Total Solar Eclipse of July 22, 2009: Final Report!
Hunt for Black Sun
Finalmente, sono riuscito a rendere disponibile online il resoconto dettagliato della mia avventura alla rincorsa dell'eclisse totale di Sole più lunga del XXI secolo. Una cronaca quasi "minuto per minuto", ricca di immagini, filmati e molto altro!
A detailed report of my last adventure to observe the longest total solar eclipse of XXI century is finally available online. Almost a "real-time" logbook with many pictures, movies and much more!
Total Solar Eclipse of July 22, 2009: a sneak preview
Desperately seeking a break in the clouds
Digital composite of solar eclipse at totality (from 28 frames with different exposure times; 600-mm refractor). Pictures by Emmanuele Sordini, processing by Lorenzo Comolli
Knowing how to anticipate and outsmart the weather and its vagaries. That's what chasing solar eclipses is often all about. The Total Solar Eclipse (TSE) of July 22, 2009, will probably be long remembered more for the views of clouds and thunderstorms than of a dazzling corona eclipses can often treat us with.
Nevertheless, I managed to pull off some rather decent shots, of which this post is just a very short preview. So, click on the "Read more" link below for some more pictures, but check back often because I will soon be posting a complete report of my adventure!
Chasing Comet Lulin
Another "snowball" from the outer solar system
Nel febbraio del 2009, la cometa C/2007 N3 Lulin e' passata vicino alla Terra, offrendoci un bello spettacolo con un'anticoda mutevole ed appariscente. >>> Cliccare qui per il resoconto completo in italiano! <<<
In February 2009, comet C/2007 N3 Lulin zipped past our planet Earth, putting on quite a bit of a show and sporting a bright and ever-changing anti-tail. >>> Click here for a complete report in English! <<<
In February 2009, comet C/2007 N3 Lulin zipped past our planet Earth, putting on quite a bit of a show and sporting a bright and ever-changing anti-tail. >>> Click here for a complete report in English! <<<
2009: International Year of Astronomy / Anno Internazionale dell'Astronomia
The universe is your to discover / L'universo... a te scoprirlo!
2009 is the International Year of Astronomy. Finally an unmissable, long-awaited opportunity has come: that of sharing the knowledge and passion for the wonders of the Universe with the general public. I am a not a professional astronomer, but as a long-time amateur, I am really excited about it. For this reason, I will strive to give my small - yet passionate - contribution to this big collective effort!
Il 2009 è l'Anno Internazionale dell'Astronomia. Finalmente questa imperdibile opportunità a lungo attesa: condividere la conoscenza e la passione per le meraviglie dell'Universo con il pubblico. Non sono un astronomo professionista, ma in quanto astrofilo di vecchia data non posso che esserne contento. Per tale ragione, farò il possibile per dare il mio piccolo - ma appassionato - contributo a questo grande sforzo collettivo!
Il 2009 è l'Anno Internazionale dell'Astronomia. Finalmente questa imperdibile opportunità a lungo attesa: condividere la conoscenza e la passione per le meraviglie dell'Universo con il pubblico. Non sono un astronomo professionista, ma in quanto astrofilo di vecchia data non posso che esserne contento. Per tale ragione, farò il possibile per dare il mio piccolo - ma appassionato - contributo a questo grande sforzo collettivo!
Snow and sunshine in the Apennines
Where the sea and the sky blend into one
On January 4, 2009, it was very cold, but crystal clear and sunny. I could not pass up this opportunity, and decided to go snowwalking with some friends on top of Monte Penna, one of Ligurian Apennines' most famous and prominent peaks (el. 1735 m); the conditions were really favorable also for trying to put together a panoramic view of the gorgeous landscape we enjoyed from up there.
This trip turned out to be one of the most beautiful snow walks I've ever done in my life. Click on the link below to read the full report!
M1 - Crab Nebula
Most famous supernova remnant
On December 21, 2008, I went on a short observing session, which was hautned by several problems with my setup. However, I did manage to pull off a picture of M1, aka the Crab Nebula, with my Vixen refractor and my Canon EOS 350D digital reflex. This object is just a smudge of light of about 7 x 5 arcminutes across, so it's really small compared with the whole frame, which I had to heavily crop. Here is the result:
Some info on the picture: Vixen ED103 SWT refractor, Canon EOS 350D DSLR, 11 x 10-minute individual exposures, 3 dark frames, autoguiding with the MagZero MZ-5m and an 80-mm guide scope. Processing done with DeepSkyStacker and Adobe Photoshop CS3. Zenital sky brightness measured with SQM-L: 20.60.
This shot is plagued by quite a few defects (namely, bad focusing and tracking), but it can make do as my first attempt at shooting M1. More (and hopefully better ones) will come!
