Larry's
Solar System Tour
Sketches & Video Capture of the Sun, Moon, Planets, Asteroids, Meteors, & Comets!created: 01-21-2009. revised: 03-27-2023.
Hello!
Over the years, I've observed most types of objects in our home solar system.
On this page, you will find video capture images or sketches of these objects made with the various video cameras and telescopes that I have owned.
So, sit back, scroll down, and enjoy the 'tour'!
| Total Solar System Objects Observed: | 68 |
| Suns: | 1 |
| Planets: | 8 |
| Dwarf Planets & KBO's: | 2 |
| Moons: | 17 |
| Asteriods & NEO's: | 11 |
| Comets: | 29 |
Sunset over the Gulf of Mexico
(taken from Anna Marie Island, South Florida - May 23rd, 2012 - Nikon Coolpix S570 digital camera)
Total Solar Eclipse - 08/21/2017 StellaCam-3 and Canon 55mm CCTV lens
"C8 using Daystar in WL filter mode @ 6:22pm" "PST Cak @ 6:36pm"
"C8 using Daystar @ 2:11pm" "PST Cak @ 9:19am"
click here
click here
EVO50mm f4.8 refractor & ZWO ASI290MC with IR filter
Moonrise over the Chesapeake Bay - July 2011 - DSLR)
waxing crescent with 3% of the Moon's visible disk illuminated!!
80mm f3.5 refractor / Star-Adventurer Mount & ZWO ASI294MC and IR filter
8" SCT OT & Atlas GEM / ZWO ASI294MC and IR filter
(Cape Laplace, Plato and the Alpine Valley - 06/07/2014 using 8" LX200 @ f10 and a Astrovid 2000 video camera)
(Copernicus - with the MCPO 10" Refractor: 11/04/2011 using Phillips webcam, 11/05/2011 uisng Lumenera LU070M)
Plane animation
May 15th, 2022 Eclipse +6.2mag star in Libra SAO159317 (using 80mm & ASI294MC camera)
'Lunar X' (sunrise on rims of craters La Caille, Blanchinus, and Purbach )
11-13-2010 (8" SCT f10, with StellaCam EX)
09-22-2012 (8" SCT f10, with Astrovid 2000)
03-20-2021 (8" SCT f10, with StellaCam-3)
'Golden Handle' (sunrise on the Jura Mts)
12-26-2009 (80mm f6.3 Bosma Refractor, with a Philips SPC900 webcam)
Golden Handle 11-05-2011
(10" f12 D&G Refractor - MCPO, with a Lumenera LU070M USB digital camera)
'illuminated Mountain Peaks'
(sunrise on Mt Piton 11-13-2010 us1ng a 8" f10 SCT, with StellaCam EX)
(sunrise on central peak of crater Walter 11-13-2010 using a 8" f10 SCT, with StellaCam EX)
(central peak of crater Maginus lighted by cleft in crater rim 12-27-2006 using a 8" f10 SCT, with StellaCam EX)
'Low Sun Shadows'
(Mt Hadley casting shadow 11-13-2010 using a 8" f10 SCT, with StellaCam EX)
(Central peak of crater Albategniu casting shadow 11-13-2010 using a 8" f10 SCT, with StellaCam EX)
8" SCT OT & Atlas GEM / ZWO ASI294MC and IR filter
'Bright Ray Systems'
(crater Messier Rays 11-13-2010 using a 8" f10 SCT, with StellaCam EX)
(crater Proclus Rays 11-13-2010 using a 8" f10 SCT, with StellaCam EX)
(crater Kepler Rays 08-30-2001 using a 8" f10 SCT, with StellaCam EX)
'Lunar Maria (seas)'
(click on an individual 'sea' for a close-up. also, look for the hot-spots on the Lunar disk)
Apollo Lunar landing sites:
(click on an individual 'red-dot' for a close-up)
Here's a couple of comparisons between Venus and Mercury showing the difference in their size.
9/09/2015 9/11/2015
"Belt of Venus" (Earth's Shadow)
ZWO ASI224MC & fisheye lens
09/2003 animated gif
also visually observed the two moons of Mars: Phobos and Deimos during the September 2003 opposition with the 11" Brashear Refractor utilizing an 'occulting bar' style eyepiece.
