Astronomy pictures thread

[EricTheCat]

The Perseid meteor shower peaks tonight/tomorrow morning. Bright moonlight will wash out most of them but the better ones should shine through.

Last night I managed to capture 6 on video in a little over a half hour which is a pretty good rate already. Hoping I can catch a fireball tonight/tomorrow morning to make up for the moonlight.

 

[EricTheCat]

On an unrelated note, recently I decided to combine my red sprite frames from 6/20 by stacking them for maximum values to show all the sprites in one frame. The result turned out much nicer than I expected.

 

[foolsgold]

Looks like the game Tetris.

 

[Goldhedge]

Curiosity got me...

What Is a Sprite? Earth's Super Rare Red Lightning Explained​

2m

 

[EricTheCat]

Looks like the game Tetris.

I can see that! That night they were very conveniently placed. I did a similar stack of my sprites from 8/5 but it did not turn out as well since all of the sprites were in one of 2 areas which is more typical.

Curiosity got me...

What Is a Sprite? Earth's Super Rare Red Lightning Explained​

Nice. I am currently working on a video to explain red sprites. I get a lot of questions when I post them.

 

[EricTheCat]

My favorite frame from this morning. 2 nice Perseid meteors in one 6 second exposure.

Camera: Canon EOS 850D (Modified)
Lens: Sigma 24mm f/1.4 art lens
Exposure: 6sec at f/2 and ISO 1600
Processed using PixInsight and NoiseXTerminator

 

[EricTheCat]

 

[EricTheCat]

Composite image of meteors from the Perseid meteor shower.


Camera: Canon EOS 850 D (modified)
Lens: Sigma 24mm f/1.4 art
Exposure: Multiple 6sec exposures at F/2 and ISO 1600
Registered using PixInsight and processed using PixInsight and StarXterminator

 

[EricTheCat]

2025 Perseid Meteor Shower​

 

[searcher]

Came across this by accident. Thought it would be a nice bump.

Astronomers detect the brightest fast radio burst of all time

Astronomers detected the brightest fast radio burst ever seen. The dazzling “RBFLOAT” radio burst, originating nearby in the Ursa Major constellation, offers the clearest view yet of the environment around these mysterious flashes.

news.mit.edu

 

[pmbug]

Any of the sky watchers going to try photographing 3I Atlas?

Comet 3I/ATLAS is the third known object from outside our solar system to be discovered. Astronomers have categorized this object as interstellar because of the hyperbolic shape of its orbital path. (It does not follow a closed orbital path about the Sun.) When the orbit of 3I/ATLAS is traced into the past, the comet clearly originates from outside our solar system.

Comet 3I/ATLAS poses no threat to Earth and will remain far away. The closest it will approach our planet is about 1.8 astronomical units (about 170 million miles, or 270 million kilometers). 3I/ATLAS will reach its closest point to the Sun around Oct. 30, 2025, at a distance of about 1.4 au (130 million miles, or 210 million kilometers) — just inside the orbit of Mars.

The interstellar comet’s size and physical properties are being investigated by astronomers around the world. 3I/ATLAS should remain visible to ground-based telescopes through September 2025, after which it will pass too close to the Sun to observe. It will reappear on the other side of the Sun by early December 2025, allowing for renewed observations.
...

Comet 3I/ATLAS - NASA Science

News About Comet 3I/ATLAS First Sighting

science.nasa.gov

 

[foolsgold]

I already did post - #716

 

[pmbug]

I already did post - #716

Nice! I had missed it earlier. NASA says it's inside the orbit of Jupiter now. I was wondering if it's possible to get better (ie. close up, better resolution) imagery of it than the distant dot photos that are currently available? Or does it just move too fast to allow for that?

 

[foolsgold]

Nice! I had missed it earlier. NASA says it's inside the orbit of Jupiter now. I was wondering if it's possible to get better (ie. close up, better resolution) imagery of it than the distant dot photos that are currently available? Or does it just move too fast to allow for that?

I would have evaluate it's position again and yes it's moving fast.

 

[Goldhedge]

This Is What Venus REALLY Looks Like (No CGI, No Filters)​

None of these images are beautiful in the traditional sense. They’re not made to impress. They’re made to reveal. And that’s what makes them so powerful.

You’re not looking at a digital render. You’re not looking at a filtered approximation. You’re looking at Venus as it actually is, in all its alien, hostile, violently active detail.

And the more we look… the more we find.

0:00 Intro
0:26 The First to See Venus: Soviet Venera Landers
3:38 How Radar Gave Us a Map of Venus
7:45 When Telescopes Started Bouncing Radar
11:50 Parker Solar Probe Captures Venus in Visible Light
16:00 Signs of a Living Planet: Venus May Still Be Erupting
19:32 Breaking Down the Images: What You're Really Seeing
23:53 What Comes Next?

Now, we have the tools to figure out what happened. And for the first time, we’re in a position to get real answers.
25

 

[foolsgold]

I would have evaluate it's position again and yes it's moving fast.

3I/Atlas will be in a position where I can image it again in the January 2026 timeframe, as it's leaving our solar system.