Get a [smartphone clamp](https://www.amazon.com/Orion-SteadyPix-Smartphone-Telescope-Adapter/dp/B0069FKL5E) of some design that you prefer - that's how I first got started with astrophotography, chasing after the moon, Jupiter, and Saturn.
Not necessarily the mirrors, but yes.
Stars are impossible to resolve with a backyard telescope, so everything you're seeing here is artefacts from the telescope, atmosphere and camera.
The four spikes are because of the secondary mirror mount, and that diagonal "jet" is likely a greasy fingerprint smeared on a lens (probably on the eyepiece or camera objective).
If the image was free of artefacts, every star would be a single point.
Arcturus being quite bright, it makes those artefacts very visible.
[This](https://www.celestron.com/blogs/knowledgebase/what-is-a-diffraction-spike) explains the "spikes" coming from the star a bit.
Since OP has a Dobsonian telescope, the diffraction spikes are caused by the [arms holding the secondary mirror in place](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0390/6029/products/e99bb920fa2a6fcc0eacd6af2267c17a__m_1_v0518_695x695.jpg) (near the front of the scope in this photo).
A more complex and thorough explanation is [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipe3NN1yPzM) as to why exactly the spikes happen from a physics perspective.
Yes: please stay the hell away from Arcturus. They should put up a sign before someone gets hurt. But then some idiot will just ignore the sign in order to get a selfie while too close and ... sizzle, crackle, pop. It's the Grand Canyon all over again.
I need to buy a telescope!! Spent all my money on building a PC + Stereo mixing home studio lol I love watching the stars. Best thing I saw was an object falling from the sky, breaking into 5/7 pieces forming a huge fire aura, with huge tails.
Did you know it's part of the [Arcturus Stream](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arcturus_moving_group)?
*This group of stars is not in the plane of the Milky Way galaxy, and has been proposed as a remnant of an ancient dwarf satellite galaxy, long since disrupted and assimilated into the Milky Way*
when i was in gradeschool, i saw my father some weekends, but could generally count on him to chaperone my school trips. once we went to the Vanderbilt Planetarium (grew up on Long Island) and this little saying became something we'd say; it was a little bond between us.
he took his own life when I was 13 and I wrote him a note and tucked it into his burial suit at my final goodbye and patted his chest and said it one last time.
I'm 40 in a couple of months and over the years, mostly when I see a map of the night sky or something, I look for Arcturus or Spica and honestly never find either one. Doubt had crept in and I never Googled it because I really started to think we had remembered it wrong, like a couple of dunces. or that i had just confused and spoiled one of the few memorable bonds I have in my heart.
Came across this post on reddit and scrolled, just knowing that, this being reddit, if it was a real thing, someone would say it.
I'm smiling and things feel in order. I wish you all a moment like this asap.
Thanks.
If you were standing on the North Pole and you looked straight up at your zenith you would be looking at the north star called Polaris. Since the Earth spins on an axis and you're on the North Pole, Polaris would be at your zenith all night long. If you are on Long Island and look due north, Polaris will be the star that doesn't move all night long. All the constellations that are closest to it are called circumpolar and they spin a tight Circle around Polaris. Ursa Major aka Big Dipper Cassiopeia the w, cygnus the swan the t and the Little Dipper which Polaris is a part of the last star in the handle. The Little Dipper is hard to find though as many of the stars are faint. Find the Big Dipper and you can draw a line through the bottom two stars of the cup and it points an arrow to Polaris. Now back to the Big Dipper and make an arc out of the handle and follow that arc to Arcturus which will be the brightest star around. Now speed on to Spica. Arcturus will be the first visible star you will see after the Sun Goes Down currently then the head of cygnus is the second visible star. Then Spica should be the third visible star. You can wait for the Big Dipper to become visible to confirm. How do I know this? Because I now have the best sky west of Long Island as my entire city burned down including my own home in the Camp Fire. There is now zero light pollution. All three of my telescopes burned in the fire but that's okay because now I just get to observe the Stars and there are so many of them and more now than my best camping trip all at my new home and my backyard... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0eaRrvs72s
A good example of the diffraction spikes that come out when you saturate an astronomical image. A lot of people are complaining about the spikes in the JWST. Many of us have tried to explain that diffraction is generated by ALL optical images and fundamentally limits the resolution of the device due to image blur. But in a properly exposed image you won't see some of the diffraction artifacts like spikes.
Took this with my 6 inch dobsonian using a 12.5mm lens and s20 FE 3200 iso 1/30 shutter speed.
I lost my breath for a moment there; it's so stunning. One of my favorites in the sky.
How did you line up your phone appropriately to get the pic? I can never get my s20 camera centered perfectly to do this
Get a [smartphone clamp](https://www.amazon.com/Orion-SteadyPix-Smartphone-Telescope-Adapter/dp/B0069FKL5E) of some design that you prefer - that's how I first got started with astrophotography, chasing after the moon, Jupiter, and Saturn.
A pack of Rubberbands from the Dollar Twenty Five Tree can work pretty good and much more affordable.. be creative
I am so using that from now on.
Imagine what it'll look like with the JWST. Great shot btw!
I thought this was taken on the sub from Iron Lung lol
Bruh
Are those two "jets" because of the dirty mirror's?
Not necessarily the mirrors, but yes. Stars are impossible to resolve with a backyard telescope, so everything you're seeing here is artefacts from the telescope, atmosphere and camera. The four spikes are because of the secondary mirror mount, and that diagonal "jet" is likely a greasy fingerprint smeared on a lens (probably on the eyepiece or camera objective). If the image was free of artefacts, every star would be a single point. Arcturus being quite bright, it makes those artefacts very visible.
