Spectacular prominence today

[vineyard]

Hello, there is what looks like a spectacular prominence at about 2 o'clock on the sun today (Ha).

Cheers,

Vin

[lnlarxg]

It’s the tallest I have seen

[vineyard]

I know right!  I'm trying to process some footage to see if I grabbed anything useful.

[tooth_dr]

I saw this earlier on, there were some nice clear patches, but I'm convinced my Lunt isnt performing properly at all.  It was very faint and barely visible on camera, and surface detail is a series of grey shades.  Time to look at the Orings I guess.

[Highburymark]

It’s lifting off as we speak! Great views today.

4 minutes ago, tooth_dr said:

I saw this earlier on, there were some nice clear patches, but I'm convinced my Lunt isnt performing properly at all.  It was very faint and barely visible on camera, and surface detail is a series of grey shades.  Time to look at the Orings I guess.

Have you checked your blocking filter glass? 

[vineyard]

Here's a v quick grab.  I was using an alt-az so I couldn't video for v long. This is best 20 frames from 108, and just put through AS!3 and ImPPG - no other tinkering.  Took a bit more footage which I'll try & look through during the week & try not to butcher too much!

(PS - there's a nice looking big feature on the surface further down too.  I think I need to get a Solar Quest!)

Edited May 25, 2020 by vineyard
added PS

[tooth_dr]

7 minutes ago, Highburymark said:

It’s lifting off as we speak! Great views today.

Have you checked your blocking filter glass? 

Yeah, I fitted new glass in April, the previous one was cloudy.  Do the O-rings go off quickly?  The scope was bought new in 2017, been stored indoors.  I've had to rack the gamma up to 100 to try to get any difference between the shades, and even this isnt working, and have adjusted the pressure tuner in and out.  I know have the black tuner off, removed the O-rings, cleaned all the will regrease and refit.  The O rings 'look' ok.

[Highburymark]

Hmmmm - the o rings should be fine, but with some Lunts you do need to apply extra grease every few months to hold pressure. 

[tooth_dr]

11 minutes ago, Highburymark said:

Hmmmm - the o rings should be fine, but with some Lunts you do need to apply extra grease every few months to hold pressure. 

Thanks!  I'll try some grease on it today, and wait for the next sunny spell.  

[richard ashbee]

would have been great to see, but very windy here in Shetland

[Highburymark]

Poor seeing can sometimes make you question your equipment in my experience. Not saying it’s the answer in your case tooth dr, but it’s more often the reason for washed out views than anything else. On’Gong’ there may be filaments and ARs, but little to perceive through the eyepiece. Then the next outing the Sun could be featureless, but you get lovely crisp, 3D mottling across the surface, and you know your scope’s working just fine. 

[tooth_dr]

Just now, Highburymark said:

Poor seeing can sometimes make you question your equipment in my experience. Not saying it’s the answer in your case tooth dr, but it’s more often the reason for washed out views than anything else. On’Gong’ there may be filaments and ARs, but little to perceive through the eyepiece. Then the next outing the Sun could be featureless, but you get lovely crisp, 3D mottling across the surface, and you know your scope’s working just fine. 

I did consider that buts it’s been a few sessions now.  Could be the new camera, 290MM, I changed from a 120MM. Should have tried the other camera 

[tooth_dr]

@Highburymark hi Mark, dont want to clutter this thread but thought it was easier to reply here!  The prominence is still there, and I've been doing some testing.  I've tried the 290MM and the 120MM, and the same result as before.  Changed the tilt adapter, still the same issues.  Removed the 2x barlow - voila - totally different view.  Is that possible that the barlow is reflecting light inside it and affecting the view?  When I try to up the exposure or gain with the barlow the black background becomes white very qiuckly.

 

This is from now, using no barlow.

[Merlin66]

I agree using a Barlow or powermate certainly aggravate the NR.

