Sun(AR2506) in white light - 29 Feb 2016

[geoflewis]

Hi everyone,

I'm new to SGL and also new to solar imaging having only gotten into it during Feb 2016. I'm using a TSAPO100Q with a home made Baader film filter, Baader double stack continuum filter and ZWO ASI120MM-S mono video camera. Today I took a run at the nice AR2506 (centre of disc), also using a TeleVue x3 Barlow + 60mm ext tube pushing the barlow to an effective ~x4.25. Data was processed in ImagesPlus software and PS-CS2. I thought that I'd mess around colouring it, so the attached image shows both B/W & yellow versions. What do you all think please - leave it B/W, or is either ok? Seeing was not great, shooting through a lot of fast moving haze, so glad to get anything...

Cheers, Geof

[Pete Presland]

Looks like a fine image to me, some nice detail in the Penumbra and on the surface generally. As for the colour, its personal preference mostly. Colour can sometimes enhance some detail, but I don't usually bother, that said I think we all used to seeing the sun Yellow/Orange

[geoflewis]

Hi Pete,

Thanks for the feedback. The image came out a lot better than I expected. I was experimenting with the extension tube to the x3 barlow just to see what magnification it would give, but the raw AVi didn't look at all promising - just shows that you need to do the processing to really find out..!! Yes, I like to see a yellow Sun and have seen others do similar colourisation, but actually I like the B/W versions too, so not sure which way I'll go in future - maybe a bit of both...

Cheers, Geof

 

[Stephen Green]

 Nice images nice detail

Stephen

[geoflewis]

Thanks Stephen

[sooot]

Nice images. Personally  I prefer seeing wl images black and white. To me colours distract me from details but that may be an effect of my colour blindness

[geoflewis]

Hi Craig, yep I'm sure that colour blindlness brings its own challenges. I also realise that colouring the data is totally subjective, hence the main reason for my question.... thanks for the feedback. Geof

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Welcome to SGL and solar imaging. Nice detail captured. I also prefer the B/W one. The pseudo colour seems to bring out some unevenness in the background, seen most clearly just below the right-hand sunspot. Maybe there is some internal reflection in the double stacked continuum filters. Did you use flays at all?

[geoflewis]

Hi Michael, thanks for the feedback. I agree that adding colour does seem to make the image appear more noisy. I got the colour by adjusting levels in each of the 3 channels, so that may be the culprit. Sorry, but what are flays - I'm sure that I didn't use them...?!! Also I've wondered about double reflections as I do see that visually with this scope sometimes, but I was thinking that was reflections from the contimuum filter off the rear lens in the TSAPO which is a quad. I've found that sometimes there are 2 possible images on which to focus, a bright one and a much fainter one at a different focus point. Cheers, Geof

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Sorry, typo: flats! Taking an image of a uniform target (or simply defocusing) produces an image only containing fluctuations caused by the imaging train. This can be anything from vignetting to dust, or uneven camera response. You can use these to correct for these defects in the final image.

[geoflewis]

Flats, right I should have guessed that...!! I use flats for DSOs, but have never done that for AVIs - I tend to rely on the image moving around on the chip to average out noise in the imaging train, but then clone out the worst of any 'doughnuts', etc. that remain. Its never been a problem with my lunar and planetary imaging, so didn't even consider it for solar, but maybe I should give them a try. Thanks for the suggestion.

[laudropb]

Very nice image. Nice detail captured. I too prefer the mono.

[geoflewis]

Thanks laudropb, I think 'mono' is winning

[Davey-T]

Hi Geof, welcome to the light side, bit more relaxing than night time stuff.
Nice close ups, I like to see both versions myself, usually try to get a nice toasty version in HA.
AS2 does a pretty good of flats as long as you remember to take them before the clouds arrive 

Dave

[geoflewis]

Thanks Dave,

I had enough problems trying to capture the 'light' data yesterday with all the cloud....!! I have a couple of home made light boxes which I use for my DSO flats, so presumably I could use them to create video flats - what do you think? Is the technique much the same as for DSO flats, e.g. how long and what exposure settings should the flat videos be taken?

I also usually use AS2 for stacking, but for some reason (probably cloud) neither AS2 nor R6 wanted to play with most of yesterday's AVis, I just got very heavily 'boxed' images, so I ended up trying a video processing tool in ImagesPlus (IP), which is the primary software that I use for my DSO capture & processing. IP didn't have any problems grading and stacking the AVIs, so it was good to have that option as a fall back.

Cheers, Geof

[Davey-T]

Generally easiest / best to try to take flats at the same time as images, not like night time where it's too dark to take them unless you catch the twilight.
Usually  defocus  to blur the image or with HA put a thin plastic bag or cling film over the objective.

AS2 will make a master flat then you've just got to remember to load it.

Dave

[Montana]

These are great for a first I always like to see both, B&W is great on its own but I think if you show colour it is always nice to see the B&W version as well

 

Alexandra

[Johan L]

Very nice close ups

[geoflewis]

Thanks Dave, so do I just shoot the defocussed sun for flats? I'm not sure what the process is....

[geoflewis]

Thanks Alexandra,

I just took a peek at your Flickr site - stunning images...!! I have a long way to go, so thanks for the encouragement...

Geof

[geoflewis]

Thanks Johan,

Best regards, Geof

[Davey-T]

1 hour ago, geoflewis said:

Thanks Dave, so do I just shoot the defocussed sun for flats? I'm not sure what the process is....

Yes just take a video defocussed (bit counter intuitive as we're told to take normal flats without altering the focus) and feed it to AS2 and it will create a master flat which you then load before the images.

Dave

[geoflewis]

Thanks Dave, yes that is most definitely counter intuitive....