Archive for 2013

Maths Test

Posted by on May 21st 2013 in Just for fun, My vids, Video (YouTube, Vimeo etc.)

Good with numbers? Try this for size:

Given that the video's angular field of view was 18' x 14' and that the original frame-rate was 60fps, estimate the speed of the photo-bombing bird and its distance from the camera.

Assume that the flight was parallel to the plane of the camera's sensor and that the bird's speed was constant during the fly-past.

You'll need to suss the size of the bird yourself, and that depends on what species of bird you reckon it was. The best-guesses (according to incoming emails) include Falcon, Gull and Pigeon.

Show your calculations.

 

Bird photo-bombing Sunday's sunspot shoot.

Observing Report 19th May 2013 (Sunday Sun)

Posted by on May 20th 2013 in Astrostuff, Observing Reports, Pics
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The old spots have moved around a bit, there's not much new stuff following on behind.

No close-ups this time  🙁

Sun (19/05/2013).
Six stitched images from the DMK mono camera on the C80ED-R, Baader Solar Film filter.

What SOHO (the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory) saw.

 

Observing Reports various – April/May 2013 (A bunch of DSOs)

Posted by on May 18th 2013 in Astrostuff, Observing Reports, Pics

A few images of things that I've been looking at over the last few weeks:

 

13th-14th May 2013:
M16 - The Eagle Nebula (aka NGC 6611 and the Star Queen Nebula), a young open cluster of stars in the constellation Serpens.

 

29th-30th April 2013:
The Crescent Nebula (aka NGC 6888, Caldwell 27, Sharpless 105), an emission nebula in the constellation Cygnus.

 

4th-5th May 2013:
M11 - The Wild Duck Cluster (aka NGC 6705), an open cluster in the constellation Scutum.

 

29th-30th April 2013:
M107 (aka NGC 6171), a very loose globular cluster in the constellation Ophiuchus.

 

4th-5th May 2013:
M4 - The Cat's Eye Cluster (aka NGC 6121), a globular cluster in the constellation Scorpius.

 

4th-5th May 2013:
M108 - The Surfboard Galaxy (aka NGC 3556), an edge-on barred spiral galaxy in the constellation Ursa Major.

 

Observing Report 16th May 2013 (More spots than a greasy teenager)

Posted by on May 17th 2013 in Astrostuff, Observing Reports, Pics
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In contrast to today, yesterday morning was clear, warm and calm. The Sun was putting on a fine display of spots:

Sun (16/05/2013).
Six stitched images from the DMK mono camera on C80ED-R, Baader Solar Film filter.

What SOHO (the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory) saw.

Active Region 1748 (16/05/2013).
DMK mono camera with 2.25x Barlow on C80ED-R, Baader Solar Film filter.

Active Region 1745 (16/05/2013).
DMK mono camera with 2.25x Barlow on C80ED-R, Baader Solar Film filter.

Active Regions 1742, 1743 and 1752 (16/05/2013).
DMK mono camera with 2.25x Barlow on C80ED-R, Baader Solar Film filter.

Active Region 1744 (16/05/2013).
DMK mono camera with 2.25x Barlow on C80ED-R, Baader Solar Film filter.

Active Regions 1746, 1747, 1750 and 1751 (16/05/2013).
DMK mono camera with 2.25x Barlow on C80ED-R, Baader Solar Film filter.

Active Regions 1741 and 1749 (16/05/2013).
DMK mono camera with 2.25x Barlow on C80ED-R, Baader Solar Film filter.

 

Lembas

Posted by on May 5th 2013 in Just for fun, Making stuff

Ingredients:

 

 

Method:

 

 

Product:

 

 

Result!

 

 

Calories: 1810 (cake mix) + 460 (4 x Curlywurly) + 480 (Sunflower Oil) = 2750.

My calorie RDA: ~2500.

I can't see the cake lasting until morning.

Observing Report 1st May 2013 (Mayday sunspots)

Posted by on May 4th 2013 in Astrostuff, Observing Reports, Pics
Tags:

Better late than never...

Plenty of significant active regions on display.

Things have moved on (around) a bit since then but they're still worth a photo just before sunset.

There'll be no pics taken here today - we're under typical Bank Holiday Weekend rainclouds  🙁

Sun (01/05/2013).
Six stitched images from the DMK mono camera on C80ED-R, Baader Solar Film filter.

Active Regions 1732, 1734 and 1736 (01/05/2013).
DMK mono camera with 2.25x Barlow on C80ED-R, Baader Solar Film filter.

Active Region 1731 (01/05/2013).
DMK mono camera with 2.25x Barlow on C80ED-R, Baader Solar Film filter.

Active Regions 1730 and 1735 (01/05/2013).
DMK mono camera with 2.25x Barlow on C80ED-R, Baader Solar Film filter.