Why white light solar is never boring

[Stu]

Clear blue skies this morning, although typically a little hazy over the sun. After my early morning alarm call, given by a 5 year old trampling on my head, I thought I may as well set up the solar kit for the first time in quite a while.

Ha with the PST mod on the Vixen GP mount for tracking first. There is not so much to see today, a few nice little proms around, though not that many, and I couldn't see anything too dramatic in terms of surface detail, I suspect the haze was knocking back the detail so will try again if it clears. The spicule line was very clear, something I enjoy observing.

Just for fun I set up the Telementor with the Baader Coolwedge for some white light and....... was completely underwhelmed by a totally blank disk, with only the merest hint of any texture.

So, I thought I would give the Tak a chance to see if there was actually anything there. What a difference. Not a fair competition at all I know, and I was using binoviewers too. Granulation was immediately visible, so sharp and detailed. I was using about x100, enough to show it up well, may try higher later.

Although I did not see any pores at all, there were plenty of tighter knots in the granulation, swirls and patterns to be seen in various places plus the odd small patch of faculae. There is something about the contrast and sharpness of the views in white light that I find mesmerising even when the sun is apparently blank. Worth a look at high power if you get the chance. See what you can see.

EDIT just wanted to add, focus, focus, focus to this post! I have a Feathertouch on the Tak, and even a quarter or an eighth of a turn on the fine focus is enough to make the difference between really seeing the granulation and missing it. I focus on the limb first, then look at the granulation and fine focus on that.

[Paul73]

Nice report Stu. I haven’t done any White light for a while. Had the first go for ages with the Ha Mod on Wednesday. I’d forgotten how much I enjoyed solar observing.

I’m off to google “Spicule” now.

Paul

[Stu]

19 minutes ago, Paul73 said:

I’m off to google “Spicule” now.

This is the bit I mean 👍

[Floater]

Glad you’re having fun, Stu, but I’m not encouraged to get the scope out in the stiff breeze and the showers when I see this:

 

[Littleguy80]

Great report, Stu. I was going to cut the grass then I read your report and, well..., I like natural look of uncut grass  I’m finding granulation quite tricky. I sometimes think I have it but am never 100% confident. I think it’ll take getting a really good view with excellent seeing to give me confidence of exactly what it should look like. I’ve read a few times that it takes practise to see it. 

[Star101]

10 minutes ago, Floater said:

Glad you’re having fun, Stu, but I’m not encouraged to get the scope out in the stiff breeze and the showers when I see this:

 

Is that a Prom I see at 28 mins past? 😎

 

Great report Stu.

Had I not been setup for Hyperstar at the moment, I would be out there with my sun filter on mt C11 now!  

[Stu]

4 minutes ago, Floater said:

Glad you’re having fun, Stu, but I’m not encouraged to get the scope out in the stiff breeze and the showers when I see this:

Yes, probably not worth it if the conditions aren't great. Visually it's much more rewarding that that picture!

[Stu]

1 hour ago, Littleguy80 said:

Great report, Stu. I was going to cut the grass then I read your report and, well..., I like natural look of uncut grass  I’m finding granulation quite tricky. I sometimes think I have it but am never 100% confident. I think it’ll take getting a really good view with excellent seeing to give me confidence of exactly what it should look like. I’ve read a few times that it takes practise to see it. 

My apologies for delaying the lawn mowing Neil 🤣🤣. I confess I would have done mine this morning but two scopes on there makes it impossible 👍👍

It's the same as any astro target really, once you see it you will wonder how your weren't all along, and you see more with experience. It has taken me years to get the hang of binoviewers but now really enjoy them and that's all I use for solar.

The seeing dropped off as the day warmed up so I was seeing it much less clearly an hour or so later. I often find that centre of the disk is the most obvious place to look as you are viewing right down the granulation cells then and contrast is a little better perhaps. I've just checked again, and whilst still visible it is nowhere near as clear as this morning. Sometimes things pick up in the evening as the atmosphere cools off, so I will try again later. Early mornings usually best though.

[Stu]

1 hour ago, Star101 said:

Is that a Prom I see at 28 mins past? 😎

There are at least 5 proms I can see, depends what you count as separate ones I guess. None particularly big and a couple very ghost like which are hard to pick up.

