Pastels – Page 7 – Astronomy Sketch of the Day

NGC 1169 An Obsecure Galaxy in Perseus

Object Name: NGC 1169 in Perseus
Object Type: Galaxy Type Sb/SBb
Location: West Desert, Rush Valley, Utah
Date: November 6 2012
Time: 03:12 UT
Seeing: Antoniadi II
V. Mag: 11.6
Surface Brightness: 14.1
Size: 4.2’ x 2.8’
Scope: 14”Dobstuff with Zambuto mirror
Eyepiece: 10m Pentax XW w/Type I Paracorr (white lettering).
Media: Black Paper with chalk pastel (Mellish Method)

I’ve decided instead of jumping all around to return to the Herschel 400 II to complete that list as my new scope is now done being built. I’m still learning the nuisances of the scope but I need the clouds to get out of the way more at new moon! The galaxy is pretty bright but it is small. Using averted vision shows a faint halo. The core is very bright and there is a 13 to 13.5 mag star (estimated) on the southwest side of the core, rather super-imposed on it.

This sketch is dedicated to the late StepDad of Phil or City-Kid over at CloudyNights who passed away in late October. JC Miller was very interested in astronomy. May his light continue to reach his family and friends though out their lives as the light from objects above continue to reach each of us who look for them.

Werner’s X

hi, we ‘re facing another long period with really bad conditions for our hobby, here in Belgium. We exactly had 2 clear nights in the past 3 months. No good at all. But we were lucky yesterday. Clear skies and … exactly when Werner’s X is about to appear. Half past ten PM (22u33) local time, the X appeared slowly. The sketch was made with Conté pastel on black paper.
Equipment used: Tele Vue 101 SDF on Tele Vue Gibraltar mount. Indeed the way Steven O’Meara used to work for his books. Tele Vue Nagler Zoom 3-6mm. No filters used.
Thanks,
/Erik

Crater Bullialdus

After observing Saturn early on the morning of 4th February, I shifted my C11 telescope to the Moon.

The 60km diameter crater Bullialdus was prominent in Mare Nubium, with stark shadows and multiple central peaks showing in this illumination. After a quick pencil sketch, I took a photograph and some time later sketched the scene, using soft pastels on white paper.

North is to the top. The two craters below Bullialdus in the centre are Bullialdus A and B respectively. Above and to the left is the large flooded crater Lubiniezky .

It was worth the effort getting up at 4am to take advantage of the excellent seeing conditions and a phase of the moon I don’t often observe.

Details:
Crater Bullialdus in Mare Nubium, C11 (280mm SCT, 2.5x Barlow)
Adelaide, South Australia, February 4th 2013, 5:00 am local time.
Soft pastels on white paper.

-Ivan

Mare Crisium Illuminated on the Young Moon

Mare Crisium – Hover mouse over image to view labels

Mare Crisium is that interesting isolated sea on the northeastern side of the visible lunar surface. Not long before beginning the sketch, it became fully illuminated.

The Nectarian Period impact event that formed this feature occurred more than 3.8 billion years ago. The mare portion of the basin is about 500 kilometers across. In the grazing sunlight on the floor, wrinkled ridges were visible. Also on the western floor craters Picard (24 km.), Peirce (19 km.) and Swift (11km.) stood out in the low light. I could see the lighter gray bench lava that partly buried craters here such as Yerkes (37 km.). Tall flat top mountains (massifs) beyond the shore stand at 2-5 kilometers above the sea. Both promontoria Lavinium and Olivium stood out clearly in very brief moments.

Sketching:

For this sketch I used: 400 series black Strathmore Artagain paper 9″x 9″, white and black Conte’
pastel pencils , and Conte’crayons, a blending stump, plastic eraser.
Telescope: 13.1 inch f/ 6 Dobsonian with 6mm (332x)
Date: 2-13 & 14-2013 23:00 – 00:45 UT
Temperature: 1.7°C (35°F)
Weather: clear, calm
Seeing: not good Antoniadi IV
Co longitude: 310.9°
Lunation: 3.69 days
Illumination: 15.7%

