On October 1, 2024, comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-Atlas) was photographed in the Eastern sky over Melrose, Florida just before it blended into the sunrise. It was a perfect morning for viewing, with clear skies above and only few scattered thunderheads in the far off distance. A thin crescent Moon (less than 24 hours from being an invisible New Moon) rose with the comet, and the sun tagging along not far behind. The thick muggy air created some dew issues on the lens, and the mosquitoes were fierce, but it was worth it to see a comet in the morning glow.

As C/2023 makes it way through the cosmos, we'll get another chance for night viewing around October 16-20 as it starts to rise in the West. Keep an eye out for that!

And better yet, we may yet be treated with a second brand new comet later this month if it doesn't burn up going around the Sun. I'll share that one if we get luck enough. You can read about it here on EarthSky.

C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS)
 

A culmination of special events happened yesterday, September 17, 2024.

To start with, a rocket launch; A Falcon 9 carrying a pair of satellites for Europe's MEO Galileo constellation went up at 6:51 pm from Cape Canaveral SFS on SLC-40.

Then, the rare occasion during the year with the sunset and moonrise are occurring at the same time in the sky, at approximately 7:30 pm.

Then, the moonrise brought forth the full Super Harvest Moon.

Then, the partial lunar eclipse began at 8:41 pm with Earth's penumbra starting to touch the Moon's face, with the partial starting at 10:12 pm.

Lastly and most importantly, these events all occurred on the very special day of my husband's birthday! Thankfully, we already enjoyed a very delicious steak dinner and rum by the time these events started for the evening.

I've got a bit more processing to do with all the images, but here are a few to start with. The first is my favorite, a mishap with my telescope moving slightly while saving the image. Gotta love happy accidents! The second image is a series of individual exposures as the moon rose then stacked together. The third is the point of maximum eclipse. The last image is the Super Harvest Moon as it rose, being hidden by clouds for a good part of the night. 

Moonnnnnnn Lunar Over the Lake Partial Lunar Eclipse Harvest Super Moon

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Storyteller GXV Next
 

Hey there, space enthusiasts and curious minds! I’ve got some electrifying news to share—hold on to your helmets because I’ve been selected for an exclusive, behind-the-scenes two-day event at NASA for the upcoming Crew 9 launch to the International Space Station! 🎉 That’s right, I’ll be rubbing shoulders with some of the brightest minds in aerospace.

I'll admit, I was hesitant to share, for fear of jinxing myself, but I'm just too dang excited!!

In an attempt to keep my head out of the clouds, I need to be real. We’re all hoping for a smooth launch on schedule, but delays can happen. However, just being part of this event feels monumental. The energy at these launches is electrifying! Just imagine, I’ll get to witness firsthand what it takes to prep for a crewed mission into outer space. The thrill of anticipating launch day is already enough to give me goosebumps! So fingers crossed, everyone! Who knows what inspirational stories or fascinating tidbits I might gather in those pivotal moments leading up to lift-off? 🚀

I'll be sure to keep you all updated with behind-the-scenes tales, fun facts, and maybe even some candid moments from this once-in-a-lifetime adventure. Who knows what wonders await? So strap in; it's going to be a cosmic ride! 🚀

Until then, keep looking up!

My image below is from Psyche mission launched October 2023... fitting because I am PSYCHED!

Psyche Liftoff

While I haven't been able to shoot any rocket launches lately, I have been able to work on some of the deep sky images I captured with my little telescope. Some of these you've already seen, but I'm including them in the bundle anyhow. I've been having a lot of fun hunting for targets in the night sky!

First Photo: Whirlpool Galaxy M51, a spiral galaxy 31 million lightyears away. The sweeping arms are the birthplace of new stars, coming to life in a vibrant display of colors. The small galaxy on the outer edge is NGC 5195 which has been working on passing by the Whirlpool galaxy for hundreds of millions of years.

Second Photo: Pleiades (Seven Sisters) M45 is a star cluster on the Northwest side of the constellation Taurus. It contains over a thousand stars, but my telescope field of view could only capture a fragment of that.

