The Furry Calcium Chromosphere and Playing With New Toys - 18th February

[marktownley]

Today has been a productive day. It started in the early hours when I woke up pondering the backlash issue i've been having with my EQ6. I mustn't have been laying in bed without moving, deliberating the solution, as all of a sudden Mrs T asked what I was thinking about, when I said backlash she promptly told me to go back to sleep or get up, as there would be backlash with my fidgeting which had woken her...

To continue my thoughts, prepare, and minimise domestic backlash I decided to get up. At first light I was out fiddling and tinkering and an hour or so later the issue with the mount has been fixed. It's been frustrating me all week trying to solve it, but it is sorted now and should last that way for a while. In the meantime, a weather front was passing over and behind a gap of clearer air.

I started off getting a full disk with the 50mm double stack on the solarquest:

P1000681 by Mark Townley, on Flickr

Conditions were painful though, and the seeing was all over the place, so don't look too close!

HA-FD-DS-bw by Mark Townley, on Flickr

HA-FD-DS-colour by Mark Townley, on Flickr

I was more interested in playing with my latest acquisition, a pre-Meade SM90 etalon to double stack my SM90ii scope. I've got a tilt tuner on the way, but even without the TT it was fun to play, and also very pleasing to see that minimal tilt will be needed to throw the ghosts. I spent quite a bit of time doing visual, and found myself chuckling away at how I could up the magnification to what i'm used to of old with my 40mm and 50mm double stack combos. The time just zipped past in between the passing clouds, my neighbour at the back came out and watched from a distance, we talked about later in the year when things are covid safe he would bring his kids round for a look.

P1000680 by Mark Townley, on Flickr

Then, as with all things solar, the things you don't expect come up and blind side you. I switched back to the solarquest mount, the SM40 (40mm f10) ota and the Cemax 2x barlow with the home brew CaK filter and FLIR GH3 91S6M camera. The incredibly transparent air (seeing was a different matter) behind the passing Atlantic weather front is where CaK excels, and it was only when I looked at what i'd captured that I smiled. The spicule ring is visible all the way round the sun, along with proms and the surge from the new active region on the northern limb. Make sure you double click for the full size view...

CaK-FD-BW by Mark Townley, on Flickr

CaK-FD-colour by Mark Townley, on Flickr

If i'm lucky, I might get some more sun on sunday, till then the weather returns. Hope you like!

Mark

[DeepSolar64]

Very nice Mark. Well done. I love hearing of your exploits. And that SMII90 does do well with high magnification doesn't it!? And I like hearing on you doing visual too!!

Nothing for me today as I am under rainy skies. Thanks for the views!

Blessings

James

[Stardust5858]

Fantastic Mark, lovely captures. Loving the spicules on the CaK and I can see a prom at almost 12 O'clock.

[Highbury Mark]

Great post and pics Mark - and how cool to have found a pre-Meade ds filter.
I didn’t know you could see spicules through CaK, so have learnt something.
The relatively clear weather meant today I was also able to get my solar scope out of hibernation for the first time this year. Always a welcome landmark in the calendar.

[marktownley]

Thanks peeps!

I do like visual James. in winter and in the solar drought with generally less favourable weather it is nice just to be able to eyeball our star and enjoy. Later in the year when the weather is generally better (hopefully!?!?) I have more focus on imaging as I know there's more time. It's good to be heading back towards the spring equinox and the higher sun.

[LTHB]

Terrific CaK shot, Mark! And it sounds like you'll be having lots of fun with the new SM90 filter!

[EGRAY_OBSERVATORY]

Thank you Mark for the interesting post and the excellent images of the gear and the Sun-of course.

The N.E.Limb captures in your images, show well the new Sun-spot and flare activity there...

Well done
Terry

[justapictureposter]

Very awesome! Your calcium system has achieved nirvana status, and I am very happy to see it working this way now!

[DeepSolar64]

Thanks peeps!

I do like visual James. in winter and in the solar drought with generally less favourable weather it is nice just to be able to eyeball our star and enjoy. Later in the year when the weather is generally better (hopefully!?!?) I have more focus on imaging as I know there's more time. It's good to be heading back towards the spring equinox and the higher sun.

I too hope to get more into imaging as the weather warms and the sun gets higher. Mark, how susceptible is a laptop to the cold if you set it up and image around 0C? I know many here do image in below freezing temperatures.

[Carbon60]

Got to avoid the domestic backlash, for sure, Mark.

Looking good there in both lights. Those calcium images are fantastic with, as you say, the limb fringe, proms and surge all visible. Should be superb when there's more impressive prom activity around the limb.

Very nice indeed.

Stu.

[marktownley]

Thanks everyone! No sun for me now till next week I doubt. I've used laptops in the cold outside before, rarely below freezing, never had any problems James. Very much looking forward to trying out the DS90 setup more, just need the sun to come out!

[Bob Yoesle]

Lovely images Mark!

Hoping the DS SM90 is the bomb ;-)

[John]

Lovely Halpha FD using your SM90 and fantastic CaK FD with your 40mm f10 scope.

John

[ffellah]

Great catch of the CaK spicules ad very good looking Ha, Mark. I like all your gear combinations. Plus, you have a nice filaprom in the Ha disk.

Franco

[Montana]

I did enjoy reading your post Super images, especially the CaK, what a joy!


Alexandra

[marktownley]

Thanks everyone! Just looks like a rainy weekend. I'm expecting glorious weather next week when my tilt tuner arrives and i'm back at work The pier should also be here by the weekend, so I expect poor weather for the whole of spring

[krakatoa1883]

Great discs, Mark, CaK with limb features is superb

[arnedanielsen]

Splendid, Mark.

Thanks for sharing!

Best regards,
Arne

[Fabio_Imm]

Hi Mark
Jaw dropping Ca-k limb details

Cheers

Fabio