Quarantine Solar imaging

[Silent Running]

I'm recovering from Covid at the moment and confined to my flat... At least I have a West facing window and get nice views of the Sun and Moon. I've been practicing some solar imaging over the past week. It's great to see we are well and truly into Solar cycle 25. This afternoon, two groups of spots.

The first image is white light, using full aperture Questar filter on 3.5", asi294mc just placed in the eyepiece holder. Best 30% of 200 images in Sharpcap.

Second image is H-alpha, Lunt 80mm, single stack, asi178mm (for smaller pixels). Best 30% of 500 images in Sharpcap, composite iamge. Both processed with Astrostakkert and PS.

I've been interested to find that I am finding whole disc imaging easier with single stacked etalon, even though there is more detail with double stack. The sweet spot becomes more apparent in DS, and I find it difficult to get an even disc. Prominences also better with SS. But for visual observation, although SS and DS give great views, I now much prefer the double stacked view. The surface detail is just stunning.

[Kitsunegari]

lookin good.   Seems like Co-vid-19 was literally designed to keep average working class humans on the earth while the elite get to fly on rockets and spaceplanes.....

Edited November 24, 2020 by Kitsunegari

[Luke]

Sweet shots! Silly question: window open or closed?!

Very exciting that things are starting to kick off into the new solar cycle!

Hope you are in tip-top condition soon, pesky virus. Some sunshine vitamin through the window can't harm!

☀️

[Silent Running]

Window open! I'm on 3rd floor, so they don't insist on hermetic sealing!! Now I'm just waiting for repeat test at weekend... and hoping to get back home to sunny (???) Scotland for Christmas

[Luke]

I used to open the window too for solar imaging. It got a bit nippy in winter. But part of me thinks it would be really cool to just shoot through the window glass anyway!

It's been pretty cloudy our way in Bedfordshire the past few weeks, Scotland must be sunnier!!!

[Silent Running]

Hmmm, not sure about much Sun in Scotland! Im at work in the Middle East at the moment.