PST Solar Telescope - Sacred Space Astronomy

Sun Pillar – Sun Drawing Ireland

Posted on May 25, 2018 by Deirdre KelleghanMay 27, 2018

We had a winter of record winds, freezing temperatures and darkness. However this week, it seems the summer has finally arrived in Ireland. On May 21st I noticed a developing sun pillar on the horizon. As it progressed I took several images, each equally beautiful. The pillar of light interacted with the sky and the sea, altering colour and bringing drama as it peaked and faded after sun set. Beautiful to watch, it seemed to pierce the clouds just above the suns departure point. Sun pillars are shafts of sunlight glinting off ice crystals in our atmosphere. This phenomenon is explained well here on this wonderful site Atmospheric Optics On May 23rd the sun offered an active region for drawing. OK now the atmosphere was not the steadiest I have ever seen, but it was hot and the sky was blue. The active region was small and complex, the challenge to draw the sun in h-alpha with my … Continue reading →

A Slice of Solar Drawing in h-alpha

Posted on May 17, 2017 by Deirdre KelleghanFebruary 20, 2018

This entry is part 11 of 12 in the series Exploring the Solar System

On my 50th birthday my better half gave me a present of a PST 40 (Personal Solar Telescope) with a 40 mm objective. This gift was literally a piece of visual heaven. Since I acquired this fabulous instrument my work with it has always been drawing. Drawing the sun or even drawing features on the sun is without a doubt the biggest challenge in astronomical drawing. Here is the thing, the telescope objective is just 40 mm, the sun as I see it is only about 30 mm of that 40mm to the eye. Using an 8 mm eyepiece gives about a 50X magnification and therefore the best view of the features and action on the disc and on the limb. There is no point whatsoever in drawing something at a diameter of 30 mm unless you provide your viewers with magnifying glasses or the object is a daisy. Therefore I work mostly at dinner plate size, sometimes at side … Continue reading →

