Heads up for Sun watchers

[daveg]

NASA's STERO-B is monitoring a large Active Region which should appear on the Sun around the 21st. This looks like the first large sun-spot of the new cycle, so fingers crossed.

Dave Gradwell

[NickH]

Small AR today Dave. Got it imaged, but it's boring to look at, even at F50..

Thanks for this, I had heard something was "coming round the mountain"

[Solar B]

Thanks Dave

Look forward to having a squint at it

Brian

[Leegsi]

What will I see with a skywatcher 130 with the solar film over the hole? I have used it before and seen a white disc but thats it. Will I see a sun spot?

[brianb]

This looks like the first large sun-spot of the new cycle

Have we forgotten July already?

Will I see a sun spot?

Hopefully .... my guess is that the clouds will be the deciding factor (as usual).

[daveg]

This one looks much bigger than AR11024 that appeared in July but the way the sun is behaving it may have died by the time we get to see it.

Yes hopefully you will see the spot and if its big enough the penumbral region (lighter bit) around the edge. But as BrianB says weather may spoil it.

Nick I saw images of that it is quite smalll alright, didnt manage to grab any myself.

DG

[daveg]

That spot has arrived and while not as big as expcted it is visible in white light in the SE of the Suns disc

DG

[crovax]

Ohhh and again I am missing the sunspot because it is up during the wordays :(

What do you think about the lifetime of this spot? Will it last till weekend?

[daveg]

Hi Eugene

There are now 2 large active regions (sunspots) on the Sun and they "should" be there by the w/e. So dont fret just yet......

Dave

[crovax]

Thanks, I also hope that the weather will be nice. Right now all the sky is fully covered with clouds and taking into consideration the current season, the sun can be hidden for weeks now.

July sunspots were very disappointing. They disappeared exactly on Saturday

[Leegsi]

Just got home to clouds too

[gataki]

Hi,

I've also been looking forward to having a look at a sunspot and later this afternoon the sky was clear and I had a good view of the sun but couldn't see anything.

it is visible in white light in the SE of the Suns disc

I must be doing something wrong? Surely with my refractor and the sun visible through a diy baader solar filter I ought to be able to see a sunspot or two?

Thanks for any advice,

Liz

[daveg]

We have broken clouds here in Ireland - enough to get a glimpse anyway.

Liz

Yes your Nexstar 102 should find them alright. One is at the bottom of the Sun slightly to the left. The other is actually 2 "smudges" towrds the centre of the Sun. Be careful when focusing as the featureless disc can make it difficult. Focus on the edge of the disc to be sure. Do not expect "big" spots so scan the Sun slowly unitil you pick them up. My white light image on the solar images section is with a C100 so its nearly the same as yours. Hope this helps and let me know how you get on...

DG

[gataki]

Hi Dave,

Thanks for the advice. I managed to get a good look at the sun this morning (before the clouds appeared) but still no spots. I went really slowly over the whole disc ... it's very frustrating! The view was very sharp, no haziness or anything I even tried a 5mm ep.

I guess there's always tomorrow!

Liz

[daveg]

Hi Liz

Sorry youre having problems seeing them. Heres a link to what they look like on the full disc. Try small mag first then zoom in.

http://www.spaceweather.com/images2009/25sep09/midi512_blank.gif?PHPSESSID=5qrdemvagbgaiqlmf8seut1sm0

DG

[daveg]

Liz a further update - the lower spot called11026 has all but disappeard but the central one, 11027 is still visable

DG

[Leegsi]

Had a look yesterday with my Skywatcher 130 but couldn't see any either with my 25mm eye piece.

[daveg]

Ok maybe theyre fading fast now. I've been clouded out for the last 2 days now so havent been able to observe. Thanks for the update.

DG

[crovax]

Hi, I think you're having the problems because of bad focus. I (at last!) observed sunspots this Saturday with my 130 skywatcher. I tried playing with focus (using 25mm EP) and sunspots simply become invisible if the telescope is not focused perfectly. Try using the following trick. Set up your 'scope, locate a distant tree, focus on it, put on your filter, locate Sun and look into the EP.

[Leegsi]

Thanks for the tip. Will try that next time.

[brianb]

Try using the following trick.

Or focus as carefully as you can on the limb of the Sun then go slowly through the focus point....