Equipment & Various Images
A telescope is not always needed to take interesting shots of our celestial neighbors, below are a series of images taken with different camera/lenses over several years, using a camera tripod outside the observatory. These 22-Degree halos are caused by ice crystals in the upper atmosphere, which refract light to form these fascinating sights.
This section will take some time to complete as there are so many images to sort through & select - keep checking back.
Right:
Some trial images with the Nikon D300 at prime focus on the 12" f/5 Newtonian. Colour saturation increased in PSC2.
Moon & Antares Occultation
14 July 08
Cloud and mist make this a very difficult shot, as seen by the lunar halo. !2" f/5 Newtonian with a Nikon D300 at prime focus. Cloud too thick to capture re-emergence.
Right:
Captured on 17th July '08. the planet Jupiter close to the Moon. Early evening.
And a couple of hours later the scene had changed.
And here is a similar image taken 26th June '07, with Jupiter to the right and just below the red star, Antares, in the Scorpius constellation.
Fainter
stars are well shown.
In December 2004, this was captured with a Nikon Coolpix 995 with a180-degree fisheye lens. Jupiter is just outside the halo on the left.
Using the same camera and lens during May 2005, caught this lunar halo with Jupiter close to the left of the Moon.
