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Joshua Taboga

Joshua Taboga

Posts composed by Joshua Taboga

Infographic: Astronomy Highlights Spring 2019

February 28 2019, Joshua Taboga

As the temperatures grow warmer, many stargazers are ready to head outside regularly again. In the spring, the sky shows us a completely different face. But what is there to see? What is worth looking for?

Your sky calendar for the next three months: The new astronomy infographic, “Highlights of the Spring Sky,” shows you what will be happening in the sky from March through May 2019, at a glance.

 

March

March 3: The Planet Chain – the Moon, Venus, Saturn and Jupiter at Dawn

A good reason to get up early: this morning, we can see the planets Jupiter, Saturn and Venus lined up like beads on a necklace. Starting at around 6 am, the Moon will peek up over the horizon and join the show. The constellations Scorpius and Sagittarius are the first heralds of summer, but it will be a long time before they are visible in the evening sky.

March 11: The Moon Meets Mars

To the naked eye or with binoculars, the Moon and Mars offer a pretty sight. They are close together, only 5 degrees apart. The Moon is just 5 days old today and shaped like a crescent.

March 16: The Golden Handle

A fascinating occurrence: the “Golden Handle” on the Moon. Like a handle made of light, it breaks through the Moonlit night just past the terminator. We can see Mare Imbrium near the Sinus Iridum crater and the tall Montes Jura range. This is where the Sun rises in the twilight zone. But while the crater is still in the dark, the Sun bathes the circular mountaintops of Montes Jura in sunlight. A golden ring in the darkness.

March 27: The Moon Meets Jupiter

Tonight, the Moon does not rise until after midnight. But it isn’t alone. It is accompanied by Jupiter, and they will travel together across the sky for the rest of the night. Jupiter will remain just below the Moon, about 50 arcseconds away.

 

 

April

April 5: Asteroid Iris in Opposition

Iris is one of the largest asteroids in the asteroid belt. This chunk of space rock has a diameter of 200 kilometers. On April 5 it will be in opposition to the Sun, reaching a brightness of 9.4 mag.

April 9: Asteroid Pallas in Opposition

The asteroid Pallas comes into opposition this month, reaching a brightness of 7.9 mag. Theoretically, it can be spotted with a pair of binoculars, and definitely with a telescope. But it appears as just another tiny dot among the stars. Between April 10 and 12, Pallas will pass by the 2.6-mag η Boötis – a great orientation point, because both objects appear in the same ocular field of view.

April 9: A Meeting of the Moon, Mars and Aldebaran

This evening the narrow crescent of the Moon will appear in the Taurus constellation, along with Mars and the constellation’s bright main star, Aldebaran.

April 11: Mercury’s Largest Western Elongation

Mercury orbits the Sun so quickly and so closely that we cannot always see it. But right now, Mercury has a large angle distance from the Sun at 27°. Still, it will be almost impossible to make out around daybreak.

April 12: Virginids

The Virginids are a meteor shower that come from the Virgo constellation. They show relatively little activity, with at most 5 shooting stars per hour. The best time to observe them is around midnight.

April 22: Lyrids

The Lyrids are a meteor shower that will produce just 10 to 20 meteors an hour at their peak on April 22. The best time to observe them is between 10 pm and 4 am; before midnight, we can enjoy the view without the disruptive Moon. The radiant, in other words the place where the shower begins, is located in the Lyra constellation.

April 25: The Moon Meets Saturn

Tonight, the Moon will pay another visit to the ringed planet. We can see this beautiful sight in the early morning hours, starting at around 3 am. Above it and to the right is the planet Jupiter, glowing with a brightness of -2.4 mag. The chain made up of these planets and the Moon offers a good opportunity to take beautiful atmospheric pictures.

