The Sun #3

Another shot of the Sun made in the approaching of Mercury transit.

27 Apr 2016 ~14:37-14:39 (UT+3)

Setup: Canon EOS 600D + EF-S 55-250 f/4-5.6 @250mm on tripod.

Self-made sun-filter from BAADER AstroSolar film was used.

Parameters: ISO 100; f/11; 1/4000s (50 frames)

Processing: PIPP, AutoStakkert2 (26 of 50 frames), AstraImage, RawTherapee.

The Sun #2

Sun today (24 Apr 2016 at ~14:26-14:30 (UT+3))
A new group of spots appears today (not visible in the yesterday images). A faculae field is visible near limb in the upper-left.
There were light clouds while capturing (which, probably, caused shadows on Sun's disk)

Canon EOS 600D + EF-S 55-250 f/4-5.6 IS II @250mm on tripod
ISO=100; F/9; 1/4000
PIPP, Autostakkert2 (27 frames of 56), Registax6 (wavelets), AstraImage (filter)

Later at ~18:07-18:09 (UT+3)

ISO=100; F/7; 1/4000s
PIPP, Autostakkert2 (46 frames of 60), AstraImage (deconvolution, filter)

The Sun

The Sun today (23 Apr 2016) at 13:23 (UT+3). Kyiv (Osokorky).

Captured with Canon EOS 600D + EF-S 55-250 f/4-5.6 IS II at 250mm with sun-filter made from BAADER AstroSolar film.
14 individual frames were stacked (using PIPP+Autostakkert2), deconvolution was made using AstraImage.
Frames were captured at ISO 100; F/13; shutter speed 1/4000s.

The next image is a result of stacking of 34 frames (ISO 100; F/7; 1/4000s) captured at ~16:20 (UT+3)

The spot:

The setup:

Mercury Again

Mercury on 20 Apr 2016 at 21:10 (UT+3)
Kyiv, South Bridge

Canon EOS 600D + EF 50mm f/1.8 II; ISO=200; F/2.8; Exp 2s; crop

Processed with RawTherapee, NeatImage, FSViewer.

Mercury over South Bridge #2

Mercury over South Bridge, Kyiv

2016-04-18 21:18 (UT+3)

See also YouTube video (20:54-21:45)

Mercury over South Bridge

Mercury on 17 Apr 2016 at 21:06 (UT +3) over South Bridge, Kyïv.

... and few minutes before (21:02)

Comet 252P/LINEAR #2

The comet this morning just before dawn (last frames were actually captured at twilight) is in front of Ophiuchus.
Place: Kyïv (Osokorky)
Time: 2016-04-12 04:55-04:59(UT+2).

Equipment: Canon 600D + EF 50mm f/1.8 on tripod; 50x3,2s; f/2.5; ISO=3200.

Processing: DSS, FITStacker, RawTherapee, FSViewer.

Size (by nova.astrometry.net) is 16.5 x 11 deg.

Here is zoomed part of the image (2x2 degree)

Comet 252P/LINEAR (remastered)

Image of a comet 252P/LINEAR captured on 5 Apr remastered.
150 frames (3.2s each) were processed in DSS using bigger region (resulted image size is 14.8x8.34 degrees). Gradient background was removed using FITStacker, final processing was made using FSViewer, NeatImage, and RawTherapee.
Except the comet, several deep sky objects are visible in the image: globular clusters M14 (to the upper left-left of the comet), M10 (in the upper-right corner of the picture), and NGC 6366 (dim spot to the right of the comet). According to nova.astrometry.net, a size of the picture is 14.8 x 8.34 deg.

*** Image updated on 2016-04-15: contrast enchanced ***

Comet 252P/LINEAR

Comet 252P/LINEAR last night from Kyiv (Osokorky). While sky was clear, substantial atmospheric  haze dims stars. Comet is quite visually bright while its predicted magnitude is low (expected ~14m only; last visual observations give brightness ~6m [cometbase.net]). Fuzzy orange "star" to the upper-left of the comet is globular cluster M14.
The comet is periodic (orbital period 5.33 years). This is near-Earth object, it passes quite close both Earth and Jupiter (Earth-Jupiter family comet). In the past, it probably was Jupiters Troyan.

Time: 2016-04-05 (4:24-4:36 UT+3).
Angular size of the image is 4x4 degree (by nova.astrometry.net).
Canon EOS 600D + EF 50mm f/1.8 II on tripod.
150 frames by 3.2s; f/2.5; ISO=3200

The image was made in two steps: initial 150 frames (3.2s) where groupped by 10 and stacked in DSS, then resulted 15 frames where stacked again with alignment by the comet.
To be honest, result with alignment by the comet differs a little from result made using alignment by stars.
Resulted image was treated with FITStacher (background subtraction and gamma-correction) and then postprocessed in RawTherapee.