Ernie Jacobs

BAA Members Having Fun with Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE)

Posted on by Ernie Jacobs

As our Observatory Director, Dan Marcus likes to say “It’s all about having fun”. For about the last week, BAA members have been doing just that, having fun with a bright comet. It’s been way too long since northern hemisphere stargazers have had a decent comet as most of the fun of late has been in the southern hemisphere. After several promising comets fizzled out earlier this year, Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) is putting on a show in the predawn sky.

Starting around July 2nd reports started to show up on online stargazing sites, that the Comet was visible and bright. The comet could be found very low in the northeastern horizon immediately prior to sunrise (click here to find and observe the comet). Several members started to get up very early (well before sunrise) to observe and capture the comet, sharing their plans and results on the Member Forum. Members really love to share their experiences with other members and the public. Members have taken to various platforms (social Media, BAA Member Forum, Zoom etc…) to share their experience virtually with their fellow members, friends, and families.

Here are just a few of the images captured this week by our members (click on the images to view a larger version of the image).

 

Image of Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) captured by Patrick Crants on July 7, 2020. Pat captured this image through his Sky-Watcher 120 ED telescope and ZWO ASI170 camera.

 

Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) photobombed by the ISS. Image captured by Patrick Crants on July 7, 2020 with Canon 1DX and a Tamron 150-600 mm lens (@ 150 mm).

 

Image of Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) captured by Phil Newman on July 8th. Phil used a Canon T4i and his Canon 70-200 F/2.8 lens @ 200 mm.

 

Image of Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) captured by Patrick Crants on July 1oth. Patrick used his Canon 1DX and Tamron 150-600 mm lens @ 150 mm.

 

Image of comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) captured by Dan Marcus on July 12th. Dan used a Canon T3i and 200 mm lens.on July 10th

 

Image of comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) captured by Dan Marcus on July 12th. Dan used a Canon T3i with 55 mm lens.

 

Image of comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) captured by Ernie Jacobs on July 12th. Ernie used a Canon T6i and Canon 50 mm f/1.8 lens.

Clear Skies!

Ernie Jacobs

How to Find, Observe, & Photograph Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE)

Posted on by Ernie Jacobs

How to Find, Observe and Photograph Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE)

For the next few days, early (before sunrise) is the only option. you will need a good view to the NE horizon. The comet is about one fist held out at arms length below the bright star Capella (located in the constellation Auriga). Dark Skies help (especially to see the comet without optical aid), but the good view of the horizon is a must. Try to be out to your observing location by 4 AM. So far this week the “sweet spot” has been between 4:15 am and 4:45 am. The comet is visible to the naked eye, but it is best to find it in binoculars first, then try to locate it without optical aid. A small telescope, like a spotting scope or birding scope will work well too.

Path of Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) before sunrise for the next several days.

Around July 12 – 15, the comet will appear early in the evening sky very close to the NW horizon, well below the bowl of the Big Dipper. The comet will continue to rise after that and start to approach the Big Dipper.

Path of Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) in the evening sky after July 12th. Image made using Sky Safari 6 Pro for Mac.

How to photograph the Comet:

Want to try to capture a picture of the comet? Have a DSLR and a tripod? Observatory Director Dan Marcus offers some advice for finding and photographing the comet. According to Dan, the same advice hold true for when you look for it in the morning or evening sky. You will need a LOW horizon to see it and a compass to help you get the right bearing. Use a 50 mm lens and put it where you think the comet should be located. If you are in morning or evening twilight (sky not fully dark), start by using you the camera’s automatic setting mode and reduce the exposure until the  camera says it is too dark. You’ll want to under expose the image so the sky is a dark blue and not washed out. If the sky is dark you will need to use the camera’s manual settings. Regardless if you use the camera’s automatic or manual settings, don’t overexpose the image as overexposing the image will cause the sky and the comet to appear washed out.

Also, most smartphones have really impressive low light capability. You can snap an image through the eyepiece of binoculars or a telescope. Also, you may be able to capture the comet in a wide-field shot. Having the phone on a tripod or leaning on something stable will help with getting a sharper image. Learn how to manipulate exposure, focus, and zoom controls on your phone to get the best results.

Good Luck and Clear Skies!

Emilyann Kerr

June 2020 Events – Virtual Stargazing Recap (6/26/2020)

Posted on by Emilyann Kerr

Hello and welcome to the BAA blog. We had another virtual stargazing event with Penn Dixie on June 26th — here’s a recap of what we saw and imaged. This post is only a small sample of what was shown, so if you’d like to watch an archive of the stream, it’s available on Penn Dixie’s Facebook page here.

Moon Views Galore

The moon was waxing this week, nearly approaching first quarter, so many BAA members were able to show live views through their telescopes. Ernie ended up taking some captures to combine into a single photo:

(click on the image to see a larger view)

Dan ended up producing an image as well, of asteroid 2Pallas. The while blur at the center is the asteroid, moving over a period of minutes.

