 40mm eyepiece gives a magnification of 67X. The end time for the comet field was 21:45 UTC.

To see the 3D effect of the second picture you have to use anaglyph glasses.

Clear sky to you all !

Michel Deconinck

The Sun in H-alpha – aquarel technique

The Hydrogen-alpha solar disk on July 25, 2014 using Aquarel pencils on Aquarel paper.

Date and time: 25th July 2014, UT 15:30
Place: Tarjan, Hungary (Astronomy Camp of the Hungarian Astronomical Association)
Equipment: 35/400 H-alpha Lunt LS35T, 12 mm
I used colour aquarel pencils on special aquarel paper.

Regards,
Judit

Moon Race Watercolour

July 4-8, 2014 - Conjunction of Moon with Mars, Saturn and Spica — July 4-8, 2014 – Conjunction of Moon with Mars, Saturn and Spica

July 4-8, 2014 - Conjunction of the Moon, Mars, Saturn and Spica — July 4-8, 2014 – Conjunction of the Moon, Mars, Saturn and Spica

* Object Name (Moon, Mars, Saturn)
* Object Type (Conjunctions)
* Location (Artignosc-sur-Verdon – Provence – France)
* Date (2014 from 4 to 8 July)
* Media (Watercolour, white paper, paint.net to invert the result)

From July 4 to 8 Moon played with planets. From a purely astronomical point of view the Moon showed us some beautiful conjunctions, Mars, Spica and then Saturn. By the way the game was a little complicated with the clouds. What a season!
On July 5, the moon was still visible behind heavy clouds. The next day, I have not even been able to detect the moon light ! I had to invent the sky. July 7, when the Moon approaches Saturn, clouds returned to disturb the magic of the moment. I’m a bit fed-up about this weather, and I think not being alone!
The advantage of astro-artist on the astro-photographer is that we can complete our design. This time I have to add the missing lunar position on the view. And to capture those irritating clouds, I painted a hazy wash around the Moon as was the case on July 5.
The small hilltop village that served as a foreground is called Artignosc-sur-Verdon. I confess to being quite happy by this view. Artignosc is just halfway to two now well-known astro-spots “The Blaque” in Varages and the OAB in Bauduen. And ‘cause we are nevertheless in Provence, believe me above the clouds the sky is very dark!
Still … what a season!

To do this watercolour, I went out on my terrace at ten PM every night, sometimes before the storm, sometimes after and once during, being passionate or you do not. Every time I sketched some sketches in a hurry, and took two or three pictures allow me to keep the shades. At the workshop, I started by gathering the different positions of the stars and their locations relative to the village. In less than a week, only the Lunar race was noteworthy, Mars and Saturn are much quieter than the stars. Then I realized in reverse mode (colors and contrast) this watercolour. I just had to scan my sheet and reverse the colors.

http://astro.aquarellia.com

Michel Deconinck

Double Crescents

The conjunction of the Moon and Venus - January 2, 2014 — The conjunction of the Moon and Venus – January 2, 2014

I got a quick walk up the hill behind the house this afternoon with 8×32 Nikon binoculars, I scanned for Venus at 16.20ut and was surprised to see a very thin crescent moon in the same fov, also even in the binoculars Venus was a sharp and beautiful crescent, I walked home quickly and made a memory painting in watercolours to try and capture a totally exquisite sight 🙂

Dale

Do you want to know more about my interest in astronomy? If so take a look at my Website: www.chippingdaleobservatory.com

Keep up to date with observations from Chippingdale Observatory by reading the Blog http://chippingdaleobservatory.com/blog/

On the Horizon Near Mare Orientale

Mountains on the lunar horizon near Mare Orientale - June 15, 2014 — Mountains on the lunar horizon near Mare Orientale – June 15, 2014

Mountains on the lunar horizon near Mare Orientale, water color painting- June 20, 2014

Goddess Selene showed me this beautiful old Lunar horizon landscape on the good seeing night on 15th 6. 2014.

I was very happy to see this view .

I opened covers of optics at soon after sun set , …. always the 35kg 18″ flat in front of the 13″ og cools slowly, the image saturn began to show encke minima when I started observing at 10 o’clark.
I was very tired then to give up observing as this 13″ never showed me a Lunar view that surpass 8″….. until now , I slept for 2-3 hours till 2 o’ clock ….. I woke up and again looked through the bino eyepieces.

