DECEMBER 1ST AR2786, AR2790. WL

[paulastro]

I was out from around 9am to 10am.  I took a single frame at 9.48am, SW 72ED. Baader Solar Filter, Olympus E-M5 Mk11, 1/800, 200 asa.

The seeing was not great  and there was some thin cloud so it's more low res than usual, but as well as AR2786 and AR2785 it shows AR2790 (provisional designation, spaceweather.com) just coming off the SE limb.  Apparently this is the surprisingly small spot responsible for Saturday's major solar flare.  Visually it has some faculae associated with it using my binoviewer and 16.8 Orthos, but this doesn't show up very well in the crop.

 

   

 

Edited December 1, 2020 by paulastro
Info added from spaceweather.com

[Alan White]

Aha, so the newbie may be AR2790, thanks Paul.
I was out having a look today myself and could find no numbering.
 

[Mark at Beaufort]

Nice one Paul. I had Sun today so was able to pick up this new sunspot in the PST.

[paulastro]

1 hour ago, Mark at Beaufort said:

Nice one Paul. I had Sun today so was able to pick up this new sunspot in the PST.

Thank you Mark.  I'm pleased you managed to see it.  🙂

[paulastro]

1 hour ago, Alan White said:

Aha, so the newbie may be AR2790, thanks Paul.
I was out having a look today myself and could find no numbering.
 

You're welcome Alan 🙂.

[Luke]

Nice one! I was happy to get another look at that beautiful big spot.

I've been preferring the views in white light lately over h-alpha, there is so much nice detail to that spot and around it! A nice little bit of streaky white detail around the new arrival too. I was using my 85mm, Lunt 1.25 inch Herschel wedge and the Solar Continuum filter.

Gosh, my Quark really is quite dirty inside - I was originally more interested in it for imaging so overlooked the visual side a bit.

I'm not having much luck with night time observing lately but good old solar is getting me to blow the dust off some of the scopes!

[paulastro]

Many thanks Luke.  It's funny you should say about preferring the views in WL.  Up to a few years ago I had a really good double stack, but had to sell for financial reasons.  I really missed it at first but still had the means of doing WL solar, which I've been doing for just over 50 years. Now Im thinking of doing more solar as opposed to night time astronomy as I did when I had the DS system.

Of course I've been pondering how to get another HA system to compliment the WL.  Having thought about it, I'm not so bothered as I thought I'd be.  Out of the two, I would choose WL I think if could only do one or the other. As you say, sunspots can be just as beautiful and dynamic as HA, they've had me hooked for a long time! 🙂. (though I could live without solar minimums 😁)

I've also pondered over a solar continuum filter for a while, do you consider yours to be an essential bit of kit?

Regards, Paul

[Luke]

It's a shame the h-alpha gear is so expensive and that you had to sell your good double stack. I had to sell some stuff from my other hobby, boardgames, partly because we have an oil boiler that is on its last legs!

It would be close for me too chosing either white light or h-alpha, which makes white light seem like a bargain...

I've been impressed with the little 1.25 inch Lunt solar wedge. We have the more expensive 2" Baader CoolCeramic Herschel Wedge as well, and I haven't noticed much between them visually. For imaging, I guess the Baader is better for shorter exposure times and close ups especially when using a photographic-use-only ND filter.

I can't really say re: the solar continuum filter! I've not done a direct comparison as far as I remember, and always use it these days. I do find that I don't really notice the green. The views I get are very crisp, contrast is good, and faculae are subtle but clear and delightful.

If I remember, I'll try with and without the next time the sun next plays ball. There can't be much cloud left after today's rain.

☔

Edited December 3, 2020 by Luke

[Stu]

2 hours ago, Luke said:

I've been impressed with the little 1.25 inch Lunt solar wedge. We have the more expensive 2" Baader CoolCeramic Herschel Wedge as well, and I haven't noticed much between them visually.

The 1.25” Lunt Wedge has to be one of the best Astro bargains around in terms of performance for price.

That said, having compared them side by side at high power under good seeing, the CoolWedge does show more I think, sharper granulation and finer detail in active regions. I use binoviewers and a Continuum filter exclusively for White Light observing and love the views. If I had to pick only one then White Light would be the one.

I also have a really rather nice ‘Drewster’ PST Mod based on a Vixen 102mm f10 which gives amazing high power views, again with binoviewers. Surface detail is less contrasty than DS scopes, although my ‘thing’ is prominences and on those it excels. When conditions are good, the detail is incredible; not so long ago I watched an amazing prominence raining down lumps of plasma, moving visibly over a period of minutes. Views like that are worth waiting for!

[Merlin66]

I think all the available Herschel solar wedges work pretty well.

My first was a 1.25" Intes version, OK but when I got seriously into solar observing I purchased a 2" Baader Herschel cool solar wedge. It has worked well for me (got a SPOD in July for a sunspot AR2767 image!) for many years. Buy once, enjoy forever.

 

Edited December 3, 2020 by Merlin66
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