March 16 2023 Observations

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DeepSolar64
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March 16 2023 Observations

Post by DeepSolar64 »

Session time is from 14:55 to 16:00 UTC. The skies are clear and the seeing is a bit above average at session's beginning falling to fair/average by session's end. The temperature is 53F ( 11.6C ) at 15:45 UTC.


Orion 70mm Solar Telescope. 25x, 50x and 62.5x. ( WLC )
I can see twelve active region disturbances on the Ha photosphere today but numbers do not tell everything here. All of the spots are small and many are nothing but hard to see pores. Overall the Sun is quite calm in white light. Four of these disturbances are in the northern hemisphere and only two of these possess number labeling. The southern hemisphere shows eight but again mostly really small spots and pores, even more so than yesterday. Seven of these regions are labeled.

An easy patch of unnumbered faculae is visible near the NE limb. A see no other spot or pore in the NE quadrant, though late in the session I looked for a tiny pore east of AR13252 that is shown on higher resolution SDO HMI images. I could not find/see it. AR13252 in the NW quadrant shows itself only as a single large pore. Two patches of faculae are seen near the NW limb. The southernmost of these belongs to AR13246.

AR13245 is nothing more than a patch of faculae at the SW limb. Active regions 13247-54-50-49 are nothing more than a wavy line of tiny spots and pores in the SW quadrant. 47 and 54 mass together as a loose asterism of pores and 50 and 49 have lone spotlets. To the east of AR13249 but still in the SW quadrant, lies the lone spot of AR13251. It may be the only true sunspot on the disc that isn't a " spotlet " or pore. This one does show an umbra and a penumbra. Though not exactly large, it stands out easily among all the others. Early in the session east of AR13251 in the SE quadrant I did find the tiny dark pore of AR13255. At 50x it was very tiny but seen with certainty. It was not easy to find! 62.5x did not make much difference. SE of AR13255 I did find a tiny unnumbered three-pore group at 50 and 62.5x. Again, a challenge to find/see.

The fine granulation of the photosphere can be seen.


Coronado SolarMax II 60 DS. 16x, 25x, 33x and 50x. ( 656.28nm )
With the scattered amount of plage visible on the Ha disc it's hard to ascertain how many active region disturbances there actually are. Many are collected together in plage complexes. I can certainly see the two numbered regions in the northern hemisphere and seven numbered regions in the southern hemisphere. Besides these there are several unnumbered plages seen on the disc. Ha is certainly more active than continuum is. Anyway...

AR13252 is visible as the SW end of a plage complex that stretches across the CLM into the NE quad. The brightest plage areas in this complex are two side by side in the eastern part of the complex. A zig-zag of filaments are seen here among these plages. Some nodules in the northern plage belt can be seen west of AR13252. AR13246 can be seen as a harder to see disturbance near the NW limb.

Active regions 13253-54-47-50 and 49 are seen as a plage complex in the SW quadrant. I cannot see anything of AR13245 at the SW limb. Considerable plaginess is seen east of this multiple AR plage complex. A really nice, large tapered dark filament lies SE of the plage complex. AR13251 lies north of this filament and is seen as a small spot among scattered plage. Four plages are seen in the SE quadrant. The northernmost of these belongs to AR13255. Another small plage is located to the east of these.

I almost forgot the best part, the prominences. The NNW prominence is a joy to see. It appears as a leaning tower with two large dark gaps within it with a more delicate tasseled top. It's bright and easy to see. Well south of it off the NW limb I see an easy floating prominence with a bulbous end to it's south. Below it to the south I see another smaller prom. Late in the session I see an extension from it starting to reach for the floater and the floater has elongated a bit. I will keep a watch on these via GONG as the day progresses. The SW limb shows more brighter proms appearing as flames on the SW limb.

The mottled texture of the Ha chromosphere is easily seen across the disc today.

Carpe Diem!


James



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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
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Re: March 16 2023 Observations

Post by Montana »

We do seem to be blessed with prominences at the moment :hamster: but I am surprised at how low the spot count has gone. There seems to be an empty face and a spotty face :)


Alexandra


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Re: March 16 2023 Observations

Post by DeepSolar64 »

I have noticed that too, Alexandra. One side of the sun seems to have most of the spots! Ha is certainly more active than white light is.

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
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Re: March 16 2023 Observations

Post by MAURITS »

Thanks for the report James.


Regards,
Maurits

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Re: March 16 2023 Observations

Post by DeepSolar64 »

Welcome.


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: March 16 2023 Observations

Post by marktownley »

Glad you were able to spend an hour in the sun!


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Re: March 16 2023 Observations

Post by DeepSolar64 »

Thanks Mark. Good luck 🍀 to you too!


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
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