iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Kevin Earp @astrokev.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

I managed to resolve a problem I had with Graxpert. Seems my PC is too old to handle hardware acceleration! So here are very slowly processed close-ups of NGC7331, with and without Graxpert denoising. Small but noticeable improvement with denoising I think 🔭

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Kevin Earp @astrokev.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

NGC 7331 and its latest supernova. My first deep sky image for a long, long time. Taken with my Celestron Edge 8 and ASI2600 mono camera. Luminance data only. Cloud stopped play before I could get any RGB. 🔭

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Kevin Earp @astrokev.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Finally got a chance to do some night imaging last night, only to find I've got these stars. Not good 😬 So spent the first 30 mins trying to collimate the scope, which i love 🙃 🔭

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Kevin Earp @astrokev.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

A few images from a quick solar session this morning, before the clouds rolled in. Taken with my 100mm Esprit refractor and Quark chromosphere. Processed in AS4, Imppg and Affinity Photo 🔭

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Kevin Earp @astrokev.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Rework of yesterday's sun-fun with inverted processing 🔭

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Kevin Earp @astrokev.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

A few closer views from yesterday. I find h-alpha imaging needs a really clear sky. High wispy cloud tends to kill contrast. It was late morning by the time the clouds cleared and seeing was a bit wobbly.

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Kevin Earp @astrokev.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

First solar image for over 5 months. Struggled a bit with the kit and somehow managed to lose some data. 11 panel mosaic, processed in Affinity v3, which was also a bit of a struggle as I hadn't used it for solar before today. Overall though, pleased with the final result 🔭

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Kevin Earp @astrokev.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

First solar imaging in months. Its like learning to walk all over again 😬 Firecapture screenshot.... 🔭

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Kevin Earp @astrokev.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

After months of zero astro-action, I managed to find a bit of my astro-mojo, so decided to open-up the obsy and give it a good hoover-out and clean 😬.

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Kevin Earp @astrokev.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Total Eclipse from cloudy Iceland! We dipped out on seeing the sun itself, but not even clouds could spoil the amazing changes in light. Mid totality at Arnastapi on the Snaefellsnes peninsula, with an amazing mountain backdrop. Still a wonderful experience 🌘🌚🌒

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Kevin Earp @astrokev.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

My PC is out of action at present so I can't process new images. So, in anticipation of this year's total solar eclipse, here are a small collection of some of my eclipse pics from the last few years. Praying for clear skies 🤞🏻🙏 🔭

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Kevin Earp @astrokev.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

One of my favourite crater chains on the Moon - Theophilus, Cyrillus and Catharina, all spectacular formations of around 100km diameter, located on the western shores of the Sea of Nectar. Taken with a C11 on 23rd April 🔭

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Kevin Earp @astrokev.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

Close-up view of Posidonius, a spectacular crater, 95km across, on the edge of the Sea of Serenity. C11 with a Baader barlow working at x1.58 🔭

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Kevin Earp @astrokev.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

6 image mosaic of the lunar terminator on the 23rd April. One of the biggest mosaics I've done, at 35 Megapixels, and you may need to open the image to see it all. Seeing wasn't perfect but I'm pleased how it turned out. 🔭

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Kevin Earp @astrokev.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

Final image from the 24th. The middle of the Moon, as seen from Earth, has several impressive large craters. Visible here are Albetegnius just right of centre and, to its left, the marvelous Ptolemaeus emerging into the morning sunlight 🔭

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Kevin Earp @astrokev.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

A lovely collection of rilles around the craters Triesnecker and the wonderful Hyginus. C11 SCT captured on 24th April 🔭

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Kevin Earp @astrokev.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

Hadley Rille just peeping out from the shadows of the Apennine mountains, into the early morning sunlight. Another shot from 24th April

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Kevin Earp @astrokev.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

Still processing lots of lunar images from last week. This is the first from a series taken on the 24th, showing the terminator through the southern highlands region. The rim of Clavius is just beginning to catch the early morning sun at lower left. 🔭

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Kevin Earp @astrokev.bsky.social · 02/05/2026

