Experienced amateur astronomer, Richard Miles, recently visited Faulkes Telescope South . Richard has been leading our recent observing programme to follow a cometary outburst, and provides expert advice for our Asteroids and Comets programme . He was on holiday in Australia and took some excellent long exposure images of the night sky where you can see FTS and stars!
He has kindly provided some descriptions of the images:
The first wide-angle view shows the Faulkes Telescope South operating in the foreground with the open dome of the Anglo Australian Observatory in the far background. The brightest star in the image roughly midway between the two observatories is Achernar (alpha Eridani).
The next image shows the Faulkes Telescope South slewing to acquire a new target (open cluster, Messier 48 in Hydra) framed against the backdrop of the open dome of the Anglo Australian Observatory at Siding Spring, Australia.
The final image shows an almost first-quarter Moon high in the sky with diffraction effects caused by the iris of the camera. The Faulkes Telescope South is silhouetted off to the right of the picture. A satellite trail can also be seen framed between the Moon and the planet Mars.
Many thanks, Richard!