Third Photo: Eye of God (Helix Nebula) is the remnant of a dwarf star the size of earth, projecting its outer layers into space creating the eye-like effect. It can be found in the constellation Aquarius and is approximately 650 lightyears away. 

Fourth Photo: Andromeda Galaxy M31 is actually visible with the naked eye on good clear nights. It is only 2 million lightyears away and is slowly getting closer and closer to our Milky Way Galaxy. 

Whirlpool Galaxy M51 Pleiades Eye of GodHave you seen the Eye of God? I have... in the distant night sky recently.
The Eye of God or Helix Nebula (NGC 7293), is the remnant of a dwarf star around the size of Earth that is ejecting its outer layers into space. It can be found in the constellation Aquarius and is approximately 650 lightyears away. This image was created from stacking 75 images, each a 10-second exposure, then processing in Siril first and finally Photoshop to bring out more detail and color. I'm not finished with this target, I know I can get more out of it, so I'm going to keep imaging it and try to reprocess in the near future.
I am kind of fond of how the nebula detail brings to mind the detail of a human iris. What do you think of it? Adromeda Galaxy Aug 18 2024

Have you seen the Eye of God? I have... in the distant night sky recently.

The Eye of God or Helix Nebula (NGC 7293), is the remnant of a dwarf star around the size of Earth that is ejecting its outer layers into space. It can be found in the constellation Aquarius and is approximately 650 lightyears away. This image was created from stacking 75 images, each a 10-second exposure, then processing in Siril first and finally Photoshop to bring out more detail and color. I'm not finished with this target, I know I can get more out of it, so I'm going to keep imaging it and try to reprocess in the near future.

I am kind of fond of how the nebula detail brings to mind the detail of a human iris. What do you think of it?

Eye of God
 

In the hush of pre-dawn's embrace

The heavens unveil their celestial grace

A crescent moon, a shimmering sight

The universe unfolding in the morning light

A moment of reverence, a breath of grace

As I behold the moon's enchanting embrace

~Victoria Jean Buckman

This is the waning crescent Moon captured from September 1, 2024 from my back yard. The typically unseen shaded side was captured as a result of Earthshine, where the light bouncing off of Earth just before dawn slightly illuminates the shaded area that is barely visible. The Earthshine was captured with higher exposure settings, resulting in catching a few stars in the frame, then blended with a properly exposed crescent for further detail.

This is my first attempt at creating an Earthshine image. Just remember, keep looking up!!

Earthshine

Indulge in the beauty of the cosmos! While Lake Santa Fe offers picturesque scenery and watersports during the day, the true allure of this destination for me lies in its nighttime splendor when creates a whole new encounter. 

While I often am challenged with finding optimal vantage points for the celestial objects I wish to capture, I'm lucky to have wonderful neighbors and local residents that welcome me to their docks so I can have the angles I need. The peaceful ambiance is a stark contrast to the dramatic diamond-like stars evident on clear nights, their reflection bouncing on the still water surface as if they are gems being sprinkled onto a velvet cloth. Those nights, they still take my breath away.

The Florida weather does not often lend well to astrophotography. I'm limited first by the location of the objects I want to photograph; they have seasons and are not always visible when weather is clear. It seems that storm clouds or thick summer haze obscures the sky on the nights when my objects would otherwise be visible. 

And then you have the bugs. I can recall nights when mosquitos were so thick, their buzz made me dizzy and I could not open my mouth, fearing I would inhale a mouthful from the cloud of insects swarming my body.

Sometimes, I'll even have the rouge 'Gator hunter out on the lake, swinging his glaringly bright spotlight directly into my lens... sigh.

Sometimes, my attempts fall short of demonstrating the magic dancing in the night sky above. I can be frustrating, with star trails that are barely visible. Dull, lifeless images that fail to capture the grandeur of the cosmos.

The reward then lies in the perseverance, when I accomplish what I set out to do and bring to life the image I had long planned out and envisioned. 

Keep looking up, try to find your own corner and have a truly awe-inspiring stargazing experience.
 

