The Official Imaging the Sun Thread

Inspeqtor wrote in post #18835459
why do some shots have a white background, and others have a black background?

Aesthetics, nothing more. But mainly because I invert the images for a different perspective. Certain features are just easier to notice when they're white, or black, depending on where they are for example. So I generally present the images both native and inverted (totally falsely represented, but they look different and can be pleasing).

Very best,

MalVeauX wrote in post #18835499
Aesthetics, nothing more. But mainly because I invert the images for a different perspective. Certain features are just easier to notice when they're white, or black, depending on where they are for example. So I generally present the images both native and inverted (totally falsely represented, but they look different and can be pleasing).

Very best,

Thank you Martin!!

April 2nd 2019:

There's yet another new sunspot in AR2737. This is exciting to have 3 active regions develop spots in such a short period of time. We went 30+ days between spots at our longest period in the minimum so far, and here in a few days apart, we've had 3 spots back to back. Maybe this is a sign of increasing activity as we are maybe past the peak of the minimum? The maximum is predicted to be at 2024, so we are just over half way, so maybe we are at or just past the peak of the minimum.

AR2737 has developed quickly into a good spot, a dipole, with visible umbra and interesting plages and filaments surrounding its region.

Full disc with the AR apparent and a higher resolution capture to show the area's detail and activity.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2fjZ​Jed

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2fjZ​J7j

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/RDfY​i6

April 3rd 2019

The sunspot in AR2737 persists today, the plage regions expanded, but the visible umbra of the spots have diminished. Presented in two wavelengths, hydrogen alpha (the chromosphere) and white light (the photosphere) showing the exact same region but in different wavelengths allowing us to see different structures existing in the same region. The convection cells are hallmark of the photosphere. The fiery plasma and fibrils are hallmark of the chromosphere.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2fkm​Jky

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2fkm​Jdj

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/RDBz​qv

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2fq3​kSH

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/RDCJ​dP

Martin, I'm curious why you have Reflectix on your mount?

andicus wrote in post #18839610
Martin, I'm curious why you have Reflectix on your mount?

They're radiative heat barriers to help keep the metal from heating up from direct sun exposure and then having plumes of heat rising from it into my imaging tubes, causing turbulence air movement, which destroys local seeing quality and prevents high resolution imaging (think of how the light shimmers over hot roads). Seeing is the great limit of any imaging off world, so anything to prevent something (usually heat) from ruining local seeing is worth attempting.

Very best,

I had seen it used on OTAs for non-solar astrophotography, but not on the mount.

That makes sense, and I appreciate the explanation.

andicus wrote in post #18839756
I had seen it used on OTAs for non-solar astrophotography, but not on the mount.

That makes sense, and I appreciate the explanation.

Lots of folk use it to totally envelope their OTA, the idea being that if the heat isn't transferring, you don't have to wait for a mirror to acclimate to the ambient temperature (it will be good to use right away if the temperature isn't changing rapidly, so it will perform better).

I do something similar, but also on the mount and metal and the OTA, all for similar reasons, but reflectix isn't an insulator, so it will not stop slow progressive temperature swing. Also, my stuff isn't fully sealed so it wouldn't slow it anyways. This is why I call it a radiative barrier because it does do a great job at stopping rising heat plumes, which are diverted and the reflecting of the sunlight keeps things from heating up, so they are not a source of plumes of heat tearing up the local seeing.

I even drape mylar material over the wall I image over to prevent heat from coming up from the wall.

Very best,

April 8th 2019

AR2738 is fresh around the limb, with a big spot in tow. A great spot. Finally! These are very rare in the minimum,so maybe this is sign that cycle 25 is approaching and we are on the up swing in activity. AR2738 flared and I captured a sequence of it to animate. Seeing was very good today so I was able to image in high resolution in two wavelengths for the chromosphere and the photosphere.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2foz​789

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2enh​FWS

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/Tk1g​rN

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/Tk1g​5L

MalVeauX wrote in post #18842450
April 8th 2019

AR2738 is fresh around the limb, with a big spot in tow. A great spot. Finally! These are very rare in the minimum,so maybe this is sign that cycle 25 is approaching and we are on the up swing in activity. AR2738 flared and I captured a sequence of it to animate. Seeing was very good today so I was able to image in high resolution in two wavelengths for the chromosphere and the photosphere.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2foz​789 AR2738_HA_200mm_Colore​d_04082019 by Martin Wise, on Flickr

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2enh​FWS AR2738_HA_200mm_Invert​ed_Colored_04082019 by Martin Wise, on Flickr

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/Tk1g​rN AR2738_WL_200mm_Convec​tionCells_Colored_0408​2019 by Martin Wise, on Flickr

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/Tk1g​5L SolarDisc_40mm_HA_DS_C​olored_04082019 by Martin Wise, on Flickr

Flare Animation:

https://flic.kr/p/2eni​BeJ

Very best,

Very interesting, Martin!

Outstanding!

April 12th 2019:

I was greeted with good seeing and fairly clear skies this morning, so I was able to use the full aperture and I feel very close to the resolution potential of this solar scope finally as my pre-summer seeing is rolling in here in Florida. AR2738 is a wonderful spot with lots of intricate small details in the plage areas, tiny filaments, and wonderful "gills" around the umbra. Presented in hydrogen alpha and white light.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2fr4​TkW

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2fr4​Tff

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2fvK​u4k

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/RKky​8r

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/RKky​3M

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/RKky​eD

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/24Ub​BEk

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/24Ub​BxX

April 17th 2019

I was able to get some sun this morning and seeing was decent. I was able to image in longer wavelengths at larger scales for some high resolution examples of AR2738's great spot in a few scales & wavelengths. Presented in hydrogen alpha (6562.8A) for the chromosphere, calcium k (3933.7A) for the lower chromosphere, and white light (6100.0A) for the photosphere.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2fz1​LZM

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2fz1​MqB

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/RNAs​1D

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2fuk​mVN

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/TqGp​Nh

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/RNz8​2Z

MalVeauX wrote in post #18847147
April 17th 2019

I was able to get some sun this morning and seeing was decent. I was able to image in longer wavelengths at larger scales for some high resolution examples of AR2738's great spot in a few scales & wavelengths. Presented in hydrogen alpha (6562.8A) for the chromosphere, calcium k (3933.7A) for the lower chromosphere, and white light (6100.0A) for the photosphere.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2fz1​LZM

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2fz1​MqB

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/RNAs​1D

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2fuk​mVN

https://flic.kr/p/TqGp​Nh

https://flic.kr/p/RNz8​2Z


Very best,

Very cool.

April 20th 2019

AR2739 is the only spot remaining visible, it's tiny, very small, easily overlooked as it approaches the limb. There are some large prominence groupings. Presented in hydrogen alpha (6562.A) and calcium k (3933.7A) representing the upper and lower chromosphere. Included an animation sequence of a prominence that erupted and lifted off near AR2739 at the limb.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2euU​Q6o

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/Tsz2​GL

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/Tsz3​au

https://astrob.in …1970/0/?nc=MalV​eauX&real=