H-Alpha Sun – March 31, 2010
By Stephen Ames
I use:
Crayola Cerulean pencil for plage
Crayola Aqua Green pencil for proms
White 20# paper
I scan into photoshop and invert.
Blue skies,
Stephen Ames
See your life giving sun in vivid images and art
from observers all over the world at
www.SeeMySunspot.com
NGC 4755
By Scott Mellish
NGC 4755 “The Jewel Box”
Open Cluster
Crux
18/03/10
Ilford NSW Australia
56cm f5 Dobsonian
Field: 27′
Magnification: 149x
Sky Quality Meter reading: 21:46
There was a bit of haze around while I was out observing, along with intermittent thin cloud so I decided to stick with something bright.
I have sketched NGC 4755 a number of times, but I have to say that a sketch can never do justice to this very beautiful object.
With this sketch I put in an extra effort to try and get as accurate a representation as I could.
The “Jewel Box” was discovered by Nicolas Louis de Lacaille when he was in the southern hemisphere during the years 1751-53
John Hershel was suitably impressed when he observed the cluster and wrote the following description-
“this cluster, though neither a large nor a rich one, is yet and extremely brilliant and beautiful object when viewed through an instrument of sufficient aperture to show distinctly the very different colour of its constituent stars, which give it the effect of a superb piece of fancy jewellery”
NGC 4755 contains some of the most luminous supergiant stars within the Milky Way ranging from around 83 000 to 75 000 times the brightness of the Sun. The central orange coloured star in the sketch is a massive red supergiant about equal to Betelguese.
One really has to look at this object through a telescope to really enjoy the visual treat of this exquisite open cluster.
Scott Mellish.
Mars – May 22, 2010
By Charles Galdies
Mars
Planet
Malta 35:52N; 14:26E; http://znith-observatory.blogspot.com
22 May 2010, 19:32 UT
Media (coloured pencils, white paper, scanning software, image processing)
200mm SCT f/10, 422x, seeing 4/10, trans 3/5
The style of this sketch portrays the feeling of ‘distancing’ from the planet Mars, shown as a small globe against a larger, black background.
Mars’ apparent diameter is now reduced to around 6″, which is far from a maximum of 14″ I have viewed and sketched last January. Still, 5 minutes of observation time in not so ideal atmospheric conditions (lots of air turbulence) and bright moonlight were enough to detect the main albedo features on the surface of Mars, currently residing in the constellation of Leo.
I didn’t think it worthwhile to use colour filters due to the limited seeing conditions. However a light blue filter could have slightly enhanced the visibility of the features.
The much reduced north polar cap was seen as tiny bright patch adjacent to Niliacus Lacus. Underneath, the prominent Mare erythraeum was also visible.
No other subtle features were detected along the edge of M. erythraeum next to Chryse. Tharsis appeared bright.
Charles Galdies
Why We Sketch
By Frank McCabe
As the sunset begins to open the view deeper into the darkness of our universe; those of us who sketch the nighttime sky are drawn out to our favorite targets for a view of the glory. Why do we sketch the stars, galaxies, nebulae, planets, moon and in the daytime the sun? We do it because it is a most creative outlet for our interest in astronomy. It is a proactive way to improve our visual observational enjoyment. As a result of sketching we create for ourselves a more critical observers eye and take deeper, longer looks at the multitude of visible targets in this universe we all share.
Astrophotography is another avenue often pursued by the amateur observer but with sketching there is an attempt to duplicate the view at the eyepiece which is not the same as a captured photographic image. The differences are all well and good with many amateurs enjoying one or the other or both.
With a sketch we have a visual hand drawn record which can be used to supplement a written log. It can bring us right back to a specific observation in the years ahead. We also have many choices of media to record what we see, including traditional types and electronic as well. Sketching is fun and challenging and we don’t need any special skills to get started.
If you feel as I do, you take great pleasure in seeing the many sketches posted here and elsewhere by astronomers from around the world sitting or standing at the eyepiece of an instrument or even without one recording the beauty they see in the nighttime sky.
This is my tribute to sketchers here and elsewhere sharing our personal view of the heavens.
Sketch:
Naked eye drawing
Sky conditions were good for transparency
Date and Time: 5/12/2010; 2:25 -2:55 UT
9″ x 12″ white Strathmore Windpower smooth Bristol paper, # 2HB, # 4HB graphite pencils, powdered brown and yellow Crayola colored pencils, light blue colored pencil, white Conte’ pastel, gum eraser.
After scanning the drawing was cropped and inverted Using Microsoft Office Picture Manager, brightness was increased +1 during scanning.
Frank McCabe
ESO 270-17
By Scott Mellish
ESO 270-17
18/03/10
“Fourcade-Figueroa Object”
Galaxy
Centaurus
Ilford NSW Australia
56cm f5 Dobsonian telescope
Field: 15′
Magnification: 314
Centaurus
Sky Quality Meter reading: 21:31
This is a sketch I done recently of the elusive galaxy ESO 270-17, sometimes described as the “Fourcade-Figueroa object”. Studies have shown that this galaxy could quite possibly have collided with NGC 5128 “Centaurus A” in the distant past and thus is considered as a “shred”.
