Sky this Week

I set up this scope this evening with plans to image the GRS shortly after 1 am then to image the new impact site when it transitted at 3:25 am. I screwed up and lost the first few images of the GRS transit by forgetting to rename them.

Here is the first image at 1:30 am. Note the prominent spot to the northeast of the GRS. Seeing was not good, maybe 4/10 so it was difficult to judge the size as bouncing around a lot. Even so, it was clearly visible on the monitor and through the eyepiece. For a while I thought this might be a new impact — nope it was just Callisto’s shadow — even though Callisto is quite a distance to the east.

Here is one from 3:08 am, note the impact from a few days ago can be seen near south pole.

Next one from 3:15 am mdt, turbulence improved to maybe 5/10.

And finally 3:53 am, shadow very near the limb:

NOAA region 11024 about to rotate out of view on the western limb. Below image from 2:18 pm mdt, taken with Celestron Nexstar 11 and DMK21AU04.AS video camera, 30 fps, 1/5000 sec. Aligned and stacked with Registax5. Skies were clear, 78 deg.F, turbulence 5/10.

Image of the sun in white light on July 8, 2009 about 3 pm using Celestron Nexstar11 scope, F6.3 focal reducer, and Canon Xti at cassegrain focus. Clear skies, temp. 93F, 5mph wind, turbulence about 6/10, location Louisville, CO.

White light solar image of NOAA region 11024 from about 3 pm this afternoon. The principal spot (on right) appears to have split since yesterday. Follower spot (on left) has grown a fair amount. Most of the nterior spots between leader and follower have disappeared. So solar fans, what is the McIntosh classification for this region today? (yesterday it was Eai).

Image taken with Nexstar11 scope with DMK21AU04.AS video camera (1/10000 sec at 60 fps) at cassegrain focus. Aligned & stacked with Registax5. Clear skies, temp. 93F, 5mph wind, turbulence about 6/10.