Young Winter December Moon

"The Young Winter December Moon" - December 23, 2014
“The Young Winter December Moon” – December 23, 2014

Young Winter December Moon

During the early part of the current lunation I was observing and sketching in Mesa, Arizona and caught the thin crescent Moon in the southwestern sky just after sunset. Venus was also visible much closer to the horizon but not close enough to the Moon to be included. Earthshine improved and brightened as the hour passed.

Sketching:
For this sketch I used dark blue sketching paper (8.5” x 11”), white, yellow and brown pastel pencils, blending stumps, white Pearl eraser.

Telescope 6”f/7.2 Dobsonian telescope, 28mm eyepiece 39x
Date and Time: 12-23-2014; 18:15 – 19:10 local time
Seeing: Antoniadi III
Transparency: clear 4/5
Temperature: 18 °C (65°F)
Colongitude: 295.3°
Lunation: 1.74 days
Illumination: 4.1%

Frank McCabe

Height of Lunar Features

The measurement of the height of lunar features by measuring the length of the cast shadows - December 28, 2014
The measurement of the height of lunar features by measuring the length of the cast shadows – December 28, 2014

Lunar Features at First Quarter
Lunar Craters and Montes
Dunboyne, County Meath, Ireland
28/12/2014
Graphite pencils plain paper

This is a sketch I did as part of an assignment for an Astronomy course I am taking for fun. The exercise was to calculate 4 lunar features heights by making accurate sketch observations, measuring the shadows and calculating the height using the distances along with the Earth-Sun-Moon angles. It just happened to be clear at exactly first quarter. I am having trouble sketching a very dark black and new to many of the sketching techniques and making it up as I go along. Is there an extra dark lead past an 8b or should I be looking sketch on black paper? I am also having problems scanning and am taking photos of my sketches? Any help appreciated. Clear Skies! Kevin

A Globular Cluster Challenge for the “Deep Space Forum”

The globular clusters NGC 2808, NGC 362, and  Omega Centauri, drawn as part of a "globular cluster challenge sponsored by the "Deep Space Forum"
The globular clusters NGC 2808, NGC 362, and Omega Centauri, drawn as part of a “globular cluster challenge sponsored by the “Deep Space Forum”

This is an internal challenge the forum espacioprofundo.com.ar , astronomical section drawing, in which it was proposed to draw a globular cluster choice and these are the results. The credit of this picture is for Leandro Yasutake, Claudio Vidolini and Martin Boni, and we are representing espacioprofundo.com .
The three drawings were made in different parts of Argentina. The first (NGC 2808) was held in San Miguel, Buenos Aires. The second (NGC 362) in Malabrigo, Santa Fe; and the third (Omega Cen) in the town of Pergamino, Buenos Aires.

Equipment Used:

NGC 2808:
Telescope: Dobson 12 “.
Ocular: Plossl 10mm.

NGC 362:
Telescope: SW 305mm.
Ocular: Baader Hyperion 21mm.

Omega Cen:
Telescope: Helios 114/900.
Ocular: Huygens 25mm.

Este es un desafío interno del foro espacioprofundo.com.ar, de la sección de dibujo astronómico, en el que se planteó dibujar un cúmulo globular a elección y estos son los resultados. El crédito de esta imagen es para Leandro Yasutake, Claudio Vidolini y Martín Boni, y estamos en representación de espacioprofundo.com.
Los tres dibujos fueron realizados en lugares diferentes de Argentina. El primero (NGC 2808) se realizó en San Miguel, Buenos Aires. El segundo (NGC 362) en Malabrigo, Santa Fe; y el tercero (Omega Cen) en la localidad de Pergamino, Buenos Aires.

Equipos Utilizados:

NGC 2808:
Telescopio: Dobson 12”.
Ocular: Plossl 10mm.

NGC 362:
Telescopio: SW 305mm.
Ocular: Baader Hyperion 21mm.

