It’s difficult for me to pick one so here is a short video I took with my iPhone on October 21. It was in the parking lot of my local orchard.
I stuck around a good while and guided it to safety.
We had the unusual opportunity to photograph the Aurora and the Comet within one week of each other in October. First time I've seen the Northern Lights live. What a night!! Taken mid October, Dewey Beach, Delaware, East Coast USA!
These are gorgeous! Dewey Beach & Rehoboth Beach are amongst the nicest on the eastern seaboard, in my humble opinion. I love the yellow Jolly Trolley there too. https://www.jollytrolley.com/
Thanks! Yes, Dewey and Rehoboth have been a great place to grow up, not often many dull moments! And the Jolly Trolley still runs. They had a bus that we used to hire to go out and sing Christmas Carols in the neighborhoods!
It’s just the nicest area! I’d vacationed there summers many years. The no sales tax in Delaware was always an added perk.
I bet President & Dr Biden get a little beach time in there this summer. ☺️
Yes, no doubt they will. I hope he stays healthy so he can enjoy it. A lot of folks get all cranked up when the Bidens come to town with all the hullaballoo. I rather enjoy it, even when I have to drive in their community. All that attention from the Secret Service, lol!
They both seem so classy and respectful to me. I know Dr & President Biden will continue their contributions and humanitarianism as former heads of state.
I’ll keep the Orion theme running for a bit more ..! I don’t have a telescope but just use my camera and telephoto lenses for these with an HEQ5 Pro mount
Favourites from 2024? I haven't even sorted through my 2023 and late 2022 photos yet 😭 Here are a few from this past year that stick out from the mess!
Not many new images this year but I have reprocessed a lot of data from previous years now I have bought #PixInsight the only new ones are the Elephants Trunk Nebula and the Soul Nebula. The weather has been so bad this year #Astrophotography
Thank you, I captured it from my back garden in the UK using a 190MN scope and 383L+ camera, about 18 hours total exposure. We are not blessed with many clear skies here so it did take several sessions which for me makes it more rewarding ☺️
It’s on a equatorial mount so with good polar alignment it tracks well, I also use an off axis guider so it constantly corrects to less than 1 pixel resolution. Any frames which are impacted by wind/clouds or guiding error are rejected. The technology available is superb.
It's been a great year for amateur astronomy I think. I'll be posting my highlights over the next few days, if I find the time. Some great pictures in your replies David 😀
My favourite 2024 picture is actually a 5-sec. video. I hope it’s OK to add it here. It shows the partial lunar eclipse of Sept. 18, stop-motion made by my Seestar S-50, 1 frame per minute. Getting all this at the tap of a button felt almost magical.
This is the Swan Nebula in Sagittarius (M17), an emissions nebula in a region of active star formation that is prominent in the southern summer sky in North America. It was one of my first OSC SHO images using 2 different dual narrowband filters this year. https://www.astrobin.com/2ksgay/
#astrophotography
My first Auroras... last winter. The trip to the north flank of Mount Shasta in late April... with a flashlight, and a prayer that my ancient Pentax K3ii would last just a wee bit longer.
Thanks, David. I'm hoping 2025 will be my iOptron tracking enlightenment year. I bought it in Sept 2023, used it twice... then stared at it a bunch this year, with no use. I need to find a decent tablet for alignment rather than dragging my laptop into the night. I'm a widefield MW junky. LOL
I've got a Vixen Polarie Star Tracker. There was a very long period after I got it when it just gathered dust. Now at the slightest opportunity I'm out with it. Don't need a laptop though.
It's the polar alignment stuff that tries to break my brain. I've been cheating for the past nine years with the Astrotracer tool on the K3... but it's far from perfect, and I want more time so I can get more data. Also... I need to shoot more consistently timed frames. ADHD, and precision are hell.
Polar Alignment is easy with the Polarie. Has a pointer at the side that indicates the latitude the Polarie is at by moving it up or down. A little lens in the tracker can be used to locate Polaris to help with precision.
4 Favourites.
1/2. of course the amazing Aurora over UK in May, plus the sunspot that caused them.
3. Equinox Sun reflections, London.
4. Comet T-Atlas
These are mostly from the vet clinic I work at. The one of the snake is a baby we produced this gear. The last is a meme of sorts after taking the clinic phone from my pocket.
It's been a bit poor year for me. What with weather and a lengthy hospital stay meant I only managed a dozen or so sessions. Hopefully I can make up for it when the clouds finally clear.
Thank you, I'm ending the year with covid, but I think I'm through the worst now. Hopefully my health will be a lot better and the clouds less frequent.
“Pleiades: The name of a cluster of stars in the night sky, associated with rain. In Greek mythology, the Pleiades were seven sister-nymphs who were companions of Artemis, the goddess of the hunt. (My mother’s name was Artemis).
Here you go. 2024 #astrophotography compilation highlights featuring a global aurora, comet, solar halo, noctilucent 'clouds', Saturn with rings nearly side on, lunar eclipse, giant sunspot group & Saturn occulted by the full Moon. Despite some iffy weather, 2024 delivered special #astronomy events!
Yeah, I knew Niagara Falls was high risk, but it was the best compromise I could strike between eclipse chasing and a family vacation. The day before was *gorgeous*….
My favorites! Orion and Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS. I just got an intervelometer as a Christmas gift, so I can't wait to try it out since I could only max at 30 second exposure before. :)
Comments
The camera got what my naked eye couldn’t. So, cool.
🔭
I stuck around a good while and guided it to safety.
https://www.jollytrolley.com/
I bet President & Dr Biden get a little beach time in there this summer. ☺️
#mexico #trees #nature #nacreousclouds
My first time and probably the last one too. A miracle to witness. It was an amazing experience
January 8th, 2024
Cc @psic0p0mp0.bsky.social @mrwhite.world
I've added you to my SBG Astrophotography Starter Pack (personally curated) so that other folks can find you too.
Please click follow all & reshare them so that others can participate as well.
Greetings from Chile 👋🏼
https://bsky.app/profile/sbgphotography.bsky.social/post/3lfilya7qrk2d
his mother followed him in
he's our Junior now
no joke, just opened the door
and these cats adopted us
#astrophotography
1/2. of course the amazing Aurora over UK in May, plus the sunspot that caused them.
3. Equinox Sun reflections, London.
4. Comet T-Atlas
Urban aurora and 98% solar eclipse
Both were thrilling to see!!
Kat
Stunning aurora shots! 🙏🏾
Astronomically, 2024 was pretty awesome.
Not so much otherwise.
We wound up in Anna, Illinois. It was amazing.