 

May

May 6: Occultation of 61 Tau (For Experts)

The Moon’s path will lead through the Taurus constellation and the Hyades cluster, creating various interesting occultations with bright stars. This evening, the stars 61 Tau and 68 Tau will be hidden by the wafer-thin crescent Moon. One problem: the occultations will take place in the day sky or in the very early twilight sky, just above the horizon. At 7:18 pm CEST, the star 61 Tau (still in the day sky) will disappear on the unilluminated side of the Moon and reappear on the other side just under an hour later. Caution: at the time of the occultation, the Sun will still be in the sky. Do not stare at the Sun! Because it will still be daytime, the occultation cannot be seen from everywhere.
The next occultation, which can be observed from more southern regions, will be better: at 8:47 pm CET, the Moon will cover the star 68 Tau, and at 9:30 pm CET it will reappear on the other side.

May 8: The Moon Meets Mars

On the evenings of May 7 and 8, the Moon and Mars will come together. The Moon’s crescent will only be 8.8% illuminated, giving it a delicate look against the colorful evening sky. On the 7th the Red Planet will shine just 5 degrees above the Moon, and on the evening of the 8th the Moon will have overtaken Mars, moving from Taurus to the Gemini constellation.

May 18: Blue Moon

A “Blue Moon” has become defined as the point when we have a full Moon twice in one month.  However, the older definition of “Blue Moon” refers to the third full Moon out of four in one season and is called a Seasonal Blue Moon. Occurring about every 2.5 years, the name has nothing to do with the color of the Moon, which is the same for every full Moon.

May 20: The Moon Meets Jupiter

At 10:30 CEST, the Moon and Jupiter will cross the horizon and travel together through the second half of the night, until Sunrise. For most of the night, they will be the brightest objects in the sky. Venus only begins to shine in the East starting in the early morning.

A PDF of this infographic can be found HERE.

 

Total Lunar Eclipse: Last Chance on the 20-21st January 2019

January 18 2019, Joshua Taboga

On the 20th in the Americas and 21st of January in Europe and northern Africa, we have the pleasure of witnessing the Moon on the big stage, once again.  As we sit in the front row, the Earth’s shadow will play a complementary role to center stage.

In contrast to the eclipse of Summer 2018, Europeans and North Americans will have to tough it out in the cold.  With clammy fingers in the waking hours and next to the telescope, we will admire a fascinating, rusty-red Moon. However, bearing the cold temperatures will be rewarding, since this lunar eclipse will be one of the last, extremely visible eclipses in Europe for some time.

Here, you can learn more about the total lunar eclipse and some observation tips.

The Lunar Eclipse of 2018 taken in Landsberg am Lech, Germany. Credit: Alexander Olbrich

Getting up Early – Akin to Moving Mountains

So why do it?  Why stand outside in the icy-cold, surrounded by snow and frost, while others are cuddled in their warm beds?
Easy!  We cannot fight our fascination for astronomy.  Astronomy is not something best experienced from your couch.  Gazing at a photograph does not place us in the place it was taken, as well as being there in person.  Which would you prefer?  Listening to music on your smartphone or bouncing to live music with the stage only a hand

 

Why this Eclipse?

Our American friends will have the pleasure of seeing the eclipse during more comfortable hours of the night, while those of us further East will need to get up early.  This eclipse will be one of the few, easily visible ones from Europe for several years and all of it will be visible from a comfortable height in the sky, so that the Moon will be observable from almost every village, city and garden – even with the bonus of a morning cup of joe in your hand.  Who wants to drive to the middle of nowhere or to a mountain in the middle of the night?
The next chance to see a Lunar Eclipse will be a ways off: six years from now on the 7th of September 2025 (Our North American counterparts only need wait until 26th of May, 2021). So, this Lunar Eclipse in the early morning hours will be worth the work!

 

Location and Date

On the 20th around dusk in the Americas, leading into the 21st of January in the early morning hours in Europe and Africa, around 5 hours of a rusty-red Moon will grace the night sky.  The visibility of this particular eclipse will stretch from the Pacific Ocean all the way to Eastern Europe.  Here in Europe, the Moon will rise already in the Earth’s shadow.

This is hot phase, in which the Moon is hiding in Earthly shadow, also known as totality, makes the moon resemble a piece of hot iron initially.  Eventually, our satellite will take on a brownish, rusty-red or copper color, making it impossible to look away.