Thank you Janet for letting me crash on your dock for a few hours last night! This is the end result of 98 images stacked together, as the stars all rotate around Polaris, the 'North Star' then positioned over the foreground of Janet's dock.

Santa Fe Stargazing

This is an artistic image from our recent visit to Steinhatchee for some scalloping. It's a small community on the Gulf Coast of Florida, often referred to as the Forgotten Coast. If you visit this coastal town, you'll understand why. It's not bursting with franchised businesses, there is no such thing as a convenient Walmart run. Its actually quite laid back and peaceful. If I had to guess, I would say the one thing keeping it alive (thriving really when season is open), is the scalloping and fishing enthusiasts that swarm to the area every summer. It brings alive the waterside restaurants and marinas. Boats and watercraft are constant on the Steinhatchee River. I stood on the bank this day, catching whiffs of the salty brine marsh breezes, while I took photos of these two apparently abandoned sail boats on the opposite bank. Perhaps they are remnants of the category three hurricane Idalia that tore through this area on August 30, 2023 causing catastrophic flooding. And another category one hurricane Debby that walloped the area earlier this month.

The name Steinhatchee is derived from the Native American phrase meaning "river of man". It is indeed the lifeblood to this little town.

Steinhatchee

I shoot rocket streaks, why not Moon streaks?  This is a 20-minute exposure of the moon rising over Lake Santa Fe last night, the Super Blue Moon. Don't worry, I've got some creative "blue" edits of moon shots coming. The single exposure of the streak was doable because of my "Lee Big Stopper", a 10-stop neutral density filter that cuts down the amount of light entering my camera. Think of solar photography, how photographers use filters to cover their lenses so they can safely image the sun. Same concept here, but not nearly as strong of a filter. It allows me to keep my camera shutter open for very long periods, in this case, catching the entire process of the Moon rise! Note how the color changes from an early Moon to a later Moon. 

At the very same time, I was shooting with my second camera to catch a time lapse of the rise. I obviously need more practice at it, but I thought I'd share them anyhow.

As always, shares and comments appreciated. Its my first Moon streak, so I appreciate feedback.

Blue Moon Streak MoonLapse

Today was the last sunrise to occur before 7:00 am (officially occurring at 6:59 am) here at Lake Santa Fe in Waldo, FL. As the days begin to grow shorter, I'm both happy and sad. It means I get more darkness to shoot the night sky, but it also means less daylight to enjoy here in the sunshine state. 

Last Sunrise Before 7

This is my first image of the Andromeda Galaxy (catalog numbers NGC 224 and M31)! It's so big, it won't all fit in the view of my telescope, so I'm also presently working on a mosaic where I have multiple images arranged together to create the final full-view piece. Until then, you get this version. (UPDATE: 7-panel mosaic complete, its my first attempt and I may have overcooked it, so I can only improve from here).

Found within the constellation of Andromeda, this spiral galaxy is actually visible with the naked eye. The faint blur you would see is the light emitted from the masses of stars circling its black hole core, and that light took approximately 2,480,000 light years to reach your eyes! Andromeda is a hungry galaxy that has consumed other galaxies in its proximity, and eventually will also collide with our very own Milky Way in around 4-5 billion years.

This particular image is the final result of several early mornings where I was able to capture around 1533 usable frames to stack and process. Now for the geek stuff:

6 total hours in B4 zone

1533 x 10 light frames 29°

Stacked and stretched in Siril = 8 min

Processed in Lightroom

Andromeda Galaxy

Adromeda Galaxy Aug 18 2024

You ever have one of those days where you wake up and you just feel great? Thinking back on all the beautiful experiences I've been able to have and the awe-inspiring things I've been able to see, it just makes me feel great! It keeps me excited for my future, as I can't wait for the next wave of inspiration or new skill I am able to acquire. I simply feel very fortunate. So thank you if you are one of those in my life that help provide that for me. Its appreciated beyond words.

Below is my latest image of the 2024 Summer Milky Way Season, off the coast of Florida somewhere.

Rocky Beach Milky Way