Pictures taken by MSU Astronomers

Iridium satellite flare over the observatory dome (copyright D. O’Malley)

Astronomy Pictures taken at the MSU Observatory

Photographs featured here were taken by MSU astronomers at the facility.
By viewing these images, you acknowledge their orgins and grant respective rights.

· Chris Wilkinson

The Moon June 1996, Emulsion Camera, 10" telescope

Comet Hyakutake April 1996, CCD Camera, 24" telescope

· Horace Smith
Some of these photographs were actually taken just outside East Lansing, rather than at the observatory proper. Exposures of aurorae were typically 5-15 seconds long.

Aurora Borealis, Oct. 27/28, 2001. 400 speed film, 50mm lens at f/2.

Aurora Borealis 2, Oct. 27/28, 2001. 400 speed film. 50mm lens at f/2.

Aurora Borealis 3, Oct. 27/28, 2001 400 speed film. 50 mm lens at f/2.

Aurora Borealis 4, Oct. 28/29, 2000

Aurora Borealis 5, Oct. 28/29, 2000

Aurora over the MSU Observatory, 23:45 UT October 30, 2003, 8 second exposure with a Coolpix 4300 digital camera

Aurora over the MSU Observatory, 23:58 UT October 30, 2003, 8 second exposure with a Coolpix 4300 digital camera

The Big Dippler climbs out of a diffuse auroral glow, 6:20 UT October 31, 2003, 8 second exposure with a Coolpix 4300 digital camera

Jupiter and Saturn in the constellation Taurus. Oct. 28/29, 2000

Comet Hale-Bopp and clouds, 25 April, 1997, 1000 speed film

Comet Ikeya-Zhang, 10 April, 2002

Comet Neat passing the Beehive in Cancer on the evening of May 15, 2004. 8 second exposure with a Nikon Coolpix 4300.

Montage of images of the transit of Venus taken on the morning of June 8, 2004. A Nikon Coolpix 4300 was used to get afocal images through a filtered 8-inch Celestron telescope.

Montage of images of the aurora of Nov. 7/8, 2004. A Nikon Coolpix 4300 was used, set to ASA = 400 with 8 second exposures.

A second montage of images of the aurora of Nov. 7/8, 2004. A Nikon Coolpix 4300 was used, set to ASA = 400 with 8 second exposures.

A montage of images of the aurora of Nov. 9/10, 2004. A Nikon Coolpix 4300 was used, set to ASA = 400 with 8 second exposures.

Comet Machholz passes the Pleiades, Jan. 5/6, 2005 This is a combination of 3 10 second exposures with a Canon Digital Rebel camera, set to ISO 400.

Images of the aurora borealis on the morning of May 15, 2005 8 and 10 second exposures with a Canon Digital Rebel camera, set to ISO 400.

A montage of images of the aurora of Sept. 10/11, 2005. A Canon Digital Rebel camera was used, set to ASA = 400 with 15 second exposures.

Image of the aurora borealis on the night of Nov.9/10, 2006. 15 second exposures with a Canon Digital Rebel camera, set to ISO 800.

Image of the aurora borealis on the night of Dec. 14/15, 2006. 15 second exposure with a Canon Digital Rebel camera, set to ISO 800.

Image of the aurora borealis on the night of Dec. 14/15, 2006. 15 second exposure with a Canon Digital Rebel camera, set to ISO 800.

Image of the aurora borealis on the night of Dec. 14/15, 2006. 15 second exposure with a Canon Digital Rebel camera, set to ISO 800.

CCD images obtained with the campus observatory 24-inch telescope

Supernova in the galaxy NGC 3190. Two minute exposure, SBIG ST6 CCD, April 10, 2002

Jupiter, May 6, 2002. V filter. Apogee Ap47p CCD.

Jupiter, May 2006. Color images made from BVR images. Apogee Ap47p CCD.

M82 galaxy Made from exposures in B, V, and R. AST 208 class. Spring 2006

The Orion Nebula (In color!) Taken by Aaron LaCluyze and members of the Spring 2003 AST 312 class on UT 01:30 April 11 2003.

Supernova in M100. February, 2006. Color image made from BVR images. Apogee Ap47p CCD.

Mars in 2003 Ap47p CCD

Black & white images have been taken in the Cousins I band unless otherwise noted. Color images are composites, made

From B, V, and I images.

Montage 3. The dramatic side of Mars featuring the Sinus Meridiani and Sinus Sabaeus comes into view. Note the shrinking of the South Polar Cap compared to earlier images.

Montage 4. Syrtis Major, usually one of the darkest features on Mars and one which has been observed since the 17th century, is prominent.

Montage 5. On the images from 8/16, the bright area of Nix Olympica, around the large Olympus Mons volcano, may be just visible in the northern (bottom) hemisphere to the left of the central meridian.

Montage 6. Solis Lacus, the "eye of Mars", is well placed in these images. The bright spot of Nix Olympica, around the Olympus Mons volcano, is still visible to the lower right of each image. The South Polar Cap is still shrinking and breaking up.

Montage 7. The south polar cap continues to shrink, while the disk itself reaches its largest apparent size.

Montage 8. Note whitish north polar hood cloud at the bottom of both color images. On 9/12/03 there also appear to be some possible clouds near Syrtis Major, on the right limb.

Montage 9. Mars retreats from the Earth, becoming gibbous again in the process. Note that the off-center remnant of the South Polar Cap is much easier to see at certain orientations of the planet than at others.

Comet Schwassmann Wachmann 3 (73P) Spring 2006 Ap47p CCD

Changes in the coma of Fragment B showing breakup and outburst.

Three stacked images show the close approach of Fragment C of 73P to the Ring Nebula on May 8, 2006.

Animated gif showing the passage of Fragment C by the Ring Nebula. 10 seconds V band exposures were spaced about two minutes apart.

Comet 17P/Holmes outburst 2007

Images from Oct. 25, 2007, showing Comet Holmes near visual magnitude 2.5.

Marked expansion of the coma of 17P/Holmes between Oct. 25 and Oct. 31, 2007.

By the night of November 5/6, 2007, comet 17P/Holmes had expanded so as to be easily seen as a fuzzy ball with the naked eye. This is a 15 second unguided exposure with a Canon Digital Rebel camera, taken on that night.

Photos by John French of the Abrams Planetarium staff.