For the best experiences, find yourself a nice dark area.  The Moon’s normal brightness is not to be expected.  In the Earth’s shadow, it will still glow faintly in the night sky and reflects only the refracted light, passing through the Earth’s atmosphere, from the sun back to us. Now our Moon will appear 25,000 times fainter than a bright, illuminated Moon.

 

That’s a good reason to find a dark spot or at least make sure you have an unimpeded view without street lights.

 

At 5:41 AM Get Outside, Europeans

3:35 AM CET (central European time) or 9:35 PM EST (20th of January) in North America is when the Moon enters the penumbra, but this phase is rather inconspicuous.  Once the Moon enters the Umbra at 4:34 AM CET or 10:34 AM EST, Europeans and Americans will be able to see a real difference in our satellite’s color. Our lucky friends in California will be able to see the entry into the umbra already at 7:30 PST on the 20th of January.

Totality begins at 5:41 CET or 11:41 EST.  In Europe, the Moon will have dropped in the sky by about 10°, but the sight will still be excellent.  In comparison to the last Lunar Eclipse in Europe, then the Moon was already red by the time it reached 5° abover the horizon and reached a maximum of 16° before totality ended.

 

Phases of the Eclipse at a Glance

  1. Entry into the Penumbra 3:35 CET (21st of January) and 9:35 EST (20th of January)
  2. Entry into the Umbra 4:34 CET and 10:34 EST
  3. Begin of totality 5:41 CET and 11:34 EST
  4. Half-way point of the Eclipse 6:12 CET and 12:12 EST (21st of January)
  5. Exit of the Umbra 7:51 CET and 1:51 EST
  6. Exit of the Penumbra 8:50 CET and 2:50 EST

Roughly until 6:44 AM CET or 12:44 AM EST, we will be able to admire a rusty-red Moon with the naked eye, binoculars, or a telescope.  Lunar photography during the Eclipse should also be a breeze, even with standard equipment.

 

How to Photograph the Lunar Eclipse

During the Eclipse, it will be worth the effort to photograph the moment.  The good thing is, you will not need a whole lot of equipment.  A tri-pod and a camera, or a small telescope with a camera mount should do the trick.

With a stable camera, you should be able to capture the Moon with the surrounding landscape.  With an focal length of up to 200 mm and especially when the Moon is just above the horizon, you are sure to find photographing the event rewarding.

If you would like a close-up, in which the Moon takes up a third or half of the image, you will need a higher focal length of more than 500mm.  In such a case, it will be difficult, if not impossible, to shoot a nice lunar picture.  In the partial phases, short exposures will do – in the range of 1/100th and 1/10th of a second, while totality will require an exposure of several seconds.  The drawback here will be a blurring effect of the Moon, as a result of the Earth’s rotation.  With longer exposures and moderately sensitive cameras, consider using a tracking mount, in order to get a crisp photo of totality.

If you looking for a great telescope for a lunar eclipse, have a look at our Omegon Photography Scope 72/432 ED, which is a great instrument for nature and astrophotography at moderate focal lengths.  The set-up is both a lens and a spotting scope, all in one.

 

The Lunar Eclipse of 2018 captured with a stabilized camera.  Mars is visible below. Credit: Marcus Schenk

Photography Tips at a Glance

  • Stable tri-pod or tracking mount, as well as a lens or a small telescope
  • Recommendation: a camera with a cable or Bluetooth remote, as well as a timer
  • The camera should feature a manual focus, allowing you refocus to see a crisp edge on the Moon
  • The exposure should be manually configurable, or at least feature exposure correction
  • Experiment with the aperture and ISO values – you have plenty of time to do so

 

For now, we say clear skies and enjoy!  Until next time!

Total Lunar Eclipse 2018: Images from Our Colleagues

July 30 2018, Joshua Taboga

What a night! First the Mars Opposition and then the Total Lunar Eclipse.  And hopefully, fantastic weather!  Nights in t-shirts.  What more could you want as a hobby astronomer and observer?  Finally, our hobby has made it into the spotlight of the public again.  Of course, the media weren’t always strictly scientific in their reporting and there were a few questionable pieces written.  But, what are you going to do? The focus was on Astronomy and we think that is great!