(click on the image to see a larger view)

Some other portions of the program involved Mark from the Williamsville Space Lab Planetarium describing the visuals of a lunar eclipse, and Tim from the Buffalo Museum of Science showing viewers the Summer Triangle — an asterism formed by bright stars Vega, Deneb, and Altair which is visible during the summer months:

 

(click on the images to see a larger view)

Besides Tim and Mark, we also had Phil and Paul join in from from Penn Dixie, who were able to answer viewer questions (and provide relief to BAA members when clouds intervened.)

If you ever want to get live answers from an astronomer, you should try joining in at the next Virtual Stargazing night. Our next event will be on July 18th — we are hoping to feature views from our own Beaver Meadow Observatory this time! It will also be close to new moon, when deep-sky objects are best viewed. Hope to see many viewers in the next stream!

-Emilyann

Ernie Jacobs

Eclipse for the Fourth, but Don’t Expect Too Much

Posted on by Ernie Jacobs

Eclipse for the Fourth, but Don’t Expect Too Much

Greetings Skywatchers!

As you may have heard, there is indeed a penumbral lunar eclipse this Saturday night into Sunday. However, please also be aware that this penumbral eclipse is very partial. A penumbral eclipse is only a secondary shadow of Earth cast on the Moon, so unless you have a way to measure lunar brightness it will not be very noticeable if at all. In most circumstances, eclipses are spectacular events, be it lunar or solar. However, penumbral eclipses fall on the opposite end of the spectrum. Typically, the main part of an eclipse, the umbra, or main shadow, will cast a darkness over the object being eclipsed. Due to geometric shapes not only are shadows caused by a light blockage from a direct line between edges of objects, but a less significant shadow is created by opposite edges of the shape. This “cross-shadowing” creates two very indirect secondary shadows on either side of the main shadow. In our case, Earth’s shadow will not intersect the Moon at all as the Moon revolves around Earth, but the Moon will pass through one of the much fainter bands on its way by.

Lunar Eclipse Geometry graphic by Tim Collins

Bottom line is that there will be no “Blood” Moon, nor will it appear as though a “bite” was taken from the Moon. There will just be a very slight dimming of the surface. Here is more information, to see what to expect in detail. Also remember, eclipses occur in pairs and two weeks ago there was a “ring” or annular eclipse over Africa and India while we slept. In rare cases, we get three eclipses while the alignment is present. As an example, a penumbral lunar eclipse also occurred last month.

The next total lunar eclipse for Buffalo will occur on May 15-16, 2022.

The next total solar eclipse for Buffalo will take place on April 8, 2024 (This means that we are in the path of totality). The last time Buffalo was in direct line with the Sun and Moon was January 24, 1925 (over 99 years before), and we were clouded over at 9:11 AM. The next total solar eclipse for Buffalo will happen on October 26, 2144 at 1:12 PM.

Tim Collins

BAA Member

Whitworth Ferguson Planetarium

Williamsville Space Lab Planetarium

Emilyann Kerr

June Upcoming Event – Virtual Stargazing with Penn Dixie (6/26/20)

Posted on by Emilyann Kerr

Hi all,
With the moon waxing, we will be joining in another Virtual Public Night with Penn Dixie, the Explore & More Children’s museum, and the Williamsville Space Lab Planetarium. We will have overviews of the night sky this month, questions and answers (you can ask questions yourself if you join in the Facebook livestream!), and activities for young astronomers. This event will start tomorrow night (Friday, June 26th) at 8:30 PM. Live viewing and discussion with BAA members will begin (weather permitting) around 9:30PM. The event page, which is hosted on Facebook by Penn Dixie, is here.

If you are a BAA member and would like to show a view through your telescope, help answer questions from the public, or present on astronomical topics, please contact Ernie Jacobs or reach out in the Members forum. Perhaps we’ll have some planetary views this time — Jupiter and Saturn are rising earlier and earlier now! Hope to see lots of members and perhaps some inquiring public there.

Dennis Bartkowiak

Observatory Walk-Through Video from 6/6/2020

Posted on by Dennis Bartkowiak

Our last collaborative virtual public night, Looking Up with the BAA,  Penn Dixie, the Explore & More Children’s museum, and the Williamsville Space Lab Planetarium was a huge success.  We had ton’s of fun and we hope you were able to join us.  We are looking forward to another one later this month.  For this event a video walk-through of the Beaver Meadow Observatory was created.  We shared this at our monthly meeting and we’d also like to share it here.  This is a link to our Facebook site where you can view this video.  

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=3283197818410230

Thanks for watching and “Keep Looking Up!”

 

 

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Emilyann Kerr

June 2020 Online General Meeting

Posted on by Emilyann Kerr

Hello to all members — another month has flown by, so it’s time for our June meeting, which will be held on Friday at 7:30PM. The May meeting went quite well and lots of members were able to join in through Zoom and catch up. Please join us for this one too, as we will be discussing several important topics regarding future virtual events and club leadership.

