AR 3691, photosphere/whitelight, 25,26,27th May '24

[josefk]

This is only my second attempt at a sketch of solar activity - and in fact only my second observation ever of our sun so go easy.

After a long time thinking about it i finally dipped my toe in the water with a Baader solar film based Kendrick filter this week. The tipping point and trigger to buy the filter was another nearly full month of zero clear nights here.

I make the dedicated effort to look at the moon through a scope approximately once a year (dedicated meaning going out on purpose just to look at the moon) and i was a bit concerned that the sun could be similar. However I realised immediately on looking at the disc of the sun i was dead wrong to be concerned. I found it easy and immediately fascinating and satisfying. I fear i have opened the door to an expensive new avenue of the hobby; though the filter will fit my 95mm spotter scope (nice right way round view), my FSQ and "my" 120mm Achro, i think i will get a solar wedge for my 130mm APO with continuum filter etc..

This is a focus on AR 3691 near the solar limb. The Baader solar film was mounted on my FSQ 85mm refractor w/ MaxBII binoviewers at x65. I was lazily viewing over roof tops so the view was swimming a bit but there were periods of freeze frame clarity with umbra, penumbra, faculae, and marginal granulation on show. Granulation wasn't sharp but near the limb it was detectable - especially in contrast to the streaky plain white facular plage near the limb which were stronger, more contrasted,  bright white streaks through the eyepiece than in this sketch. I found this feature particularly fascinating.

How civilised too - Friday i was observing/sketching from Burghley park with a cricket match as soundtrack in the background and yesterday evening i was sketching through the open french doors of our lounge with music on in the background and a cup of tea.

The filter goes in a bit of tupperware for safe handing so with a birding scope, lightweight tripod and bit of tupperware i'm set for days on the beach, picnics, birding outings and mountain tops. My family have lost me on sunny days! 😄

 

[SwiMatt]

Great job @josefk. Nice seeing that you're also venturing into solar observation, and very nice sketch!

P.S.: so, when can we expect your purchase of an Halpha telescope?

[josefk]

Thanks @SwiMatt H-Alpha is a possibility but i'm not sure a probability.

In all honesty I could do with borrowing a decent H-alpha scope to see how i get on and how much i enjoy it because everything i read about them suggests the etalons are a quality minefield and with lots of potential for  disappointment unless you're either lucky or go "all in" with front mounted double stacked solarscope etalons sized 60mm and up (i.e. throw some real money at it to guarantee quality and ensure satisfaction). I have a touch of "perfect being the enemy of the good" with H-alpha.

I'll see how i go on with white light (including probably a Herschel wedge in the near term) and build some experience before taking the H-alpha plunge i think.

 

 

[lunator]

Very good sketch Josef. White light can be very enjoyable viewing, particularly with the Sun being so active at present. 

I have a PST and the Ha views can be excellent. It might be worth considering.

Cheers

Ian

[josefk]

AR 3691 has evolved a little bit in ~20 hours. Additional sunspots within it and larger overall this afternoon. Fascinating. 

This is with the Baader filter mounted on a 120mm Achromat - if i keep using this scope i will need a dark purple pen for the umbra  and a yellow pencil for the edge of the limb 🙂

On the other hand the additional aperture of this scope (coupled with additional magnification) indicated to me there is no "replacement for displacement" as it were.  Granularity clearer in the darkened limb (than a smaller scope the last two days). Faculae much brighter and more vivid than i have captured here and much more "coarseness" rather than density in the umbra.

You wouldn't think it from the sketch but it took  about three hours dodging rain showers and thunderstorms to accumulate ~45 mins of observation and sketching time. The irony of this game is not lost on me seeing as i only bought the solar filter finally due to prolonged cloudy nights 😂

[Roy Challen]

Nice sketches, and yes, solar observing at any wavelength is very addictive. I can't recommend Ha highly enough, but I'm just about to add a Herschel wedge to my armoury.

[josefk]

A third day running with AR 3691. I do like a good series 🙂

Its grown hugely in the 24hrs since yesterday - if i understand the stats on solar weather correctly its now 720 millionths of a solar hemisphere and ~ 2 million square km. 

It's beautiful and fascinating to look at but very difficult to capture the visible detail in a sketch without it getting clumsy and over egged as i'm afraid this one has become. 

Edited May 27 by josefk

[josefk]

and another couple of spots just now; AR 3685 and AR 3686 which i've been watching since Friday and AR 3695 (also seen with AR 3691 above) and AR 3696.

The faculae plage (if i use the right description) around AR 3696 looks a bit strong on my drawing but actually it was this vivid as high thin cloud blew through darkening the rest of the disk. It wasn't this vivid without the assistance of the cloud.

[maw lod qan]

Excellent sketches!

Great minds think alike!

My white light filters also go in a large Tupperware container!

It definitely protects them!