Solar Activity 31 Jul

[brianb]

Clouds actually broke for the first time in over a week this afternoon ... the seeing was reasonable too, but the breaks (between showers) didn't last long. Still I was able to get a few images.

CaK overview shows that the main activity is AR 11092 which contains one largish sized spot. Not a lot else on the disc except "froth".

1516 UT. Coronado PST CaK, prime focus, DMK41

Here are closeups of AR 11092 in Ha, white light & CaK:

1607 UT. Solarscope 60, 2.5x Powermate, DMK21

1631 UT. WO FLT 110, Lunt solar wedge, 4x Imagemate, DMK21

1622 UT. WO FLT 110, Lunt B1200 CaK diagonal, 2.5x Powermate, DMK21

Ha overview shows several large filaments together with several groups of prominences:

1522 UT. Solarscope 60, 0.5x focal reducer, DMK41

Here's a closer view of the filaments:

1530 UT. Solarscope 60, prime focus, DMK41

And here are views of the complex prominence groups on the NE and E limbs:

1613 UT. Solarscope 60, 2.5x Powermate, DMK21

1611 UT. Solarscope 60, 2.5x Powermate, DMK21

Transparency very good (between drifting shower clouds). Seeing moderate. Temperature 18C, wind NW force 3-4.

This July has been by some margin the dullest on record in Northern Ireland (according to Met Office sunshine recordings) with less than half the usual amount of sunshine. Hopefully August will be a bit better but I'm not hopeful - it's usually a cloudy month & the "stuck in a rut" summer weather pattern doesn't usually change until early September.

[Ibbo!]

Excellent Brian

I got a quick visual peep between the clouds and as soon as I the camera came out the sun went in I'm sure its camera shy

except when I was walking the dogs

Typical

Hope you get some more clear skies

Steve

[sheri_barri]

Hi Brian,

Sounds like you are suffering from the same weather we are getting in NE Scotland. At least the garden is growing!

Beautiful captures between showers! The H-alpha fill disk is especially impressive. The detail on the CaK sunspot is the sharpest I have seen.

Hope you get some clearer skies soon!

~Sheri