|
Astronomy CCD Images
The Sharpless Catalog
http://www.sharplesscatalog.com
|
|
The Sharpless Catalog project is my effort to capture the detail of the Sharpless Catalog using hydrogen-alpha and color filters. I am also using oxygen III and sulfur II when it applies. The text description written for each object is in a way that explains how the object responds to the CCD Camera and telescope I was using and what to expect when using the filters I did.
|
Daytime Digital Photography
http://www.greatscenery.com
http://www.trailscenery.com
The Night Sky Mobile Site
http://www.thenightsky.mobi
|
Access my mobile Web site directly from your web cell phone to get the same statistical information you can find on this Web site about the sun, moon and planets.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Solar
|
Sunrise
|
5:23 AM
|
|
Sunset
|
7:18 PM
|
|
Distance
|
94,120,992 Miles
|
|
Angular Size
|
31.62 Min. of Arc
|
|
Position
|
3hr 53min 20° 9'
|
|
Constellation
|
Taurus
|
|
Lunar
|
Moonrise
|
5:06 AM
|
|
Moonset
|
7:19 PM
|
|
Distance
|
249,530 Miles
|
|
Angular Size
|
30 Min. of Arc
|
|
Position
|
3hr 31min 20° 12'
|
|
Constellation
|
12:33 am
|
|
Phase
|
1.04%
|
|
Lunar Phases
| New | 5/20/2012 | 23 47 UT |
| 1st Qtr | 5/28/2012 | 20 16 UT |
| Full | 6/4/2012 | 11 11 UT |
| 3rd Qtr | 6/11/2012 | 10 41 UT |
| New | 6/19/2012 | 15 02 UT |
| 1st Qtr | 6/27/2012 | 3 30 UT |
| Full | 7/3/2012 | 18 52 UT |
|
|
|
Sky EventsMercuryVenusMarsJupiterSaturnUranusNeptunePluto
| Date | Time (UT) | Event |
| 5/20/2012 | 00:00 | Asteroid Juno is at opposition |
| 5/20/2012 | 23:47 | New Moon - Annular Eclipse of the sun |
| 5/22/2012 | 21:00 | Moon passes 5 degrees south of Venus |
| 5/27/2012 | 11:00 | Mercury in superior conjunction with sun |
| 5/28/2012 | 20:16 | First Quarter Moon |
|
Rise Time
|
4:55 AM
|
|
Transit Time
|
11:44 AM
|
|
Set Time
|
6:28 PM
|
|
Constellation
|
Aries
|
|
Distance from Sun
|
30,821,697 Miles
|
|
Distance from Earth
|
120,759,169 Miles
|
|
|
Light Travel Time
|
0 hr 10 min
|
|
RA Position
|
3 hr 13 min
|
|
Dec Position
|
17° 7'
|
|
Magnitude
|
-1
|
|
Phase
|
95%
|
|
Angular Size
|
5.19 sec of arc
|
|
Mercury is too low in the eastern sky before sunrise to be spotted. The small planet is in superior conjunction with the sun on the 27th of May.
|
|
Rise Time
|
6:44 AM
|
|
Transit Time
|
2:02 PM
|
|
Set Time
|
9:15 PM
|
|
Constellation
|
Taurus
|
|
Distance from Sun
|
67,319,298 Miles
|
|
Distance from Earth
|
30,733,286 Miles
|
|
|
Light Travel Time
|
0 hr 2 min
|
|
RA Position
|
5 hr 31 min
|
|
Dec Position
|
26° 47'
|
|
Magnitude
|
-5
|
|
Phase
|
9%
|
|
Angular Size
|
51.20 sec of arc
|
|
Venus is still blazing away in the western sky at -4.7 magnitude. Venus is in the constellation Taurus and does not set until 11:30pm local time. This is because of the angle of the ecliptic and the angular distance from the sun. However, during the next 5 weeks Venus will drop very fast in the western sky to meet with the sun on June 5th during the Venus transit. This is the last one until 2117.
|
|
Rise Time
|
12:52 PM
|
|
Transit Time
|
7:19 PM
|
|
Set Time
|
1:45 AM
|
|
Constellation
|
Leo
|
|
Distance from Sun
|
151,016,671 Miles
|
|
Distance from Earth
|
102,789,451 Miles
|
|
|
Light Travel Time
|
0 hr 9 min
|
|
RA Position
|
10 hr 49 min
|
|
Dec Position
|
9° 2'
|
|
Magnitude
|
0
|
|
Phase
|
90%
|
|
Angular Size
|
8.47 sec of arc
|
|
Mars is still in a good position to be observed but is getting more distant from earth so seeing any surface features is getting harder to do. Mars in found in the constellation Leo where it has been the past couple of months.
|
|
Rise Time
|
5:09 AM
|
|
Transit Time
|
12:01 PM
|
|
Set Time
|
6:47 PM
|
|
Constellation
|
Taurus
|
|
Distance from Sun
|
465,177,141 Miles
|
|
Distance from Earth
|
558,844,637 Miles
|
|
|
Light Travel Time
|
0 hr 49 min
|
|
RA Position
|
3 hr 30 min
|
|
Dec Position
|
18° 10'
|
|
Magnitude
|
-2
|
|
Phase
|
100%
|
|
Angular Size
|
32.74 sec of arc
|
|
Jupiter is in conjunction with the sun May 13th so is not visible this month.