 

Here are the tips on how to join from last month:

You will receive an email containing the June meeting details within the coming week. If you don’t get anything, please reach out.

On a laptop or computer?
In the email you received with the meeting invitation, click the link at the top. It will take you to Zoom’s website. You may need to download and install the Zoom application first. Once the Zoom app has opened, follow the prompts to join with your computer’s audio (microphone and speakers) and turn on a camera if you have one.

On a smartphone?

Download the Zoom app from the App Store (iOS) or Google Play Store (Android.) Then, open the email you received with the meeting invitation and click the link at the top. This should open the Zoom app. Follow the prompts to connect using your smartphone’s microphone and camera.

Using a landline or phone? (Audio-only)
Look in the meeting invitation email for the “dial by your location” section. Dial the corresponding number, then enter the Meeting ID and Password when prompted. You might miss out on the video aspect of the presentations (and you won’t get to see everyone else’s lovely faces) so joining with a computer would be preferred.

 

-Emilyann

Emilyann Kerr

June Upcoming Event – Virtual Stargazing with Penn Dixie (6/6/2020)

Posted on by Emilyann Kerr

Hi all,
The BAA will be participating in another virtual stargazing event. This one will be on Saturday, June 6th, starting at 8:30PM, and is being held in place of our typical Public Night. Like the other Virtual Astronomy events, representatives from Penn Dixie, the Explore & More Children’s museum, and the Williamsville Space Lab Planetarium will be lending their knowledge and expertise alongside seasoned BAA members. If you want to watch along, you’ll be able to view the stream through Facebook — you can find the upcoming event page here.

If you are a BAA member and would like to show a view through your telescope, help answer questions from the public, or present on astronomical topics, please contact Ernie Jacobs or reach out in the Members forum. It might not be Public Nights like we are used to them at the BMO, but this is still a great way to reach out and bring the stars to people. Personally, I’m anticipating a lot of great lunar views due to the proximity to full moon (providing the weather holds up!) Hopefully lots of people can join in. See you all there!

Emilyann Kerr

May 2020 Events – Virtual Stargazing with Penn Dixie!

Posted on by Emilyann Kerr

Welcome back to the BAA blog. We had two virtual astronomy events as the moon waned this week — a “Tuesday Night” imagers meeting on Wednesday, and a joint event with Penn Dixie Fossil Park Thursday night. Both events showcased a variety of live views, knowledge, and images from our members.

 

Wednesday Night Supernova – M61 and 2020jfo

Dan M. took a great image of M61 on Wednesday evening during the Tuesday Night Imagers group, which shows emerging supernova 2020jfo.Click the image to open it in a higher-resolution view:

Image of M61 and SN2020jfo

If you’d like to find out more about 2020jfo, you can read Sky and Telescope’s article on it, or check out this page from ASRAS where you can view a compilation of images taken by fellow amateur astronomers.

By the way, if you’re a BAA member, don’t be shy — the Tuesday Night group is a good chance to hang out and show others what you might be up to, or ask about imaging. It is open to all members, not just those among us who are imagers. You can find out when the virtual meetings are held (not always on Tuesdays!) in the members’ forum.

 

Thursday Night – Looking Up With Penn Dixie

Thursday was clear and perfectly cloudless (a rarity here in Buffalo) so Penn Dixie Fossil Park and the BAA were able to hold the Looking Up! Virtual Astronomy event, streamed live through Zoom. Aside from great pics, there was also helpful information from Mark P. from the Williamsville Space Lab Planetarium on how to find certain constellations in our night sky at this time of year. For the younger astronomers, Dan W. from the Explore & More Children’s Museum led a nebula-making craft session, and there was also a live question-and-answer section between Penn Dixie representatives, BAA members, and some young participants.

Here are two images from Dennis — the Leo Triplet (M65, M66, and NGC3628) as well as a capture of Venus and Mercury. Venus is the crescent shape on the left, while tiny Mercury is on the right. You may need to click on the image and get the close-up view to see Mercury:

(click on the images to see a larger view)

Ernie has a live view showing the awesome crescent shape of Venus:

Venus - Ernie Jacobs(click on the image to see a larger view)

Dan shows the Great Hercules Cluster, M13, as well as the Cheerio-like Ring Nebula:

(click on the images to see a larger view)

Pat shows an amazing close-up live view of M51, the Whirlpool Galaxy:

M51 - Pat Crants(click on the image to see a larger view)

Overall, the stream was a great time, and proves that no matter what, astronomy can happen — even virtually! If you’re interested in watching the next event, make sure to check out Penn Dixie’s main Facebook page to find when the next Virtual Stargazing event is going to happen. You can also still view the full stream on Facebook here. If you’re a BAA member with a telescope and camera, and think you might want to help out during these Penn Dixie events, contact Ernie Jacobs for more information.

The next club event we will be having virtually is the monthly member meeting on June 6th — more information will be posted closer to that date. Hope everyone is staying safe and enjoying astronomical pursuits as well as they can.

-Emilyann