ROI= 640x480, 86 frames stacked
ROI= 640x480, 309 frames stacked
ROI= 640x480, 944 frames stacked
ROI= 640x480, 1844 frames stacked
Mars and 8" LX200GPS SCT and ZWO ASI120MC
showing 89% gibbous phase, Central Meridan=24.5, Diameter=17.3 arcsec, 25 second avi clip 1,084 frames
bright South Polar Cap, haze visible over N P cap, Mare Erythraeum center disk.
14" Celestron SCT/Atlas Mount f11 & ZWO ASI120MC / IR filter
09/20/2020 (12:47am) 09/19/2020 (03:50am)
ROI= 800x600, 2000+ frames stacked
(60 second avi clip, ROI=640x480, ~2000 frames stacked. Exposure=2ms, gain=10, B=12)
(60 second avi clip, ROI=320x240, ~2000 frames stacked. Exposure=10ms, gain=0, B=12)
(10/09: 60 sec avi clip, ROI=320x240, ~4500 frames, Exp=12ms, gain=0, Bright=12, Red=62, Blue=75)
(10/16: 90 sec avi clip, ROI=320x240, ~3200 frames, Exp=14ms, gain=0, Bright=12, Red=62, Blue=75)
(90 second avi clip, ROI=320x240, ~2950 frames stacked. Exposure=12ms, gain=0, B=12)
(90 second avi clip, ROI=320x240, ~3,090 frames stacked. Exposure=12ms, gain=0, B=12)
(90 second avi clip, ROI=320x240, ~3100 frames stacked. Exposure=12ms, gain=0, B=12)
(90 second avi clip, ROI=320x240, ~3100 frames stacked. Exposure=12ms, gain=0, B=12)
(60 second avi clip, ROI=320x240, ~25700 frames stacked. Exposure=12ms, gain=0, B=12)
Dark surface features include Syrtis Major & Syrtis Minor visible on center disk. Mars is definitely looking more gibbous!
(90 second avi clip, ROI=320x240, ~2900 frames stacked. Exposure=12ms, gain=0, B=12)
Dark surface features include Solis Lacus along with Mare Sirenum
(90 second avi clip, ROI=320x240, ~2500 frames stacked. Exposure=12ms, gain=0, B=12)
Sinus Sabaeus and the South Pole are the most prominent features
07/13/2018 08/12/2018
(from left: Titan, Dione, Enceladus (tiny point just below rings), Tethys, Rhea)
07/13/2018 08/12/2018
using a 8" LX200GPS SCT @ f10 with a StellaCam-3
07/31/2019 - ORAS Observatory
14" Celestron SCT/Atlas Mount f11 & ZWO ASI120MC / IR filter
Neptune & Triton 09/18/2020 (10:45pm) Uranus and Umbriel, Ariel, Titania, and Oberon 09/19/2020 (11:16pm)
(90 second avi clip, ROI=320x240, ~150 frames stacked. Exposure=350ms, gain=20, B=7)
The +6.9 magnitude bright asteroid/Dwarf Planet really stood out against the dimmer +9.3 mag galaxy. It was neat to watch the event, realizing that you are looking at two objects with a vast difference in distance - an asteroid that's only 149,170,080 miles away in the asteroid belt (or about 13.5 light Minutes), and a galaxy that's 55 million light Years away from our Milky-Way galaxy!
Here's a 60 second exposure, (from 12:57am this morning), livestacked using Sharpcap for 5 minutes. (the bright 'star' next to the galaxy is Ceres) Also, Here's a slide of selected three frames covering the entirety of my observing session:
(single 15 second image using Canon Zoom lens @ 100mm F5.6 with ZWO ASI290MC camera))
Here's an interesting observation of Pluto from the Black Forest Star Party, that Wednesday evening, 09/03/2008.
Our Canadian friends had been trying to starhop to Pluto, and were having trouble identifying the field. So they walked over and asked if I could find it with my telescope, so they could see the field on the video monitor. Using ECU to control the telescope, I gave it the 'goto' command, and watched it slew to Pluto's position indicated on the planetarium's starchart software. By zooming in a little on ECU's starchart, I was quickly able to match what the 8" and videocamera was showing on the monitor, and the group was able to confirm the position of Pluto. Pretty cool!!
