At this moment in time I'm planning another public observing session this Friday March 15th from 20.00 to 22.00 in the Mid-Ulster area outside Cookstown. This is a paid event of £22.50 per adult so please book with me to secure a place via email or message through my socials and I will inform you on the location.
After a very cloudy period of weather it looks like we will have our first chance of clear breaks this Friday according to recent forecast models. This night will differ somewhat from the last event in that we will have a waxing Moon high in the western sky at one day from first quarter phase. My plan is the following...
* Naked eye astronomy - learn the names of the brighter stars and principle constellations on view including how to tell the difference between a star and a planet with your eyes.
* Learn how to find the north star
* Learn how the colour of a star can tell you a lot about its age and luminosity and even its demise!
* Learn about the magnitude system
* How to use your hands to measure angular degrees in the sky
* Using my 10" telescope we will be taking a look at comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, this comet is visiting us for the first time in 71 years and we will never see it again.
* See craters on the moon and what these features tell us in connection with comets and their role to play in the formation of life on Earth and the danger to civilization.
This is a casual observing session aimed at beginners or anyone who wants to spend an evening out in nature while learning about the night sky. It's a social event so if this sounds appealing to you please let me know. Thanks everyone for your support. (I'm planning an event on the north coast during the next dark period during late March or early April).
On March 3rd 2024 a CME glancing blow from a filament eruption arrived delivering a G1 geomagnetic storm. At first the potential didn't look good with a slow solar wind speed however a sustained period of southerly Bz at -14 really got my attention. I almost didn't go aurora chasing however a hunch told me to make the effort to drive to the north coast to avoid advancing cloud. After filming an impressive rainbow with the drone I then drove to Benone beach. Upon arrival the aurora went into a dramatic outburst reaching G2 levels with vibrant rays reaching 70 degrees high with green and red colours visible to the naked eye. As the aurora danced I observed comet 12P/Pons-Brooks from the beach, at one stage the aurora was with the comet at same time which made for a fabulous experience. This aurora caught me completely by surprise, an exciting and photogenic event. One page report with 14 images. - REPORT.
I'm running a new series of events during the dark period this March. The idea is to join me for a relaxing evening of observing making naked eye observations followed with observing deep sky objects through my 10" F/5 reflecting telescope. This is aimed at beginners or anyone interested in wanting to understand the basics of the night sky, not from inside a room via a powerpoint presentation, but under the real sky itself.
My intentions are to point out the principle constellations visible during March, identify the brighter stars and planets, learn how to find the north star and locate the Milky Way. We will also be pushing the naked eye to the limit and testing how far we can see into deep space without any optical aid. Then we will turn to the telescope where I will find planet Jupiter and showcase interesting deep sky objects such as galaxies, star clusters and nebulae. We will be prying into the heart of a famous stellar nursery and observing the remains of an ancient supernova explosion which was once visible in broad daylight.
If conditions allow it then we will also take a look at comet 12P/Pons-Brooks making its first trip near Earth in 71 years. I will also let participants have a chance to move the telescope and locate objects themselves which is a very satisfying experience. To book this event email me or message through social media, the first few nights will take place in the countryside outside Cookstown then I will do an event at the Co. Antrim coast on one of the famous beaches.
There's a fee of £22.50 per adult, or £10.00 per teenager/child with discounts for families, please make sure to book in advance. I already have several groups interested so please get in touch if this is something you would be keen on doing. Please make sure to dress appropriately (it likely will be cold!), you may want to bring a warm drink or snack, try to use red lights when you can, and please turn off car headlights once you arrive on location to aid with night vision. Thanks very much to everyone for your interest in the night sky and for your continued support.
Over the weekend a beautiful 22 degree moon halo appeared around the rising full (Apogee) moon. The halo was bright and complete with red colours visible inside the halo and subtle blue on the outside of the milky white main halo. This halo remained visible for much of the night and was caused by cirrostratus clouds containing ice crystals far ahead of a front which affected the southern part of Ireland. This is an image I took from home with the DSLR and 15mm lens taken around midnight.
This report covers days two and three of the January 2024 Arctic cold spell across N. Ireland. On the 18th while in Dungiven a snow devil formed and actually impacted us while we stood outside before crossing the road while rotating through a garden then vanishing, this was followed by heavy convective snow showers over Glenshane Pass. On the 19th I discovered that much of Lough Fea was covered in ice for the first time since 2010, the view from the drone revealed beautiful abstract patterns which were fascinating to observe, nature's art. Also on show was an optics display surrounding the sun poised over the frozen lake. One page report with 12 images and 1 video clip. - REPORT.
My first chase of the new year. On January 17th 2024 I woke to a frozen world with -4C temps and a layer of snow, trusting model guidance I drove north after sunrise to get into a better location for snow showers and instability. During a break in Garvagh a large convective snow cell approached from the coast and began making its way inland towards me. I got the drone in the air and for the next 30 min's got treated to an impressive sight of this mean cell dropping dramatic snow curtains across the Winter landscape. This was followed by a visit to the north coast where I obtained aerial footage of Binevenagh covered in snow with spectacular low cloud and fog covering the peaks complimented by a glory. This turned out to be a highly rewarding and photogenic Winter chase. One page report with 22 images and 2 video clips. - REPORT.
Astronomy is not the only subject I'm interested in, check out my N. Ireland Storm Chasing section and view the chase reports and images which detail not only storms but other phenomena such as a moonbows, noctilucent clouds, aurora displays and exciting nature related photo shoots.
Martin McKenna
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