The strongest solar flare reported during the past 24 hours was a C4.0 flare (peaked at 23:29 UTC, on December 17). The flare seems to originate from Catania sunspot region 91 (no NOAA number yet) located on the east solar limb. New Catania sunspot group 87 (NOAA AR 1928) shows some activity
at the same moment. NOAA AR 1928 is growing and currently also has the beta-gamma magnetic configuration of its photospheric field (just like sunspot region 80 or NOAA AR 1917). The probability for C-flares is around 80%, M-flares around 30%, with Catania sunspot regions 80, 87 and 91 as main source candidates. The chances for an X-flare are low. No Earth-directed CMEs were observed.Solar wind conditions are stable with a solar wind speed of 400 km/s and a magnitude of the interplanetary magnetic field of 5 nT (observed by ACE). Geomagnetic conditions are quiet (K<3). A glancing blow of the CME of December 16 might lead to unsettled or at most active conditions at the end of December 19 (UTC time).
Equipment: Coronado 90 + SBIG 8300s + LX75
Time UT: 20:00
Exposure 0.8 sec.
With SPONLI Space is getting closer!
Image Credit & Copyright: Thomas Kast
Explanation: What’s happening behind those houses? Pictured above are not aurora but nearby light pillars, a local phenomenon that can appear as a distant one. In most places on Earth, a lucky viewer can see a Sun-pillar, a column of light appearing to extend up from the Sun caused by flat fluttering ice-crystals reflecting sunlight from the upper atmosphere. Usually these ice crystals evaporate before reaching the ground. During freezing temperatures, however, flat fluttering ice crystals may form near the ground in a form of light snow, sometimes known as a crystal fog. These ice crystals may then reflect ground lights in columns not unlike a Sun-pillar. While going out to buy cat food, a quick thinking photographer captured the above light pillars extending up from bright parking lot lights in Oulu, Finland.
APOD NASA 18-dec-2013
NGC1333 Is a dark and dusty reflection nebula in Perseus. It is approximately 1000 light years from Earth. There is much going on in NGC1333. In this dark and dusty Nebula there is also Emission and Reflection Nebula. There is new star formation with most of the stars being less than 1,000,000 years old. That’s very young for a star, considering our sun is 4.5 billion years old now. NGC spans about 6 light years across.
Scope: Planewave 17in
Camera: Apogee U16
Mount: Paramount ME
Filters: Astrodon LRGB
Exposures: R 2hrs G 2hrs B 2hrs L 6.75Hrs LRGB 15min subs Total time 12.75 Hrs
Location: Sierra Nevada Mountains CA. Heavens Mirror Observatory SRO 2012
AstroPhotography of the day by SPONLI
Autor: Bill Snyder
18 December 2013
We select the best works of amateur astrophotographers with details of equipment, shooting processing etc.