Current Projects - Galactic Images

Past Astronomical Events

New 10th Planet (2003 UB313) “Xena”

The Images show the movement from one day to the next of The 10th Planet 2003 UB313, internal code name “Xena” out beyond the orbit of Pluto & larger than Pluto, image taken on July 31st, 2005 and August 1, 2005

Deep Impact Probe Collides with Comet 9P/Tempel 1

Click the link to watch the movie: http://www.bellatrixobservatory.org/9p_deepimpact.gif
Click for the Movie #2: http://www.bellatrixobservatory.org/9p_deepimpact2.gif

Near Earth Asteroid 4179 Toutatis on September 21, 2004

The Image & movie shows the track of Near Earth Asteroid 4179 Toutatis on September 21st 2004 from 03:08:12 U.T. to 05:13:03 U.T. as this Pontentially Hazardous Asteroid swings by the Earth again.

The Image & movie shows the track of Near Earth Asteroid 4179 Toutatis on September 21st, 2004 from 03:08:12 U.T. to 05:13:03 U.T. as this Potentially Hazardous Asteroid swings by the Earth again.

See the video for yourself, click here for the Toutatis Asteroid 2004 – Video Clip (3 meg)

The National Science Foundation & A.A.V.S.O.’s “Hands On Astrophysics Project”
As their Official Astrophotographer, I have been photographing every clear night for three years, 77 variable stars in 5 circumpolar constellations(Cygnus, Cepheus, Cassiopeia, Auriga, and Ursa Major) chosen for this project.

This is part of a large educational package being assembled by the National Science Foundation & AAVSO for future distribution to every school in the Northern Hemisphere.

My Photo/slide package combined the custom variable star charts by Charles Scovil and the Teacher Workshops being held at the AAVSO in Cambridge, MA (were the curriculum is being written and assembled) will surely provide a complete and useful set of tools for teaching kids astronomy through variable stars. With a range from grade school through college level science classes.

Project Director:The Late… Dr. Janet A. Mattie, Director of the AAVSO, Cambridge, Ma.
Project assistant: Mike Saladyga, Cambridge, MA
Astrophotographer: John Chumack, Dayton, OH
Cartographer: Charles Scovil, Stanford, CN
and many other dedicated individuals!

AAVSO Website
American Association of Variable Star Observers

NASA’s “Ulysses Comet Watch Project”
Based out of NASA’s Atmospheric and Space Physics Laboratory in Boulder Colorado, I am part of a worldwide network of advanced amateurs and professional astronomers that are currently providing useful cometary data for correlation to ESA’s & NASA’s solar probe “Ulysses”.

We Monitor, Photograph, and CCD image all comets that come within 20-50 degrees of the Ulysses space probe. Once we obtain the image we measure the comet’s ion tail and submit this data for correlation to what the Ulysses probe is seeing in terms of solar wind activity. This will, in turn, help us to calibrate the system and tell us what the solar winds are doing.

Project Director
Jack Brandt
Interdisciplinary Scientist, Ulysses
Atmospheric and Space Physics Laboratory
University of Colorado at Boulder