Monthly Archives: June 2012

An Open Source Satellite You Can Operate!

Hey Amateur Astronomers & Imagers
(also DIY’ers, hackers, and in general those interested in space)

Did you know that there is now a standard (10cm x 10cm x 10cm) satellite called CubeSat that any cash deprived university or small businesses can build or buy and put into space with their own equipment or experiment? Here’s a pic of one:

Picture of a typical CubeSat satellite that can be piggybackedp
on to many launch vehicles across the world
CubeSat

 Well now Team ArduSat shacked-up at NASA is raising funds to buy the parts, buy the launch time BUT allowing amateurs astronomers, students, the public (you!) to decide all the experiments/images the satellite will run over its time in space.

Here is a YouTube Video explaining this “open source” mission.

And here is the ArduSat Website where you can learn more about it, and become a participant, and backer. Be sure to check out the FAQ way at the bottom of the webpage. It answers a lot of questions you might have.

Posted in Blog, Education & Reference Info


1x sunspot group for Fri June 15th

Observe The Sun SafelyNever look at the Sun without a proper filter!
Solar Programs are held 1st Sunday of every Month 2:00-4:00 PM at Houge Park  weather permitting

There’s been a nice 1X power sunspot group visible the last coupe days. It doesn’t look quite round and that’s because there are indeed two large spots in proximity. Below this (scope view) there is a chance to see a new sunspot group still forming. Yesterday the 5 sunspot specs were darkening  – today they’re more obvious. All this should prove good viewing tomorrow. BTW Excellent h-flares south of that. One, a broken toroide or slinky, arcing several degrees along the sun’s limb.

Posted in Anouncements, Blog, Solar


Venus Transit: Interview + Time Lapse Video

 SJAA member Dan Wright with his great eyepiece projection system is interviewed on Venus Transit.

Transit of Venus Over Course of the Day!
Here’s a nice YouTube video from Malika Carter’s Sunspotter

Posted in Blog, Solar


Venus Transit 2012

Click Photo To Enlarge
SJAAVT2012
Posted in Blog, Solar


Venus Transit (SJAA at Houge Park)

Observe The Sun Safely – Never look at the Sun without a proper filter!
Solar Programs are held 1st Sunday of every Month 2:00-4:00 PM at Houge Park  weather permitting

San Jose CA: Clouds did not prove to be a problem today for this rare event to see Venus cross the Sun. Lots of Folks at Houge Park.

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034Lee
Lee at Scope
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040Scope
Front guide-Mirror Scope
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043Jim

Jim’s Eyepiece Projection Box
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045JimImage

 Wicked View through Jim’s Box
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047E-card

Hand-made Solar Card
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056projection

Another form of Eyepiece Projection
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063MomDaught

Mother, Daughter – or is that Daughter, Mother
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067ClubScope

SJAA’s 100mm H-Alpha Scope
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venus_in_transit

Venus Transit – “The Wagner Effect”

1 comment:

  MSwartz-AstronomyJune 7, 2012 at 2:19 PM

Wow, that was a great day. I read up on the history of the watching of the transit of Venus by scientists and astronomers in the past. I not only enjoyed the spectical of seeing it but felt a special sense of history as I thought of those who had watched and measured it so carefully during transits past. And wow, what they would think if they could see what we can do today! Some of the pictures, especially the ones from satellite, and the time lapse photos that people are putting together are just amazing /p>

It was a fun day at Houge Park and I’m glad I was able to be there for the end of it. There was an impressive row of equipment and a very enthusiastic and appreciative crowd. The weather was nice… it was just perfect.

Michael Swartz

Posted in Blog, Solar


Venus Transit (SJAA at NASA)

Observe The Sun Safely – Never look at the Sun without a proper filter!
Solar Programs are held 1st Sunday of every Month 2:00-4:00 PM at Houge Park  weather permitting

Clouds did not prove to be a problem today for this rare event to see Venus cross the Sun.

Click Photo to Enlarge
02V12-TearDrop

Teardrop Effect with Venus at 2d Contact
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04V12-TV

 Better Than TV!!
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07V12-WOW

Over Exposed H-alpha showing, Venus, Sunspots, Faculae, and Prominences
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06V12-VenusFlare-goodEXpose

Normal Exposure in H-alpha
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08V12-littlegirl

Girl with Solar Glasses
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09V12-Michael

SJAA Member Michael Packer
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10V12-Girls

Got Venus Transit? Transit Lovers
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12V12-MalikaTREE

Malika’s Sunspotter Projector showing Venus through the Trees!
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VenusHalfway

Venus Transit about half across
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VenusTrees
Venus and Sunspots through the Trees

Posted in Blog, Solar


Eclipse Report & Solar Observing June 03 2012

Observe The Sun Safely – Never look at the Sun without a proper filter!
Solar Programs are held 1st Sunday of every Month 2:00-4:00 PM at Houge Park   weather permitting

With at least 7 Sunspot groups the SP number was well over 100 today. Take a look at this great photo by SJAA member Robert Duvall and note the sunspot detail at 3:30 O’clock at the edge of the solar disk.

Click Image to Enlarge
2012-06-03half2

Today’s prominences (plasma flares) were all around the solar disk and changing shape rapidly over just a couple minutes. At 2 O’clock on the solar disk was the largest plasma stream extending perhaps 7 Earth diameters out from the photosphere. From 5 to 7 O’clock were a myriad of prominences exhibiting different structure from detached plumes, spicules to branching trees. Not many prominences were seen projected on the solar disc (compared to last month’s report or during the annular eclipse). This may have something to do with the high sunspot count and distribution. At any rate several sunspots were exquisite showing fine penumbra detail as seen in Teruo’s (SJAA member and leader) SC scope. Solar faculae were evident among many of these sunspot groups.

Speaking of the annular eclipse, here is a great time lapse compilation by SJAA member Malika using eyepiece projection. She was near center line in Navada.

YouTube Video

I took this image at center line near Mt. Lassen:

Click Image to Enlarge
01UPClose

**More pics of eclipse and SJAA’ers at Lassen center line here **

Not all of us SJAA’ers or the public made it to center line. Indeed the crowd at Houge Park was the largest ever seen (perhaps 600 plus folks over the course of this “lunar transit”.

Click Image to enlarge
SJAA+EClipse

Eclipse Day at Houge Park

VENUS TRANSIT: BE SURE TO VISIT HOUGE PARK TUESDAY 2:30 to SUNSET

Posted in Blog, Solar