Another observation of Pluto from the Mingo Creek Part Observatory, early Sunday morning, 07/04/2010.
Several members of the AAAP were obsering Pluto crossing over a patch of dark nebula. Using the planetarium software at hand (Sky6), along with a Stellacam-3 mounted on an Orion 120mm f8 refractor, piggybacked on the observatory's 24" RC, we were able to make positive identification of the chart area and the tiny flicker of light that is Pluto.
ORAS Observatory
Moon, Jupiter, and Venus 02/23/2023
(Google Pixel 3 smartphone camera)
Moon & Jupiter 03/21/2016
(LG G3 smartphone camera)
Venus & Jupiter 07/01/2015
(LG G3 smartphone camera)
Moon & Venus & Mars 02/20/2015
(LG G3 smartphone camera)
Moon & Venus over the Gulf of Mexico
(taken from Anna Marie Island, South Florida - May 23rd, 2012 - Nikon Coolpix S570 digital camera)
Venus & Moon 10/27/1984 Venus & Moon - 05/19/2007
Mars / Jupiter / Venus 11/12/1984 Venus /Jupiter / Moon - 11/24/1984
- 11/08/2021 (05:43 am single 30 second shot with a ZWO ASI224MC using a fisheye lens in a plexiglass dome)
(single 5 minute and 3 stacked for 15 minutes image using 8" SCT @f6.3 with ZWO ASI294MC camera & L-Pro filter))
(single 15 second image using Canon Zoom lens @ 100mm F5.6 with ZWO ASI290MC camera))
(single 15 second image using Canon Zoom lens @ 100mm F5.6 with ZWO ASI290MC camera))
(single .5 second image using 80mm Bosma Refractor f6.3 & StellaCam-3 with .5x reducer)
(single 30 second image using 8" LX200 SCT & StellaCam-3)
Toutatis ANIMATION @ 7:26 - 7:58 PM (4 second exp every 20 seconds - using 8" LX200 SCT & StellaCam-3)
(single 1 second image using 8" LX200 SCT & StellaCam-3)
YU55 ANIMATION @ 9:04 PM (seven 20 second images using 8" LX200 SCT & StellaCam-3)
YU55 ANIMATION @ 9:32 PM (eighteen 1 second images using 8" LX200 SCT & StellaCam-3)
I've also visually observed the following Asteroids:
Fides - 11/25/1984, Flora - 11/25/1984, Ceres - 11/22/1984, Juno - 12/06/1983, Euphrosyne - 02/24/1984
from the Perseid Meteor shower on 8/13/2015 using a Samsung SDC435 video camera and an Arecont 1.55MM 1/2- F2.0 Fixed Iris, FishEye Lens.
using a Samsung SDC435 video camera and an Arecont 1.55MM 1/2- F2.0 Fixed Iris, FishEye Lens.
~ 01:02am ~ 02:40am
(from backyard observatory on 08/12/2020 ~12:44am) (from ORAS Observatory on 08/17/2020 ~9:33pm)
ZWO ASI224MC & fisheye lens
11/05/2021 ~7:35pm) (11/05/2021 ~7:39pm)
ZWO ASI224MC & fisheye lens
08/23/2022 ~9:38pm) (08/27/2022 ~11:38pm)
ZWO ASI224MC & fisheye lens
Comet ZTF (C/2022 E3) - 02/13/2023
The +6.5 mag comet still looked very nice, with a bright blueish-green coma and nucleus, along with a nice dust tail.
EAA observation using both my EV50mm refractor and ZWO ASI290MC camera (15 sec exposure, livestacked for 1.5 minutes),
and from the C8 SCT optical tube @ f6.3 with the ASI294MC camera & L-Pro broadband filter (60 sec exposure, livestacked for 30 minutes).
Comet ZTF (C/2022 E3) - 01/28/2023
EAA observation using both my EV50mm refractor and ZWO ASI290MC camera (15 sec exposure, livestacked for 20 minutes),
and from the C8 SCT optical tube @ f6.3 with the ASI294MC camera & L-Pro broadband filter (30 sec exposure, livestacked for 20 minutes).
