Category: Astronomy Report

Astronomy Report
Name: Eric Shear
Crew: 193
Date: April 25, 2018

Sky Conditions: Clear

Wind Conditions: None

Observation Start Time: 08.30

Observation End Time: 09.15

Summary:

Our CGA continued his task of monitoring the sun for sunspot activity. The sunspot observed yesterday has now split into three smaller ones. One larger prominence was visible with the eye, but not with the Skyris camera. No flares or filaments were seen.

Photos were taken with the Skyris camera and the best image processed in Autostakkert, Registax, Photoshop, and PowerPoint to colorize and bring out contrast. The results are attached. The image labeled “prominence” is where the prominence was seen, but the camera did not pick up on it.

Objects Viewed: Sun

Problems Encountered: Skyris camera did not show the prominence that was visible with the eye, no matter how the image was processed.

Astronomy Report

Name: Eric Shear

Crew: 193
Date: April 24, 2018

Sky Conditions: Clear/Cloudy

Wind Conditions: None

Observation Start Time: 0800

Observation End Time: 930

Summary:

Monitored the sun for sunspot activity. Only one sunspot was found – it appears to be a merger of the two seen on the previous observation. Prominences were very small and only visible with the eye, not with the Skyris camera. No flares or filaments were seen.

Photos were taken with the Skyris camera and the best image processed in Autostakkert, Registax, Photoshop, and PowerPoint to colorize and bring out contrast. The result is attached.

Objects Viewed: Sun

Problems Encountered: Clouds later in the observation period, after sunspot image was taken. The Registrax program froze and had to be restarted.

Astronomy Report
Name: Eric Shear
Crew: 193
Date: April 23, 2018

Sky Conditions: Clear

Wind Conditions: None

Observation Start Time: 0800

Observation End Time: 1030

Summary:

Monitored the sun for sunspot activity. Only two sunspots were found, close to each other. Prominences were very small. No flares or filaments were seen.

Photos were taken with the Skyris camera and the best image processed in Autostakkert, Registax, Photoshop, and PowerPoint to colorize and bring out contrast. The results are attached.

Astronomy Report

Name: Victoria Varone

Crew: 192

Date: 20 April 2018

Sky Conditions: Clear

Wind Conditions: Calm

Observation Start Time: 1:00 PM

Observation End Time: 1:30 PM

Summary: The Sun came out after a bit of rain and a lot of clouds this morning, so I took advantage of the clear skies to get in some solar observing.

Objects Viewed: Sun

Problems Encountered: None

Astronomy Report

Name: Victoria Varone

Crew: 192

Date: 18 April 2018

Sky Conditions: Partly Cloudy

Wind Conditions: Calm

Observation Start Time: 3:30 PM

Observation End Time: 4:00 PM

Summary: A quick scan and survey of the Sun’s surface provided a great view and a short telescope lesson for two of my crewmates.

Objects Viewed: Sun

Problems Encountered: A few clouds.

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Astronomy Report
Name: Sophie Wuyckens Crew: 190
date: 3/21/2018

Sky Conditions: Cloudy all the day long but clear sky from 4:00 PM.

Wind Conditions: no wind

Observation Start Time: 16:30

Observation End Time: 17:30

Summary: Today Mick wanted to learn how to manipulate the telescope. Therefore we have benefited from a thinning to go the Musk observatory during one hour. It was a short observation but efficient. We took one beautiful shot.
Objects Viewed: dark spot on the Sun + small prominences

Problems Encountered: iCap had some difficulties to open at first. But we have finally managed to work with it.

Cheers,

Sophie Wuyckens

Astronomy Report
Name: Sophie Wuyckens Crew: 190
date: 3/20/2018

Sky Conditions: Cloudy all the day long but very clear sky from 5:00 PM.

Wind Conditions: no wind

Observation Start Time: 17:00

Observation End Time: 18:30

Summary: I haven’t gone to the observatory for the last few days because of the bad weather. Therefore when I saw a clear blue sky at 17:00, I jumped on the occasion. I took 3 pictures of the Sun. They were taken in the excitation and in a short time so they are not amazing. I hope to enjoy the telescope with nice ends of afternoon like that for the last days of my stay at MDRS.
Objects Viewed: some little solar eruptions and surface of the Sun

Problems Encountered: I had a small problem with ICap : When I want to take capture each 35s, a message pops up " Error writing bmp files" and it stops the captures. I didn’t have the problem for my last pictures.

Name: Sophie Wuyckens Crew: 190
date: 3/17/2018

Sky Conditions: Clear but sometines some clouds

Wind Conditions: High wind all the day long

Observation Start Time: No observation

Observation End Time: –

Summary: I didn’t dare to use the the observatory today because the wind was very violent.

Astronomy Report 3
Name: Sophie Wuyckens Crew: 190
date: 3/14/2018

Sky Conditions: Very cloudy sky and rain all the afternoon

Wind Conditions: Strong wind

Summary: No observation because of bad weather.