An Open Source Satellite You Can Operate!

Hey Amateur Astronomers & Imagers
(also DIY'ers, hackers, and in general those interested in space)

Did you know that there is now a standard (10cm x 10cm x 10cm) satellite called CubeSat that any cash deprived university or small businesses can build or buy and put into space with their own equipment or experiment? Here's a pic of one:

Picture of a typical CubeSat satellite that can be piggybacked

 on to many launch vehicles across the world (click image to enlarge)

Well now Team ArduSat shacked-up at NASA is raising funds to buy the parts, buy the launch time BUT allowing amateurs astronomers, students, the public (you!) to decide all the experiments/images the satellite will run over its time in space.

Here is a YouTube Video explaining this "open source" mission.

And here is the ArduSat Website where you can learn more about it, and become a participant, and backer. Be sure to check out the FAQ way at the bottom of the webpage. It answers a lot of questions you might have. 

1x sunspot group for Fri June 15th

Observe The Sun Safely - Never look at the Sun without a proper filter! 

Solar Programs are held 1st Sunday of every Month 2:00-4:00 PM at Houge Park  weather permitting

There's been a nice 1X power sunspot group visible the last coupe days. It doesn't look quite round and that's because there are indeed two large spots in proximity. Below this (scope view) there is a chance to see a new sunspot group still forming. Yesterday the 5 sunspot specs were darkening  - today they're more obvious. All this should prove good viewing tomorrow. BTW Excellent h-flares south of that. One, a broken toroide or slinky, arcing several degrees along the sun's limb.

Venus Transit: Interview + Time Lapse Video

 SJAA member Dan Wright with his great eyepiece projection system is interviewed on Venus Transit.

Transit of Venus Over Course of the Day!
Here's a nice YouTube video from Malika Carter's Sunspotter

Venus Transit 2012

Click Photo To Enlarge

Venus Transit (SJAA at Houge Park)

Observe The Sun Safely - Never look at the Sun without a proper filter! 

Solar Programs are held 1st Sunday of every Month 2:00-4:00 PM at Houge Park  weather permitting

 

San Jose CA: Clouds did not prove to be a problem today for this rare event to see Venus cross the Sun. Lots of Folks at Houge Park.

 

 

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Lee at Scope

 

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Front guide-Mirror Scope

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Jim's Eyepiece Projection Box

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 Wicked View through Jim's Box

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Hand-made Solar Card

 

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Another form of Eyepiece Projection

 

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Mother, Daughter - or is that Daughter, Mother

 

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SJAA's 100mm H-Alpha Scope

 

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Venus Transit - "The Wagner Effect"

 

 

Venus Transit (SJAA at NASA)

Observe The Sun Safely - Never look at the Sun without a proper filter! 

Solar Programs are held 1st Sunday of every Month 2:00-4:00 PM at Houge Park  weather permitting

 Clouds did not prove to be a problem today for this rare event to see Venus cross the Sun.

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Teardrop Effect with Venus at 2d Contact

 

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 Better Than TV!!

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Over Exposed H-alpha showing, Venus, Sunspots, Faculae, and Prominences

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Normal Exposure in H-alpha

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Girl with Solar Glasses

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SJAA Member Michael Packer

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Got Venus Transit? Transit Lovers

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Malika's Sunspotter Projector showing Venus through the Trees!

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Venus Transit about half across

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Venus and Sunspots through the Trees

Eclipse Report & Solar Observing June 03 2012

Observe The Sun Safely - Never look at the Sun without a proper filter! 

Solar Programs are held 1st Sunday of every Month 2:00-4:00 PM at Houge Park  weather permitting

With at least 7 Sunspot groups the SP number was well over 100 today. Take a look at this great photo by SJAA member Robert Duvall and note the sunspot detail at 3:30 O'clock at the edge of the solar disk.

Click Image to Enlarge

Today's prominences (plasma flares) were all around the solar disk and changing shape rapidly over just a couple minutes. At 2 O'clock on the solar disk was the largest plasma stream extending perhaps 7 Earth diameters out from the photosphere. From 5 to 7 O'clock were a myriad of prominences exhibiting different structure from detached plumes, spicules to branching trees. Not many prominences were seen projected on the solar disc (compared to last month's report or during the annular eclipse). This may have something to do with the high sunspot count and distribution. At any rate several sunspots were exquisite showing fine penumbra detail as seen in Teruo's (SJAA member and leader) SC scope. Solar faculae were evident among many of these sunspot groups.

Speaking of the annular eclipse, here is a great time lapse compilation by SJAA member Malika using eyepiece projection. She was near center line in Navada.

YouTube Video

I took this image at center line near Mt. Lassen:

Click Image to Enlarge

**More pics of eclipse and SJAA'ers at Lassen center line here**

Not all of us SJAA'ers or the public made it to center line. Indeed the crowd at Houge Park was the largest ever seen (perhaps 600 plus folks over the course of this "lunar transit".

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Eclipse Day at Houge Park

VENUS TRANSIT: BE SURE TO VISIT HOUGE PARK TUESDAY 2:30 to SUNSET
VENUS TRANSIT: BE SURE TO VISIT HOUGE PARK TUESDAY 2:30 to SUNSET

VENUS TRANSIT: BE SURE TO VISIT HOUGE PARK TUESDAY 2:30 to SUNSET

VENUS TRANSIT: BE SURE TO VISIT HOUGE PARK TUESDAY 2:30 to SUNSET