3-26-2020 Observations

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DeepSolar64
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3-26-2020 Observations

Post by DeepSolar64 »

All,
Here are my visual solar observations for today. The skies are partly cloudy. I had trouble seeing anything today and had to tease out details. It seemed I had trouble getting the etalons on-band.

Coronado SolarMax II 60 DS. 16x and 21.5x ( Ha )
With certainty I could see 2 small filaments. I thought I might have seen 2 more but never could re-find them. I thought I could make out a tiny white plage but going back again to look for a second time I could not find it again. :( One prominence visible. Faint. I thought I glimpsed a second. But again upon second look nothing. Hmmm... Chromospheric filagree visible across disc.

Was I looking too hard? The GONG image shows two easier filaments and one prominence I should have been able to see.

Orion 70mm Solar Telescope. 25x ( WL )
Sun spotless. No detail.

James
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latest_gong_color.jpg
latest_gong_color.jpg (614.73 KiB) Viewed 3107 times


Lunt 8x32 SUNoculars
Orion 70mm Solar Telescope
Celestron AstroMaster Alt/Az Mount
Meade Coronado SolarMax II 60 DS
Meade Coronado SolarMax II 90 DS
Meade Coronado AZS Alt/Az Mount
Astro-Tech AT72EDII with Altair solar wedge
Celestron NexStar 102GT with Altair solar wedge
Losmandy AZ8 Alt/Az Mount
Sky-Watcher AZGTI Alt-Az GoTo mount
Cameras: ZWO ASI178MM, PGR Grasshopper, PGR Flea
Lunt, Coronado, TeleVue, Orion and Meade eyepieces

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Re: 3-26-2020 Observations

Post by marktownley »

Good report. The sun was quiet today, but it was nice to get out in it.


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Re: 3-26-2020 Observations

Post by DeepSolar64 »

Mark,
Very quiet. It's a challenge to see any detail.

James


Lunt 8x32 SUNoculars
Orion 70mm Solar Telescope
Celestron AstroMaster Alt/Az Mount
Meade Coronado SolarMax II 60 DS
Meade Coronado SolarMax II 90 DS
Meade Coronado AZS Alt/Az Mount
Astro-Tech AT72EDII with Altair solar wedge
Celestron NexStar 102GT with Altair solar wedge
Losmandy AZ8 Alt/Az Mount
Sky-Watcher AZGTI Alt-Az GoTo mount
Cameras: ZWO ASI178MM, PGR Grasshopper, PGR Flea
Lunt, Coronado, TeleVue, Orion and Meade eyepieces

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Re: 3-26-2020 Observations

Post by Carbon60 »

Thanks for the observations, James.

The British Astronomical Association website (Solar section) provides tips on observing and accurately recording solar features. Might be helpful. Tilting Sun software is also excellent as a means of providing a set of gridlines so that features can be accurately positioned on or around the disk. There’s quite a skill to accurately describing what’s happening on the Sun. I admire your efforts here. :)

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/
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Re: 3-26-2020 Observations

Post by DeepSolar64 »

Stu,
Being able to accurately draw what you see is a big plus. Tilting Sun could be used on an accurately drawn disc for orientation or could be used as a grid to draw the disc in the correct orientation. Still, my drawing skills are not that great. I guess that is why I decide to describe what I see. An accurate drawing or sketch would be so much more informative. Or photographs as you do! You can't beat imaging as a way of documentation.

Thanks: James


Lunt 8x32 SUNoculars
Orion 70mm Solar Telescope
Celestron AstroMaster Alt/Az Mount
Meade Coronado SolarMax II 60 DS
Meade Coronado SolarMax II 90 DS
Meade Coronado AZS Alt/Az Mount
Astro-Tech AT72EDII with Altair solar wedge
Celestron NexStar 102GT with Altair solar wedge
Losmandy AZ8 Alt/Az Mount
Sky-Watcher AZGTI Alt-Az GoTo mount
Cameras: ZWO ASI178MM, PGR Grasshopper, PGR Flea
Lunt, Coronado, TeleVue, Orion and Meade eyepieces

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Re: 3-26-2020 Observations

Post by MAURITS »

Nice to see.


Regards,
Maurits

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Re: 3-26-2020 Observations

Post by DeepSolar64 »

Today wasn't much better. One prominence and what I thought were three tiny nearby filaments. Clouds moved in and I never had a chance for a more thorough look. The sun sure is calm.


Lunt 8x32 SUNoculars
Orion 70mm Solar Telescope
Celestron AstroMaster Alt/Az Mount
Meade Coronado SolarMax II 60 DS
Meade Coronado SolarMax II 90 DS
Meade Coronado AZS Alt/Az Mount
Astro-Tech AT72EDII with Altair solar wedge
Celestron NexStar 102GT with Altair solar wedge
Losmandy AZ8 Alt/Az Mount
Sky-Watcher AZGTI Alt-Az GoTo mount
Cameras: ZWO ASI178MM, PGR Grasshopper, PGR Flea
Lunt, Coronado, TeleVue, Orion and Meade eyepieces

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Re: 3-26-2020 Observations

Post by JochenM »

Looking at GONG, today isn't much better. Patience is a virtue I suppose :)


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Re: 3-26-2020 Observations

Post by Montana »

Sounds like a bit of a struggle today, I get that sometimes when it seems nothing quite is how it should. When you are looking for such fine structures you will always have to look hard, think how expert you will be when it is solar maximum and you are used to observing all these tiny features, you will end up with an A4 essay :)

Alexandra


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DeepSolar64
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Re: 3-26-2020 Observations

Post by DeepSolar64 »

Montana wrote: Sat Mar 28, 2020 2:36 pm Sounds like a bit of a struggle today, I get that sometimes when it seems nothing quite is how it should. When you are looking for such fine structures you will always have to look hard, think how expert you will be when it is solar maximum and you are used to observing all these tiny features, you will end up with an A4 essay :)

Alexandra
Very true!! Learning solar observing skills can be honed during minimum making maximum a blast! I learned deep sky observing at first using 50 and 60mm refractors. It made using larger reflectors a breeze!

James


Lunt 8x32 SUNoculars
Orion 70mm Solar Telescope
Celestron AstroMaster Alt/Az Mount
Meade Coronado SolarMax II 60 DS
Meade Coronado SolarMax II 90 DS
Meade Coronado AZS Alt/Az Mount
Astro-Tech AT72EDII with Altair solar wedge
Celestron NexStar 102GT with Altair solar wedge
Losmandy AZ8 Alt/Az Mount
Sky-Watcher AZGTI Alt-Az GoTo mount
Cameras: ZWO ASI178MM, PGR Grasshopper, PGR Flea
Lunt, Coronado, TeleVue, Orion and Meade eyepieces

Image Visual Observer
" Way more fun to see it! "
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