Sun H-Alpha 30.03.16

[Macavity]

Too many clouds now... But was able to get a few "experiments" done!

Confirmed that (despite initial failure) I can *Barlow* the Lunt LS50THa. 
Using the "good old" (generic) Skywatcher Barlow, I managed to get it
to focus by unscrewing the Barlow PLUS (shiney bit) nosepiece, clamping
BOTH into the Lunt Brass ring holder, then building a stack of T2 rings
around this to space the ZWO120MM, giving ~1.9x ... and STILL focus!

I also confirmed that I can now banish (the more intense) Newtons Rings
by using a *custom* tracking rate in EQmod 10% less than Solar! That
way, I can avoid the Sun slipping too far from my Sweet Spot position.

Of course, I've let slip a few other optimal setting (excuses, excuses!) -
Focus maybe? But upshot is I can do most things to some level now?

Might document it a Web Page... Have difficulty remembering myself! 

  

 

[Davey-T]

Lovely image Chris, looking forward to your first solar mosaic

Dave

[xtreemchaos]

great image Chris, yer you will have to do a mosaic next,that will be fun.thanks,  charl.

[paulastro]

Very nice image Chris, glad you're having fun with your experimenting.

[laudropb]

Very nice solar image.

[Johan L]

Nice image

[Macavity]

5 hours ago, Davey-T said:

Lovely image Chris, looking forward to your first solar mosaic

Dave

You mean this isn't finished yet? lol

So many variables, so little time! I do sense Barlowing has
extracted a little bit more detail... Hurrah for Skywatcher!   

Experimenting with IMPPG (LR deconv + neg / pos toning). 
The number of permutations is substantial, but indeed there
might be some interesting stuff emerging in the upper right
quadrant? Spicules too? But I'll start small - 3x3 mosaic? 

[Pete Presland]

Reading your experiments reminds me of last August,  when I first got my Lunt50. Nice detail in those images. 

[David Smith]

Like the second image, not that their is anything wrong with the first! The list of things to remember does quickly become unwieldy!

 

[Tyson M]

Very nice. I am excited to begin my solar viewing with my Lunt LS50 and try a go at imaging. This are very encouraging, you're making good progress! Looks great.  

 

May I ask? How did you do that color gradient in the background of the second image ? I use GIMP not Photoshop, familiar with layers, ect.  I can get color solar images in whichever color with curves too, just curious on the fading color background 

[Macavity]

Hey, ask away! Do note that most of my ideas are adapted from available
information. But may address specific issues of a Lunt LS50 + ZWO cam.

If I pump up the gain (I use FireCapture to record AVIs) on my camera,
I may see a number of faint / diffuse rings around the solar disk? These
may / may not be exactly concentric with the disk. This is a "feature"?!?

Or indeed maybe an "inherent limitation" of "low-end" solar scopes (with
a diagonal in the optical path). You tend to mostly see these at high gain
(when trying to image prominences?). Whatever! I tend to use the *post
processing* (e.g. GIMP "levels") to de-emphasise these features a bit?

The basic answer: The background is serendipitous (That is the word?)

P.S. I see quite a lot of H-Alpha images with greater/lesser backgrounds?
I suppose, e.g., if I were trying to generate "Magazine Quality" images,
I might just try to crop / feather background around the "useful" area?

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Nice results