 

[tooth_dr]

42 minutes ago, Merlin66 said:

I agree using a Barlow or powermate certainly aggravate the NR.

 

NRs arent causing me trouble now with the tilt adapter, it's the loss of contrast using the barlow.

[Highburymark]

3 hours ago, tooth_dr said:

@Highburymark hi Mark, dont want to clutter this thread but thought it was easier to reply here!  The prominence is still there, and I've been doing some testing.  I've tried the 290MM and the 120MM, and the same result as before.  Changed the tilt adapter, still the same issues.  Removed the 2x barlow - voila - totally different view.  Is that possible that the barlow is reflecting light inside it and affecting the view?  When I try to up the exposure or gain with the barlow the black background becomes white very qiuckly.

 

This is from now, using no barlow.

Sorry - my knowledge runs out at this point as I’m not an imager. Does sound like a replacement Barlow is in order.

This prom just gets better and better - absolutely spectacular at the moment

Edited May 26, 2020 by Highburymark

[tooth_dr]

43 minutes ago, Highburymark said:

This prom just gets better and better - absolutely spectacular at the moment

I agree, unfortunately patchy cloud ++ today so scant data.  Incidentally I tried another barlow, and TBH not much difference.  So for the time being I'm sticking with native FL, and will look into it at a later time.

[Steve Clay]

On 25/05/2020 at 15:02, vineyard said:

Here's a v quick grab.  I was using an alt-az so I couldn't video for v long. This is best 20 frames from 108, and just put through AS!3 and ImPPG - no other tinkering.  Took a bit more footage which I'll try & look through during the week & try not to butcher too much!

(PS - there's a nice looking big feature on the surface further down too.  I think I need to get a Solar Quest!)

This was what I saw with my first ever HA  view.  ED80 with quark. Literally set it all up on the solar quest and when i focused boom it was there. Fascinating and has got me hooked.

Edited May 26, 2020 by Steve Clay

[Highburymark]

31 minutes ago, Steve Clay said:

This was what I saw with my first ever HA  view.  ED80 with quark. Literally set it all up on the solar quest and when i focused boom it was there. Fascinating and has got me hooked.

It’s been a good week to acquire new solar gear! Although the sunspot count is still low - and therefore we are still firmly in solar minimum, there has been a lot to enjoy recently. Let’s hope it continues.

[Merlin66]

Tooth_dr,

I see from your screen dump you're using zero gain and gamma 100 with the 290MM.

The unity gain is 110 for this camera. I also use gamma at 50 (in Firecapture) and just vary the exposure.

10 hours ago, tooth_dr said:

it's the loss of contrast using the barlow

I think what you're seeing is a result of the longer effective focal length, not the inherent performance of the Barlow.....

[tooth_dr]

8 hours ago, Merlin66 said:

Tooth_dr,

I see from your screen dump you're using zero gain and gamma 100 with the 290MM.

The unity gain is 110 for this camera. I also use gamma at 50 (in Firecapture) and just vary the exposure.

I think what you're seeing is a result of the longer effective focal length, not the inherent performance of the Barlow.....

Thank you. 
ZWO recommend zero gain in their website for the 290MM for solar imaging.  But if I used a bit of gain I could lower the exposure and increase the fps rate. 

They suggest adjusting the exposure time then to get the right histogram.

Gamma should be at 50 but I had no differentiation in the grey shades so thought it would be better turned up.  Maybe that can be developed in post processing rather than capture?

I tried another Barlow yesterday and it was the same.  You could be right on that, it’s just I thought I remember it being different in the past, but perhaps just on a more distinct flare or sunspot.

 

Thanks again

Adam. 

[Merlin66]

Adam,

KISS

Try the “basic” settings for a few images and then assess the differences.

I use x2 Barlow’s, x2.5 Powermate and ES x3 telextenders. I have NR issues with them and both the ASI 1600 and ASI 174. A T2 tilter certainly helps.

The post processing is critical.