photograph

Looking out the window

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Photo: Craters on the Moon's Terminator. An iPhone photo taken through a telescope at 600X. Converted to monochrome. Photo Credit: Lowan Laws.
Craters on the Moon’s Terminator. An iPhone photo taken through a telescope at 600X. Converted to monochrome. Photo Credit: Lowan Laws.

CAA member Lowan Laws was using his eight-inch Meade Dobsonian telescope at our Letha House Park observing site one very clear night this July. Pointing his scope at the Moon, he marveled at how sharp the image was. He said the atmosphere was so clear and steady — the seeing extraordinary — that he kept increasing the magnification to see how far he could go. Finally, at 600X, he snapped this image using his Apple iPhone at the telescope eyepiece (afocal method). It’s almost like looking out the window of a spaceship in lunar orbit.

March 12: Monthly Membership Meeting

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Photo: The Milky Way by Alan Studt
Milky Way Rising – Photo by Alan Studt

The monthly meeting of the Cuyahoga Astronomical Association will take place Monday, March 12, beginning at 7:30 PM. The evening’s program, “Astrophotography and other Cool Pictures,” will be presented by club members Alan and Gale Studt. The couple will present photos featuring starry night landscapes, panoramas, and star trails blended with earthly landscapes! For the technically-curious, Alan will go over his gear and basic procedures. Plus music and more!

Following the presentation and a brief social break, the club will conduct its membership business meeting.

Our monthly meetings are held on the second Monday of every month (except December) at 7:30 PM at the Rocky River Nature Center; 24000 Valley Parkway; North Olmsted, Ohio, in the Cleveland Metroparks.

Member Photos: Solar Eclipse 2017

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This is a gallery of eclipse photographs made by members of the Cuyahoga Astronomical Association (CAA). Some members traveled to various places along the path of totality to experience the total solar eclipse. Some CAA members stayed behind, photographing the deep partial eclipse. We are fortunate to have a number of talented photographers and astrophotographers as members and pleased to be able to exhibit their amazing work here. We will add new images to this post as they are received so check back on occasion! Please note: these images are the property of their individual creators and may not be used without the photographer’s expressed permission.

Photo: Total Solar Eclipse by David J. Watkins
The solar corona visible at totality. Photographed from Lebanon, Tenn., Monday, August 21, 2017. Credit: David J. Watkins
Photo: Total solar eclipse. Photo by David J. Watkins.
The diamond ring effect prior to second contact. You can also see some of the chromosphere along with some prominences (orange-red color). Photographed from Lebanon, Tenn., Monday, August 21, 2017. Credit: David J. Watkins
Photo: Early eclipse with sunspots. Credit: Alan Studt
Early eclipse with sunspots. Credit: Alan Studt
Photo: Partial eclipse progression. Credit: Alan Studt
Partial eclipse progression. Credit: Alan Studt
Photo: Partial eclipse at maximum. Photo by James Guilford.
Maximum Eclipse – Hiram, Ohio. Northeastern Ohio witnessed an 80 percent coverage partial eclipse on August 21, 2017. Several sunspots were visible before the Moon covered them leaving only one in sight at the left end of the crescent seen here. Credit: James Guilford.
Photo: Edge of lunar disk against Sun. Photo by James Guilford.
Before Maximum Eclipse – Note the “bumps” on the edge of the Moon’s dark curve: silhouettes of lunar craters and mountains against the brilliant Sun. Canon EOS 50D: ISO 320, f/11, 1/1600 sec., 800mm telephoto. Credit: James Guilford
Photo: Partial Solar Eclipse. Credit: Bruce Lane.
Partial eclipse taken east of Glendo State Park, Wyoming on Highway 270, about .7 mile north of the center line for totality. Technical: Canon EOS 60Da, ISO 320, 1/160 sec., ETX-125 telescope with polar alignment. Credit: Bruce Lane
Photo: Partial Solar Eclipse. Credit: Bruce Lane
Nearing Totality: Partial eclipse taken east of Glendo State Park, Wyoming on Highway 270, about .7 mile north of the center line for totality. Technical: Canon EOS 60Da, ISO 320, 1/160 sec., ETX-125 telescope with polar alignment. Credit: Bruce Lane
Photo: Totality with Venus. Credit: Ted Sauppé
Totality with Venus: From southern Illinois, where he took a shot of the totality, Venus showing to the right. Taken with a Samsung Galaxy Note5. Credit: Ted Sauppé
Photo: Total Solar Eclipse by Steve Koryak.
Totality, Casper, Wyoming. Credit: Steve Koryak
Photo: Total Solar Eclipse. Credit: Steve Koryak
I took these two photos in Casper, Wyoming. These are the first and the eighth in the sequence made under thin clouds! I missed the diamond ring at first and second contact because of helping five other people seeing their first eclipse! Technical: Nikon D5100,ISO 800, 6-inch f/4 telescope on clock drive, starting at 1/4000 sec. down to a few seconds. Credit: Steve Korylak
Image: Temperature Plot, August 21, 2017; Medina, Ohio. Credit: James Guilford
Temperature Plot, August 21, 2017; Medina, Ohio. Credit: James Guilford
Photo: Colander as Eclipse Projector. Credit: Matt Franduto
Colander as Eclipse Projector. Credit: Matt Franduto
Photo: Totality with Earth Shine - Handheld. Credit: Matt Franduto
Totality with Earth Shine, Regulus to the Left – Handheld Photograph. Credit: Matt Franduto
Photo: Diamond Ring Effect. Credit: Chris Christe
Diamond Ring Effect. Credit: Chris Christe
Photo: Totality Composite showing Corona, Prominences, and Earthshine. Credit: Chris Christe
Totality Composite showing Corona, Prominences, and Earthshine. Credit: Chris Christe

There’s a big black spot on the Sun today

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Photo: Sun with sunspot AR2529, April 13, 2016. Photo by James Guilford.
Sunspot AR2529

Changing a word from an old Police lyric, there’s a big black spot on the Sun today. Sunspot AR2529 is the dominant feature on an otherwise quiet star. Visible to the unaided eye through solar-safe filters, the sunspot is several Earth-diameters across and roughly “heart” shaped! This image was recorded Wednesday, April 13, at 2:19 PM. The bright orange color resulted from use of a solar filter covering the camera lens.

Here is what SpaceWeather.com says about the sunspot: “Since it appeared less than a week ago, AR2529 has been mostly, but not completely, quiet. On April 10th it hurled a minor CME into space. That CME, along with another that occurred a few hours later, could deliver a glancing blow to Earth’s magnetic field on April 13th.” A CME is a Coronal Mass Ejection wherein the Sun flings plasma from its atmosphere out and into space. CMEs reaching Earth can cause auroras.

Photo Info: Cropped from full frame, Canon EOS M3: ISO 250, 1/1600 sec., f/8, 400mm lens. Photo by James Guilford.