AR2718 Sodium and Ha

this is the main message area for anything solar :)
Post Reply
User avatar
ffellah
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Posts: 11117
Joined: Mon Oct 27, 2014 6:46 pm
Location: Westport, CT USA
Has thanked: 9080 times
Been thanked: 5977 times

AR2718 Sodium and Ha

Post by ffellah »

Hello all: yesterday I knew this weekend weather was going to be horrible, so I took off from work a couple of hours early as I wanted to give a try at tiny AR2718. That small sucker was challenging to image just because of its size ! Seeing was average in late afternoon, it was my second time trying Sodium. I am also adding an image of a beautiful Great Egret in the river just outside my office and a visiting hummingbird that came to see me on a rainy day.

I hope you all have nice sunny weather this weekend and lots of good imaging, as here it is horrible !

Franco
Attachments
164126-final-mono.jpg
164126-final-mono.jpg (898.54 KiB) Viewed 2385 times
164126-final-color.jpg
164126-final-color.jpg (1.21 MiB) Viewed 2385 times
ES-6-inch-refractor.jpg
ES-6-inch-refractor.jpg (1.14 MiB) Viewed 2385 times
175604 final mono 2.jpg
175604 final mono 2.jpg (1.42 MiB) Viewed 2385 times
175604 final color 2.jpg
175604 final color 2.jpg (2.64 MiB) Viewed 2385 times
HaT 203mm.jpg
HaT 203mm.jpg (968.23 KiB) Viewed 2385 times
Great-Egret.jpg
Great-Egret.jpg (1.31 MiB) Viewed 2385 times
Hummingbird.jpg
Hummingbird.jpg (1.56 MiB) Viewed 2385 times


User avatar
PDB
Almost There...
Almost There...
Posts: 702
Joined: Mon Aug 15, 2016 4:23 pm
Location: Belgium
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 149 times

Re: AR2718 Sodium and Ha

Post by PDB »

Hi Franco,

nice images, setups and birds.

Any reason why you have the diagonal in the airylab setup? (visual?) For a camera setup I would use a straight thru connection.

Do you have possibilities to make white light images of the same scale as with the sodium filter. It would be nice to compare images made at ~ same time in WL and sodium. It looks very much like WL in sodium, but I am interested to see the differences. (Before I consider investing, although other equipment has higher priortity)

Regards,

Paul


User avatar
Valery
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Posts: 4059
Joined: Sun Nov 18, 2012 3:13 pm
Has thanked: 156 times
Been thanked: 893 times

Re: AR2718 Sodium and Ha

Post by Valery »

Paul,

Of course, I am not Franco, but may be my point of view will be interesting for you. I consider both Sodium and Margnesium Quarks as a money and time waste. Simple blue or green bandpass filter (with 1 - 20nm bandwidth) will show granulation as least as good as these Quarks if not better.
Better to invest these money in better H-a filter or better CaK filter or in any of your other astronomy or family needs.
If DayStar is seeking a new niche on the solar market, they better create 2x more expensive Quarks with really better uniformity and call them Quark-2 or Quark Deluxe.
Last edited by Valery on Sun Aug 19, 2018 10:35 am, edited 1 time in total.


"Solar H alpha activity is the most dynamic and compelling thing you can see in a telescope, so spend accordingly." (c) Bob Yoesle.

Largest full size 185 - 356mm Dielectric Energy Rejection Filters (D-ERF) by ARIES Instruments.
User avatar
krakatoa1883
Almost There...
Almost There...
Posts: 1041
Joined: Sat Jun 11, 2016 9:41 am
Location: Mediolanum
Has thanked: 153 times
Been thanked: 496 times

Re: AR2718 Sodium and Ha

Post by krakatoa1883 »

These are really fine images, Franco.

Sometimes I too use diagonals while imaging, just to avoid too many extensions, but actually I noted some slight (slight...) improvement in contrast if no diagonal is used. Have you tried to compare results with both configurations ?


Raf
My solar images and reports with articles on solar equipment
User avatar
PDB
Almost There...
Almost There...
Posts: 702
Joined: Mon Aug 15, 2016 4:23 pm
Location: Belgium
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 149 times

Re: AR2718 Sodium and Ha

Post by PDB »

Have you tried to compare results with both configurations ?
Used both combinations (with 2" diagonal in front of the quark)
- I find straight thru more stable with the heavy Quark in the diagonal. (always gives me a scary feeling when moving scope back to home position)
- seems to give less reflections (but that can be due to otjer reasons in the optical train)
If DayStar is seeking a new niche on the solar market, they better create 2x more expensive Quarks with really better uniformity and call them Quark-2 or Quark Deluxe.
think I agree with that. Also better quality control would be nice. Maybe not willing to pay double, but I am willing to spend more (with my limited budget, retired since a few years :) ) for a better quality. Of course things are just the way they are, and price makes a difference.


