Leyland Wren and Buzzards

This is one of the wrens living in the "swallows nest" just above my satellite dish

Pair of Buzzards over my garden in Leyland

The 20 most recent numbered Supernova Discoveries

I used the CBAT SNe Discovery website to extract the data for this list.

Back in the UK

I have been back in the UK for a month now but still have not set up my equipment. I usually have a pair of old tube rings to hold my C14 to the Paramount but have been waiting for a Dovetail Bar to arrive which came yesterday. Hopefully this will ensure that the OTA is parallel with the mount to improve pointing ability. I managed to fit the bar to the OTA and temporarily fit it to the ME.

Close call on M95 Supernova

On Thursday I imaged a substantial run of galaxies one of which included M95. The next day I checked (blinked) all of them with no supernovae found. The next day supernova 2012aw was found in M95! My image shows nothing at all. Unfortunately on the night that the supernova was found M95 was not included on my imaging list!

Greenfinch

Jupiter and Venus at Telescope Site

The image shows Jupiter and Venus about to set behind the Celestron 14 on its Paramount Mount which is imaging galaxies as part of its Supernova search programme. Sony Alpha 18mm lens mounted on tripod 30 seconds. Taken in the Sierra Cabrera Mountain Range. See other images below.

The constellation of Orion over the mountains

Canis Major

The planet Mars in Leo

Missed Supernova

I was checking through a list of recent supernova discoveries and realised that I had imaged one galaxy several times that contains a faint supernova that I did not spot when checking my images.

My image of 23rd February 2012 shows the supernova in the galaxy NGC 2755

The massive star (more than 10 times that of the Sun) that formed the Type II supernova had not exploded on 31st January 2012 as my image of that date shows.

Wednesday 7th March 2012 View of Calar Alto Observatory from Cabrera

The German-Spanish Observatory at Calar Alto can be seen directly from Cabrera on a clear day - or even a not very clear day as shown in the image! Find out about Calar Alto here.

Have a look at this map to identify the light pollution protection areas in this region.

Read all about the regulations in this area here.

 

Andromeda Nebula using the Bradford Robotic Telescope

An image taken remotely from Cabrera by the Galaxy Camera using the Bradford Robotic Telescope on Mount Teide in Tenerife

 

Images from Cabo de Gata Salt Marsh

Common Sandpipers from the hide

Yellow Legged Gull

Black Backed Gull

Godwits on the salt marsh

Cattle Egret outside the hide at Cabo de Gata

Seven Flamingoes overflying three Avocets today