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Old 05-02-2013, 03:40 PM
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bkm2304 (Richard Brown)
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Exclamation Very peculiar image from this morning.

Hello all,

Like every other nerd with a camera I was out last night snapping Lemmon when I thought I would have a go at Crux. This is a photo of Beta Crucis and the Jewel Box - and something I can't understand.

The intricacy of its pattern suggests repeated turning and then a wide loop or maybe this happened first. I didn't see this - although it was probably bright enough to see - because I had gone inside to get a torch.

I immediately took another shot under same conditions 3 minutes later - it was nowhere to be seen.

The area I was shooting from was dark - a farm environment, no street lights, no fireflies, nothing obvious to add to this to explain the result.

Could this be a satellite launch/deployment gone wrong?

Any suggestions?

Details are:

Picture taken at approx 12:59am EDT 5/4/13

Lens: AF-S DX VR Nikkor 55-300mm 4.5-5.6G ED

Camera: Nikon D40 on tripod

Exposure: 70.0 S at 220mm F5.6 ISO 3200 with inbuilt noise reduction on.


Richard
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Old 05-02-2013, 03:46 PM
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THis is a higher res crop.
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Old 05-02-2013, 03:56 PM
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Somebody with a laser pointer? The colour is odd for a laser, but if you have any filters or post-processed the image it could be that.
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Old 05-02-2013, 03:58 PM
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Then at approx 1.15am, this slow moving satellite split the pointers going northwards and faded away. I wonder if it has anything to do with the above?

Same camera specs but 40 S exposure and 125mm zoom

Richard
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Old 05-02-2013, 04:00 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mithrandir View Post
Somebody with a laser pointer? The colour is odd for a laser, but if you have any filters or post-processed the image it could be that.
Possibly, but not a soul around here - we live surrounded by 10,000 Ha of National Park on 3 sides of us.
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Old 05-02-2013, 04:25 PM
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My first thought was a geosynchronous satellite but it's probably in the wrong part of the sky, and probably too erratic.
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Old 05-02-2013, 04:30 PM
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It looks the same colour as Beta Crucis and the motion looks like camera wobble. I can't explain why there aren't other similar patterns though. Perhaps while the camera was doing its noise subtraction?
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Old 05-02-2013, 04:42 PM
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Very interesting Richard! It does seem to be some camera movement, but why would it only show up on Beta Crucis? I took the liberty of combining the two images. Assuming it's a camera movement between frames, it seems to match the displacement of Beta Crucis between the two images.
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Old 05-02-2013, 05:10 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by von Tom View Post
Very interesting Richard! It does seem to be some camera movement, but why would it only show up on Beta Crucis? I took the liberty of combining the two images. Assuming it's a camera movement between frames, it seems to match the displacement of Beta Crucis between the two images.
Yes, the simplest explanation is usually the right one. And b crucis is by far the brightest star so only it shows up in the trace of the wobble. I moved the camera between images to look at the screen so the displacement is me.

Which only serves to deepen my mystery; what bumped the camera while I was inside? Sneaky possums? Wily wallabies? I don't know!
Thanks

Richard
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Old 05-02-2013, 05:27 PM
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Iridium flare???
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Old 05-02-2013, 05:38 PM
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Make movie from individuals frames and we will see
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Old 05-02-2013, 06:06 PM
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Several possibilities.

Laser pointer. Just because you are surrounded by a couple million hectares of NP doesn't mean someone isn't IN the NP either doing astronomy themselves, or up to something else.

Bugs. I have taken bug trails before in the darkest conditions. You'd be surprised.

Tripod movement. Unless you have an ultra rock steady tripod, even a good mini gust of wind can d this. Or something bumped it, or even a slight ground vibration (heavy enough vehicle) or...

Aliens. Yup, those little green boogers are doing aerobatics in space. Saw you imaging on B Crucis, and thought, let's screw his mind
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Old 05-02-2013, 06:18 PM
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Intriguing for sur. I have an unexplained image myself that I was meaning to post on IIS. Will do it soon. I love anomalies in images
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Old 05-02-2013, 07:55 PM
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Celestial Spiders! Its these things that make it all that little more interesting.
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Old 05-02-2013, 08:48 PM
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The pattern of movement let me think about bug. Are there glow worm at your site ? At mine, I have some problems with them. I always lose frames because them.
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Old 05-02-2013, 09:47 PM
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Thanks, all.

I do think now that it was movement of the tripod because as has been pointed out on the thread:
1. The colour is the same as B Crucis
2. The position is right next to B Crucis so a shudder would show up next to it
3. B Crucis is by far the brightest star in the field so it is the only one with enough photons to show the drama of a shudder.
4. There is a large sweep - the initial "bump" and then a series of reducing squiggles as it settled.

I think the mystery is solved - pity!

Though you might like to have a look at this thing I saw a while back which proved to be real! Astroron sorted it!

Thanks again for all your wisdom!

Richard
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Old 05-02-2013, 09:56 PM
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ET Drunk behind the wheel of his new Sportster UFO

Yes looks like camera shake on the brighter star, try brightening up the image with levels and see if yu can find a repeat of the pattern on one of the other stars.
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Old 05-02-2013, 10:18 PM
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No mystery here.

London-to-a-brick the tripod/camera got bumped.
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Old 06-02-2013, 08:25 AM
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If you look closely, the bright star on the left also exhibits the pattern to some extent.
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