Walking on the Sun.....

[Carbon60]

I took this a few weeks ago using a PST fitted with re-housed Logitech 9000 web cam. As is typical for this type of image, it's a combination of two exposures; one for the proms and the second for the disc (in negative with colour tint). Notice the shape of the prom on the right....

[Fenriz]

Cool image, can I ask how do you manage to capture proms? Is it only possible with a solarscope or can a regular scope capture them? I'm thinking a Ha filter would be needed is that correct.

[King]

Any Ha telescope. That includes regular telescopes that have such filters installed. Nice to see more of these combo-shots lately!

[Carbon60]

Hi Mark,

Thanks.

Yes, as 'King' says, a H-alpha dedicated scope or H-alpha filtered regular scope will work. I used a Coronado PST and webcam. You just need to adjust the settings (exposure/gain mainly) to capture the different elements of the composition. Here two stacked frame sets at two different exposures (one set for the disc and one for the proms) were combined using 'Solar Layers' software. I also changed the disc shot into negative and then tinted it (I used 'Iris' software, free on the net).

Hope that helps.

Stu.

[King]

Solar Layers I've never heard of. (I use Photoshop). A program dedicated to combining solar layers sounds useful though. How effective is it?

[Carbon60]

Once you get used to the layout and function is it pretty straightforward. Just load the two images (disc and proms) and then use one of the align functions (several to choose from) and then set opaque and transparency levels and combine the two into one (this is a precee of course; there is a tutorial built into the software).

I picked my copy off the web (Swansea Astronomical Society). Steve Wainwright and Andrew Sprott are the names to look for in connection with this.

Cheers

Stu

[Fenriz]

Thanks for the info guys, think I'm going to be pushing it if I tell the wife I want to buy a Ha filter, as I've only been doing this for a month and a half already spent a fortune.

[Carbon60]

Hi Mark,

It's always worth starting with a Baader solar film filter to image/view the photosphere and associated sun spots. It's a lot less expensive and no less interesting. Here's an example.

Regards

Stu.

[Fenriz]

Thanks Stu

I have already got myself the Baader film, amazing to be able to view the sun, I've taken a few images so far. Focusing is a bit of a b**ch though even with a towel over the head and camera.

All good fun though.

[Carbon60]

Yes, focusing can be a problem in the sunlight!

I use a box to shade my computer screen (actually it's a fabric pet carrier that I can fold away). I also use the camera control panel on screen to zoom in on a specific solar feature and then adjust focus on the scope to try to get the image as sharp as possible (still tricky). I then zoom out again to minimum. This seems to work.

Regards

Stu.

[Macavity]

The NEGATIVE image is an interesting (and effective) idea. Almost gives a crater-like appearance to the major feature. The largest prominence looks a little like the "Man at Work" who might have dug it.

[bm1980]

Nice image, I am going to have to get a PST, think i better ask the wife first though

Regards

Ben

[Carbon60]

Thanks. Sometimes I quite like the image of the sun in negative since some of the features can really be made to stand out in quite a different way to the norm.

Ben.....ask really nicely...

Stu.

[twotter]

Love the 'man out for a walk'