White light solar image - AR12975 and 976

[Stu]

I had some very good views of the ARs on the Sun today. The seeing was quite variable, but at its best was excellent so the detail visible was fantastic. This was one of my normal handheld shots through the binoviewer, not the best method but some reasonable detail showing up.

The detail in Ha around AR 12975/6 was also very impressive but much harder to capture.

[MalcolmM]

Nice one of the prom. It's exactly as I saw it. Here's a pic of the same prom earlier in the day. It was fascinating watching it change shape over the day.

Malcolm

[MalcolmM]

Here's my attempts at sketching the changing appearance

[Stu]

More good viewing today. I observed at around 9am and the seeing was pretty good, dropped off a bit now but will hopefully improve this evening.

 

[neil phillips]

On 26/03/2022 at 15:31, Stu said:

More good viewing today. I observed at around 9am and the seeing was pretty good, dropped off a bit now but will hopefully improve this evening.

 

I know your primarily a observation guy. But you do seem to have a slight interest in capturing the moment. If you can get results like that handheld. Can you imagine what you would get popping in a 178 or  290mm or whatever ? I reckon you would enjoy it. But of course that's for you to decide.

For handheld those white lights look great Stu

[Stu]

Thanks Neil!

I have thought about it, I just never get around to it properly or consistently. I have taken 4K 60fps video with the phone which I’m sure could be processed but I tend to lose patience with the whole processing business!

In the past I’ve bumbled through using PIPP, Autostakkert and then ImPPG with some ok results, but perhaps I’ll try again sometime.

This is another single frame when the seeing was good, some decent detail in there considering so yes, I should be able to get some good results.

[neil phillips]

19 minutes ago, Stu said:

Thanks Neil!

I have thought about it, I just never get around to it properly or consistently. I have taken 4K 60fps video with the phone which I’m sure could be processed but I tend to lose patience with the whole processing business!

In the past I’ve bumbled through using PIPP, Autostakkert and then ImPPG with some ok results, but perhaps I’ll try again sometime.

This is another single frame when the seeing was good, some decent detail in there considering so yes, I should be able to get some good results.

Another good snap,  a lot of good detail for a single snap. The benefit with a dedicated camera would be a huge reduction in noise. And more consistent shape to features. With much finer detail.  Just seems a shame you seem to have the interest in capturing the moment. But are limiting what your excellent equipment is capable off. To give you a idea in the time it takes to get one snap. You will be able to take 250. At 250 frames per second.

That shot you commented on i captured 100.000 frames, stacked around 1000 of the sharpest.

Anyway encouragement can only go so far. Again its up to you to decide if you think its something you would enjoy. I was hesitant when i first started. Glad i didn't stay hesitant. it opened up a whole new world. Who knows maybe it would for you.

[PXR5]

Beautiful sketch Stu!

Looks like a photo, nice work.

[Stu]

7 hours ago, PXR5 said:

Beautiful sketch Stu!

Looks like a photo, nice work.

These were all smartphone images! I wish my sketches were that good 😀

[PeterStudz]

8 minutes ago, Stu said:

These were all smartphone images! I wish my sketches were that good 😀

If someone thought that my smartphone pictures (well, any single shot picture) was a sketch I be well chuffed! Nice images @Stu. Sketching is something I’d like to learn/be able to do. I have far more interest in that than trying to go full on astrophotography using a PC, software and stacking. It sounds far too much like work

Out of interest. I recently asked a friend of mine, who is a very good photographer, mainly nature/landscapes, if he’d considered astrophotography. His reply was “I seriously thought about it but couldn’t be bothered with all that stacking”.  It’s not for everyone. I have an interest in seeing what a smartphone camera can do but that’s as far as it goes.

[Stu]

14 minutes ago, PeterStudz said:

If someone thought that my smartphone pictures (well, any single shot picture) was a sketch I be well chuffed! Nice images @Stu. Sketching is something I’d like to learn/be able to do. I have far more interest in that than trying to go full on astrophotography using a PC, software and stacking. It sounds far too much like work

Out of interest. I recently asked a friend of mine, who is a very good photographer, mainly nature/landscapes, if he’d considered astrophotography. His reply was “I seriously thought about it but couldn’t be bothered with all that stacking”.  It’s not for everyone. I have an interest in seeing what a smartphone camera can do but that’s as far as it goes.

I did some electronic sketches a few weeks back, mainly just recreated from my own images as practise, I haven’t done these at the eyepiece yet.

 

 

If I could work out a decent workflow for processing video then I would be tempted to have a go. I think I would start with smartphone 4K 60fps video and see how I got on, but might be tempted at some stage to get a ZWO 178 mono camera to see what I can achieve. The other problem is that I don’t have a particularly good laptop to process on. I can’t use my work one for security reasons, not allowed to load software on it which is fair enough. I’ll see how I go.

[PeterStudz]

@Stu I like those! I’ve done a little experimenting with electronic sketches too. I do have an iPad plus Pencil and what I tried doing was drawing over a smartphone image of a DSO (I used one I’d taken of the Orion Nebula) using a very basic/rubbish pencil sketch I’d taken at the eyepiece for reference. The original image does mean I can get the stars in the exactly the right place. Will see how it goes. 

[Pete Presland]

Excellent images and sketches Stu, plenty to see at the moment.