Crepuscular rays, Sundogs and Circumzenith arcs

A Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ72 bridge camera was used in automatic mode to capture these images of atmospheric phenomena:

Crepuscular rays

Best seen when the Sun is low in the sky

Parhelia (Sundogs)

Caused by hexagonal ice crystals

Setting sundog

Circumzenith arc

Caused by hexagonal ice crystals acting as prisms

Jupiter, Venus conjunction setting over the Afan Valley

A tripod mounted Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ72 bridge camera was set to ISO 100, at f/5.5, a 35mm equivalent focal length of 183 mm. A 2s exposure was captured of the setting conjunction:

AR2367 and AR2371 dominating the solar disk

I have been experimenting with how many images can be successfully captured and stacked with an equivalent focal length of 1200 mm with the camera on a static tripod. The more images that can be incorporated into the image stack, the greater the signal to noise ratio and more detail can be extracted.
A static tripod mounted Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ72 bridge camera at 60x optical zoom, fitted with a Baader solar filter, was used to image the Sun. The camera was set to burst mode, ISO-100 and 1/1000s exposure at f/5.9. Images were captured in bursts of three. 102 images, precisely cropped and registered in Nicola Mackin's AstroCrop software were stacked with optimum derotation and wavelet processed in Registax 5.

67% waxing, gibbous Moon

A tripod mounted Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ72 bridge camera at 60x optical zoom was used to image the 67% waxing, gibbous Moon. The camera was set to  ISO-100 and 1/320s exposure at f/5.9. 60 images, were precisely cropped and registered in Nicola Mackin's AstroCrop software and then stacked and wavelet processed in Registax 6.

6% waxing, crescent Moon

A tripod mounted Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ72 bridge camera at 60x optical zoom was used to image the 6% waxing, crescent Moon. The camera was set to  ISO-400 and 1/80s exposure at f/5.9. 36 images, were precisely cropped and registered in Nicola Mackin's AstroCrop software and then stacked and wavelet processed in Registax 5.

Sunspots, granulation and faculae

A static tripod mounted Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ72 bridge camera at 60x optical zoom, fitted with a Baader solar filter, was used to image the Sun. The camera was set to burst mode, ISO-100 and 1/800s exposure at f/5.9. Images were captured in bursts of three. 60 images, precisely cropped and registered in Nicola Mackin's AstroCrop software were stacked and wavelet processed in Registax 5.

Sunspots and faculae

A static tripod mounted Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ72 bridge camera at 60x optical zoom, fitted with a Baader solar filter, was used to image the Sun. The camera was set to burst mode, ISO-100 and 1/1000s exposure at f/5.9. Images were captured in bursts of three. 60 images, precisely cropped and registered in Nicola Mackin's AstroCrop software were stacked and wavelet processed in Registax 5.

86% waning, gibbous Moon

Through haze: A tripod mounted Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ72 bridge camera at 60x optical zoom was used to image the 86% waning, gibbous Moon. The camera was set to  ISO-100 and 1/200s exposure at f/5.9. 59 images, were precisely cropped and registered in Nicola Mackin's AstroCrop software and then stacked and wavelet processed in Registax 6.

Sunspot 2320 growing slowly

A static tripod mounted Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ72 bridge camera at 60x optical zoom, fitted with a Baader solar filter, was used to image the Sun. The camera was set to burst mode, ISO-100 and 1/800s exposure at f/5.9. Images were captured in bursts of three. 60 images, precisely cropped and registered in Nicola Mackin's AstroCrop software were stacked and wavelet processed in Registax 5.

93% waning, gibbous Moon

A tripod mounted Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ72 bridge camera at 60x optical zoom was used to image the 93% waning, gibbous Moon. The camera was set to  ISO-100 and 1/320s exposure at f/5.9. 60 images, were precisely cropped and registered in Nicola Mackin's AstroCrop software and then stacked and wavelet processed in Registax 5.

Sunspots 2320 and smaller spots

A static tripod mounted Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ72 bridge camera at 60x optical zoom, fitted with a Baader solar filter, was used to image the Sun. The camera was set to burst mode, ISO-100 and 1/800s exposure at f/5.9. Images were captured in bursts of three. 55 images, precisely cropped and registered in Nicola Mackin's AstroCrop software were stacked and wavelet processed in Registax 5.

98% waning, gibbous Moon

A tripod mounted Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ72 bridge camera at 60x optical zoom was used to image the 98% waxing, gibbous Moon. The camera was set to  ISO-100 and 1/400s exposure at f/5.9. 59 images, were precisely cropped and registered in Nicola Mackin's AstroCrop software and then stacked and wavelet processed in Registax 6.

The end of the Full Moon

A tripod mounted Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ72 bridge camera at 60x optical zoom was used to image the Full Moon. The camera was set to  ISO-100 and 1/800s exposure at f/5.9. 60 images, were precisely cropped and registered in Nicola Mackin's AstroCrop software and then stacked and wavelet processed in Registax 6.

Note crater detail starting to appear in the Mare Crisium region as the Full phase comes to an end.

89% waxing, gibbous Moon

A tripod mounted Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ72 bridge camera at 60x optical zoom was used to image the 89% waxing, gibbous Moon. The camera was set to  ISO-100 and 1/320s exposure at f/5.9. 60 images, were precisely cropped and registered in Nicola Mackin's AstroCrop software and then stacked and wavelet processed in Registax 5.

The Sun with a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ72 bridge camera fitted with a Baader solar filter

A static tripod mounted Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ72 bridge camera at 60x optical zoom, fitted with a Baader solar filter, was used to image the Sun. The camera was set to burst mode, ISO-100 and 1/800s exposure at f/5.9. Images were captured in bursts of three. 60 images, precisely cropped and registered in Nicola Mackin's AstroCrop software were stacked and wavelet processed in Registax 5.

75% waxing, gibbous Moon with a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ72 Bridge Camera

A tripod mounted Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ72 bridge camera at 60x optical zoom was used to image the 75% waxing, gibbous Moon. The camera was set to  ISO-100 and 1/160s exposure at f/5.9. 60 images, were precisely cropped and registered in Nicola Mackin's AstroCrop software and then stacked and wavelet processed in Registax 5.

In future blog postings I shall explain why bridge cameras with large optical zooms are suitable for lunar and solar imaging, and the procedures I use to obtain results very quickly with no elaborate setting up.