Sun today 23/04

[pragmatist]

Nice and sunny here but the solar disc seems relatively quiet. I have attempted my first sunspot sketching and will post on here this evening but please try not to laugh as I draw like a child, in fact I don't think I am even that good.

[Umbraldot]

Nice and sunny here but the solar disc seems relatively quiet. I have attempted my first sunspot sketching and will post on here this evening but please try not to laugh as I draw like a child, in fact I don't think I am even that good.

Look forward to seeing your sketch later. No one will laugh especially me. Mine aren't so great either but I know what they mean!

Heavy cloud here but the Sun keeps breaking through for about 5 seconds. Just enough to be frustrating, get a fix on the disk, settle down to do a count and then cloud out half way through the count.

Spotted a nice pillar prominence on the southwest limb and a couple of smaller ones on the eastern limb. Looks quiet in H-alpha plage. Saw a couple of dark filaments somewhere in the eastern hemisphere but hopefully I'll get a better look at them later...maybe. 99.5% cloud at the moment.

[Umbraldot]

Hooray...the clouds parted long enough for an observation. 5 groups counted in white light, 1 north; 4 south; R = 67.

Three promiences, nice pillar on the SW limb. AR2044 seems to be fading but nice filament still to the south. Plage seen with AR2035 (now on the SW limb) and AR2038 and AR2045. Generally a quiet picture.

Rough sketch attached, North top, West left. Visual sketch only, positions approximate.

[pragmatist]

Just coming back from a day out, great sketch. Will post mine in a couple of hours. Really cloudy here now unfortunately.

[Luke]

Look forward to seeing your sketch. I think I might like to give solar sketching a go one day, I like how it leaves a little to your imagination, so you can merge it with your memory at the eyepiece.

[Pig]

Nice one guys, looking forward to the other sketches 

Wall to wall cloud here again, I mustn't complain though I have been very spoiled of late

The trouble is it is so addictive, these solar views simply mesmerise me.

[pragmatist]

First ever attempt but i guess practice makes perfect. Really is enjoyable though and adds another dimension to the hobby. I guess it forces you to observe in more detail.

[Umbraldot]

That's nice! Looks like a proper drawing, mine is more of diagram by comparison.

Yes, making a drawing does concentrate the mind and it makes you 'observe' rather than 'look'. I am always amazed by how many spots I count on the first run through and how many more I see once I've been observing 5 or 10 minutes.

[Pig]

First ever attempt but i guess practice makes perfect. Really is enjoyable though and adds another dimension to the hobby. I guess it forces you to observe in more detail.

I see you have a prom that looks just like the Cactus used by Lunt as it logo

[pragmatist]

I see you have a prom that looks just like the Cactus used by Lunt as it logo

I promise it really was there and not the catalogue in front of me lol  

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Like the sketches. I might have a shot at that when the sun comes out again (doesn't look good here)