Omega Cen:
Telescopio: Helios 114/900.
Ocular: Huygens 25mm.

My Two Suns

"My Two Suns" a drawing of the Sun by three and half year old Eugenia Castagna - December 30, 2014
“My Two Suns” a drawing of the Sun by three and half year old Eugenia Castagna – December 30, 2014

Object Name: Sun
Object Type: Star
Location: Argentina, Provincia de Buenos Aires. Quilmes
Date: 30/12/2014
Media: pencil, white paper.

Soy padre de gemelos, Eugenia y Luciano, ellos tienen tres a años y medio, este es el primer dibujo de Eugenia, es la primera figura que se distingue como algo. Como padre y amante de la Astronomia, todos los fines de semana, hacemos observaciones Soleres como tambien observamos la Luna. Eugenia, le agrada dibujar y Luciano le encanta observar por el telescopio, realmente lo disfruta.
El equipo que utilizamos, es un refractor Skytravel 80-400 AZ3, para la observacion Solar, utilizo un filtro Solar Baader , BST 12 mm y un filtro # 21: Para la observacion Lunar utilizamos un bst 12mm con filtro #ND96.

I am a father of twins, Eugenia and Luciano, they have three and a half years, this is the first sketch of Eugenia. As a parent and lover of Astronomy, every weekend, we make observations o Sun as also observe the Moon. Eugenia, likes to draw and Luciano loves observing through the telescope, really enjoys it.
The equipment we use is a refractor Skytravel 80-400 AZ3, for solar observation, I use a Baader solar filter, BST 12 mm and a filter # 21: To the observation Lunar bst use a 12mm filter # ND96.

Sebastian Castagna
Estación Vientos del Sur

Vallis Schröteri

Vallis Schröteri, a huge lava vent and rille system on the Aristarchus Plateau - January 2, 2015
Vallis Schröteri, a huge lava vent and rille system on the Aristarchus Plateau – January 2, 2015

Hi,

find attached a charcoal and pastel sketch of Aristarchus, Herodotus and the famous Vallis Schröteri. I hope you like it.

Object Name: Vallis Schröteri, Aristarchus, Herodotus
Object Type: Lunar Valley and Crater
Location: Germany, Dusseldorf area
Date: 2015-01-02, 1800-1845 CET
Media: chalk pastel pencil and charcoal pencil on black sketching cardbox
Telescope: Martini 10” f/5 Dobsonian
Eyepiece: Skywatcher HR Planetary 5mm
Clear skies!

Achim

Lovejoy Comet in Contrast with Colorful Stars

Comet C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy) - January 4, 2015
Comet C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy) – January 4, 2015

Object Name: C/2014Q2 Lovejoy

Object Type: Comet

Date: 1/4/2015

Location: A Coruña, Galicia. Spain.

Media: pencil, white paper, color invert and enhance with Gimp.

Zeiss binoculars 15×60 BGAT

SeeIng: 3/5 (good). Intense moonlight.

This is my drawing of Lovejoy comet. I couldn´t see the tail of the comet because a full moon was shining.
It was a very pleasant view the contrast between yellowish colour in the comet, the orange stars HR 1451 and HR 1452 and the white-greenish light from the HIP 21258.

Este es mi dibujo del cometa Lovejoy. No he podido observar la cola del cometa, la observación se hizo con una intensa luz lunar. Lo más placentero de la observación ha sido el contraste entre el color amarillento del cometa y la luz anaranjada de las estrellas HR 1451 y HR 1452 frente al color blanco-verdoso de la estrella más pequeña HIP21258.

