The sun today

[Tiny]

After days of thin cloud and thick cloud ruining the details today we got a good look at the sun.

It's funny that at night you have to wait for the scope to cool while in the day for the sun you have to wait for the scope to warm. We have ours stored set up in focus and just carry the tripods and scopes out, line them up on the sun, take off the front filter cover and leave them to warm.

Actually being pointed at the sun ready to go, the moment you set up you tend to have a peek. But even if the image is a bit blurred the rule is don't adjust, don't touch, walk away and then return a few minutes (alright seconds) later for another peek.

Normally after 10 minutes the image isn't bad but then, almost in a flash, it does 'come in' and it's time to adjust the fine DS filter to give the best image from minute to minute. (And not the other one - which only gets a fiddle if - as happens every few weeks - one is convinced that it needs a tweak - it normally doesn't but you feel better just trying.)

SO - When the seeing got good what was on offer?

Today we had three very small edge prominences at 11,12,1 o'clock and two more at just past 3 - these seeming to bend in the magnetic wind.

On the surface lots of stuff - three white flare areas - one with maybe spot, others with dark filaments connected to and twisting though the white areas. Apart from these there were also a number of thin dark 'eyebrows' spread over the surface. All this lot seen against the general boiling platelet surface.

Having two scopes helps as one gazer sees bits the other doesn't and the other confirms them (mostly) - this works both ways of course.

The only annoying thing about sun watching when things are happening is the more detail you see the more you want to see... Is that a cue to buy a bigger scope?

[Solar B]

Great report....do you use some sort of a Shade when observing as i find that

EP selection and shading is critical when in DS mode.

Brian

[Tiny]

We have the PST metal shield on each scope and find that enough most of the time but at others we each stick a table cloth over our heads. These are the dust covers for the scopes so when the scopes are in use they are available for use.