Regards,

Paul


User avatar
ffellah
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Posts: 11117
Joined: Mon Oct 27, 2014 6:46 pm
Location: Westport, CT USA
Has thanked: 9080 times
Been thanked: 5977 times

Re: AR2718 Sodium and Ha

Post by ffellah »

Thank you, Paul and Raf, for your nice comments. I was still using the diagonal with the HaT as at high magnification it makes it easier to point the scope at a certain feature of the surface first visually, then insert the camera. That is very difficult to do, at least for me, without the diagonal. I will try, though, to take out the diagonal and see what difference it makes. I have not tried white light imaging yet, but that is one of the things I planning to do in the future.

@ Valery: thank you for expressing your frank and unvarnished opinion that the sodium quark that I am currently using and enjoying is a total waste of money. I thought it was really funny: you made my day !

Franco


User avatar
marktownley
Librarian
Librarian
Posts: 42131
Joined: Tue Oct 18, 2011 5:27 pm
Location: Brierley Hills, UK
Has thanked: 20240 times
Been thanked: 10115 times
Contact:

Re: AR2718 Sodium and Ha

Post by marktownley »

They're great images Franco!

I too tend to use the diagonal with the Quark too with my HaT, straight through i'm floating on the limits of the focuser and it can feel a little stiff and gritty.

There is quite a subtle difference in WL and Na for me, and I find it easier to get better results in Na, maybe the tighter bandpass helps with the seeing? The few usable images i've managed with the HaT earlier in the year seem to show a more '3D cauliflower floret' appearance than whitelight which seems to be flatter and more 2D, like desiccation cracks in the dried mud of a lake bed. I used the Na Quark very successfully at outreach on international sunday, and my experience and all the dozens of people who attended was that it was easier to see (visually) the sunspots umbra and penumbra than in a very similar scope (2 x 80mm refractors) using a wedge and continuum filter.

I've been playing with a Mg quark behind the scenes. It's like CaK in green, it's very bright, brighter than Na, which is bright! It offers some positives to me; the longer wavelength is less sensitive to poorer seeing (at the expense of resolution), but also it is a wavelength centred where telescope optics are deigned to be at their sharpest, without having to use UV corrective optics to get the best results. Also, the brightness i've been talking about means very short exposures. I'm hoping I will be in position to be able to post some images before the sun is too low as we transition towards autumn.

Don't know if you realise Franco, but the HaT also passes Helium, wouldn't that be nice if we had a He filter to play with too ;)

Mark


Image
http://brierleyhillsolar.blogspot.co.uk/
Solar images, a collection of all the most up to date live solar data on the web, imaging & processing tutorials - please take a look!
User avatar
Valery
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Posts: 4059
Joined: Sun Nov 18, 2012 3:13 pm
Has thanked: 156 times
Been thanked: 893 times

Re: AR2718 Sodium and Ha

Post by Valery »

BTW, different Quarks - Ca-H, Mg, Na, H-a - all at $1250 (and higher outside the USA) - total $5000.
I'd better buy a second hand 32mm 0,3A PE or RG H-a etalon with warranted quality which will deliver exceptional views and images.


Valery


"Solar H alpha activity is the most dynamic and compelling thing you can see in a telescope, so spend accordingly." (c) Bob Yoesle.

Largest full size 185 - 356mm Dielectric Energy Rejection Filters (D-ERF) by ARIES Instruments.
User avatar
Valery
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Posts: 4059
Joined: Sun Nov 18, 2012 3:13 pm
Has thanked: 156 times
Been thanked: 893 times

Re: AR2718 Sodium and Ha

Post by Valery »

TheSkyBurner wrote: Sun Aug 19, 2018 3:40 pm ffellah: your sodium images are great! It is always fun trying new products.

Valery: I would never attempt selling you a car lol! You have very strict demands which are just short of absolute perfection made by the solid diamond-core plutonium vapor plated hands of the ancient one.

It sounds like you just need the 20 piece's of Z-cut quartz to build a .01 angstrom lyot filter.