Some info on the picture: Vixen ED103 SWT refractor, Canon EOS 350D DSLR, 11 x 10-minute individual exposures, 3 dark frames, autoguiding with the MagZero MZ-5m and an 80-mm guide scope. Processing done with DeepSkyStacker and Adobe Photoshop CS3. Zenital sky brightness measured with SQM-L: 20.60.
This shot is plagued by quite a few defects (namely, bad focusing and tracking), but it can make do as my first attempt at shooting M1. More (and hopefully better ones) will come!
DEVOXX 2008
Belated report :-) to start off 2009 right
Ok, I know: I should have written this post more than a month ago. But I’ve been very busy lately and I have to process my backlog of work, including new updates to this website. After all, they say “better late than never”...
So, here we go: the 2008 edition of the Devoxx conference (formely JavaPolis: by the way, why the heck did Sun have this name changed?) was held (as usual) in Antwerp, Belgium, from December 10th to 12th, after the two-day Devoxx University.
This was my second time at Devoxx, after 2006 when I had managed to take part as a speaker (having held a BoF together with my ol’ pal Fabrizio Giudici ).
Click on the link below for the full report.
So, here we go: the 2008 edition of the Devoxx conference (formely JavaPolis: by the way, why the heck did Sun have this name changed?) was held (as usual) in Antwerp, Belgium, from December 10th to 12th, after the two-day Devoxx University.
This was my second time at Devoxx, after 2006 when I had managed to take part as a speaker (having held a BoF together with my ol’ pal Fabrizio Giudici ).
Click on the link below for the full report.
The Pleiades and the Andromeda galaxy
Two deep-sky classics that will never let you down :-)
The last weekend of September, I took part in the first edition of the Caprauna Star Party, which took place in the Ligurian Alps, the initial stretch of the Alpine range which is also the lowest and closest to the seaside.
The nice venue and the top-notch organization of the star party more than made up for the not so exceptional weather. As for my “imaging loot”, since I had joined in at the very last moment, I hadn’t had enough time to better plan my session, so I improvised and went with two deep-sky classics: M31 (the Andromeda Galaxy) and M45 (the Pleiades Cluster). Click on the link below for more details and high-resolution pictures!
The nice venue and the top-notch organization of the star party more than made up for the not so exceptional weather. As for my “imaging loot”, since I had joined in at the very last moment, I hadn’t had enough time to better plan my session, so I improvised and went with two deep-sky classics: M31 (the Andromeda Galaxy) and M45 (the Pleiades Cluster). Click on the link below for more details and high-resolution pictures!
Eclipse / Eclisse / Finsternis / Έκλειψη !
Total solar eclipse of August 01, 2008 over Siberia
Uno, due, tre... e quattro! Come il numero di eclissi che ho osservato nella mia vita: questa volta è stato il turno della Siberia. Come vedrete, è stato tutt'altro che facile, ma alla fine quello che conta è avercela fatta ed aver inanellato un successo il cui ricordo rimarrà a lungo. >>> Cliccate qui per il resoconto completo in Italiano! <<<
One, two, three... and four! Four as the number of eclipses I've observed so far in my life: this one took place in Siberia. As you'll see, it's been no easy task, but at the end of the day what really counts is that it turned out to be a great success, whose memories will last for a long time. >>> Click here for the full report in English! <<<
One, two, three... and four! Four as the number of eclipses I've observed so far in my life: this one took place in Siberia. As you'll see, it's been no easy task, but at the end of the day what really counts is that it turned out to be a great success, whose memories will last for a long time. >>> Click here for the full report in English! <<<
Labor Day's Saturn
Kiss the Ringed Planet goodbye for this season
On May 1st, 2008, I managed to take this shot of Saturn, most likely the last of this season (which has been haunted by really bad seeing conditions) until the Ringed Planet emerges back from sunlight next winter. All data are on the picture itself.
Il 1° maggio 2008 sono riuscito a realizzare questa immagine di Saturno, molto probabilmente l'ultima di questa stagione (che è stata contraddistinta da condizioni di seeing veramente scarso) fino al prossimo inverno, quando il "pianeta dagli anelli" riemergerà dal bagliore della luce solare. Tutti i dati di ripresa sono contenuti nell'immagine stessa.
Il 1° maggio 2008 sono riuscito a realizzare questa immagine di Saturno, molto probabilmente l'ultima di questa stagione (che è stata contraddistinta da condizioni di seeing veramente scarso) fino al prossimo inverno, quando il "pianeta dagli anelli" riemergerà dal bagliore della luce solare. Tutti i dati di ripresa sono contenuti nell'immagine stessa.