The Prolemaeus crater chain and Straight Wall region, taken on the 25th. Ptolemaeus is a great target to test scope resolution. Smallest craterlets visible are around 1.5km across. C11 with a x1.58 barlow and Uranus-M camera. 🔭

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Kevin Earp @astrokev.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

Another close-up from the 25th. The seeing was a bit wobbly, but pleased to have captured Hadley Rille, landing site of Apollo 15, snaking around the foothills of the Apennine mountains C11 with x1.58 barlow and Uranus-M camera. Astronomik 642nm filter 🔭

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Kevin Earp @astrokev.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

Close-up view of the area around the marvellous crater Plato and the Alpine Valley, taken on the 25th. Conditions weren't the best, but I'm pleased the narrow rille running down the centre of the Alpine Valley is just visible C11 with x1.58 barlow and Astronomik 642nm filter 🔭

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Kevin Earp @astrokev.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

My favourite area of the Moon, the Mare Imbrium region, bordered by the Appenine mountains to the east. Zooming in, Hadley Rille can be seen snaking around the foot of the mountains while, to the north, the Alpine Valley looks like a chisel-cut through the mountains.

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Kevin Earp @astrokev.bsky.social · 28/04/2026

Moon mosaic, taken a few nights ago. Loads more data to wade through so i could very busy! Celestron C11 and Uranus-M camera

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Kevin Earp @astrokev.bsky.social · 16/04/2026

My final Jupiter from the last week, taken on the 13th in reasonable seeing. Jupiter is getting past its best now so any chance to image it over the next few weeks will be a bonus. Celestron Edge 8HD. ZWO ADC. Baader VIP @ f/18.8. Uranus-C camera

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Kevin Earp @astrokev.bsky.social · 14/04/2026

Another Jupiter shot, this time from the 8th. Seeing was good but I feel I'm struggling at present to make the most of the conditions. Edge 8" with Uranus-C camera Maybe I need to go back to the C11?

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Kevin Earp @astrokev.bsky.social · 12/04/2026

Jupiter on the 7th April with my 8" Celestron Edge SCT. GRS is nicely positioned. 🔭

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Kevin Earp @astrokev.bsky.social · 11/04/2026

With a change in the weather, possibly my last image of the Sun for a while. This is the area around active regions 4008 and 4009 and shows some nice bright faculae near to the limb. Taken with an Esprit 4" refractor, Herschel wedge and Player One Uranus-M camera from my garden

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Kevin Earp @astrokev.bsky.social · 09/04/2026

Close-up image of active region AR4008 in hydrogen alpha, taken a few days ago

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Kevin Earp @astrokev.bsky.social · 09/04/2026

Zooming in a bit on the south-west limb. Not much prominence action at the moment, but a few nice active regions are on show. H-alpha image with my Skywatcher Esprit 100 scope and Quark CS

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Kevin Earp @astrokev.bsky.social · 09/04/2026

The Sun in hydrogen alpha, taken early morning on the 7th before the atmosphere warmed up, which helped the seeing a bit. 16 panel mosaic with my Esprit 100mm refractor, Quark chromosphere and 174MM camera

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Kevin Earp @astrokev.bsky.social · 06/04/2026

I was hoping to compare 2 cameras yesterday but the good UK weather once again had other ideas. This was a short test video with my usual ASI174 camera. Clouds appeared from nowhere before I could connect my other camera. Maybe tomorrow then!

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Kevin Earp @astrokev.bsky.social · 04/04/2026

I've reprocessed my 19 March image of the Sun using an "inverted" process method; first one I've done in this way using Affinity photo, so had to figure out a few settings. This method isn't to everyone's liking, but I think it can help accentuate the prominences 🔭

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Kevin Earp @astrokev.bsky.social · 03/04/2026

The seeing wasn't great yesterday but I tried a bit of solar imaging between the clouds. Here are a few sunspot groups showing pleasing detail and surface granulation. Taken with my Esprit and Baader barlow at a focal length of 1350mm 🔭

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Kevin Earp @astrokev.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