The beautiful whole Lunar surface was there in incredible details that far surpass the 8″ even along the entire moon limbs… even in that low transparency night, then every skepticisms about the optical qualities shattered , vanished away.
The power of 13′ OG could penetrated twice times into the lunar horizon, so sketch span reduced from 70- 80 km of 8″ og to 30-40 km of 13″ og.

I was interested in water color painting when I was a high-school student and there is 40 years vacancy till worked again on this a lunar limb water -color picture.

…..Still work-able…, right?

Always clear nights, to all amateurs
K. S. Min

—————-

Object; Two mountains near Mare Orientale West Lunar limb

Observe/ Sketch for 2.5 hours; 15. 6, 2014

Water color painting for 2 hours ; 20. 6, 2014

13″ refractor, x 530, naglar 7s type 1

Lunation ; 16 day [14 day is incorrect]

Altitude of moon at 3 ;00 am; about 40 deg [maybe the amount of photons flow from that night’s moon came into the 13″ was 1/100 in compare with that from the clear cold winter nights’ high alt. moon ]

Location ; Backyard home in South. Korea

White paper [40 x30 cm] with pencils , [70x 40 cm] in color with brushes

Mars

Please find attached 2 of my recent Mars observations from this week rendered with Watercolour paints.

I used my 153mm Triplet F9 refractor, binoviewer and neodymium filter, 15mm Tele vue panoptic eyepieces yielding 215x.

I hope that they are of interest. Seeing was difficult on both occasions, but I have enjoyed seeing the bright clouds which the refractor has shown ably.

Kind regards, Dale

Do you want to know more about my interest in astronomy? If so take a look at my Website: http://www.chippingdaleobservatory.com/

Keep up to date with observations from Chippingdale Observatory by reading the Blog http://chippingdaleobservatory.com/blog/

PanSTARRS C/2012 K1 and STF1758

Object Name (PanSTARRS C/2012 K1 and STF1758)
Object Type (Comet and Double Star)
Location (OAB – Observatoire Astronomique de Bauduen)
Date (May 1st, 2014)
Media (graphite pencil, watercolor, white 300gr paper)

Ahhh, this night I really enjoyed myself! Imagine a unlikely place of beauty, the St. Croix lake, with the emerald waters of the “gorges du Verdon” and just above a sky of dream.
Between the two: the Olivier Planchon Observatory located near the nice small village of Bauduen. In the observatory a heavy reflector holding a main mirror of 24″ (620mm) f/d 3.3, a series of brand new Ethos eyepieces and voila.
My pencils show the target of the moment: another comet PanSTARRS, still quite small, but just near the comet a very pretty double star.
My friend “Apilaure” a specialist of double stars, talks about this double:
– It is also called STF1758, a Struve of 1830. The separation was 3.4” in 2010. It is more than likely a physical double because Hipparcos gives the same parallax for A and B, so a distance of 279 light year. The couple turns slowly, 15° in almost 2 centuries.

This is undoubtedly the superb material and this nice double, that I was deprived of the sight of the ion tail, I will return in this observatory, that’s more than sure!

I wish all the best to the ASOD community !

http://astro.aquarellia.com

Michel Deconinck

Mars Opposition Watercolour

•Object Name (Mars)
•Object Type (Planet)
•Location (Artignosc sur Verdon – France)
•Date (April 15th)
•Media (Watercolour on white paper, digital tools Paint.Net for the text)

I use my 4” refractor (achromatic) f/10 – 200x to make the initial sketch; sadly the 12” Dobson give me less contrast for this target. Although the full Moon was very bright, (maybe more bright because of the clear sky of my new small village of Artignosc), details on Mars were easy to watch.

After making the first sketch, some locals came in my backyard to have a look, I like that, and sharing beauty is so easy to do.

For this image I use watercolour, on a very humid 300gr paper, I let the pigment floating as I saw the planet colours. The water helps me to give a natural look and feel. Of course this image has no any scientific value; this is just to keep a souvenir of this Mars close passage. Don’t try to compare the little details of my watercolour with reality; I let that to my astrophotography friends, they are so good today!

More info (in French sorry) on http://astro.aquarellia.com

Friendly yours

Michel Deconinck

The Smoke Ring

Hey ASOD!

This time I send you my observation of the wellknown planetary M. 57 in Lyra.

The centralstar was not seen in my telescope, but the ring is allways beautiful to see!

The west and the eastern “ends” of the ring was more diffuse, and the northern

part of the ring brighter and sharper. Info on my sketch.

The sketch was made with watercolor crayons on black paper.

Location: Trondheim, Norway.

Best wishes from Per-Jonny Bremseth.