Frank McCabe

Messier 43

[An excerpt from Dale Holt’s blog: Chippingdaleobservatory Blog ]
…I pushed onto the great Orion nebula, just intending to take a look but ended up once again trying to be artistic in a rendering of M43 the little brother to the much better known M42, to me this nebula is a ‘morsel’ about to be swallowed by the Angel fish that is M42 the great Orion Nebula. Putting dazzling M42 just out of the field to avoid its distraction one could view this nebula as a standalone and appreciate its form and the intricate darker regions and lanes that bisect it. When I showed my pastel sketch to friend Es Reid the next day, flatteringly he referred to it as like an ‘impressionist’s painting’ that will do for me 🙂

Langrenus crater

Title: Langrenus crater
My name: Silvia Fabi
Object name: Langrenus
Type: crater
Location: Ferrara
Date: 15/01/2013
Media: 6B and 2B pencil, white pastel
Seeing: II (Antoniadi scale)
Description: this crater is deep 2,7 Km and it has a diameter of 32 Km. Around the crater there are a lot of laudslapes and the walls are terraced. The central peak reflects a shadow on the floor of the crater.

Messier 81 and 82

Date: February 25th, 2012
Location: West Desert, Utah
Time: 07:15 UT and 07:45 UT approx.
Equipment: XX14i, 10mm, 5mm Pentax XW;
Conditions: Antoniadi I
Objects: Messier 81 & 82, Spiral Galaxies in Ursa Major
Sketches done using the Mellish Method with the contrast adjusted in GIMP.

Two of my last several objects of this night were M81 and M82 in Ursa Major. I included them because of the Light Pollution versus Dark Sky comparisons I am wanting to do. Now I just need to the sky to cooperate at home! Nothing but snow that melts the next day and clouds since. M82, Bode’s Galaxy in Ursa Major. Pretty close to spot on how I saw it.

Posidonius and Northern Serpentine Ridge

With the first clear night in more than one week, I was able to catch the sunset across crater Posidonius (99 km) at the northeastern edge of Mare Serentatis. Posidonius A (11 km.) , the highest of the small central peaks and the tilted and uplifted concentric ridge were the last features catching the light at sunset inside the rim. Also visible and included in this sketch was the northern most portion of Serpentine Ridge. As temperatures were falling throughout the night, I found myself stopping to warm my hands indoors not once but several times. The lunar viewing was excellent this night.

Sketching:
For this sketch I used: black Strathmore 400 Artagain paper, white and black Conte’ pastel pencils and a blending stump.

Telescope: 10 inch f/ 5.7 Dobsonian and 9 mm eyepiece 161X
Date: 01-02-2013: 04:30 – 06:00 UT
Temperature: – 16° C (2° F)
Clear, calm
Seeing: Antoniadi III
Colongitude: 150°
Lunation: 19.83 days
Illumination: 79.6%

Frank McCabe

Messier 52

M52 (OC in Cass)
Location : Yang-Pyung, South Korea
Date : July/28/2012
Media : Black paper, White Jelly pen / Pastel
Equipment : Discovery 15″ Dob, Pentax XL 14mm, Nagler Type6 9mm

The M52 is the open cluster without the impressive feature.
It’s hard to find because the boundary is uncertain.
The central part is vacant, and there is no brightness difference of comprised stars.
What is the fascination of the m52?
The answer is in this sketch.

Nightwid 無雲

View of a Colorful Conjunction

Tonight I was hoping to glimpse the conjunction of the Moon with Jupiter. There was a lot of moisture in the air & as I often observe here in Hawaii when there is a lot of moisture in the air there was a lovely 22 degree Moon halo. Jupiter was a mere 2 degrees from the Moon & made a lovely sight. With the extra moisture in the air there was also a hint of red in the surrounding glow around the Moon. I sat down on the porch to sketch & when I looked up could not resist including Christmas lights under the eves that were in my view. Happy Holidays & clear skies all.

Thia Krach
Maui, Hawaii
4,000 ft elevation
Fair seeing condition making for lovely phenomenon
Black paper with chalk & oil pastel

Addendum

Something nagged me as I thought about Jupiter & the Moon last night after I submitted my sketch. I realized they were not 2* apart when I sketched them as they would have been at their closest conjunction. Earlier in the evening when the skies were cloudy is when they would have appeared to be closest.

Best,
Thia Krach