Comet ZTF (C/2022 E3) - 01/16/2023
8" SCT optical tube @ f6.3 on a Atlas Gem mount, ZWO ASI294MC,L-Pro filter, 60 sec sub for 5 minutes exposure
Comet ZTF (C/2022 E3) - 01/16/2023
EVO50mm @ f4.8 on a Atlas Gem mount, ZWO ASI294MC camera, L-Pro Filter, 60 sec sub for 30 minutes exposure
(possible Ion tail)
Comet ZTF (C/2020 V2) - 11/23/2022
8" SCT optical tube @ f6.3 on a Atlas Gem mount, ZWO ASI294MC, 180 sec sub for 3 minutes exposure
Comet 29P - Schwassmann-Wachmann-1 - 11/23/2022
8" SCT optical tube @ f6.3 on a Atlas Gem mount, ZWO ASI294MC, 180 sec sub for 9 minutes exposure
Comet Panstarrs K2
8" SCT optical tube @ f6.3 on a Atlas Gem mount, ZWO ASI294MC camera, L-Pro Filter:
05/29/2022 - 180 sec sub for 15 minutes exposure 06/24/2022 - 180 sec sub for 9 minutes exposure
Comet Panstarrs K2
8" SCT optical tube @ f6.3 on a Atlas Gem mount, ZWO ASI294MC camera, L-Pro Filter:
07/26/2022 - 180 sec sub for 15 minutes exposure 08/28/2022 - 60 sec sub for 10 minutes exposure
Comet Borrelly - 01/21/2022
8" SCT optical tube @ f6.3 on a Atlas Gem mount, ZWO ASI294MC 60 sec sub for 5 minutes exposure
Comet Atlas L3 - 01/21/2022
8" SCT optical tube @ f6.3 on a Atlas Gem mount, ZWO ASI294MC 60 sec sub for 5 minutes exposure
Comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko (C67/P, the Rosette Mission Comet) - 11/03/2021
8" SCT optical tube @ f6.3 on a Atlas Gem mount, ZWO ASI294MC 60 sec sub for 5 minutes exposure
Comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko - 11/30/2021
Canon 100mm @ f4 on a Atlas Gem mount, ZWO ASI290MC 60 sec sub for 10 minutes exposure
Comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko - 11/30/2021
8" SCT optical tube @ f6.3 on a Atlas Gem mount, ZWO ASI294MC
60 sec sub for 5 minutes exposure 180 sec sub for 21 minutes exposure
Comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko - 01/21/2022
8" SCT optical tube @ f6.3 on a Atlas Gem mount, ZWO ASI294MC 60 sec sub for 5 minutes exposure
Comet Leonard (C2021 A1) - 11/03/2021
8" SCT optical tube @ f6.3 on a Atlas Gem mount, ZWO ASI294MC 60 sec sub for 5 minutes exposure
Comet Leonard - 11/30/2021
Canon 100mm @ f4 on a Atlas Gem mount, ZWO ASI290MC 60 sec sub for 10 minutes exposure
Comet Leonard - 11/30/2021
8" SCT optical tube @ f6.3 on a Atlas Gem mount, ZWO ASI294MC
60 sec sub for 5 minutes exposure 180 sec sub for 3 minutes exposure
Comet Leonard - 11/30/2021 Sketch (from a single 60 second exposure)
Comet Leonard & M3 - 12/03/2021
8" SCT optical tube @ f6.3 on a Atlas Gem mount, ZWO ASI294MC
60 sec sub for 2 minutes exposure 180 sec sub for 6 minutes exposure
Comet Leonard (C2021 A1) - 12/04/2021
8" SCT optical tube @ f6.3 on a Atlas Gem mount, ZWO ASI294MC 180 sec sub for 3 minutes exposure
Comet Atlas (C/2020 M3) - 11/12/2020
Canon Zoom Lens @ 100mm & ASI290MC 60 sec subs for 15 minutes
07/17/2020 - 10" f4.5 Dob & 32mm EP
Comet Neowise - 07/24/2020
Canon Zoom Lens @ 25mm & ASI290MC 15 sec subs for 3 minutes 8" SCT f6.3 & ASI294MC 5 second subs for 3 minutes
Comet Neowise - 07/28/2020 (with Waxing Gibbous Moon in sky)
Canon Zoom Lens @ 100mm & ASI290MC 5 sec subs for 5 minutes 8" SCT f6.3 & ASI294MC 5 second subs for 1 minute, cropped to enlarge comet nucleus
Comet PanSTARRS (C2017-T2) - 06/08/2020
8" SCT optical tube f6.3 on a CGEM mount, ZWO ASI294MC 15 sec sub for 12 frames total 3 minutes exposure
8" SCT f6.3, StellaCam-3 @ 30 seconds. (coma) 8" SCT f6.3, StellaCam-3 @ 120 seconds (tail)
Comet Giacobini-Zinner - 09/05/2018
from 12:10 to 12:51am
note - visually observed Comet Giacobini-Zinner on 08/18/1985 from Louisville Ky using a 10" f5.6 reflector with a 12.5mm eyepiece at 114x.
