The Quark has landed

[ngwillym]

15/05/2015 - So my apologies for any cloudiness for the next couple of days.

However, I will predict sunshine from Monday onwards - as I have to travel abroad on business so will have little/no chance to use it until the 25th

'Donor' scope is the Celestron 102 SLT - choice of mounts - its original 1-arm fork Alt-Az or an EQ5

16/05/2015 - Visual first light achieved - and I'm a happy bunny.

Seeing not brilliant and very windy but managed to get the kit set up to allow me to get familiar with it all.

Was quite amazed with the view - obviously took some fiddling with the tuning but some lovely views .

I hope someone posts some images from today so that I can confirm that I saw at least 2 possibly 3 prominences, a number of active regions and various other features.


aND NOW THE QUESTIONS BEGIN:-

is there an idiots guide to the Sun in Ha (with lots of pictures) so that I can begin to learn what I'm looking at.

Advice welcome on which of these cams would be best suited - DFK21AU - colour cam, DSO-1 - colour (live video) cam, Watec 120n - monochrome video cam? Suggestions for another?

The other thing I've got to figure out of course is up/down/left/right orientation to N/S/W/E so that i don't look a complete idiot when I try to describe the location of whatever I'm seeing

Neil
 

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Congratulations on the arrival of the Quark!

[Luke]

Congrats on the Quark! The views with my Quark and 100mm scope blow me away.

re: camera, if you got a new one, what would your budget be?

[Al.Grant]

My Quark has also just arrived.

I have these two Ha image processing guides saved, they seem to be a good place to start, however never having done any Ha processing before I can't vouch for how good they are.

http://www.astro-nut.com/SolarPrimer.pdf

http://www.groupeastronomiespa.be/SolarImagingHaSmallAper01Full_11.pdf

We had a few gaps in the clouds here today .... but as (bad) luck would have it I was working. Now I have a couple of days off the forecast is for heavy cloud & rain!

Al

[Floater]

Google the Society for Popular Astronomy - popastro.com, I think - and have a browse through some of the stuff there. Should be helpful.

Please also keep us up to date with how you get on. I, for one, have an interest in your experience(s).

[Davey-T]

Congrat's on your Quark, many hours of fun ahead.

This site is worth a look at the tutorials

Dave

http://brierleyhillsolar.blogspot.co.uk/p/imaging-tutorials.html

[mog3768]

Sorry to intrude on your post but have to thank AI Grant for the two links

very interesting. And congrats on your new gear hope you get hours of pleasure,

the more you view the sun the more you want to. It is very addictive.

[msh1]

the postman delivered mine today ,had a quick play between the clouds and showers ,im impressed much better than the pst i managed to get one image tho nothing special 

[Floater]

Sheesh! Everybody's getting Quarks delivered!

I really, really do hope you all have great fun with them but please forgive me a wee harrumph - mine has been/is being sent to the hospital ... :-((

Neil, as for orientation I'm pretty sure (and the good Loungers will correct me if I'm wrong!) that you simply swap left and right, as per usual view with refractor and diagonal. i.e. North at the top and West at the left. However, you alluded to the Black Art of imaging and there I'm afeared to go!

Best advice I was given - and I suppose it is obvious if you think about it - the leading edge is the West limb.

+1 for solar observing being addictive!

[Al.Grant]

Sheesh! Everybody's getting Quarks delivered!

I really, really do hope you all have great fun with them but please forgive me a wee harrumph - mine has been/is being sent to the hospital ... :-((

What is/was the issue with your Quark  ?

[Floater]

Al, this thread is not the place for any negatives, and I shouldn't have introduced that note.

Suffice to say, for now, I'm waiting to enjoy the promised experience. More to come later.

[Luke]

Gordon, hope you are Quark happy soon.

[Pig]

Me too Gordon, I hope you get closure one way or the other very soon