Hi,
Here’s a recent sketch I made from the Belt of Orion (Collinder 70) a few weeks ago, using my 15×80 Vixen Big Binocular, mounted on the SkyWindow (a mirror mount). The field of view is about 3.5 degrees. The sketch was made from my own backyard. To see more of my sketches and observing reports, please visit http://www.starobserver.eu
Clear skies
Math
Every star visible with a scope are from our galaxy, supernovas are an exception!
The exploded star was clearly visible, maybe could seem just a star, but friends is a SUPERNOVA!!
NGC 2655 + SN2011B
Galaxy + Supernova
Torroja del Priorat – Spain
22-01-2011
Graphite pencil and blending stump, simply inverted with PS and rounded stars too.
Greetings
Stefano
Object name: SN 2011B
Object type: star, supernova
Constellation: Camelopardalis
Date: 2011.01.24,84 UT
Technique: Graphite pencil, white paper, GIMP2
Equipment: L200/1000, PL10 mm
Observer: Krzysztof Kida
Place: Elblag, Poland
Object Name: Eta Carina Nebula (NGC3372)
Object Type: Nebulae
Location: Itajobi – SP – Brazil
Date: 30/12/2010 – 05h15min U.T.
Media: 0.5mm 2B graphite pencil on white paper, scanned and inverted.
Telescope: 180mm f/D=6 reflector, dob. mount.
Eyepieces: Antares Plössl 10mm; GSO Super Plössl 32mm (as seen in the picture).
Barlow: GSO three-element 2.5x
Turbulence: 3/5 (regular).
Seeing: 4/5 (good).
Fair wind, no clouds, high temperatures.
If you are allowed to point your telescope (or even a bino) toward south, you’ll be able to see this stunning deep sky object. I was waiting Saturn to rise, the sky was nice, cloudless. I had observed this object sometimes before, without knowing its name. That night I decided to sketch it, so I could search for its name later. Positioning each star was surely the hardest part. I’ve observed it from my backyard, not thoroughly dark, but enough to see incredible features, specially using the barlow lens. The Keyhole Nebula, inside Eta Carina Nebula, was amazing. That’s the way I like to sketch: knowing nothing about the object in advance, not to influence the register. I prefer researching about it after observing, it’s much more pleasant. I hope you enjoy it, I loved the image I’ve seen.
Clear sky to all,
Rodrigo Pasiani Costa.
NGC 1555
“Hind’s Variable Nebula”
Reflection Nebula
Taurus
11/12/10
Ilford NSW Australia
56cm f5.0 dobsonian telescope
Field: 29′
Magnification: 166x
Sky Quality Meter reading: 21:60
Black Canford paper
White pen
White pencil
White pastel chalk
Paint brush
This somewhat mysterious reflection nebula was discovered by John Hind in 1852.
It began to fade in 1861 due to the wide fluctuations in brightness from the illuminating star T Tauri.
By 1868 it had disappeared from view to even the largest telescopes.
It was not observed again until 1890 when Edward Barnard and Sherburne Burnham managed to locate it.
Since the 1930s it has been gradually brightening but remains an observational challenge to deep sky observers.
In my 56cm dob the nebula could only just be seen as a diffuse patch about 1.0′ x 0.8′ in size just of to the lower right of T Tauri (top star).
Whether you can see it or not will depend on your monitor screen.
T Tauri is an irregular variable star around 600 ly away that can range from magnitude 9.0 to 14.0 in brightness.
I also noticed that the mag 8.4 star HD 27560 towards the bottom of the sketch seemed to have a very faint haze around it, which was either some light fog on the eyepiece, or the region around it may contain an amount of interstellar dust.
Incidentally a nebulosity was reported by Otto Struve in 1868 and known as “Struves Lost Nebula” in the vicinity of Hind’s Variable Nebula and given the catalogue number NGC 1554 by Dreyer.
