Category: Observing

Observing from the Pali

With four nights in the park I planned to do a little observing along with the planned hikes. situated on the south face of the island the park offers a view of southern skies objects that cannont be matched anywhere else in the 50 states.

Makaʻiki Mk2 setup at the Hilina Pali viewpoint in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park observing the southern sky
Makaʻiki Mk2 setup at the Hilina Pali viewpoint in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park observing the southern sky

The plan was simple… Getup in the wee dark hours and drive the 20 minutes to the Maunaiki Trailhead. I could then setup my little 6″ travel scope and observe the southern sky.

Arriving I at the trailhead I was not happy, unusual morning clouds covered the sky, not a star to be found. This is the Kaʻu Desert!! It is supppose to be dry and clear in the morning. My cursing had no effect on the clouds.

A quick look at the satellite imagery and I headed further down the road to the Halina Pali Overlook with some hope. It was dicey, but I was already driving around in the middle of the night, why not?

And behold… Clear skies. Somewhat. It had clearly rained in the night as everything was wet. But at least some of the sky was beautifully dark and clear. As long as the rainclouds looming in the east held off I could do what I suffered such an early alarm for.

Quickly setting up the little scope I found conditions were not bad, though I did have to hop about a bit to avoid some drifting clouds. There was usually some part of the sky clear… Use it!

NGC 5286 – Bright and obvious, small at 2′ diameter, unresolved, round with a bright center, the 4.6 magnitude M Cen is 4′ southeast

M68 – Bright and obvious, 3′ diameter, rich, not resolved, round with a bright and well concentrated core

NGC 4361 – Small, bright and obvious, a round 1′ disk with a bright central star and well defined extents, no color noted, no other structure noted

NGC 5139 – A spectacular swarm of stars, very bright and easy to sweep up, large at 30′ diameter, resolved, extremely rich, well concentrated with a exceptionally dense center that fades radially into a fine mist of stars, one cannot fathom such a region of the cosmos, a place where our mere common sense fails utterly

6″ RFT Makaiki Mk2, Hilina Pali Overlook HVNP, 9 Jan 2025
Omega Centauri
Omega Centauri, NGC5139, sum of 31 x 1min exposures, AT6RC and Canon 60D

Close to astronomical dawn the clouds swept across the sky, a curtain to end the show. A few scattered raindrops had me hurrying to pack the gear back in the vehicle. I was considering what to do next when the rain came in ernest, a steady rain that washed over the windshield.

The drive back into the main section of the park proved fruitful as I found the usually crowded trails deserted in the early morning rain.

Waiting for T Coronae Borealis

Things change in the sky. Contrary to the stenuous assertions of some, the night sky is not constant, it changes. Stars move, sometimes fairly rapidly, stars fade, and sometimes brighten dramatically.

Then there are novae, stars the flare to a brilliance far beyond their normal lustre. Such a star is T Coronae Borealis, or T CrB for short. This star is a recurrent nova, a star that flares to brilliance once or twice every century.

Sometimes called the Blaze Star, T CrB is normally a dim 10th magnitude star, a star that requires a small telescope to view, lost in a field filled with similar stars. A few times in the annals of astronomy the star has blazed to second magnitude, about 1500 times brighter. In 1866 and 1946 the star rivaled nearby Alphecca, the brightest star in the constellation of Corona Borealis. It may also have been observed in 1217 and again in 1787 giving a rough period of about 80 years.

T CrB is a white dwarf that is stealing material from a stellar companion, a red giant near the end of its own fuel. When that material builds up enough the white dwarf flares into temporary brilliance as a fusion reaction tears across the surface of the stellar remnant. The cycle repeats over the centuries causing these regular novae. Eventually the accumulating mass will be too great and instead of a recurring nova the star will meet its final end as a type Ia supernova.

I am of course among those awaiting the eventual nova. Yesterday evening I took a few images of the field to capture the scene. Hopefully I can take the images again to get a before and during image of T CrB.

Last year T CrB started exhibiting behavoirs similar to what had been measured just prior to the 1946 eruption. As a result we expect the star to go nova on schedule this year, most likely in the next month.

We have been waiting, stargazers keeping an eye on the constellation all summer.

Not yet.

Awaiting the recurring nova of T CrB
T CrB on the evening of 22 Aug 2024… Still about 10th magnitude, no nova yet. The 4th magnitude star Epsilon CrB at the top.

A Busy Sun

Solar maximum is upon us and the Sun is a very busy place these days. To the delight of those of use who watch, a parade of large sunspots can be observed crossing the Earth facing side. These magnetic tangles have also been releasing flare after flare, sometimes causing strong araoras here on Earth.

It is cetianly worth the effort to drag the ‘scope into the driveway and take a look. Unfortunately the seeing at the house was poor this morning so the resulting photos are not as sharp as I would like…

A parade of large sunspots crossing the disk of the Sun on 10 Aug 2024.
A parade of large sunspots crossing the disk of the Sun on 10 Aug 2024.

A Misty Night at Kaʻohe

While I have gotten plenty of telescope time lately, it has usually been morning sessions with the old Astrola in my driveway. This is a low effort and thoroughly enjoyable practice that I engage in about half a dozen times each month. Such sessions do mean that my 18″ telescope languishes for far too long in the garage.

Ben Harmon checking the sky in anticipation of a good evening of observing at Kaʻohe
Ben Harmon checking the sky in anticipation of a good evening of observing at Kaʻohe

I really need to change that.

Thus when my fellow staff at Symbrosia start asking for another star party it made a good excuse to get the big ‘scope out of the garage and under a dark sky.

Continue reading “A Misty Night at Kaʻohe”

Morning Observing

First quarter moon… Telescope time.

Observing Table
The observing table under red light.

I find myself reliably rising early, often around 4am, something that seemed to have begun during the pandemic. Those who knew me in my younger years may find this a bit unbeliveable, I used to hate mornings, but now?

The other factoid about island mornings. It is almost always clear. The afternoon and evening clouds have dissipated and clear skies are the rule.

Combine these bits with a love of the sky and the result is morning observing sessions, often half a dozen mornings will be spent out with a telescope in those couple weeks the Moon is absent from the morning sky.

Get up, shrug on some ratty old clothes, and wheel the telescope out of the garage. The ‘scope of choice is almost always the old Astrola, even with larger and more sophisticated telescopes available there is just something about using that old manual ‘scope that I find satisfying.

At the telescope in the driveway again
At the telescope in the driveway again

Perhaps the lack of computer or digital setting circles means it is my own skill enabling my path among the stars. The Astrola does have manual setting circles, but I rarely use those. A star chart, a finder, and starhopping allow me to wander through rather than jump about… I just see more, often stumbling across unexpected bits of beauty.

I have upgraded the Astrola a bit lately, adding a larger finder ‘scope with a wide field eyepiece. It is a 50mm 3D printed finder of my own design allowing me to see more sky at once with fainter stars.

There are a few more days until the bright Moon crosses into the morning sky, a few more mornings you will likely find me out with the ‘scope.