SolarChat!

Good day everyone...

A relatively quiet solar disk to close the year off, but there were a few small regions that showed some activity on the disk as well as a few smaller proms. The cold weather persisted again today with the temperature around -22C while imaging.
The -30 through the night had the mount almost frozen solid...I wound up with the stepper on the Dec drive burning out.

The image below is a disk/limb composite through the LS80T/B1200 that was double stacked with the LS75FHa front mount etalon: I added a 3x barlow ahead to the camera and made a mosaic from two image taken at higher resolution: The closing image is another panorama (center of frame looking north) taken after the imaging session today: This will close out the final day of solar imaging in 2017...looking forward to continuing into the new year and sharing with everyone one here.

Happy New Year,
Brian

Hi Brian,

Great images. May I ask what software and camera do you use ?

Thanks Rainer

Thanks fro your comments on the images Rainer!!!

I use Firecapture for image processing, and in this session a PGR Grasshopper Express (Firewire/ICX674 chip) was used for the full disk images and A ZWO 174MM was used with the barlow. Processing is a combination of AVI Stack and AutoStakkert for alignment and stacking and I use AstraImage for processing (deconvolution routines). The final touches are done in Photoshop.

Brian

Nice FD and mosaic, Brian. I do not know how you image when it is so cold !

This morning here was 9 degrees and we had to wear multiple layers INSIDE the house...

Franco

Hi Franco...

Thanks for your feedback, and I've never let the cold stop me going out. It is usually the wind that puts me on hold...if there is blowing show I don't really want to get it on the optics, and it makes it feel even colder.

The cold is keeping the fireplace going full tilt along with the oil furnace to keep the house cozy...-32C last night (-25F) and the wind has picked up today making it a challenging night.

Brian

Fantastic shots in challenging conditions. Stay warm and I hope the mount is alright.

Wow!! that reminds me of our Christmas in Banff at -20 C and your breath freezes in your nose and makes it prickle Don't your fingers stick to the telescope and mount, that's what I hate is the frozen fingers and toes Keep up the good work Brian, we enjoy the images

Alexandra

Mark and Alexandra...

Thanks to each of you for your comments, they are always appreciated

No problem staying warm...sit by the fire when I come inside and thaw out

Alexandra, I usually wear a pair of light gloves that allow me to work with the telescope equipment without having bare skin on the metal components. After I'm out side for long in the really cold weather my beard gets full of frost and ice .

Most of the computer work can be run with the mouse with gloves on too. After a long session in the cold the hand that is usually on the mouse gets colder than the one I can keep in a coat pocket, and it seems to get a flare up of mild arthritis now days.

Brian

Brrrrrrr......now that's cold, Brian. Top marks for endurance!

Lovely images make it worthwhile. Very nice.

Stu.

Thanks Stu...your feedback is always appreciated!!!

If I had to give up for cold weather I'd loose 1/3 if the year and clouds occupy a lot of the remaining days

Brian

Hi Brian
Nice final images of 2017 - cold weather though! We are the opposite at the moment, +35 & very humid!
Have an awesome 2018!

Thanks Matt...

I figured that it would be hot and humid in your part of the world.

Brian

Brian:
Beautiful images all of them.
I am visiting my daughter in N.Y. and literally I am freezing at -16 Celsius or so, I can not even handle my Iphone or anything with gloves.
Incredible to hear that you observe at -22 Celsius.
Best regards,
Eric.

Brian,

Nice images. I have about the same Lunt telescope as you. Down here in the states I'm going through a record cold snap with mostly clear skies. Do you have any tips as far as pressure tuning the telescope in the cold? I noticed it was really tough getting any kind of tuning from my scope last time I was out in the cold.

Chris

Eric and Chris...

Thanks to each of you for your comments and feedback...always appreciated!!!

Chris, my scope remains in the observatory and doesn't usually require a lot of tuning adjustment unless the air temp is much different than the last time it was used. The air pressure in the tuner will change as the closed chamber expands or contracts with temperature changes. day to to day or week to week doesn't see a big change most of the time. If you store the scope inside and take it out I woudl expect that it will need more adjustment or remove the tuner cap to equalize the pressure and re-tune.

The biggest issue with the cold is the tuning knob becomes quite difficult to turn as the lubricant becomes more glue-like I liek the remote tuner in the winter since the tuning is done by a compressor and adjusted by the computer or the remote buttons.

Eric...the cold makes handling anything a challenge, especially devices that need your fingers uncovered. At least at the scope I can wear gloves and if out of the wind I can stay fairly warm.

Brian