Sun Halo - July 19, 2014

After I had lunch, I saw a very cloudy sky with a faint sun glow trying to penetrate the thick clouds. I then look up to the sky and saw a nice sun halo almost overhead! I quickly try to find an open sky for me to image it even with my Samsung Galaxy S4 camera as I didn't brought with me my Canon DSLR as well as Canon UWA lens :( Unfortunately, I was still able to get some building obstruction despite my best effort to look for an open sky. Anyway, better than nothing.... :)

Lunar Imaging Session - July 12, 2014 Super Moon (Perigee Moon)

The sky tonight was a bit cloudy in the early evening so I had to wait past 9pm already before I left my setup running and brought my new small Shitzhu named Crunch and Japanese Spitz named Bolt to the veterinary clinic for their deworming procedure. As we left the clinic, I saw the tonight's SuperMoon (Perigee Moon) shining brightly with no clouds. So I hurriedly went back home but unfortunately, The Moon has already pass by observing window so I just brought out my Canon Canon EOS 500D DSLR on EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 IS L lens set at 400mm f/11 on sturdy tripod to image the Full Moon at my laundry area. Tonight's SuperMoon is one of the 3 SuperMoons that will be visible this year. Tonight's Supermoon will be 222,611 miles away from Earth – that's about 30,000 miles closer than at its farthest distance in 2014. The moon will be at its closest this year on Aug. 10, when it will be 221,748 miles from Earth. Another Supermoon will follow thereafter again on September 9, 2014. A supermoon, also known as a perigee moon, happens when a moon turns full at about the same time it reaches perigee, or its closest point to Earth during its orbit. I also use a n older Full Moon taken last April 15, 2014 to make a comparison size against tonight's Supermoon and it is easily noticeably bigger :)

Lunar Imaging Session - July 11, 2014

The sky tonight is clear so I use this opportunity to test out the William Optics Megrez 90FD refractor as well as the Feather Touch 10:1 dual speed focuser on the Meade 8" f/10 SCT. Seeing is bad so I wasn't able to crank up the magnification. I tested the Megrez 90FD, a 90mm f/ 6.2 doublet ED refractor coupled with a generic field flattener and Canon EOS 500D DSLR to test on the Waxing Gibbous Moon at prime focus. Afterwards, I switch OTA and tested the Meade 8" f/10 with the Feather Touch 10:1 dual speed focuser to see if I can achieved before focusing then the original SCT focuser which is very bad with lots of backlash. I initially tested with a Canon EOS 500D DSLR at prime focus and needed 2 frames to capture the entire Moon so I mosaic the 2 images of the Moon. Afterwards, I use the ZWO ASI120MM webcam at prime focus of Meade 8" f/10 SCT and tried out the Vallis Bouvard region. I can say is I'm happy with the results despite the poor seeing and hope to do further testing in the days to come. Below is an image of the Waxing Gibbous Moon take at prime focus of William Optics Megrez 90FD refractor.

Here are the images taken using the Meade 8 f/10 SCT.