The nebulosity was not seen by observers after Struve’s discovery and has not been located since.
Some Catalogues such as Sky Atlas 2000.0 group NGC 1554 and NGC 1555 together as a single object.
The Palomar Sky Survey plates do not show anything at the reported position.
It is possible that the Lost Nebula may have been a transient portion of the reflection nebula in this section of the sky.
Scott Mellish
VY Canis Majoris
Hypergiant Star
Canis Major
11/12/10
Ilford NSW Australia
56cm f5 dobsonian telescope
Field:12′
Magnification: 404x
Sky Quality Meter reading: 21:67
Black Canford paper
White pen
While pencil
Yellow oil pencil
White oil pencil
Red pastel pencil
The hypergiant star VY Canis Majoris is not a particularly well known observing target, but it is however a very interesting object.
Sometimes referred to as the “Little Humunculus” this object is currently thought to be the largest star in the Milky Way.
Visually in the 56cm dob at fairly high magnification this strange object exhibits a tiny tail of ejecta as can be seen in the sketch.
The last time I observed this star was about 4 years ago in my old 41cm dob when I looked at it a couple of times over a three month period and
noticed it to be slightly fainter on occasions, so it must be slightly variable.
The first mention of VY Canis Majoris was in a star catalogue by Jérôme Lalande in 1801, where it was listed as a mag 7 star.
Needless to say that it is a star of stupendous dimensions estimated to be around 1800-2100 solar radii, and about 450 000 times brighter than our sun.
However the true size and nature of this remarkable star is still debated.
It is a highly unstable star that is shedding an immense amount of mass and is quite possibly a supernova candidate.
RA: 07 22 58 DEC: -25 46 03
Scott Mellish
Merry Christmas and Happy new 2011 at all artists !!!!
Clear sky, Giorgio Bonacorsi.
Hi. This is my sketch of the Venus Morning. On that day, next to Venus
there were: Spica, Saturn, Moon.
Object name: Venus, Spica, Saturn, Moon.
Object type: Conjunction
Date: 2010.12.01, 22 UT
Technique: Graphite pencil + GIMP2
Equipment: naked eye
Observer: Krzysztof Kida
Place: Elblag, Poland
Object Name: Kemble’s Cascade
Object Type: Asterism
Location: Barcelona (Spain)
Date: 2010-10-15; 22h 18m U.T.
Media: White paper, HB2 graphite pencil, and scanned with Photoshop
Binoculars: Celestron Skymaster 15×70 with tripod.
Seeing: 3/5 (5= The best)
Transparency: Clear. Moderate light pollution. Moon 60% iluminated
Constelation: Camelopardalis
Position: R.A.: 03h 57.4m / Dec: +63º 04′
This asterism in Camelopardalis was discovered by Fray Lucian J. Kemble in 1980. In his own words: “A beautiful cascade of faint stars tumbling from the Northeast down to the open cluster NGC1502. Great asterism for binoculars with the aid of a dark sky”.
Best regards.
Oscar.
Eta Carina star & Key hole nebula
2010.7.15 19:00~22:00
Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia
Trans 6/6, Seeing 4/5, Limiting Mag. 6.5
Obssesion 18″ UC (f=1915mm)
Televue Ethos 13mm (147x)
Black paper(A4 size) and pastel.
Last July, I went to Australia with obssesion 18″ UC to observing star.
(My hometown is S.Korea)
During my observation trip, lots of cloud covered with Australia.
So we rented a car, and moved everyday to find clear sky. (Goondiwindi, Miles, Coonabarabran)
Eta Carina star is incredible!!!
It is not difficulty for observe erupted materials from Eta Carina star.
I did’n expect observing “Giant eruptions”, but I observed this feature with 18″ UC and extremly clear sky
(I saw belt of venus and zodiacal light every night)
Key hole nebula is clear and impressive dark nebula beside Eta Carina star.
Kanguk Cho, Nightwid
