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Updated July 31st 2010
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A beautiful new active region has now rotated into view in the NE sector of the solar disk, designated AR1092, this huge single spot is already larger than Earth and putting on a great show for visual and photographic solar observers the world over. I managed to get a look at it today, after countless days of cloud, and was rather impressed by the view through my 90mm ETX RA telescope fitted with Baader astro solar filter. The spot was text book in appearance with a large jet black circular Umbra which was surrounded by a grey elliptical Penumbra with a few smaller spots extending from the former into the latter. During moments of good seeing I was able to glimpse the spot with the protected naked eye using averted vision which was quite a treat. A nice complex area of faculae extends from the AR towards the NE limb. Who knows what this spot will do, whether it erupts or not it still makes for a great sight so make sure to check it out soon, it should be fun to watch this spot evolve as it crosses the meridian in the days ahead. The Wilson Effect I observed on this spot was the most pronounced I have seen to date with a striking 3-D bowl or crater-shaped profile which really made the session for me.
Also, there is a slight risk of geomagnetic activity on July 30th and 31st due to a solar wind stream from a coronal hole in the Sun moving into a geoeffective position. Geo-storms are not predicted however isolated active periods are likely during the period so keep an eye out for further aurora activity. The links below show the aurora charts I use to plan a watch...
http://www.analemma.de/english/auranews.html
A well known periodic comet, designated 10P/Tempel 2, is currently putting on an unexpected show for dedicated comet observers. High resolution images using sensitive CCD cameras by Francois Kugel and C Rinner have shown that the comet has a huge dust tail/trail extending along the comet's orbit for 20 degrees, yes you have read that correctly - 20 degrees!, that's 40 full Moon diameters in length and comparable in size to the huge tails on the great comets which have grazed our skies in the past. The difference here is that Tempel's tail is very faint which requires CCD images, dark skies, and good telescopes to catch, however keen eyed observers may just detect the brighter most section as it leaves the coma when excellent sky conditions are present.
The comet itself is currently between magnitude +8.5 and +9.0, it's now past perihelion however it continues moving towards the Earth with closest approach in two and a half months time so it's magnitude should stay within the above range over the next two months. Alan Hale from New Mexico describes the comet having a coma 8 arc min's in diameter with a small, bright, off-centre condensation to the SW of the coma's centre and similar to a large circular fan.
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(Above) Mosaic of Tempel's enormous dust trail captured by Francois Kugel and C Rinner on July 14th. Click image to enlarge.
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(Above) Another image by Francois Kugel and C Rinner, this time on July 24th showing the dust trail extending 20 degrees across the sky. Click image to enlarge.
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(Above) C.Rinner and F.Kugel captured this dramatic image on July 20th showing the long dust tail/trail complex complete with the trails of natural satellites. Click image to enlarge.
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(Above) Sky chart of the comet's location during July from Skyhound.com. Also check out the Ephemerides.
10P/Tempel 2 is currently moving at 1/2 a degree per day to the E-SE and can be found low in the morning sky in western Cetus (the celestial Whale). During opposition in the months ahead the comet should stay within the proximity of Cetus near the ecliptic. This comet is for experienced observers only as the coma is large and diffuse and therefore has a low surface brightness, however there have been reports of sightings using binoculars. For telescope owners, apertures of at least 6" to 8" will be required including a dark transparent sky away from bright lights. Comet observers and imagers are encouraged to monitor this interesting comet as dramatic changes to the tail are likely on a regular basis. I wish you the best of luck.
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On Wed July 21st major thunderstorms broke out across the E side of N. Ireland in response to high instability, multiple convergence zones, and a trough. I spent the day chasing to the NE of Lough Neagh in Co. Antrim where I intercepted three thunderstorms. The highlight was watching a convergence line of the biggest and most explosive convection of the year including a beautiful photogenic line of cells over the Antrim countryside with the highest cloud tops I have seen since 2009. This was a great visual and photogenic day with torrential rain, hail, flooding, and booming thunder. Two page report with 20 images and 1 video clip. - PAGE 1, PAGE 2.
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Photographer and storm chaser Peter Scott from England, UK has just returned home from a thrilling photo shoot of the mysterious and spectacular Nazca Lines on the Nazca Desert in Peru. This is one of many images taken from the air by Peter during his trip showing the strange patterns on the ground, his other images show strange lines and the famous 'ancient runway'. To see more of Peter's images check out his facebook page or his website (images will be added there on a later date). To find out more about the Nazca Lines check out these links...
http://www.world-mysteries.com/mpl_1_2.htm
http://www.timstouse.com/EarthHistory/nazcalines.htm
http://www.galenfrysinger.com/nazca_lines.htm
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Astronomy is not the only area I'm interested in. One other such area is severe weather which will be playing a major role on nightskyhunter from now on, along side my other astronomical pursuits. Check out my new Storm Image section and read the reports and images. This area will become extensive in the future. As always I would appreciate any feedback. Thanks for your time.
Martin McKenna
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