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Astronomy Highlights
Astronomy Highlights
These articles have been written by members and invited guests of the Lethbridge Astronomy Society for publication on this website and select publications in the community.
Geminids 2012
Written by Dave Eaglesham Wednesday, 02 January 2013 09:45
The last major meteor shower of 2012 was the Geminids. LAS member Danny Ponomar was out just after midnight on December 14 to view the event and take a few pictures.
Danny reports that it was a very active shower with lots to see throughout the night. Besides the pictures shown here, Danny created a time lapse movie of the meteor shower and it can be viewed on YouTube.
Congratulations Norm!
Written by Dave Eaglesham Thursday, 21 June 2012 20:36
For those of you who subscribe to SkyNews - The Canadian Magazine of Astronomy & Stargazing you may have noticed a familiar picture of the sun in the July/August 2012 edition's Gallery section, credited to Norm Baum of Carmangay. This is the same picture posted on this website in Norm's previous article "Sunshine!"
On rare occasions someone from our community achieves national recognition for their efforts, and in this case Norm's picture of the Sun is well deserving.
When Norm was President of the Lethbridge Astronomy Society, he spearheaded the move to replace an aging solar scope with a new model from Lunt Solar Systems LLC. It proved to be such a huge step up in quality and capability, Norm decided to purchase the same model for his own use. (Note: the Lunt Solar Scope owned by the Society is also the one used by Dwight Jones to photograph the Transit of Venus, posted in a recent article on this website).
Congratulations Norm!
Transit of Venus
Written by Dave Eaglesham Tuesday, 19 June 2012 11:30
The most recent Transit of Venus occurred on Tuesday, June 5, 2012 beginning at approximately 4:05 PM MDT. For those of you who missed this event, it is unlikely you will experience another. The next transits of Venus will be in December 2117 and December 2125.
The Lethbridge area proved to be a poor location for viewing, with extensive cloud cover over most of the region. However, Society member Dwight Jones proved that perseverance pays off with an excellent picture taken during the event. Dwight took a 1/1000 second exposure at ISO 100 using a Canon T3 camera attached to the Society's Lunt 60 mm Ha solar telescope to acquire this picture. The image shows considerable activity on the face of the sun, along with the round shadow of Venus on the right hand side.
Great shot Dwight!
(Note: Click on the image to see a larger version.)
For a video showing the early stages of the Transit, visit my website at www.eaglesham.ca
Sunshine!
Written by Norm Baum Monday, 12 March 2012 19:05
I have been doing both during the past few months. I have also shown this fascinating heavenly object to as many people as I can corner from my backyard in Carmangay. The “Wows, Ohhs and Ahhs” that I receive are very rewarding. Try it! One thing that I have learned is that most people will look through the telescope and not really see any of the prominences or surface detail. In order to enhance their experience, I have been drawing the pertinent detail on paper and then showing them what to look for and where they are located in the eyepiece.
I am currently using a Lunt LS60THaPT telescope, a Hyperion Zoom eyepiece, mounted on a Skywatcher HEQ5 Pro mount for most of my viewing and imaging activity. I also have an inexpensive alt-az mount for transporting my equipment to other locations, such as the local and Clear Lake Hutterite Colony schools.
There is no requirement to purchase expensive equipment to enjoy close-ups of the Sun. I have an inexpensive Thousand Oaks Sun filter that fits over the objective end of my 80mm refractor which is great for observing sunspots. One can also purchase a set of suitable filters for binoculars which work very well. I have just learned that there are Sun filters made by Baader for DSLR cameras that screw onto the objective end of the lenses.
For imaging, I use a Canon Rebel XTi either in prime focus or Afocal using the Hyperion Zoom lens with a suitable adapter. The main key is to get a sharp focus.
As this is not a tutorial, my suggestion is to just get out in the sunshine and have fun but make sure that your eyes are always suitably protected. The Sun is very active and is forecast to stay that way throughout the year. It is worthwhile extending your astronomy viewing experience to include daytime activities.
Enjoy the warmth and share the experience.
Light Pollution - From Problem to Solution
Written by Rena Woss Sunday, 29 May 2011 20:39
The following presentation was prepared by Lethbridge Astronomy Society Member Rena Woss. It outlines the major problems caused by careless use of lighting in our environment. A number of communities, including the City of Lethbridge are taking steps to correct the problem.
Click on any of the thumbnails below to start the presentation from that point.