[Paz]

Nice report, it's always good to give the sun a go. I'm very jealous of the Tak/Binoviewer set up!

[Stu]

Views getting better again now. Still wobbly around the limb but granulation clear again

[johninderby]

I’d take a look if the sun wasn’t hiding behind the clouds. 😢

[Stu]

Just now, johninderby said:

I’d take a look if the sun wasn’t hiding behind the clouds. 😢

I'm cloud dodging now John, sun in and out every now and then.

[Littleguy80]

29 minutes ago, Stu said:

Views getting better again now. Still wobbly around the limb but granulation clear again

A question on focus if I may. I’m using the limb to get sharp focus. Is this sufficient to see the granulation in the centre of the disc or is likely that I’ll need to adjust it?

[Stu]

3 minutes ago, Littleguy80 said:

A question on focus if I may. I’m using the limb to get sharp focus. Is this sufficient to see the granulation in the centre of the disc or is likely that I’ll need to adjust it?

Should get you close enough to see it and fine tune. Are you seeing anything at at all?

[Littleguy80]

11 minutes ago, Stu said:

Should get you close enough to see it and fine tune. Are you seeing anything at at all?

Not a great deal. What I see is more of the mottled effect which you described as macro granulation but it’s quite subtle. I’m not sure if I need to adjust the brightness with the polariser perhaps to draw it out?

[Stu]

30 minutes ago, Littleguy80 said:

Not a great deal. What I see is more of the mottled effect which you described as macro granulation but it’s quite subtle. I’m not sure if I need to adjust the brightness with the polariser perhaps to draw it out?

I guess it is possibly an aperture thing. I'm seeing it quite clearly here, but the 63mm Zeiss showed nothing, not even mottling really. Just pushed it up to about x200 and was seeing some of the cells changing over a period of 5 mins or so.

[Littleguy80]

13 minutes ago, Stu said:

I guess it is possibly an aperture thing. I'm seeing it quite clearly here, but the 63mm Zeiss showed nothing, not even mottling really. Just pushed it up to about x200 and was seeing some of the cells changing over a period of 5 mins or so.

Could well be. It’s probably a bit a subtler with the 80mm plus I’m a noob with solar observing so I’m not going to pick things up as easily. 

[David Smith]

Spent some time with the Evostar, Lacerta wedge and the 7-21 zoom. You're right, focus is critical, I have the upgraded 10:1 focuser on this scope and even the smallest move with the fine focus is the difference between seeing and not seeing granulation. The seeing dropped off quite a lot during the course of my session but there were moments of awesome clarity with outstanding views. I love a good spot group but I can find a surprising amount of excitement in a clean white light disk!

 

[Stu]

1 hour ago, Littleguy80 said:

Could well be. It’s probably a bit a subtler with the 80mm plus I’m a noob with solar observing so I’m not going to pick things up as easily. 

Unless you are seeing it, and just thinking 'meh', which is what most normal humans would do, whereas I'm bouncing around like an excited puppy about it 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[Paul73]

Fine focusing certainly helps. Also, I find that fiddling with the magnification can uncover loads of detail. That is why zooms are great for solar.

Paul

[John]

Nice report Stu

I must get my Lunt HW out and do some WL solar now the weather is better.

The Tak FC100s work so well for this task - mine seems to show sharper and more detailed solar views even than my ED120.

[Stu]

Just now, John said:

Nice report Stu

I must get my Lunt HW out and do some WL solar now the weather is better.

The Tak FC's work so well for this task - mine seems to show sharper and more detailed solar views even than my ED120.

Thanks John. Interesting to hear your comments about the 120ED. I don't think I ever actually did a side by side, but my impression was always that I preferred the Tak for White Light solar so am glad you agree! I guess that's what you pay the big bucks for?

[John]

1 hour ago, Stu said:

... I guess that's what you pay the big bucks for?

Funny thing is that the Tak was my most expensive scope purchase and, apart from my TV Ranger, my smallest in aperture and yet I've never had any qualms about the cost over the 3 years that I've now owned it. It simply delivers each and every time I use it and usually surpasses my expectations on whatever target it's aimed at. Can't ask more than that

[Sunshine]

Is there any way to us my 150 Mak for white light? maybe a wedge combined with a film on the front? i understand that 6" is too big to aim directly without some kind of front filter, it would definately heat up quite a bit and destroy the mirror.