|
|
Rise Time
|
4:13 PM
|
|
Transit Time
|
10:01 PM
|
|
Set Time
|
3:47 AM
|
|
Constellation
|
Virgo
|
|
Distance from Sun
|
906,326,952 Miles
|
|
Distance from Earth
|
828,021,093 Miles
|
|
|
Light Travel Time
|
1 hr 14 min
|
|
RA Position
|
13 hr 31 min
|
|
Dec Position
|
-6° 39'
|
|
Magnitude
|
1
|
|
Phase
|
100%
|
|
Angular Size
|
18.60 sec of arc
|
|
Saturn is in excellent position to be observed and is a beautiful planet to see 4 hours after sunset when it is highest in the sky. The ringed planet is in the constellation Virgo where it will remain the rest of 2012.
|
|
Rise Time
|
2:50 AM
|
|
Transit Time
|
9:00 AM
|
|
Set Time
|
3:05 PM
|
|
Constellation
|
Pices
|
|
Distance from Sun
|
1,867,852,109 Miles
|
|
Distance from Earth
|
1,925,477,854 Miles
|
|
|
Light Travel Time
|
2 hr 52 min
|
|
RA Position
|
0 hr 28 min
|
|
Dec Position
|
2° 21'
|
|
Magnitude
|
6
|
|
Phase
|
100%
|
|
Angular Size
|
3.18 sec of arc
|
|
Uranus rises in the early morning a few hours before sunrise. The 6th magnitude planet can be seen in any optical telescope. The distant planet is in the constellation Pisces and appears as a small disk is a larger telescope.
|
|
Rise Time
|
1:16 AM
|
|
Transit Time
|
6:48 AM
|
|
Set Time
|
12:24 PM
|
|
Constellation
|
Aquarius
|
|
Distance from Sun
|
2,794,692,461 Miles
|
|
Distance from Earth
|
2,798,196,367 Miles
|
|
|
Light Travel Time
|
4 hr 10 min
|
|
RA Position
|
22 hr 20 min
|
|
Dec Position
|
-10° 55'
|
|
Magnitude
|
8
|
|
Phase
|
100%
|
|
Angular Size
|
2.07 sec of arc
|
|
Neptune is found in the dim constellation of Aquarius and is about half the size that Uranus is. With a large telescope you should see a nice small disk.
|
|
Rise Time
|
9:48 PM
|
|
Transit Time
|
3:03 AM
|
|
Set Time
|
8:17 AM
|
|
Constellation
|
Sagittarius
|
|
Distance from Sun
|
3,094,279,323 Miles
|
|
Distance from Earth
|
2,970,121,551 Miles
|
|
|
Light Travel Time
|
4 hr 25 min
|
|
RA Position
|
18 hr 34 min
|
|
Dec Position
|
-18° 57'
|
|
Magnitude
|
14
|
|
Phase
|
100%
|
|
Angular Size
|
0.26 sec of arc
|
|
Pluto is in the constellation Sagittarius and very hard to find unless you have some kind of sky chart or computer application. The bright open star cluster lies two degrees east of this object so you have place to start at. Using a CCD Camera you can capture Pluto in a very short exposure. Over the week, take an imaged each night to create an animation to show its movement among the background stars.
|
|
Prints Available
Astronomy prints are available from my Great Scenery Website. These are low cost prints of different sizes.
|
About my WebsiteKitt PeakOther ImagersOther Links
This Web site is owned and managed by Dean Salman. I have been into astronomy since the late 1960’s and doing astrophotography with film from 1973 to 2001. In 2001, I switched to CCD imaging and have been doing that since then. I am asking that you respect my wishes and do not sell any of my images or claim them as your own work.
My images I post on the site are considered freeware and can be used for your own personal use, which includes school projects, a book or article you are publishing, or just printing the image for your own use. If you do use then in printed material such as a book, just credit me or my web site as a reference, nothing else.
My Web site is designed so that you can customize it on your computer for your location to get statistical information on the sun, moon, and planets. This includes lunar phases to 2035, rise and set times, magnitudes, phases, RA and DEC positions, distances, and much more. In addition, I update my database every month with current events happening in the sky and what the planets are doing for the current month. To set up your location, just enter your US or Canada city or zip code on the top of the page. If your city is not found or you do not have a U.S. or Canada zip code, use the City Locator. You can save your location for future visits so you do not have to enter your information each time you visit my site. Be sure to check out my mobile web site as well if you have access to the Web on your cell phone.
Kitt Peak Vistor Center Programs
Advance Observing Program at Kitt Peak
Kitt Peak National Observatory has been running public programs for over 47 years. Come explore your Universe right here on Earth...
| Imager | Website |
| Andrew Cooper | http://darkerview.com |
| Darrell Crofford | http://www.ccdimages.com/darrell |
| James McGaha | http://www.3towers.com/ |
| Keith Schlottman | http://www.xanaduobservatory.com |
| Mike Sherick | http://www.imagingtheheavens.com/ |
| Randy Davidson | http://home.southwind.net/~ransum/ |
| Rockett Crawford | http://capella.haela.com/ |
| Rusty Fletcher | http://www.afountain.org/astronomy/ |
Other Web Sites
Galaxy Map
Have you ever wondered what our Milky Way galaxy would look like from outside, as viewed from an interstellar space ship? This website presents a face-on map of much of the Milky Way
Astronomy Online Readers Gallery
Welcome to Astronomy magazine's Online Reader Gallery — a collection of spectacular images from astrophotographers around the world.
CCD Commander
CCD Imaging Automation
Star Parties
A complete listing of North American Star Parties organized by month.
Space Weather
For the latest solar forecast and aurora updates, visit SpaceWeather.com
|