Solar session from California Jan 27, 2019 -- prominences and sunspots!

[SacRiker]

This was only my second opportunity to use my new PST after having received it several weeks ago! Clouds are constant. However, there was a good break in the cloud cover today and I rushed my equipment outside. One big lesson I learned from my first session was that I needed to have something more than a hat on my head -- so today I used a big piece of light cardboard and used it to block the sun. I feel this cheap upgrade to my equipment made a big difference. I also learned that the tuning setting to see prominences is vastly different than the tuning setting to see sunspots. 

Here is what I saw:

EDIT: The sunspot arrangement may not be accurate as I was going from memory after having come back inside!

 

[Davey-T]

Good job, glad you've found some Sun, pretty dire here.

Dave

[David Smith]

Good to get a session in and there were spots and proms to see too.

[Pete Presland]

Very nice session, extremely disappointing to miss a decent sunspot group today. With the Solar minimum, they might be the last for a while again.

[Floater]

40 minutes ago, SacRiker said:

... so today I used a big piece of light cardboard and used it to block the sun.

Apart from the clouds today, ‘light cardboard’ would not suffice apart from a few days a year here! I’d need to add the thermals.

Glad you had a good session - it will get even better, I promise you. Just not sure when. ?

A suggestion is that you use a blackout cloth over your head instead of a hat. It gives protection, cuts stray light and boosts the views. That said, a chapeau of some distinction always adds to the experience ... ?

Enjoy. ?

[niallk]

Nice one!!  I got a quick peek today with my LS50DS - nice to be able to see some sign of activity