Solar Activity 12 Sep

[brianb]

Another disappointing day weatherwise, just a couple of short gaps (one 5 mins, the other about 15 mins) between showers dying out and arrival of a new weather front. Bad seeing, poor transparency and another incomplete observation set.

The active region which came round the limb yesterday (now numbered AR 11106) is revealed in its complex glory, one main spot trailed by a whole host of spotlets and pores embedded in a large patch of white light faculae, which coincides with the CaK plage associated with this active area:

1020 UT. WO FLT 110, Lunt solar wedge, 4x Imagemate, DMK21

1025 UT. WO FLT 110, Lunt B1200 CaK diagonal, 2.5x Powermate, DMK21

There is also a small outbreak very close to the east limb (northern hemisphere) which contains a couple of small spots and a few pores.

1018 UT. WO FLT 110, Lunt solar wedge, 4x Imagemate, DMK21

I was unable to image this in CaK or attempt any large scale Ha imaging due to cloud cover.

Overviews:

0850 UT. Coronado PST CaK, prime focus, DMK41

1011 UT. Solarscope 60, 0.5x focal reducer, DMK41

Note the small plage about halfway between the centre of the disc and the eastern limb. I had a chance to examine this with the high resolution CaK imaging rig and was unable to decide whether or not it contained any pores; appears to be blank in white light.

The north western portion of the Ha disc continues to be dominated by dark filaments; a new long thin "crack" filament may be developing to the east of the meridian.

Transparency moderate to poor, patchy cirrostratus sheet thickening in gaps between decaying showery clouds. Seeing poor to bad with very rapid moderate amplitude boiling. Temperature 17C, wind NW force 3-4 gusting 5.

[sheri_barri]

Very nice sequence Brian! The pair at 1020UT and 1025UT are especially impressive images of the pore dotted region. Well worth persevering in the deteriorating weather!

~Sheri