We generally don’t get a lot of aurora here in southwestern Wisconsin mainly due to our latitude, we are simply too far south. Aurora displays are usually reserved for the more extreme northern and southern latitudes. With the increase in solar activity and size of solar flares, the conditions are right for us at the lower latitudes to be able to see more aurora displays. In the last two years we have been treated several times to wonderful displays like the most recent one. I shot the first short time lapse on 10-10-24 on StarSplitter Hill after a program for River Ridge school. The second one I shot north of Prairie du Chien on 10-6-24. There have been several large solar storms in the last couple weeks causing these beautiful displays in the night sky. As we approach solar maximum, some time in ’25, I’m predicting there will be more awesome aurora displays.
The Sun’s Corona
This is a look at the Sun’s Corona we can only see during a total solar eclipse. I shot this during the April 8th, ’24 eclipse from Heber Springs, Arkansas. This image is a combination of 9 different exposures to be able to capture the inner, mid, and outer corona.
Total Eclipse of the Sun!!
I travelled to the middle of Arkasas to see this wonderful event. During totality I could see Venus and Jupiter bright in the sky. We had high clouds in the begining but got clearer as totality approached. There were some large promineces that were visible as well. Here are a few pictures I captured.
Two views of the Sun
Solar hydrogen alpha filter vs. solar white light filter
I shot both of these images on the same day with two different setups. The image on the left was shot with a solar hydrogen alpha filter and the one on the right was shot with a solar white light filter. The left image shows the chromosphere and the right image shows the photosphere. The chromosphere is between the photosphere and the corona, the sun’s upper atmosphere. Both of these images are captured in the visible spectrum. The left image is a very narrow bandwidth at 656.28 nanometers and the right image is the full visble spectrum. I capture these images of the Sun with a monochrome (black&white) camera and the color is added during editing. The actual color of the left image would be a very deep red and the right image would be pure white.
Solar Photography
There is much activity to see on the Sun with the right equipment. In these images you can see the snake-like structures called filaments, the darker areas called active regions usually surrounding sun spots, and the flares or prominences around the outer edge or limb. As we approach Solar Maximum this activity will continue to increase.
These images were shot on the afternoon of 3-15 from my backyard observatory with 2 different telescope setups. These images are shot with special filters designed for solar imaging. The filters block out all light except a very narrow bandwith of 656.28nm. The first image labelled SolarMax3, is a 30 panel mosaic. Each of the panels is the best 25% of 500 images. I shot a total of 15,000 images. The second image labelled Quark, is a 9 panel mosaic. Each panel is the bet 25% of 1000 images. I shot a total of 9,000 images. All of the images are processed then stitched together to create these images.
Total Solar Eclipse 2024
April 8th is fast approaching and if you are wondering about the upcoming solar eclipse, we have some information for you! A solar eclipse is always such a cool “coincidence.” It’s made possible by the fact that our Sun is about 400 times bigger than our Moon but it also just so happens to be about 400 times further away.
The 2024 eclipse will cross the United States but our area (Southwest Wisconsin) does not fall into what is called the “line of totality.” That does not mean we still won’t get an amazing show from our own backyard. At it’s peak, the Sun will still be between 80-90% covered by the Moon! You should know, that if you wish for the full effect of the eclipse, you’ll need to travel to somewhere in the line of totality as even an area where 99% of the Sun is covered by the moon, it will only appear a little darker, about the equivalent of a cloudy day.
Many of our StarSplitter members will be traveling south to get a view of the total eclipse so as of now there are no plans to have an event at the park but you are more than welcome to get out your eclipse glasses and take in the partial eclipse on the Huser Observatory grounds at Wyalusing State Park.
The partial eclipse in Wisconsin is set to start at approximately 12:48pm and it will end around 3:23pm. The best time for our corner of Southwest Wisconsin will be about 1:50pm.
The last major eclipse to cross the country was back in August 2017 and many of our StarSplitter members traveled to be in the line of totality. I traveled to Missouri and unfortunately met clouds and rain but it was still an awesome experience. Here is a time-lapse video from that day.
This year I will not be able to travel as I am a teacher and track coach who has school and a meet that day. We are planning some eclipse activities at school and even bought plenty of glasses so each student and staff member can look up! It should make for a great educational experience.
I know our resident astrophotography guru, Brian, has traveled to photograph other eclipses and has some amazing photos that he will probably share in the coming weeks.
Regardless of where you are, make sure you have the proper eye protection before enjoying the eclipse. One you’ve made sure you have the right eyewear you just need to pick your spot, hope for clear skies, and sit back and enjoy the show!
The Cone Nebula and Christmas Tree Cluster
This is the Cone Nebula and Christmas Tree Cluster, NGC2264, located in the constellation of Monoceros some 2700 light years from Earth. The nickname “Cone Nebula” comes from the inverted cone shaped structure near the center of this image. The very tip of the cone is a star forming region and the height of the cone is about 7 light years. This image was created with a monochrome (black & white) camera and 3 different narrowband filters. The filters highlight specific gases present in the nebula. The filters used were hydrogen alpha (red), sulphur 2 (deep red), and oxygen 3 (blue/green). This image is over 25 hours of capture time over several nights in southwestern Wisconsin.
Our 2024 Season
As we inch closer to our “astronomy season” I figured it is a good time to give an idea of what to expect when coming to Wyalusing State Park for one of our offerings. You can view our calendar here!
Our calendar has some different types of events listed. Business meetings are when our membership gets together and discusses future plans and handles behind-the-scenes details. We also have park programs, programs by request, and activity nights. See below for a description of each of those.
Types of Programs:
Park Program – Our park programs are open to the public and free of charge. We do appreciate any donations as we are a registered non-profit organization and we operate entirely on donations. A typical park program begins at 8:30pm when one of our members gives a presentation on astronomy. Topics vary by member and could include astronomy basics, astrophotography, or space exploration. Once the sky is dark enough, we will head outside and use some of our amazing equipment to show you many celestial objects.
Programs by request – We do try to accommodate programs by request as much as we can but due to our small membership numbers, we can’t fulfill every request. You are more than welcome to request a viewing but please understand we get a lot of requests and we are all volunteers so we may not be able to make it work. Being a non-profit we do not have set fees for requested programs but we strongly encourage a donation of at least $3 per person. We promise that it is money well spent! You can request a program by using the contact page.
Activity Night – These are time set aside for our active members to enjoy the night sky at their own pace. When we do programs we are very focused on delivering a great experience so we take the activity night as a chance to look for other objects and learn new things. These are still open to anyone but please note that it will not be run like a program. If you have your own telescope and want to learn how to use it, you are more than welcome to bring it and we will be happy to help you out!
When you arrive…
We ask that you park in the parking lot at the Turkey Hollow trailheads and then proceed down the gravel path on foot.
Please use only red lights and keep cell phones and any other white lights tucked away.
If you are using bug spray, please apply it up the gravel path or in the parking lot and not around others. We have one member who is very allergic to bug sprays.
We look forward to seeing you at one of our gatherings at Huser Observatory in Wyalusing State Park! Hope for clear skies and we will provide the rest!
Ad Astra,
Kyle
New Website Launch!
…bad pun intended.
Greetings to all our beloved members, enthusiasts, and future astronomers! We are thrilled to announce a significant leap into the digital cosmos with the launch of our new website for the StarSplitters of Wyalusing. This initiative marks a milestone in our journey to make astronomy more accessible, engaging, and enjoyable for everyone in our community and beyond.
Additional content will be rolled out in the coming days/weeks. Until then you can check out our 2024 calendar or find us on Facebook!
Ad Astra,
Kyle
