The Dutch Observatory

Today’s Sun shows that the Sun can look really nice even if  the activity is very low.  Today only 2 active regions showing a very low 6 sunspots, with a total area of 30 millionths and only 2 reported C-class flares in the last two days.  Today only a full disk image showing the nice large filament in the SE Quadrant of the Sun.

Today is Astronomy Day and we had scheduled an event at Anna Ruby Falls State Park, but rain and clouds made us post pone it for a week.  This gave me time to work on the animation of the collapsing prom from 4/21.  Notice the surface activity rev up when the plasma flies back onto the Sun. Click the image to see the animation.

A second day with clear skies and even better seeing (5/6).  The Sun with 10 named active regions, sporting 19 flares, 7 of which were M-class flares, and 61 spots with a total sunspot region of  670 millionth.  Today (4/22) a full disk image of the Sun with a close up of the NE-limb prom in Ha and  AR2325 and AR2321/33 through the SVC80 using  whitelight/continuum filter.

After a week and a half clear skies for a change and when I started my session, the Sun said “Welcome Back” with a beautiful collapsing prominence.  I captured 15 minutes of it.  The Sun shows a lot more activity than two weeks ago.  By the time I started imaging, the Sun released already three M-class and three C-class flares, mostly coming from AR2223.  In the named regions, the Sun showed 45 spots with a total area of 850 millionth.

One more day with some clear skies before the streak of bad weather starts.  Today (April 9th) the Sun shows the same two regions but the sunspot area is smaller at 170 millionth.  However 2320 produced 3 more C-class flares than yesterday.  Today we also see a very nice hedgerow prom at the western limb.

We’re in a streak of bad weather, so am catching up with Solar images from last week.  On April 8th, the Sun had two active regions with a total sunspot area of 280 millionth and two C-class flares and one M-class flare. Pretty calm I would say.

Easter Sunday, with a little more activity on the Sun.  Total Sunspot area is 130 millionth with 4 regions and 6 C class flares in the last two days.  Full Sun image and close up of AR2320 and an interesting magnetic structure across the Southern hemisphere extending from the filament in the SE quadrant.

Variable clouds this morning.  The Sun shows little activity.  Two active regions with 9 spots covering 70 millionth and only two C-class flares in the last two days is all it got.  This is low activity!

We’re going through the pollen pollution Imaging session was short because of unstable skies. Today a full disk image and a nice close up of a filaprom on the South western limb. A “sheet” of plasma goes straight up and extends beyond the visible edge. Four active regions with 9 sunspots covering 350 millionth.