The Dutch Observatory

Thin clouds covered the sky with below average seeing.  AR2738 is getting closer to the Western limb and the light bridge still persists.  In addition, a small new area seems to pop up.  Will have to see how it develops. Also, we have some nice proms at the NE limb.  Today closeups as well as full disk images.

Clear skies with good seeing for a change.  AR2738 keeps tracking across the Sun towards the western limb.  It’s size has been bobbling between 250 and 300 millionths.  The light bridge still persists, and for the rest AR2738 remains stable. Full disk images today as well as close ups in the three wavelengths.

Clear skies after yesterday’s storms.  Seeing was bad because of the sidewall of the Jetstream with wind shears between the Sun and my scopes causing high scintillation.  AR2738’s trailing spots have decayed but the leading spot is still well formed and the light bridge can still be seen.  The area covers 250 millionths and one spot.  Full disk images today and close ups of the region in the three wavelengths.

Skies cleared a bit later today.  AR2738’s trailing area seems to decay somewhat, but the leading spot does not seem to be very active.  No flares yet today.  The nice proms from yesterday have pretty much disappeared except for the NW limb. Full disk images today and close ups of the region in the three wavelengths.

Clear Skies today!!! Seeing was great. AR2738 has increased to 300 millionths again and is a Cho area. It produced a B1.2 flare around 200 UT and a B2.0 around 500. I am glad that the seeing seems to be getting better with the jetstream shifting more North. Today Full disk images with the Ha showing the number of filaments around the disk and close ups of the active region.

Cloudy today and expecting rain storms.  So here some interesting images.  You are thinking that spotless days at the Sun are boring?  Think again!!!  Here three composites of images which have been submitted to the ALPO archive in the last week or so which show evidence of (a little?) Cycle 25 activity.  Since the polarization of the Sun switches with every cycle, we have been looking for reverse polarized areas on the Sun for a while, and although very small, we have seen a good number of them.  So here three composites showing this activity on images of our observers.  Since the areas are very small and not even qualify to be called a pore or a plage, they have been cropped out of the full disk images you can find in our Archive.  The images to the right of them in the composite have been provided by SDO (Solar Dynamic Observatory) and show the polarization of these reversed polarized areas. (Northern hemisphere leading (right) white, positive polarization; Southern hemisphere leading (right) black, negative)

Had to image through moving clouds this morning which messed up my CaK images.  We have a new active region AR2738 which just came around the eastern limb.  In addition the remnants of AR2737 are still visible.  Today full disk images and close up in Ha and 540nm of AR2738.

Clear skies with below average seeing.  AR2737 continues to decay to the level that I could not make it out it in 540nm.  However, in Ha and CaK it showed as a nice plage.  In addition a few filaments close to the NE limb and some nice proms at the SE limb.

Clear Skies this morning with good seeing conditions.  AR2737 does not show much activity.  Total active region area for early  today is 40 millionths with a spot count of 8.  In addition there is a nice prominence at the NE limb and some small filaments near the north limb.

The skies cleared again around 1000 local time with below average seeing.  AR2737 has increased a bit in size and number of spots.  The nice prominence from yesterday is still there, but is not as high as yesterday as it rotates to the visible hemisphere.  Total active region area today is 30 millionths and the spot count is 7.