The alignment of the dust band of NGC 5128 with ESO 270-17 and also its lack of rotation has lead researchers to conclude that this quite faint galaxy
had collision based origins.
A dark sky site and some decent aperture are essential for observing this unusual object.
Scott Mellish
H-Alpha Sun – May 4, 2010
By Stephen Ames
I use:
Crayola Cerulean pencil for plage
Crayola Aqua Green pencil for proms
White 20# paper
I scan into photoshop and invert.
Blue skies,
Stephen Ames
Vela Supernova Remnant
Sketch and Details by Gábor Sánta
Dear ASOD,
I want to post my newest drawing about a very interesting deepsky object.
Nearby Supernova Remnant
Object: Vela Supernova Remnant
Constellation: Vela
Date: 06. 04. 2010.
Time: 18:20-19:15 UTC
Location: 27 m above sea level next to Kalo Nero, SE Crete, Greece, EU
Instrument: 130/650 (5″ f/5) Newtonian, 32 mm Plossl (20x magn.)
Filter: O III
Limiting magnitude: better than 6.5
Printed background used
Composite (multiple-field) observation
From 2 to 10 April we three – all Hungarian amateur astronomers – were at Crete to enjoy near-south deepsky wonders in Puppis, Vela, Centaurus and Scorpius because these constellations or southern parts of them are never seen from our home. Observed Omega Cen, Cen A, NGC 2451, NGC 2477, NGC 6231 and more in the very clear sky. Light pollution was minimal.
Cause of its 800 light year distance, the Vela SNR is the nearest known and observable remnant of an exploding star (connecting to Vela Pulsar). Cause of its location in northern Vela, culminate at 10-12 deg. above the sea level (our fantastic southern horizon). So I tried to hunt its mystic filaments spread in an 8 deg diameter circle. And finally I was sucesful, I could see – by the help of a detailed map – most of dim filaments of this really interesting supernova remnant. North to this, you can see Gum 14 and Gum 17, between them the cloudy Collinder 197. These HII regions were brighter than the remnant. To save time, I used a background printed before.
I would like to suggest observing Vela SNR if you can see it at least 10-15 deg. above your horizon, southern the 35th parallel.
Best regards,
Gabor Santa
Szeged, Hungary
Leader of Deep-Sky Section in the Hungarian Astronomical Association
Markarian’s Chain
Sketch and Details by Paul Caucal
Move cursor over image to view labels • Click to view full sketch sheet
Hello!
First, I’m a French man so sorry for my bad english! This sketch was drawn with a refractor telescope 3.2″ APO (80mm) with a 25mm eyepiece (24x,) on azimuthal mount in Italia during my holiday. About the seeing and the transparency, I noted a seeing of 3/5, a transparency of 2/5 and a light pollution of 2/5. Thus, the sky was very good because I was in the campaign. The sketch lasted three hours and forty five minutes, from 21h45UT till 1h30UT. In the eyepiece, there were ten galaxies which three very bright as M84, M86 and M87! Attached, two versions of the same sketch, one right and one annotated with the name of galaxies.
Other information
Best regards,
Paul Caucal
Web site: http://pagesperso-orange.fr/univers-iles
Saturn – March 8, 2010
Sketch and Details by Serge Vieillard
On March 8, 2010, it was off to the Observatory of Paris, on the venerable 380 mm glass (to see “Mars). We passed under the plane of the rings and they are currently well closed and gray in color. The crepe ring is thus particularly obvious. The vision is very white, very bright, with a yellowish and suspicion sometimes of a greenish tinge. G 750X.
Mars 2010 Composite
Sketches by 24 Observers
Composite by Serge Vieillard; Description and Submission by Christian Gros
I am attaching a board of the 2010 opposition of Mars, realized by Serge Vieillard. He gathered the drawings displayed on the French sites AstroSurf and Webastro and made this beautiful spiral. The drawings of the most experienced ones are alongside the beginners (the youngest artist was only ten years old), which makes such a collective approach so worthwhile. It is interesting to note the style of each, and he has been very careful to position the drawings so that we can see the rotation of the planet!
Object Name: Mars
Object type: Planet
Location: France
Date: April 12, 2010
(French-English Translation using Google and other online dictionaries)
Original French description:
Je vous joins une planche de l’opposition martienne 2010 réalisée par Serge Vieillard. Ce dernier a recensé les dessins présentés sur les sîtes francophones Astrosurf et Webastro et en a fait cette belle spirale. Les dessins des plus chevronnés cotoient ceux des débutants (le plus jeune dessinateur n’a que dix ans), ce qui fait tout l’intérêt d’une telle démarche collective. Il est intéressant de remarquer le style de chacun, et Serge a bien pris soin de positionner les dessins de telle sorte que l’on peut voir la rotation de la planète !
Artists:
Yohan Archambaud
Jean-Marc Beraud
Nicolas Biver
Fred Burgeot
Xavier Camer
Cricri
Youenn Daniel
Pierre Desvaux
Sebastien Graziani
Christian Gros
Christophe Gros
Vincent Gros
Vincent Jacques
Daniel Paletti
Emmanuel Pelegrin
Ptit Prince 974
José Rodrigues
Gérard Sirven
Daube Sonne
Pierre Strock
Bruno Thien
Julien Vandermarlière
Serge Vieillard
Vvastro