Lazzarotti Optics Gladius CF 315
A top performer for high-resolution imaging
I've recently had the opportunity to have a very close look at Lazzarotti Optics' Gladius CF 315 telescope, and to actively put it through its paces, and the result was very promising. >>Click here for the complete review in English!<<
Ho recentemente avuto l'opportunità di utilizzare personalmente il telescopio Gladius CF 315 della Lazzarotti Optics, e di metterlo alla prova sul campo in una sessione osservativa. >>Cliccate qui per la completa recensione in italiano!<<
Ho recentemente avuto l'opportunità di utilizzare personalmente il telescopio Gladius CF 315 della Lazzarotti Optics, e di metterlo alla prova sul campo in una sessione osservativa. >>Cliccate qui per la completa recensione in italiano!<<
Saturn and its companions
A peep at Saturn's neighborhood
On March 18th, 2008, the weather was once again clear, but the Foehn wind was sweeping Northern Italy's flatland, as it has (too) often happened during this past winter. No surprise the seeing was really crappy. In spite of that, I managed to pull off the following image featuring Saturn roaming the heavens with five of its satellites:
Please click on the link below for more information!
International Astronomical Youth Camp (IAYC) 2008
A journey into the sky for young amateur astronomers
From July 20th to August 9th, 2008, the 44th IAYC (International Astronomical Youth Camp) will take place in Sayda, Germany. I myself took part in these camps six times between 1991 and 1999, and in my opinion there is no better place where one can find such an ideal and balanced mix between science, friendship and amusement. The editions I participated in account for some of my nicest memories in my life. So, I am more than glad to put an "advertisement" (or, better, endorsement) on my website. Click on the "read more" link below to find more detailed info (both in English and Italian) directly from the organizing team!
Dal prossimo 20 luglio al 9 agosto 2008 si svolgerà a Sayda, in Germania, il 44esimo IAYC (International Astronomical Youth Camp). Io stesso ho partecipato a sei di questi campi giovanili internazionali tra il 1991 e il 1999, e secondo me non esiste posto dove trovare un mix migliore tra scienza, divertimento e amicizia. Delle edizioni a cui ho preso parte conservo alcuni tra i più bei ricordi della mia vita. E allora, più che volentieri lo pubblicizzo sul mio sito, invitando tutti coloro che fossero interessati a cliccare sul link sottostante "read more" (in inglese e in italiano).
Dal prossimo 20 luglio al 9 agosto 2008 si svolgerà a Sayda, in Germania, il 44esimo IAYC (International Astronomical Youth Camp). Io stesso ho partecipato a sei di questi campi giovanili internazionali tra il 1991 e il 1999, e secondo me non esiste posto dove trovare un mix migliore tra scienza, divertimento e amicizia. Delle edizioni a cui ho preso parte conservo alcuni tra i più bei ricordi della mia vita. E allora, più che volentieri lo pubblicizzo sul mio sito, invitando tutti coloro che fossero interessati a cliccare sul link sottostante "read more" (in inglese e in italiano).
Noisy Showdown: Magzero MZ-5m vs. modified Philips Vesta Pro
A close look at two breeds of cameras for autoguiding
Alcuni mesi fa avevo scritto un dettagliato articolo in cui si esaminavano le prestazioni della MagZero MZ-5m, in particolare per quanto riguarda la sua usabilità come camera per autoguida. Ora presento il seguito di tale articolo, che mette sotto i riflettori la qualità dell'immagine di questa camera, confrontandola con una vecchia gloria delle riprese ad alta risoluzione nel mondo amatoriale: la Philips Vesta Pro (modificata con sensore B/N e firmware per la modalità raw). Le sorprese non mancano: cliccate qui per la versione in Italiano!
A few months ago, I wrote a detailed article with an in-depth review of the MagZero MZ-5m camera and its suitability for long exposure autoguiding. Now comes its sequel, where we take a closer look at the MagZero's image quality, in a side-by-side comparison with a veteran of hi-res exposure in the amateur astronomer community: the Philips Vesta Pro camera (with B/W sensor and raw-mode firmware). For sure, the outcome is really surprising: click here for the English version!
Total Lunar Eclipse of February 21st, 2008
An astronomy classic that never goes out of date!
On February 21, 2008, the Americas and the westernmost part of Africa and Europe were treated with a total lunar eclipse. The lucky ones who managed to glimpse it had better keep the memory, as next one will take place almost three years from now, on December 21, 2010. >>> Click here for the full report in English <<<.
Il 21 febbraio 2008 le Americhe e la parte più occidentale di Africa ed Europa sono state interessate da un'eclisse totale di Luna. I fortunati che sono riusciti a vederla ne conservino bene il ricordo, dato che la prossima si verificherà soltanto fra quasi tre anni, il 21 dicembre 2010. >>> Cliccate qui per il resoconto completo in italiano <<<.
Il 21 febbraio 2008 le Americhe e la parte più occidentale di Africa ed Europa sono state interessate da un'eclisse totale di Luna. I fortunati che sono riusciti a vederla ne conservino bene il ricordo, dato che la prossima si verificherà soltanto fra quasi tre anni, il 21 dicembre 2010. >>> Cliccate qui per il resoconto completo in italiano <<<.