La Cañada Observatory, is an initiative by Juan Lacruz, the observatory started astrometric operations in the summer of 2002, it is registered as station J87 in the Minor Planet Center of the International Astronomical Union.

The Observatory also participates in the studies on minor bodies promoted by the Group on Meteorites, Minor Bodies, and Planetary Sciences of the Institute of Space Sciences (CSIC-IEEC).



Saturday, April 10, 2010

M13 2010 Apr 10

El cúmulo globular M13 en la constelación de Hércules.
Es un grupo de unas 100.000 estrellas que orbita entorno a nuestra galaxia.
Su época de formación es similar a la de la galaxia, cuando se individualizaron decenas de cúmulos globulares.

Estos cúmulos están constituidos por estrellas de la primera generación que han envejecido y virado hacia un color rojizo al disminuir su temperatura.

También se han observado cúmulos globulares en otras galaxias.

La imagen que se muestra es una exposición de 30 segundos a través de un teleobjetivo de 200mm de focal trabajando a F2.8, el aspecto del cúmulo en la imagen es comparable al que se observaría por un pequeño telescopio con pocos aumentos.

The globular cluster M13 in Hercules.
A group around 100.000 stars orbiting our galaxy.
Its formation epoch is similar to that of the galaxy, when dozens of such clusters were formed.

The stars, of the first generation, evolved towards lower temperatures and redder colours.

Globular clusters have been found to orbit other galaxies.

The image below, a 30 seconds exposure through a 200mm focal teleobjective working at F2.8, shows M13 resembling what you'd see with a little telescope working at low magnification.
200mm F2.8 30 sec ISO 1600

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

New namings

(207341) Isabelmartin = 2005 JD22 Isabel Lacruz Martin (b. 1956) received her doctorate in Experimental Psychology at Kent State University in 2005. Her research covers the psycholinguistic aspects of translation, bilingual memory and second-language acquisition.

Discovery date : 2005 05 03
Discovery site : La Canada
Discoverer(s) : Lacruz, J.

(229777) ENIAC = 2008 MX4 ENIAC was the first general-purpose electronic computer, a Turing-complete, digital computer capable of being reprogrammed to solve a full range of computing problems.

Discovery date : 2008 06 28
Discovery site : La Canada
Discoverer(s) : Lacruz, J.

(228029) MANIAC = 2008 GN MANIAC was an early computer, based on the von Neumann architecture. Built at Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory, it ran successfully in Mar. 1952.

Discovery date : 2008 04 02
Discovery site : La Canada
Discoverer(s) : Lacruz, J.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

P/2010 A2 (LINEAR) The 5th Main Belt "Comet"

This makes number five of "comets" found in the Main Belt (this one in the inner belt) in typical asteroidal, non-cometary orbits.

Note that it seems to be of the Hirayama's collisional Flora family.
The images show quite a straight tail with a separate fragment probably of a collisional origin as well.
Other two, out of the five known, seem to be of another Hirayama family, Themis .
Read this posts by D.Jewitt http://www2.ess.ucla.edu/~jewitt/MBC5.html

References :
IAUC 9105
IAUC 9109
CBET 2134

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Virtual impactor 2009 XC2, Apollo NEO

New apollo NEO confirmed on 2009 Dec 12.
Flagged as virtual impactor in JPL Sentry
Urgent observation required.
Ref.- MPC circular

Saturday, November 28, 2009

2009 nov 28, Orión desde Nieda.


Orión remonta en el cielo de Nieda, Cangas de Onís, Asturias.
Al fondo, las primeras nieves en los Picos de Europa.