Comet looked like an egg-shapped fuzzy star. Star-like nucleus, but no tail.
Comet ASSAN1 (C2017-01) - 09/19/2017
8" SCT f6.3, StellaCam-3 @ 60 seconds
80mm f6.3 Refractor & StellaCam-3 @ 15 seconds.
80mm f6.3 Refractor & StellaCam-3 @ 15 seconds. 8" SCT f10 & StellaCam-3 with .5x reducer @ 15 seconds.
8" SCT using a StellaCam-3 @ 20 seconds.
StellaCam-3 & Canon CCTV lens set to 25mm at about a quarter-second exp
6" RC using a StellaCam-3 @ 25 seconds.
using a Samsung SDC435 camera with a 55mm CCTV lens @ 8 seconds.
Comet Hartley 2 - 10/08/2010 using a StellaCam-3 on a 8" SCT @ 45 seconds.
07/05/1992 before breaking apart, 80mm refractor & 16mm & 2.8x barlow @ 59x 7/19/1994 after Jupiter impact, 8" Dob & 16mm 2.8xB @ 356x
1st comet observation:
Visually observed Comet IRAS-Araki-Alcock on May 10th, 1983 from North Canton, OH, using a low power 8x50 Eastman Kodak M17 elbow telescope.
Comet looked like a large diffuse cotton ball. There was no tail. Located near the bowel of the Big Dipper in Ursa Major. Movement visible against background stars over few minutes.
Space Junk passing NGC61A&B (galaxy) in Pisces - 10/28/2016 - 8" SCT f6.3, StellaCam-3 @ 45 seconds
Satellite photo-bombing the Bubble Nebula NGC7635 in Cassiopeia - 06/24/2020 - 8" SCT f6.3, ASI294MC & L-eNhance narrowband filter
SpaceX Starlink Satellite-Train passing thru Bootes near Arcturus - 05/07/2021 ~9:25pm - Pixel-3 cellphone camera using night-mode settings.
It took several minutes for the satellite train to pass over. At one point the line of satellites stretched nearly overhead from the NW to SE horizons.
Almost every one of them was nearly as bright as Arcturus that they were cruising past. It was quite the sight!!
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On Friday, July 27th, 1984, at approximately 11:02pm, a Soviet rocket booster entered the Earth's atsmosphere and burned up. It's path took it over the Louisville Ky area where it was observed by several members of the local astronomy club.
The object was first observed low in the SW horizon, near the bright star Spica in Virgo, and slowly ascended northwards.
It reached an elevation of about 45 degrees close to the bowel of the Big Dipper in Ursa Major, with a magnitude around that of the brightness of the Full Moon, and cast shadows. It's overall general appearence was that of a huge fireworks rocket, with a 30 degree long bright yellow and gold sparkling tail. There were numerious pieces breaking away from the main body and leaving their own smaller trails. Eventually, the object disappeared over the NE horizon near Andromeda. Total time from start to finish was about 1.5 minutes.
Solar Halo - 05/17/2009
Solar SubArc - 05/17/2009
Lunar Corona - 10/23/2010
Crepuscular Ray's - 09/24/2011
Sunburst - 09/24/2011
Double Rainbow - 06/03/2012
Hope you enjoyed the visit. Come again soon!