celestial sphere: biggest and brightest moon accompanied by mars

Posted Fri, 01/29/2010 - 11:49 by shehal

tonight you will be able to observe the biggest and brightest moon for this year (2010) accompanied by mars. and mars will be closest to earth this week. NASA has even set up a facebook event for this. a slightly significant astronomical conjuncture?

celestial sphere: sunspot 1041 daily photos

Posted Fri, 01/22/2010 - 10:20 by shehal

this page contains daily photos of sunspot 1041

SpaceWeather.com says:
Now that it has completed its transit around the farside of the sun and reappeared for a second time, "old sunspot 1039" has been renumbered "new sunspot 1041" in accord with sunspot numbering traditions. 1039/1041 is the most active sunspot in two years.

Visit the SOHO website for real-time images of the Sun.

Location: Nugegoda, Colombo District, Sri Lanka
Telescope: Celstron NexStar 5SE
Camera: Canon EOS 50D
Image Processing: crop, white balance, contrast and brightness adjustment

22 January 2010

sunspot - 21 jan 2010
Filter: 720nm IR Filter
Focal Length: 1250mm

sunspot - 21 jan 2010
Filter: 720nm IR Filter
Focal Length: 2x 1250mm

theater: 11th neelan tiruchelvam memorial festival

Posted Thu, 01/21/2010 - 14:47 by shehal

Each year since Dr. Tiruchelvam assassination in 1999 a Commemorative Concert has been held to keep alive his ideals and the commitment to peace and reconciliation through dialogue, the arts and political means. This years performances:

  1. 30th of January 2010, the programme will feature the Sinhala play 'No Return'
  2. 31st of January 2010, The highlight of this unique festival of local music, dance and theatre
  3. The 1st and 2nd of February 2010 will feature a Tamil folk theatre from the East

celestial sphere: sunspots - 21 january 2010

Posted Thu, 01/21/2010 - 11:45 by shehal

decided to look at the sun this morning. i attached my 720nm IR filter to a Celstron NexStar 5SE telescope directly. that is without any 'energy rejection filters'. found a sunspot. SOHO confirms it.

sunspot - 21 jan 2010 sunspot - 21 jan 2010

celestial sphere: eclipse sunspots

Posted Wed, 01/20/2010 - 18:51 by shehal

my cousin noticed some sunspots on the eclipse photos, especially the first contact (C!) photos. i adjusted the levels of one of the C1 photos i had taken. see below. notice the two dark spots. these are apparently sunspots. the SOHO (a space based solar observatory satellite) confirms the sunspots.

15 january 2010 sunspots