The Dutch Observatory

Finally for today the full disk images of the 8th in H-alpha.  6 Active regions with AR1944, which has grown to 1560 millionth and two regions without flare activity. In addition 1946 and 1947 have taken over the activity from AR1944 and have produced numerous M and even X flares over the last few days.

These images are from the same imaging session as in my previous post.  This shows the Sun’s active region 1944 in three different sizes.  Captured with the SVC80 with white light and green filters and different barlows.  I am longing for the jet stream to leave us alone for a while.   The first image shows also AR1943 and the larger images were captured as 1280×960.

Clear Skies on the 8th.  Spend a lot of time a little below freezing to image the Sun in H-Alpha as well as visible light with green filter.  The skies were stable enough to let me image at 1600mm but the C11 had to stay inside.  Here a nice comparison of the same area on the Sun with Active Region 1944 using the SolarMax40 and the Stellarvue SVC80 with some nice details even extending in the umbra.  The size of AR 1944 is huge at 1560 millionth and one can easily make out the two largest spots with the naked eye using eclipse glasses..

The deepfreeze has arrived, Temp at 6F (-15C)  this morning.  Imaged at 26F but skies were not much better than the day before.  Spend a lot of time trying to process the close ups but it really did not work.  So today another full disk image of the Sun.  AR1944 has grown now to a 1540 millionth.  Wow.  But flare activity is way down.  The sunspot is easily visible with the naked eye through eclipse glasses.

Following two days of cold and rainy weather the sun showed its face again, between low and fast moving clouds.  7 Active regions today.  Seeing was terrible so I stopped trying for close ups, but at least I got another full disk Sun.  And maybe I can find a good frame in the avis I captured.   AR1944 has increased in size again and is now 1460 millionth but also a large reduction in sun pots and flare activity, only 3 in the last 24 hours.

It was cold this morning to image the Sun at freezing temps, but tonight it was worse imaging Jupiter and to top it off, the AVIs of my RGB runs were recorded in the wrong format.  Except the last set when I changed the ROI.  Here an RGB composite of Jupiter of the evening of January 3rd.  Transparency was good, seeing OK.  Stacked 900 out of 2000 in AS2 and sharpened in Registax6.  Color combine and final processing in PS CS5.

This Christmas season was not good for astronomy in the Atlanta region.  Today the first day of sun since December 19th. But at least one day.  I imaged a full solar disk today at a temperature of 28 degrees F.  My hands were too cold to continue with the white light close ups.  AR1944 which just came around the eastern limb has increased in size over night from 250 to 1060 millionth.  I believe this is the largest active region I’ve seen in this cycle and it has been very active.