Christopher M. Graney September 11, 2019 at 10:56 am on The Lion King’s SkyThanks for the link to the star atlas. And yes, I see much as you do. An even bigger beef is how the sky in the image above is an almost uniform see of faint (but not-that-faint) stars. It is as if the entire sky is the Milky Way. (I...
Br. Guy Consolmagno September 9, 2019 at 5:14 am on ⓜ Million Miles Away… Diary of 8 September, 2019I had already posted this before I realized it was September 9 already! Well, I did write most of it the day before...
Jim Cook September 7, 2019 at 8:47 am on The Lion King’s SkyI have not seen the Lion King, so I will have to take your word for the other problems you've raised, but as far as recognizable constellations go, the night sky in the screen shot you've provided is kind of, somewhat accurate ... sort of. The four brightest stars in...
Br. Guy Consolmagno September 2, 2019 at 4:04 am on Specola Guestbook: May 4, 1910 – van de Sande BakhuyzenComet Biela was an important link in our understanding of the connection between comets and meteors. I wrote a chapter about this in a book published many years ago called "Cosmic Pinball"... here's the highlights: In 1772, the French astronomer Montagne had discovered a faint comet. It never grew bright...
Richard Hill August 31, 2019 at 12:30 am on Across the Universe: Clouds from Both SidesGuess I'll quit complaining about our monsoon weather!
Bob Prokop August 24, 2019 at 10:50 am on Religious Scientists on Vatican Observatory Faith and ScienceOh, I am far from defending the objection. Just reporting that I come across it all too often. My most effective defense against the idea that you can't be both interested in science and believe in God is, believe it or not, myself. As an amateur astronomer (I prefer stargazer),...
Christopher M. Graney August 24, 2019 at 9:16 am on Religious Scientists on Vatican Observatory Faith and ScienceTwo comments re Bob K's remark: 1) From my work, I find that such lists are of value to believers, who fear that science as it is portrayed today excludes them. Seeing that "people like them" made great contributions to science helps in this regard. And it then follows that...
Tina Graney August 24, 2019 at 8:59 am on Religious Scientists on Vatican Observatory Faith and ScienceJocelyn Bell Burnell is an example of a contemporary scientist of faith. Not to mention all of the scientists who are not listed, but are working at the Vatican Observatory right now!
Bob Prokop August 24, 2019 at 7:26 am on Caucasus triangleGreat image! My personal favorite Lunar mountains are the Montes Spitzbergen, on the floor of the Mare Imbrium. Especially when they're just emerging into the sunlight, surrounded by a pool of black. Pure magic!
Bob Prokop August 24, 2019 at 7:19 am on Religious Scientists on Vatican Observatory Faith and ScienceSuch lists, as wonderful as they are, generally do not impress nonbelievers (at least, not the ones I know personally), because they are primarily composed of people from past centuries. The usual answer I get when bringing up Copernicus or Secchi or Mendel, etc., is "Well, of course they were...
Ed Yepez August 24, 2019 at 6:23 am on Religious Scientists on Vatican Observatory Faith and ScienceGreat observations from an educators view! My impression so far, whether talking to Atheist or Young Earth Creationist, is that they wish to set up boundaries between science and religion (I probably do it too unconsciously!) in order to organize knowledge/ideas in both fields. But then I feel like I...
Fr. James Kurzynski August 14, 2019 at 4:33 am on What Was Your Experience Of Apollo 11?Incredible and personal response Jim! Thank you for sharing this. I completely forgot about the other "Summer of 69" events that made that summer truly historic for US history.
Fr. James Kurzynski August 14, 2019 at 4:23 am on Great post! It's inspired me to hunt for the Apollo landing sites through my telescope!
Fr. James Kurzynski August 14, 2019 at 4:06 am on Under Summer SkiesYou're absolutely right! Now that I'm starting to get better with the basics of astrophotography with very basic equipment, I've noticed I'm getting outside more, enjoying nature more, and praying better. I once desired to take pictures like I saw in magazines of celestial objects. Now, I'm more interested in...
Fr. James Kurzynski August 13, 2019 at 7:47 am on Discussion: Magnificent Desolation Or Boring Desolation – Is There Room For A Return To The Moon In A Cyberspace World?I think the potential harm needs to be looked at in two directions. The first is the obvious - Would it be ethical to store garbage on the Moon. The second is more subtle - What would our disposition of heart become if we develop the mentality, "We can just...
Bob Prokop August 13, 2019 at 3:49 am on Discussion: Magnificent Desolation Or Boring Desolation – Is There Room For A Return To The Moon In A Cyberspace World?Very good question! I just can't see any harm in polluting a lifeless rock. Besides, it looks like we're going to pollute something no matter what, so wouldn't the Moon be a better choice over the Earth?
Fr. James Kurzynski August 12, 2019 at 6:52 pm on Discussion: Magnificent Desolation Or Boring Desolation – Is There Room For A Return To The Moon In A Cyberspace World?Bob. At the risk of sounding like a "Debbie-Downer," why would we presume it would be ethical to pollute the Moon?
Bob Prokop August 12, 2019 at 9:26 am on Discussion: Magnificent Desolation Or Boring Desolation – Is There Room For A Return To The Moon In A Cyberspace World?There is much value in a return to the Moon, for purely practical reasons: 1. There is much to learn there about the origins of the Earth and our planet's history. How is that practical? Well, science is ALWAYS practical in the long run. Even such seemingly esoteric concepts as...
Jim Cook August 5, 2019 at 9:42 am on What Was Your Experience Of Apollo 11?My apollo-gies. 😉 I’m a bit late posting this. I grew up in the late 50s and 60s — I was in high school during Apollo 11 (and to this day grateful Apollo 11 was timed during mid summer vacation). As far as I can recall, I was born a...
Br. Guy Consolmagno August 5, 2019 at 8:15 am on Under Summer SkiesAll the fancy equipment in the world can’t beat just plain dark skies. I am off to a dark sky site in Ireland (writing this from Heathrow Airport) but of course the weather prediction is for rain all week!

Sacred Space Astronomy

Blog of the Vatican Observatory Foundation

Tag Archives: PST Solar Telescope

Sun Pillar – Sun Drawing Ireland

A Slice of Solar Drawing in h-alpha

Specola Guestbook: May 18, 1910 – Oskar Backlund

Hexagons in Space JWST

The Sun’s Many Strange Neighbors (re-run)

Just Passing Through! A Second Interstellar Object Detected.

Across the Universe: Words that Change Reality

In the Sky This Week – September 10, 2019