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Sunday Solar 01-06-2014 & 2.5mm SLV First Light

Pig

By Pig
in Observing - Solar

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Pig

Pig

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I finally got a shot at the Sun today and boy what a great show is going on :shocked:

What a monster prom in the 5 O'clock position, is this the same one you guys  saw yesterday ? It really is huge :laugh:

There are other large hedgerow proms in the 4 & 9 O'clock positions, the 9 O'clock showing some very fine plasma trails indeed. How excellent is that.

Alas there are but a few sunspots at the moment. However, all is not lost and there is a rather large one on its way around to us by the looks of it, surface detail is excellent once again with a very large bright are on display and ample granulation and swirling moustaches.

Ok, first light using my 2.5mm SLV via the Herschel wedge.

Gobsmacked is my first impression :smiley:

The eyepiece is tailor made for the 500mm focal length giving 200 x magnification.

Even though the sunspots are tiny in comparison to some we have had lately the fine detail is easily brought out.

A live example of the views

There is a tiny sunspot (when using 9mm eyepiece in Ha)  that is positioned slightly above the centre line and half way toward the 9 O'clock position.

Switching to the white light Herschel wedge, that is set up in the Equinox alongside my Lunt, and pop in the 2.5mm SLV the  sunspot becomes at least 7overlapped spots. The crotchet pattern and other fine detail is also clearly visible :smiley:

The overall view is much brighter and the contrast is at least as good when compared to the Nagler 3-6mm zoom.

:smiley: Pheeew, the Nagler was a very good zoom eyepiece and I was a bit concerned I had made a mistake selling it.

Fortunately I do not have many floaters and as a result was not troubled by them.

Head positioning is critical but easily achieved.

Summary

The use of the 2.5mm will be limited to sunspots and the Moon for me and most other people I would think.

I am very happy with the results and it has certainly lived up to the hight standards of the other eyepieces in the SLV range.

This is a great addition to my eyepieces and will sit there with the 4mm for solar and Lunar viewing

Bring on the Moon :laugh:

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Chris

Chris

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Great report I share your excitement :) I looked through a PST and a Coronado 60mm for the very first time today at a solar event in Ipswich. My word! like you say the proms were something else! I count my self lucky to have got my first solar views on a very active day :) Also loved the granulation, doh! I fancy having a PST now, please someone tell me the Sun is normally boring to look at :D

Chris

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Owmuchonomy

Owmuchonomy

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Now then. Yesterday I made a filter from Baader Astro Film to fit my 102 AA EDT. Today I tried it out. It's a novelty for me to see the sun's disk so close up. This afternoon I observed sunspots at around 4 o'clock on the face and smaller ones around 9/10 o'clock. I could get quite a bit of detail from them with my 25mm Plossl and then my 8mm Baader Hyperion. I was fascinated by the posts above and the description of the prominences. Should I be able to pick these up with this set up? It's a truly sociable activity as the neighbours will testify.

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Pig

Pig

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Now then. Yesterday I made a filter from Baader Astro Film to fit my 102 AA EDT. Today I tried it out. It's a novelty for me to see the sun's disk so close up. This afternoon I observed sunspots at around 4 o'clock on the face and smaller ones around 9/10 o'clock. I could get quite a bit of detail from them with my 25mm Plossl and then my 8mm Baader Hyperion. I was fascinated by the posts above and the description of the prominences. Should I be able to pick these up with this set up? It's a truly sociable activity as the neighbours will testify.

Unfortunately the Baader film does not show Ha light and as a result you will not be able to see prominences :smiley:

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Pig

Pig

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Great report I share your excitement :) I looked through a PST and a Coronado 60mm for the very first time today at a solar event in Ipswich. My word! like you say the proms were something else! I count my self lucky to have got my first solar views on a very active day :) Also loved the granulation, doh! I fancy having a PST now, please someone tell me the Sun is normally boring to look at :D

Chris

I will give you the bad news and say the sun does always look pretty amazing, a PST will make a great addition to almost anyone's set up :smiley:  I must warn you though it is very addictive :shocked:

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Chris

Chris

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I will give you the bad news and say the sun does always look pretty amazing, a PST will make a great addition to almost anyone's set up :smiley:  I must warn you though it is very addictive :shocked:

Thanks, its kind of 'good' bad news but even so my Wallet hates you :):D

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Chris

Chris

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Chris, if I had to sell my 16 inch dob or 60mm H-a scope, I would be run outta Dobsville :D

Now thats quite a statement! Blimey it would be difficulat to lose a 16" Dob I should imagine but certainly I could see the 60mm Ha getting alot of use :) I think if I see a second hand PST I might buy it as I'm doing quite well money wise at the moment :)

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Pig

Pig

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Chris,

The addition of a solar scope does give you a lot more opportunity to get out and observe, it certainly helps with limiting the frustrations experienced due to our lovely British weather :smiley:

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Luke

Luke

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Oh... My... You lucky people who got long views! :D 15 mins clear here, what an awesome main prom.

Oh Happy Days!!

It looked a bit like a huuuuge scorpion tail to me. I asked Sarah what it looked like...

"Awesome!!"

Oh Happy Days!

Hope most folks got a view, I feel very lucky to have got a late look- in.

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Sarah

Sarah

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Now thats quite a statement! Blimey it would be difficulat to lose a 16" Dob I should imagine but certainly I could see the 60mm Ha getting alot of use :) I think if I see a second hand PST I might buy it as I'm doing quite well money wise at the moment :)

Whilst we really love the 16" dob, we are getting so much more frequent use out of the solar gear. A few years back I thought is would be crazy to spend a large amount of money on a telescope for viewing one object, but that one object is pretty amazing and very dynamic. Go for it! Only trouble is solar aperture fever can be very expensive! :grin:
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Sarah

Sarah

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Thanks for the great report Shaun. As Luke said we were clouded out when we arrived home this afternoon but it eventually brightened up and we managed a quick view. Those proms looked amazing! Definitely worth waiting for the gap to see them.

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Luke

Luke

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The way I feel about solar aperture fever, which may be a bit bonkers (!), is imagine you are seeing an alien.

It's astonishing in any aperture.

Whilst we really love the 16" dob, we are getting so much more frequent use out of the solar gear. A few years back I thought is would be crazy to spend a large amount of money on a telescope for viewing one object, but that one object is pretty amazing and very dynamic. Go for it! Only trouble is solar aperture fever can be very expensive! :grin:

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Chris

Chris

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Whilst we really love the 16" dob, we are getting so much more frequent use out of the solar gear. A few years back I thought is would be crazy to spend a large amount of money on a telescope for viewing one object, but that one object is pretty amazing and very dynamic. Go for it! Only trouble is solar aperture fever can be very expensive! :grin:

I think the wonderful views earlier and you guys have successfully talked me into it, wow that really was something earlier, its stuck in my mind :) Definately not going to let aperture fever set in though, I can't affored the extra mortgage :D

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