DAVE THOMSON'S OBSERVATIONS HOME PAGE

LATEST OBSERVATIONS:-

Klick to the right for a report on the AURORAL DISPLAY 6th-7th APRIL 2000

This page is dedicated to my personnel observations made with my 8.75inch, 18inch and 30inch telescopes. I have been interested in Astronomy since an early age and obtained my first telescope as a Christmas present (a 30x40mm spotting scope). I also received that Christmas an Encyclopedia on Astronomy which showed a 300mm Newtonian in a run off shed. From the first time I saw this I knew that I wanted something like that. I obtained my 60mm refractor not long after and then graduated a few years later onto a 8.75inch Newtonian. I bought the mirror and made the rest myself (mostly in the apprentice workshop). This lasted until 1990 when I purchased an incomplete 18inch Newtonian from 'Dark Star' telescopes. I rebuilt the mounting and tube and still use it (and the 8 3/4 inch) today.

I bought my first CCD camera in late 1992. It is a SBIG ST4 and I still use it today. It produces acceptable images and has been a great instrument to introduce me to CCD's. It is extremely easy (and I think user friendly) to use and has some attributes that other cameras do not. All CCD images are taken with this camera. I hope to purchase a larger format camera within a few years after my observatory is complete so that I may develop my CCD work further.

I like to try all types of observation (there are some I have not done yet) but mostly enjoy visual work with the planets and deep sky, drawing the subjects I see, CCD imaging and some conventional photography and the odd bit of meteor watching.

The page is split into a number of topics. Each page contains a small selection of my observatations. It is not possible to show them all. These observations contain descriptions, drawings and images by conventional photography and CCD imaging. There is also a 'Topical' section reserved for the 'what's happening in the sky at the moment' stuff which I will try to keep up to date. If you have any queries or would like know more please E-Mail me.

Images are given a description including Name/Number, exposure time, camera used and processing software used. If AIP then this is Richard Berrys Astronomical Image Processing package. Images are not to scale to each other and Paint Shop Pro has been used to Crop images to reduce background sky etc.

NOTE:   THIS PAGE IS UNDER DEVELOPMENT AND ALL IMAGES SHOWN AT PRESENT ARE LOW RESOLUTION SBIG ST4 CCD IMAGES. DETAILS FOR THESE IMAGES, OTHER IMAGES (yet to be added) AND BETTER RESOLUTION WILL BE ADDED AT A LATER DATE.

E-mails and links to other sites are listed at the bottom of this page.

GLOBULAR CLUSTERS

NGC6760             M10                    M12                      M13                    M15                    M2

M3                       M5                        M53                    M92                     NGC6229           NGC6934

PLANETARY NEBULA

M57                                  NGC40                           NGC6543                           NGC7662

PLANETS

MARS :   Date: 22/01/95,  Time: 23:21 UT

Exp:  0.2 sec,      Inst:  18"F5 (SBIG ST4 CCD)

This false colour image was taken by using a 6mm Kelner with eyepiece projection and a 7 inch off axis mask. Mars was only 13 arc seconds in diameter at this time and centering of the image was difficult. Two main surface features can clearly be seen Syrtis to the upper centre of the image and also one of the polar caps.The false colour was added using Paint Shop Pro. This is probably the best image I have taken of Mars and shows quite fine detail that was not seen in the eyepiece the same night.

SATURN

MOON

COMET HALE-BOPP

Date: 15/09/96,   Time: 21:09 UT

Exp: 2x20sec,      Inst: 18" F5 (SBIG ST4 CCD)

The above image was taken at prime focus of my 18" Newtonian. Image scale is approximately 4 arc minutes across. The image is made up of two 20 second images. A number of jets can be seen emanating from the coma. At this time it could clearly be seen moving against the background stars with only a few minutes between exposures. North is up.

Date: 15/02/97,   Time: **:** UT

Exp: 0.2 sec,   Inst: 18" F5 (SBIG ST4 CCD)

The above image was taken at prime focus of my 18" Newtonian. The following sequence of images are highly enhanced negative's to show the spiral form of the Comet's central region that appeared radial arc's in the eyepiece. Image scale is approximately 150 arc seconds across. The image is one 0.2 second exposure to ensure that the coma is not saturated. A main jet can be seen emanating from the coma. This would be the start of an amazing time for comet Hale-Bopp. Later images would show this jet, and others, emanating from the centre in a spiral pattern (described like a garden water sprinkler by some). The angle of this spiral with respect to Earth would also change and become more face on as time went by.

Date: 12/03/97,   Time: 05:16 UT

Exp: 0.2 sec,        Inst: 18" F5 (SBIG ST4 CCD)

The above image was taken at prime focus of my 18" Newtonian. Image scale is approximately 150 arc seconds across. The image is one 0.2 second exposure to ensure that the coma is not saturated. The spiral pattern can now clearly be seen. These could be seen through the telescope as 'radial arcs'. The full nature of these arcs could only bee seen by CCD images as complete spirals, a bit like a Catherine wheel. I managed to take a series of images a short time apart that could be animated to show about half a revolution. This will be added to the site at a later date.

Date: 19/03/97,   Time: 19:38 UT

Exp: 0.2 sec,        Inst: 18" F5 (SBIG ST4 CCD)

The above image was taken at prime focus of my 18" Newtonian. Image scale is approximately 150 arc seconds across. The image is one 0.2 second exposure to ensure that the coma is not saturated. This image gives the impression that a section, or large amount of matter, has broken off to the left hand side as is about to merge into the 'spiral arm's. The width of the arms becomes wider and more diffuse the further away from the nucleus they get.

NEBULA

M42

Hubble's Variable Nebula, NGC2261

Date: 04/02/97,    Time: 22:01 UT

Exp: 3 x 30 sec,    Inst: 18" F5 (SBIG ST4 CCD)

The above image was taken using my SBIG ST4 CCD camera at prime focus of my 18 inch F5 Newtonian. The image is 154 arc seconds in width. The outline of the nebula was clearly visible on the PC monitor after only a few seconds. Visually the nebula looks a bit like a small comet with a bright star like coma a faint fan like tail. Being only small this nebula looks better with larger apature and higher powers. The Nebula and associated star are both variable. My intention is to 'keep track of these variations over a long period. Further details can be found in Burnham's Celestial Handbook.

E-Mails and Links to other sites

If you have any comments on my page please E-mail me: DATSCOPE@aol.com

Observatory home page: http://www.angelfire.com/on2/DATSCOPE.html

TRO home page (My team 30inch dobsonian telescope project): http://members.aol.com/DATSCOPE/30inchTRO.html

Liverpool Astronomical Sidewalk Astronomers home page: http://www.angelfire.com/co/DATSCOPE

Liverpool Astronomical Society Home page: http://www.liv.ac.uk/~ggastro/home.html