Purposeful Observations ?

[Merkhet]

Hello.  

This is my first post  on Stargazers Lounge.

My observations of the night sky have so far been visual , with no attempt at keeping any sort of records.

I usually read about something interesting and whilst looking at my copy of Norton's Star Atlas  to find it , I  add a couple other items in the same vicinity.

No direction or technical purpose whatsoever in my observing.       I just enjoy locating and enjoying the visual spectacle in front of me.    

  Quite happy in doing that.

My Solar observing started with the previous Transit of Venus, excellent viewing.        The last transit was clouded out for me.

Now I have a hankering for Solar viewing and I  am trying to persuade myself that a 60mm Lunt double stacked solar telescope is a must have. 

I see lots of photographs taken through solar telescopes and understand that lots of people just enjoy Solar visual observing in the same manner that I do with my night time observing.

Now for my questions......

Apart from enjoying the visual spectacle through a hydrogen alpha scope and taking photographs,  are there any scientific  or  technical purposes that amateur astronomers can and do use these instruments for ?

Can any predictions of scientific events on earth be made by amateurs?

Is there any use in amateurs keeping records of Solar activities and any possible data measurements?

If I do invest in a Hydrogen alpha telescope it would be nice to have a purpose to my observations.

Cheers from   Merkhet

[romx]

Welcome to the lounge, havent had my scope long and not done any solar viewing so am unable to answer your question myself (no doubt you will have a ton of very educated and easy to follow replies by the amazing members here by tomorrow) seriously considering a solar filter for my scope seems the weather loves to be sunny in daytime and cloudy at night lately be interesting to hear what solar observers answer to your question as it is something i also would be interested to know .

[Stu]

Hi, and welcome to the Lounge.

I observe both at night and also solar through a PST Ha scope and with a Herschel Wedge for white light. My observing is currently also just for the pure enjoyment of it, I do not keep a record but have intentions to start - someday!

A couple of options... Sketching is a very interesting thing to try, it gives you a record of what you have observed and also helps you pull out more detail as you observe.

I have also seen people who make long term records of the number of active regions/sunspots. If done over a period of tens of years, you can plot a graph of the solar cycle quite accurately.

I don't think any predictions are possible through observations though but am happy to be corrected!

Cheers,

Stu

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[Stu]

I knew I remembered something along these lines. This is an example from one if our members who has been sketching and recording the sun for a long time!

http://stargazerslounge.com/index.php?/topic/160094-White-Light-Solar-Sketching

Cheers,

Stu

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[Laurie61]

Hi and welcome I think the Sun is so well coved by professional  astronomers it would be difficult for amateurs to add anything scientifically significant to the subject. Amateurs do make genuine contributions to astronomy with observations of the Planets, discovery's of comets and supernovas ect so there are areas you could look at if you wanted to contribute.

http://stereo-ssc.nascom.nasa.gov/beacon/beacon_secchi.shtml

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/space/5878319/Amateur-Australian-astronomer-spots-asteroid-crash-on-Jupiter.html