Is AR12021 the Ghost of 11944/11967/12002 ... ?

[Steve Ward]

Judging from the timing and position , the patch of faculae that AR 12021 has grown from appears to be what was left from the magnificent region that made three trips around.

Here's how it's grown again in the last six days , you tend not to notice the dramatic development day to day.

[oldpink]

I'm really tempted to get a solar filter to give me something to do in daytime
but I haven't seen the sun in over a week which keeps putting me off making the purchase
I have enough cloud without inviting more by purchasing any more gear and the obligatory cloud that arrives with the package
 

[Steve Ward]

It would be a well spent £20 in my opinion , but then I would say that ... 

You'll kick yourself if that elusive sunny day arrives there and you're not armed and ready for it ...... and you're far enough from Suffolk not to waft too much cloud my way so go for it ... 

[oldpink]

thanks for the encouragement I will be joining the Solar brigade soon
and look forward to doing some long runs weather permitting
I'll be traveling a lot over the next 3 weeks due to business so away from my base but before I return the solar filter will be ordered
 

what I need to figure out is if my modded Canon will be better than my ASI for doing capture
could be both have there strong points but not something I am up on so I guess its more learning by mistakes

[Steve Ward]

Suck it and see really , probably the Canon for full disc and the ASI for close-ups , you may need to tinker with barlows ( 1.5-2x) to fill the chip on the Canon.

[oldpink]

I have a 2x SW barlow I can screw right into my T ring for the canon
I use it on planetary work, should do the job, the ASI with the barlow should get some good close ups going by its performance on my limited lunar work with it

[Steve Ward]

200P + 1000D/600D ....

[Steve Ward]

2x will be too much ... 

But reducing the mag by screwing the glass element to the adaptor should be somewhere near , a 2" Barlow works much better than a 1-1/4".

[oldpink]

LOL I already ran that simulation a few times
sunspots and such have a deeper interest for me as I am a HAM radio license holder in the Uk
I don't use it these days as I was into the digital side (packet radio) but the internet superseded that
but I still loved how when we had periods of high solar activity we could transmit almost world wide due to ionized layers acting like mirrors bouncing the signals
and in the lean years I was lucky to get a few hundred miles