The Dutch Observatory

Yesterday I was able to capture a few images. Am still working on a few of them.  Today we had an outreach event an no time for an image.  However as we finished setting up we saw this huge prom and I had to capture a few images with the PC on my chair and no good blockage of the sunlight to see if I was focused.  By the time the students came the prom was gone……

Have two outreach events tomorrow and Saturday, so these are probably the last images for Rotation 2141.  Some holes between clouds today to make a few images.  A full disk sun with four nice active regions and 1850 especially looks nice.  Too unstable skies to do any close ups.

Another mostly sunny day.  Tried several images of AR1846 and 49, but turbulence in the higher atmosphere did not cooperate.  Basically got only 2 frames which were somewhat decent and you still can see the turbulence in some part of the image. The full disk images were captured 1280×960 with the DMK41 and the Ha SM40, the next two images with the C11 using 3.8uWhitelight and green filters, a 2x barlow and the ASI120MM camera.  The bottom images were captured using the SVC80 with the same filters, barlow and camera.  It gives a good feel for how “small” the areas are we are talking about now.  The largest, AR1846 has decreased in size since yesterday and might be past its maximum.

The sun in three different sizes today.  Activity is on the rise and active region AR1846 has grown from 160 to a respectable size of 210 millionths.  Flare activity today is not high, but the prominence from yesterday is still (half) there   Today’s full size image with the SolarMax 40 and the DMK41. The medium size image with the SVC80 2x barlow, 3.8u white light filter augmented with green fltr.  The close up with the C11 at f/22 and the same filters and barlow.  The images with the SVC80 and C11 were captured with the ASI120MM.  The conditions were from bad (Seeing 1/6  to 3/6).  I am very happy with the granules showing up in the SVC80 images under conditions like these.

This week was busy with outreach so my imaging had to pass for that.  Friday it was good enough for a few images and I also was able to test my new home made 3.8u white light filter for my SVC80 refractor.  The sun has gained activity again.  The active regions are on the rise as well as the sunspots.  Today a full disk image and successive close ups of AR1846 with the SM40, SVC80 and C11 scopes.  Interesting to see how the C11 sees the small region, including some very small pores,  of the full disk image.  However seeing was 1 out of 6 so the resulting images are one or two frames each.  I am very happy with the granules in the SVC80 image.  Small but pretty good.  With better conditions, this should improve a lot! 

Another Sunny day!!  Activity has been on the rise since yesterday when around noon we could not see a sunspot on the sun from our outreach event.  However flare activity is still very low.  Today a full disk image of the sun with a nice number of prominences mostly on the Western and Southern rim, and the filaments have also increased in size and number.  I am glad to see this increase.  Today also three close ups of three proms with the SM40 and a 3x barlow.

Activity at the sun is very low.  However there are some nice proms visible.  Today a full disk imae of the Sun and two close ups of AR1839.  Both made with the C11, the 3.8 Baader photographic filter augmented with a Red filter.  The first was captured at f/11 while the second one was captured at f/22.  Compare the size of these spots to some of the spots a few weeks ago.

Number of active regions is decreasing.  Today only two areas 1836 and 38.  Flare activity is down also, however the regions that were on our side of the sun a few days ago are still going at the backside.  Today two full disk images, one with the DMK41AU02.AS and the second (Smaller one) with the ASI120MM.  The ASI image is made using a 0,5 focal reducer, since I do not want to get into mosaics for the Sun.  I did that for a while when I was using the DMK31.

Tonight we had the close conjunction of Venus and the Moon.  I started my imaging way before it got dark, but felt that something was missing, until I saw a very bright contrail coming from the right and heading for the conjunction.  All other planes had turned to Hartsfield Airport way before they came to the conjunction, but this one was passing over Atlanta and was heading right for it.  By the time it got there, it lost a lot of its brightness, but still a cool image.

Active Regions  1834, 35,  36, 37,  38 but not much flare activity.  However, some nice filaments in the SE quadrant and a nice hedge row prom at the NW limb.  It is good to be back again and being able to image.  I’ve been a bit late with posting but will catch up soon.