The Dutch Observatory

Am catching up with my images from November 8th.  Did not have much time so today a full disk image and two images of AR1890.  One taken with a 1.25 barlow the second with a 2x barlow.  AR1890 has grown to 950 millionth and is crackling with flares even X flares.  This is the largest sunspot group I have seen in this solar cycle.  In addition to having little time, it was way too windy and the jet stream was terrible also for images with the C11.  So no green/red filtered images with the C11.

Today something different.  I imaged the sun through different optical paths.  The telescope is the same on the Ha images, my SolarMax40.  Four images with the ASI120MM camera, notably the close up of AR1884 and 85 through a 2x Meade 140 barlow, next a close up through a 1.25 Williams Optics barlow (used in binos), the third one is the camera at prime focus and the last one is through an Antares 0.5 focal reducer. All images were taken with the camera resolution set at 640×480 to maintain the size comparison.  Finally I added two green filtered images in addition to the Baader 3.8u white light filter made with the Stellarvue  SVC8o.  Seeing was terrible so the granulation is not as distinct as it could be, but still nice to see the relative sizes. 

Imaging session 2013-11-03. Full disk image and Ha close ups through the SM40 with a 2x barlow of AR1884/5 and 1890. The last is a green filtered image taken with the C11, Baader 3.8u WL filter and a 2x barlow. Today the regions were very large.

My imaging software malfunctioned today and recorded the full disk images interleaved I think.  I cannot process the files, so today Ha close ups of some active regions.  We have three regions over 300 milionst in size!!  A lot more activity than a few weeks ago.  Two images of AR1884, 85 and on one 1882.

Had time Saturday morning to image Jupiter.  Transparency was OK but seeing was not very good.  Here the best run with Io approaching Jupiter and its shadow just touching “Following”  limb, while the GRS is ready to leave the planetary disk.