Still testing different focal ratios for imaging with my Esprit solar rig, although the weather isn't playing ball. This was a quickly grabbed capture from a few days ago

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Kevin Earp @astrokev.bsky.social · 29/03/2026

Closer view of active region AR4401 in mono. The 'rough' texture of the Sun surface is known as 'granulation' although more magnification is needed to see details 🔭

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Kevin Earp @astrokev.bsky.social · 29/03/2026

The Sun in white light, taken yesterday morning 28th March. A mosaic of two mono images through my 4" Esprit refractor and x2 barlow lens, and has been colourised. Several sunspot groups and pale faculae are clearly visible 🔭

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Kevin Earp @astrokev.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

Final image from yesterday. Active region AR4402 near the limb of the Sun. Bright faculae are visible against the darker edge of the disk; areas where the sun's magnetic field breaks through the surface of the photosphere, or visible surface

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Kevin Earp @astrokev.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

Another Sun image from yesterday, showing a closer view of active regions 4401 and 4402 and surrounding granulation on the sun's 'surface'

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Kevin Earp @astrokev.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

The Sun in white light with my 100mm refractor, taken 26th March. This is a 2 panel mosaic with a Uranus-M camera and x2 barlow.

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Kevin Earp @astrokev.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

The shadow of Jupiter's moon Ganymede transiting the face of the planet on 19th March. Taken with an Astronomik 642nm IR-pass filter. I'm still getting used to using and processing images taken with this. Not there yet, but good fun learning!

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Kevin Earp @astrokev.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

Wider view of the Jovian system. Jupiter and moons Europa, Ganymede and Io (left to right) taken on 19th March with an Edge 8 scope and Uranus mono planetary camera 🔭

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Kevin Earp @astrokev.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

A trio of Jupiter images from 21st March, showing movement of the GRS as it transited the planets disk. Taken with a Celestron Edge 8" and Baader barlow working at f/12.7, which is a little undersampled with my Uranus-C camera

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Kevin Earp @astrokev.bsky.social · 22/03/2026

First go at processing some of my Jupiter data from last night. This was using my Edge 8" scope and Baader barlow. Image measurement suggests it's undersampled at f/12 which is a pity as the seeing was very good for a change.

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Kevin Earp @astrokev.bsky.social · 21/03/2026

Another image from the 19th. This was the only large active region on the visible disk, AR4392. The Sun is becoming less active now that we've passed solar max, but hopefully there'll be plenty of interesting features visible before it goes quiet

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Kevin Earp @astrokev.bsky.social · 21/03/2026

Full solar disk in h-alpha taken on the 19th. 17 panel mosaic with my Esprit 100 and Quark Chromosphere. Processed in Autostakkert, Imppg and Affinity Photo 🔭

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Kevin Earp @astrokev.bsky.social · 20/03/2026

Good to be doing solar again. My processing is very rusty and I'm now trying to replicate my old Photoshop workflow using Affinity. Finding this tricky and needs more work to get what I'm after, but ive lots more data from yesterday morning to play with 🙂 🔭

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Kevin Earp @astrokev.bsky.social · 19/03/2026

After 10 months of astronomy in the dark, it's time to return to some solar imaging.....if I can remember how to do it 🔭 🌞

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Kevin Earp @astrokev.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

Its 10 months since I've imaged the Sun in hydrogen alpha, which is crazy! I had some issues with my refractor which may have been caused by heat build-up while doing solar imaging. I've now fixed the issue, and have a new solar filter to try, so I need to get out there soon! 🔭

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Kevin Earp @astrokev.bsky.social · 15/03/2026

Testing different focal ratios with my new Baader VIP barlow. Theoretical optimum is between f/15 and f/20 with my camera. More work needed, including with my colour cam, but quite pleased with the results. F/27 seems definitely oversampled. Seeing was poorish sadly

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Kevin Earp @astrokev.bsky.social · 13/03/2026

First image with the Astronomik 642nm IR Pass filter and Uranus-M. Seeing was quite poor so details are a bit blurry, but pleased with its first outing. 🔭

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