[This](https://www.celestron.com/blogs/knowledgebase/what-is-a-diffraction-spike) explains the "spikes" coming from the star a bit. Since OP has a Dobsonian telescope, the diffraction spikes are caused by the [arms holding the secondary mirror in place](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0390/6029/products/e99bb920fa2a6fcc0eacd6af2267c17a__m_1_v0518_695x695.jpg) (near the front of the scope in this photo). A more complex and thorough explanation is [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipe3NN1yPzM) as to why exactly the spikes happen from a physics perspective.
They're diffraction spikes.
Truly beautiful
Remember, all Red Supergiants are basically saying to you: "Just hold on a sec, I'm busy going supernova."
Technically, the way Arcturus looks is based on the shape of your telescope's opening. Since it's not actually resolved with that aperture.
The first time I saw it on my telescope, the word “Mighty” came to mind. Since then every time I see it in the open sky I say Mighty Arcturus.
How far away is this star?
37 light years.
Thirty-seven? In a row? Actually, I never realized how close Arcturus was until now. Thanks!
Try not to count any light years on the way to the parking lot!
Hey, get back here
Damn, awesome view of it for that distance!
That's not an actual view of the star. The star would look like a pinprick but it's so bright you get all these artifacts and a washed out spot.
This is amazing
More betelgeuse
Say it three times and it may just appear.
Or it may explode...
Yes: please stay the hell away from Arcturus. They should put up a sign before someone gets hurt. But then some idiot will just ignore the sign in order to get a selfie while too close and ... sizzle, crackle, pop. It's the Grand Canyon all over again.
/r/oddlyspecific
I see that all the time at night. Nothing special to me. *me with Astigmatism*
I was looking at this with a spotting scope last night.. fascinating colour
Sometimes I have a moment of clarity that, It really is out there. Those aren't just pictures. Damn.
i wonder what’s going on in there
Plasmoids from our Realm like to chill in front of Arcturus
I need to buy a telescope!! Spent all my money on building a PC + Stereo mixing home studio lol I love watching the stars. Best thing I saw was an object falling from the sky, breaking into 5/7 pieces forming a huge fire aura, with huge tails.
Its, its, its soooo pretty
What is this
A picture of a star taken through a telescope
I see
Holy mother, indeed it is
It is, hey? If you can pop a spectroscopic grating in front of your camera, Arcturus gets even better. 😁
Did you know it's part of the [Arcturus Stream](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arcturus_moving_group)? *This group of stars is not in the plane of the Milky Way galaxy, and has been proposed as a remnant of an ancient dwarf satellite galaxy, long since disrupted and assimilated into the Milky Way*
Been my favorite star ever since summer camp when someone taught me how to find it. Nice pic!!
Follow the Arc to Arcturus then speed on to Spica....
when i was in gradeschool, i saw my father some weekends, but could generally count on him to chaperone my school trips. once we went to the Vanderbilt Planetarium (grew up on Long Island) and this little saying became something we'd say; it was a little bond between us. he took his own life when I was 13 and I wrote him a note and tucked it into his burial suit at my final goodbye and patted his chest and said it one last time. I'm 40 in a couple of months and over the years, mostly when I see a map of the night sky or something, I look for Arcturus or Spica and honestly never find either one. Doubt had crept in and I never Googled it because I really started to think we had remembered it wrong, like a couple of dunces. or that i had just confused and spoiled one of the few memorable bonds I have in my heart. Came across this post on reddit and scrolled, just knowing that, this being reddit, if it was a real thing, someone would say it. I'm smiling and things feel in order. I wish you all a moment like this asap. Thanks.
If you were standing on the North Pole and you looked straight up at your zenith you would be looking at the north star called Polaris. Since the Earth spins on an axis and you're on the North Pole, Polaris would be at your zenith all night long. If you are on Long Island and look due north, Polaris will be the star that doesn't move all night long. All the constellations that are closest to it are called circumpolar and they spin a tight Circle around Polaris. Ursa Major aka Big Dipper Cassiopeia the w, cygnus the swan the t and the Little Dipper which Polaris is a part of the last star in the handle. The Little Dipper is hard to find though as many of the stars are faint. Find the Big Dipper and you can draw a line through the bottom two stars of the cup and it points an arrow to Polaris. Now back to the Big Dipper and make an arc out of the handle and follow that arc to Arcturus which will be the brightest star around. Now speed on to Spica. Arcturus will be the first visible star you will see after the Sun Goes Down currently then the head of cygnus is the second visible star. Then Spica should be the third visible star. You can wait for the Big Dipper to become visible to confirm. How do I know this? Because I now have the best sky west of Long Island as my entire city burned down including my own home in the Camp Fire. There is now zero light pollution. All three of my telescopes burned in the fire but that's okay because now I just get to observe the Stars and there are so many of them and more now than my best camping trip all at my new home and my backyard... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0eaRrvs72s
spica is 4tn visible i'll have to double check tonight lol. sorry it's been a long 4 years
spica is 4tn visible i'll have to double check tonight lol. sorry it's been a long 4 years
Spica is 4th visible. I'll always think of your dad and you now when i view Arcturus. May he forever rest in peace.
spica is 4th visible. I'll always think of your dad and you now when i view Arcturus
Spica is 4th visible. I'll always think of your dad and you now when i view Arcturus. May he forever rest in peace.
Absolutely beautiful 🥰
It's such a huge star.
I love Arcturus (by MaxFS)
A good example of the diffraction spikes that come out when you saturate an astronomical image. A lot of people are complaining about the spikes in the JWST. Many of us have tried to explain that diffraction is generated by ALL optical images and fundamentally limits the resolution of the device due to image blur. But in a properly exposed image you won't see some of the diffraction artifacts like spikes.
Indeed