Solar Activity 21 May

[brianb]

A very warm humid day with very poor observing conditions due to thickish high cloud continually varying in intensity. Seeing was reasonably steady though.

Overview in CaK shows little activity other than the new active area in the south east quadrant:

1353 UT. Coronado PST CaK, prime focus, DMK41

Ha overview shows the continuing evolution of the huge filament in the north - now approaching the meridian - and significant prominences easily visible despite very poor transparency:

1432 UT. Solarscope 60, 0.5x focal reducer, DMK41

The new active area in the south east looks as though it build some more:

1443 UT. Solarscope 60, 2x barlow, DMK21

1402 UT. WO FLT 110, Lunt solar wedge, 4x Imagemate, DMK21

1413 UT. WO FLT 110, Lunt B1200 CaK diagonal, 2x barlow, DMK21

Unfortunately thickening cloud prevented me from imaging the filaments or the prominences at high resolution. The hi res images above were seriously compromised by continually varying transparency.

Transparency very poor and variable - cirrostratus with drifting cirrocumulus patches & contrails. Seeing quite good! Temperature 24C (too warm for me, espescially with high humidity), wind SW force 4.