Observatories received hundreds of visitors on the 27th, who just wanted a glance through a telescope.  All were excited about the “blood Moon”.  Families came and spread themselves out in the fields with picnic baskets, as kids frolic across the open spaces.  Everywhere in cities, people looked up to the cosmos.  The Lunar Eclipse was not only an astronomical event, rather also a feeling in a mild summer night… one, which will remain in our memories for some time.

Our colleagues had the chance to really enjoy the evening of the eclipse, and took a few photos here and there. A couple of images are visible below.

Menschen beobachten Mondfisternis

The first people coming together in a field, to watch the eclipse together.  Credit: Tassilo Bohm

 

Mofi aus Portugal

Photo series of the eclipse.  Credit: Joao Martins

 

The eclipse 2018 from Auerberg. Credit: Alexander Olbrich

 

The eclipse at a glance.  Below, Mars is visible.  Credit: Marcus Schenk

 

Mondfinsternis über Landsberg

Lunar Eclipse above Landsberg, Germany.  Credit: Marcus Schenk with Nikon Coolpix P900 and tripod

 

Mondfinsternis kurz vor dem Austritt

The Moon as it leaves the Earth’s shadow.  Credit: Marcus Schenk

 

Mondfinsternis auf dem Auerberg

The view from Auerberg towards the Alps.  Credit: Stefan Schuchardt

 

Stefan from consulting and Alex from the repair shop were happy to see the lunar eclipse.

 

Mondfinsternis 2018 mit dem Sternenhimmel

The Moon with Mars with a stellar backdrop.  To the right, you can see Sagitarius and Saturn. Credit: Stefan Schuchardt

 

Der Mond beim Austritt aus dem Kernschatten

The Moon as it leaves the Earth’s shadow.  Credit: Stefan Schuchardt

AstroFest 2018 in London!

February 7 2018, Joshua Taboga

Calling all Astronomy Fans and aficionados! On the 9th and 10th of February the Universe comes to London!  

Astroshop.co.uk and Omegon will be attending the European AstroFest 2018, taking  place in Kensington, London on the 9th and 10th of February.  We will be there ready to chat with you and show you all the ways you can explore the heavens. We’ll be exhibiting several of our Omegon Pro telescopes and accessories, along with our awesome and innovative Universe2go augmented-reality star viewer!

The show is visited by the pros and is often graced by superstars, such as Brian May!

“European AstroFest is the world’s premier space conference and exhibition, bringing together the professional and amateur communities.” This year’s expo will feature experts discussing exciting space developments and exhibitors showing their gear, which you can use to observe the cosmos!  Tickets start at £25 and more info can be found here.

See you there!

Get the Most out of Your Universe2go with Our Tutorial Videos!

January 9 2018, Joshua Taboga

For those, getting started with Universe2go or trying to troubleshoot, check out these helpful tutorial videos to help you get the most out of your Personal Planetarium.

Getting Started

With Universe2go, getting started is quick and easy.  The app set-up is straightforward and learning how to navigate the menu takes only a few minutes.

First make sure that you have the Universe2go packaging on hand.  Inside the top lid, you will find the activation code for Planetarium Mode.  After starting Planetarium Mode for the first time, follow the steps on the screen and then let the narrator guide you through navigating the planetarium and menu.  Focusing on an object provides you with a wealth of info about that object and the app will track your head movements in relation to the stars in the night sky.

Look down to activate the menu.  Don’t forget to keep your head level and use only small movements when navigating the menu.

 

Passepartout Customization

The passepartout secures your phone within the goggles.  The adhesive makes the placement of the foam pieces permanent.  If you would like to use multiple phones with Universe2go, we recommend keeping the paper on the foam pieces.

 

Eye Calibration

Eye calibration allows you to readjust the dual screens on your smartphones display to fit your eyes.  Sure beats seeing double!

 

Star Calibration

The star calibration takes place only at night, and three prominent stars should be visible.