Comet and Globular

Comet C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy) and the globular star cluster M79 in the constellation Lepus
Comet C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy) and the globular star cluster M79 in the constellation Lepus

M79 and Comet Lovejoy in Lepus

I have been monitoring comet Lovejoy (C/2014 Q2) for the past several nights and on this occasion they both shared the same field of view at130 power. I was using my daughter’s 10 inch Orion Dobsonian telescope and was able to capture this sketch under clear skies and good seeing conditions. The observation site was in eastern Mesa, Arizona with a good view to the south. The comet can be seen much brighter and larger in angular size than than 8.5 magnitude globular cluster M 79. This was a pleasing view at the eyepiece with the comet showing a hint of green color. I switched to 48 power and a wider field of view for the sketch.

Sketching:

White and Black Conte’ pastel pencils on black sketching paper
blending stump and Pink Pearl eraser also used
R.A. 05hr 24′ ; Dec. -24 degrees 33min.
Comet distance less than 100million km.
M79 distance 42,100 light years 150 million stars

Frank 🙂

Big Bowl of Pythagoras

Lunar crater Pythagoras - January 3, 2015
Lunar crater Pythagoras – January 3, 2015

Object Name – Pythagoras
Object Type – Lunar impact crater
Location – Deventer, The Netherands
Date – Januari 3, 2015
Media – White pastel pencil on black paper

So far this winter is terrible for astronomy. Nothing but clouds and rain in the Netherlands… But yesterday evening the skies finally cleared and my 3″ Polarex Unitron was quickly set up in the backyard. Crater Pythagoras on the northeastern limb of the Moon looked particularly nice – like a deep rocky bowl in the lunar surface. Seeing conditions were fair, so I pumped up the magnifcation to a crazy (for a 3″) 200x. It still gave a pleasant and sharp view and sketching was quite comfortable with the crater looking big in the eyepiece.

Pythagoras is a 130km wide impact crater with staggering 5km high terraced walls. The central peaks (I could see two of them) are also pretty huge: 3,5km high! Imagine the panoramic view from the top op one of those mountains….

Sketch made with a pastel pencil on black paper, through a 3″ Polarex Unitron at 200x (Baader 6mm BGO). The image is mirror reversed.

Clear Skies,
Roel Weijenberg
www.roelblog.nl

Conjunción Lovejoy y M79

Comet C/2014 Q2 Lovejoy in conjunction with M79, a globular star cluster in the constellation Lepus -December 29, 2014
Comet C/2014 Q2 Lovejoy in conjunction with M79, a globular star cluster in the constellation Lepus -December 29, 2014

Object Name C/2014 Q2 Lovejoy and M79
Object Type Comet and Globular cluster
Location Granadero Baigorria, Santa Fe, Argentina
Date 29/12/14
Media I use pencil, paper, and Gimp to invert colour

Conjunción del cometa Lovejoy con el cúmulo globular M79, en la constelación de la liebre.
El equipo con el cual se realizo la observación es un telescopio reflector sw 150/750 con un ocular de 25.
Podemos notar un bonito “triángulo ” entre el Cometa, m79 y la estrella HIP 25045 A. Se pudo observar un color con tintes verdosos hacia el centro del cometa. No se pudo observar coma

Google translate:
Comet Lovejoy conjunction with the globular cluster M79 in the constellation of the hare.
The equipment with which the observation was performed is a reflecting telescope with an eyepiece 150/750 sw 25.
We can notice a nice “triangle” between the Comet, m79 and the star HIP 25045 A. It was observed color with greenish tints to the center of the comet. Could be observed comma

The Great Nebula of Orion

M42 and M43, "The Great Nebula of Orion", a giant star forming region in the Milky Way Galaxy  - December 23, 2014
M42 and M43, “The Great Nebula of Orion”, a giant star forming region in the Milky Way Galaxy – December 23, 2014
M42 and M43 - Original "positive" graphite sketch on white paper
M42 and M43 – Original “positive” graphite sketch on white paper

Here is myobservation and sketch from 23.12.2014
Messier 42/43
Telescope: 16″
v= 90-180x
Without and UHC
Observation: Adelegg/Stafflangen, Germany(1080m/560m)