25 replies to this topic

[kathyastro]

Pluto, imaged at 2021-08-17 03:00 UTC.  Total movement in 24 hours was 60 pixels, or 72 arcseconds.

 

Orion 200mm f/4 Newtonian
Atik 383L+

8x 300s L, 1x1

 

Edited by kathyastro, 17 August 2021 - 09:50 AM.

[Haze]

Very nice.

[vtornado]

I guess I am not going to go looking for this visually.

Looks like a star.

[Sunspot]

It actually looks bright. Great catch!

[matt_astro_tx]

Nice one!  I have to assume you plate solve to identify which one is Pluto?  

[kathyastro]

Nice one!  I have to assume you plate solve to identify which one is Pluto?  

No.  Plate solving won't identify a moving planet.  I plate solved to aim at the coordinates where I knew Pluto should be, and I knew from Stellarium where in the image I should be looking.  But identifying Pluto required comparing two photos taken 24 hours apart.  Here is the image from the night before:

[astrodom]

Wow, nice shot!  You certainly go after challenging targets with your scope.   Good to see you enjoy the challenge of a good hunt.  Thanks for sharing.

[spereira]

Wow.  That is excellent!

Thanks very much for sharing, Kathy!

 

smp

[danJR]

Very nice thanks for sharing.

[dhkaiser]

Well done.  I hope to go after Pluto this next dark moon.  Why not blink the two images???

[matt_astro_tx]

No.  Plate solving won't identify a moving planet.  I plate solved to aim at the coordinates where I knew Pluto should be, and I knew from Stellarium where in the image I should be looking.  But identifying Pluto required comparing two photos taken 24 hours apart.  Here is the image from the night before:

Pluto-15Aug-crop-annotated.jpg

Wow.  Even more impressive!

[kathyastro]

Well done.  I hope to go after Pluto this next dark moon.  Why not blink the two images???

That is left as an exercise for the viewer.  Right-click on each image and select "open in new tab".  Then just click back and forth between tabs.

[SteakAndEggs]

Haha... Very cool!

I love being a part of a community that thinks finding Pluto and taking pictures of it as "fun."

[dhkaiser]

kathyastro hope you don't mind...

 

 

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[Aquat0ne]

Great capture.

[Lucky 777]

Very impressive!

[dhkaiser]

kathyastro check out the arrowed star in your Pluto images blinking, variable star?  If you have more than one image from each night you can check that it is real not an artifact.

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Edited by dhkaiser, 24 August 2021 - 03:45 PM.

[kathyastro]

kathyastro check out the arrowed star in your Pluto images blinking, variable star?  If you have more than one image from each night you can check that it is real not an artifact.

Interesting.  I will have to check that out.  While there were processing differences between the two nights' images that make the background flicker, I do seem to have matched the star brightness pretty well, at least for the dimmer stars.  So I tend to agree with you that this is an intrinsic variation in the star.

Edited by kathyastro, 24 August 2021 - 03:52 PM.

[dhkaiser]

Years ago I conducted a sky survey and discovered over three dozen variable stars.  The key is verification.  I always took two images of every field each night.  This eliminates flashing satellites, image flaws and the like.  That is why I ask if you have multiple images from both nights.

[base16]

Thanks for sharing. I have attempted using a NV device to locate Pluto. I use plate solving to perform goto as well so I know the planet is in my FoV but it's been impossible to locate even with a Stellarium sitting at the eyepiece. Imaging seems to be the only way to 'observe' Pluto; hope to get better at this and eventually be able to star hop my way.

[kathyastro]

Years ago I conducted a sky survey and discovered over three dozen variable stars.  The key is verification.  I always took two images of every field each night.  This eliminates flashing satellites, image flaws and the like.  That is why I ask if you have multiple images from both nights.

Each night is eight frames of 5 minutes each.

[dhkaiser]

Each night is eight frames of 5 minutes each.

Super, you should have no problem verifying the star's activity.  In your image Pluto is relatively bright so that star must be pretty faint.

[Visit-the-Moon]

I've never looked for Pluto, I see it is in Sagittarius. You images will be an excellent guide. I'll have a shot whilst it is still up in the evening using my hyperstar C9.25. There is a hard copy map in Wallace, Dawes & Northfield, Astronomy 2021 Australia, a great little annual guide. 

[Alfredo Beltran]

No.  Plate solving won't identify a moving planet.  I plate solved to aim at the coordinates where I knew Pluto should be, and I knew from Stellarium where in the image I should be looking.  But identifying Pluto required comparing two photos taken 24 hours apart.  Here is the image from the night before:

Pluto-15Aug-crop-annotated.jpg

 

Really nice work, Kathy.

 

Congratulations!

[Aquat0ne]

Hi Kathy, thanks for posting this. Always interesting seeing you captures of minor planets and asteroids. Although I still prefer to think of Pluto as a planet.