 

Solar Sale: The Solar Filter QUARK and Other Daystar Products Now Available at a Special Price

November 14 2017, Joshua Taboga

Save 135 Euro – 10% discount –  on the QUARK solar filter series!

The QUARK solar filters revolutionized solar observation, because they can be used with an available telescope with a lens just like an eyepiece.  The image below shows how simple it is:

DaystarQUARK

The QUARK Filter transforms a standard refracting telescope into a solar telescope.

 

A detailed test of the filters can be found here in our Astro-Blog.

Of the QUARK-Filter series, the most popular for observations are the H-Alpha-Lichts and the Calcium-H-Linie.  In these spectral lines, the sun shows its active side on the daily.

But, you can not only get your hands on any of the  QUARK-Filters for a special price: at the moment, we are also offering any of the DayStar Filters at an incredible price!

Additionally, the  Solar Teleskope from DayStar Filters, in which the QUARK-Filter comes built-in as part of the set.  The most superb of the QUARK-Solar telescopes is the Scout 80  with its carbon tube and helical focusser:

DayStarSCout80

A QUARK filter is build into this 80/1400 Refractor.

You can now buy the Scout 80 for 383 Euro cheaper!

Take advantage of the cheap DayStar Filters prices! Sale valid only until the 15th of December 2017. Prices are valid independent of deliverability and dependent only on the date of your order.   

Reactions to the International Astronomy Show 2017 – Stoneleigh, UK

October 18 2017, Joshua Taboga

Astroshop.co.uk took part in the International Astronomy Show 2017 (IAS) in Stoneleigh, UK.  We chatted with everyone from beginner to expert, and even had the pleasure of having school kids, future scientists and all-around smart people, attend the show!  Here are a few pictures from our time at IAS.  We will see you there again next year!

 

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On Friday, we were all set up and ready to go!  Universe2go, beginner telescopes, as well as smartphone adapters were available.

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Eyepieces and filters were in abundance.  Telescopes for the hobbyists and hardcore astronomers were also featured.

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The school-aged young adults were especially astounded by Universe2go.  The ooos, ahhhs, and whoas could be heard throughout the hall.

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Future astronomers in the making…  Thanks to STEM and schools in the area.

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When not attending interesting lectures, attendees spent time perusing our latest assortment of quality astronomy equipment.

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Dome Installation of a 2.6m Milkyway Observatory in Costa del Sol, Spain

August 26 2017, Joshua Taboga

Astroshop.es supplied and installed a 2.6m Milky Way dome in Costa del Sol, southern Spain.

MilkyWayDomes1

MilkyWayDomes2

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MilkyWayDomes4

The observatory was equipped with an Omegon Pro RC 14 on a Skywatcher EQ8 mount.

MilkyWayDomes5

Omegon RC2

Omegon RC1

Astroshop successfully carried out collimation and commissioning and the observatory was quickly ready to start taking on tasks in astrometry and photometry, which were to be submitted to and used by the Minor Planet Center.

MilkyWayDomes6

The Perseids 2017: Infographic about the Meteor Shower on the 11th of August

August 9 2017, Joshua Taboga

Once again, August is upon us and with it comes falling stars.  The most meteors of the Perseids will fall in the night of the 11th to the 12th of August.  A completely unobstructed view of the meteor shower will not be a possibility, unfortunately, as the Moon, illuminated at 82%, will light up the night sky.  The brighter meteors will be easy to see, in spite of it all.

So where to look?  When and how can you see the meteor shower?  Check out the infographic below for the most important information about the Perseids meteor shower.

At a glance, quick and informative.

 

u2g-infografik-perseiden-en

 

Impressions of Astroshop’s ScopeDome Construction in Pram, Austria

August 9 2017, Joshua Taboga

Astroshop was in Pram, Austria, to build a 3-Meter ScopeDome Observatory.  

Pram 1 Pram 2

Spectroscopy was the motivation of constructing the dome. 

Pram 3 Pram 4 Pram 5

Not far from the house, the owner should be able to control the observatory and equipment within it. 

Pram 6 Pram 7 Pram 9 Pram 8

The high concrete wall was constructed to accommodate the equipment and allowed for more usable space inside the dome.