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Lunchtime sunshine

Stu

By Stu
in Observing - Solar

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Stu

Stu

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A few weeks back I found a good place close to work to catch some solar observing at lunchtime. It has a nice bench to sit on and I can have the tripod down low so it's very stable.

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I popped up there this lunchtime to catch the last of the morning sun before the clouds came rolling in. It was a close run thing, but I managed around 15 mins white light, then 15mins Ha before the sun said goodbye.

This setup with the Tak 60 is very quick and easy to use now. The Giro-WR does not need a counterweight with such a small scope on it.

For white light, I used an 11mm and 8mm TV Plossl. In the conditions today, the 11mm gave the best image but the 8mm was very nice too, and in better seeing would be ideal.

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For Ha through the Quark, I tried 40mm and 32mm TV Plossls, and a 25mm Ortho. Each had its merits but the 32mm was probably best in terms of contrast and detail, plus it showed the numerous small proms the best. Full disk was possible in all of them.

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In white light the disk was fairly quiet, a few sunspots dotted around but the nicest features were the areas of faculae on both limbs as shown in this image taken from the Sunviewer app.

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Ha showed lovely granulation, some nice filaments and quite a few small proms. Nothing dramatic but what was there was nicely resolved. I'm generally using the Quark on the centre setting or one or two clicks clockwise from top centre. It is useable even before the light has gone green, the contrast gradually improves but I started viewing with it after about five mins and it was certainly worth catching the extra time.

A nice way to spend a lunch hour, something I will do plenty more of I hope, particularly next year once the sun gets higher.

Stu

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Davey-T

Davey-T

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Glad you had a nice viewing lunch Stu, hope you didn't get crumbs in the Quark :)

Had nice clear sky this morning but went to TH to get a couple of TV Plossls which they had yesterday but by the time I got there they only had the 32mm, detoured to Park cameras for the Velbon tripod, spent too much time drooling over lenses and ended up with 300mm f/4 that I wasn't supposed to get 'till Christmas.

Got home too late to do any useful Solar as the clouds rolled in, I think they followed me home.

Dave

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Stu

Stu

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Thanks both. Yes, managed to keep the paws clean until after I'd finished :-).

Sat24 showed a nice clear sky, with a band of cloud moving across sometime around 1 or 2 according to the forecast. I was lucky to catch the blue sky, this afternoon has been horrid, torrential rain for most of it! :-(

Dave, my Mrs has started saying that it feels like Christmas whenever a package appears!!

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Stu

Stu

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Thanks chaps. Yes it was certainly a drag, but would have been worse if the sun had still been shining. Besides, I needed to eat and it takes more than a bit of solar to keep me from my food ;-)

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Stu

Stu

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nice one Stu. My pst arrived today and it clouded over just in time to foil my plans!

Is the TAL etc coming separately Shane, or have you got everything now?

What are you putting the Giro on now the pillar has gone?

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Moonshane

Moonshane

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Is the TAL etc coming separately Shane, or have you got everything now?

What are you putting the Giro on now the pillar has gone?

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hi mate

I have the tal and the mechanicals and just waiting for the derf. will have a play with the pst tomorrow. have a heq5 tripod with a home brew 12" extension. works well.

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Stu

Stu

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hi mate

I have the tal and the mechanicals and just waiting for the derf. will have a play with the pst tomorrow. have a heq5 tripod with a home brew 12" extension. works well.

Excellent. I have an EQ6 tripod which is essentially the same, they are really solid aren't they?

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