Why even bother with .3 angstrom when you could just settle for the best thing on earth?
I am just not rich enough to afford only the best things.


"Solar H alpha activity is the most dynamic and compelling thing you can see in a telescope, so spend accordingly." (c) Bob Yoesle.

Largest full size 185 - 356mm Dielectric Energy Rejection Filters (D-ERF) by ARIES Instruments.
User avatar
ffellah
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Posts: 11117
Joined: Mon Oct 27, 2014 6:46 pm
Location: Westport, CT USA
Has thanked: 9080 times
Been thanked: 5977 times

Re: AR2718 Sodium and Ha

Post by ffellah »

Thank you, Mark, for your nice comments and sharing your experience with different types of filters with all of us. I do think it is fun to experiment with different equipment at different times, this is also part of what this passion is about, at least for me. Skyburner: your comments on the post made my laugh....you are a funny guy, I like you already :lol:

Franco


User avatar
Carbon60
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Posts: 14175
Joined: Wed Mar 07, 2012 12:33 pm
Location: Lancashire, UK
Has thanked: 8355 times
Been thanked: 8103 times

Re: AR2718 Sodium and Ha

Post by Carbon60 »

Excellent images, Franco. For me every imaging session seems like a new experiment; there's always something subtly different ;).

Stu.


H-alpha, WL and Ca II K imaging kit for various image scales.
Fluxgate Magnetometers (1s and 150s Cadence).
Radio meteor detector.
More images at http://www.flickr.com/photos/solarcarbon60/
User avatar
Montana
Librarian
Librarian
Posts: 34527
Joined: Mon Oct 17, 2011 5:25 pm
Location: Cheshire, UK
Has thanked: 17526 times
Been thanked: 8763 times

Re: AR2718 Sodium and Ha

Post by Montana »

A very interesting post :)
Franco I really enjoyed your images, especially the little hummingbird :bow

Alexandra


User avatar
ffellah
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Posts: 11117
Joined: Mon Oct 27, 2014 6:46 pm
Location: Westport, CT USA
Has thanked: 9080 times
Been thanked: 5977 times

Re: AR2718 Sodium and Ha

Post by ffellah »

Thank you, Stu and Alexandra, for your nice feedback.

Franco


User avatar
eroel
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Posts: 9389
Joined: Mon Dec 19, 2011 10:45 pm
Location: México D.F.
Been thanked: 4884 times

Re: AR2718 Sodium and Ha

Post by eroel »

Franco:
Excellent shots and thread.
Best regards,
Eric.


User avatar
krakatoa1883
Almost There...
Almost There...
Posts: 1041
Joined: Sat Jun 11, 2016 9:41 am
Location: Mediolanum
Has thanked: 153 times
Been thanked: 496 times

Re: AR2718 Sodium and Ha

Post by krakatoa1883 »

marktownley wrote: Sun Aug 19, 2018 8:00 amI've been playing with a Mg quark behind the scenes. It's like CaK in green, it's very bright, brighter than Na, which is bright! It offers some positives to me; the longer wavelength is less sensitive to poorer seeing (at the expense of resolution), but also it is a wavelength centred where telescope optics are deigned to be at their sharpest, without having to use UV corrective optics to get the best results. Also, the brightness i've been talking about means very short exposures. I'm hoping I will be in position to be able to post some images before the sun is too low as we transition towards autumn.
Thanks for these info, Mark, I look forward to see some images made with this device. I am very curious, it seems interesting for using with my 150 mm achromat.


Raf
My solar images and reports with articles on solar equipment
User avatar
ffellah
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Posts: 11117
Joined: Mon Oct 27, 2014 6:46 pm
Location: Westport, CT USA
Has thanked: 9080 times
Been thanked: 5977 times

Re: AR2718 Sodium and Ha

Post by ffellah »

Thank you, Eric, for the positive feedback

Franco


User avatar
pedro
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Posts: 12238
Joined: Sun May 01, 2016 8:26 pm
Location: Portugal
Has thanked: 14 times
Been thanked: 6558 times
Contact:

Re: AR2718 Sodium and Ha

Post by pedro »

excellent images and setup Franco


User avatar
ffellah
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Posts: 11117
Joined: Mon Oct 27, 2014 6:46 pm
Location: Westport, CT USA
Has thanked: 9080 times
Been thanked: 5977 times

Re: AR2718 Sodium and Ha

Post by ffellah »

Thank you, Pedro

Franco


Post Reply