Huge Solar Prominences on 21 Jul13 & solar images days after

[yltansg]

Hi Mr Chia,

Glad to hear you saw it too I was hoping to see it again today, but unfortunately it has exploded

Thanks for sharing on the compact camera. Please feel free to post your photos as it would be good to have other perspectives for our friends Looking forward to seeing them.

Alfred

[Gary]

Photos of the proms by Mr Chia. Enjoy!

[superiorstream]

Hi,Alfred
These are images of the prominence on 20 july and 21july 2013.Its taken during the explosion and its unedited
photos.These days,activities on the sun takes another form--it looks inactive--sunspots are small and at
'maximum' ,lots of small sunspots fill the surface of the sun(like that during the end of may-beginning of June) and
bright band of Cak with no visible sunspot in white light.Its interesting and really eyeopening for me who is observing a complete solar cycle daily for the FIRST time in 3 different colours--Ha,540nm,Cak.The sun never
disappoints.
As such I begin to understand what they mean by a 'solar maximum' in a solar cycle(in term of max visible sunspots)
and the maximum of localised event(like superhugh 600,000km sunspot;600,000km high prominences;hugh sunspots exchanging energy;hugh gas ejection at cracks on sunspots giving rise to moving filaments;solar earthquake;etc) that occurred during the starting 6 months of this cycle 24.
Look forward to really seeing what a 'decaying phase' really mean esp. in Ha and the all surprise giving Cak.Thanks.

[superiorstream]

Hi,Gary
Special thanks to Gary for the uploading.Thanks.

[yltansg]

Hi Mr Chia,

I've learnt much from your sharing, thanks.

I started solar observing and imaging in Mar 2010. The first solar image was taken with a Thousand Oaks whitelight filter on a Celestron C14. First H-alpha image was taken in May 2011 with a Lunt 60mm solar scope. I have been on a sharp learning curve and there is much to learn. CAK and whitelight imaging (with Baader Herschel wedge) came later in 2013.

I have just finished reading "The Sun Kings" by Stuart Clark. Was very inspired by Richard Carrington's work (the guy who caught that perfect solar storm in 1859). Have just got into spectroscopy and started building a repository of spectras of stars

Coming back to Solar Cycle 24, undoubtedly a weak solar maxima thus far. Apparently the 1859 Carrington Event happened during a weak solar cycle like this one. So, in a way I still looking out for anything the Sun will throw at us in this Maxima.

Here is the image taken on 24 Jul 13, 5 pm. The Sun is like what you have said, still relatively quiet with few sunspots.



This is how the Western limb looked like the day before on 23 Jul 13:



Alfred

[superiorstream]

Hi,Alfred
Certainly agree with you that big events might happen in this cycle.In fact this cycle--which come late by almost a year---started with a 'bang' and the first 6 mth is really enjoyable.I almost see ALL that I had long to see--except of course that superflare mentioned.Also,these made me acquire more solar equipment and hence result in 10 scopes in total.
My solar journey started a bit earlier--in 1980-1981 with my 40mm self build solar scope of vacuum cleaner pipe.
Subsequent improvement include a 60mm scope on microscope objective as eyepiece to get close-up view of sunspots.Solar filter used includes several stacked filters on self designed heat sinks.Its only around 1995 that I started with 1000oak solar filter with official telescope like the vixen FL102S.
Its ALL visual until 2002-2003 that I started capturing the image using self made afocal adapter(of Al tube and camera adapter rings).Thereafter,I never stop(shooting once weekly if possible);although everything is in white light.Cak,540nm,Ha shooting only begin at the starting of this cycle.
Well,lets hope that that big superflare will come in the near fulture!!

[lqx]

Hi Alfred!

Thanks for all the tips/advice on taking solar images, and all the patience demonstrating stacking/processing during last Bintan trip! Here's my very first astro-photo taken of the sun taken 24/07 (2pm! same sun and blue skies!)! Thanks to Remus too for suggestions for improvements on some of the earlier versions...
And was in Junwei's good company when we were taking these videos...



still a total newbie at imaging/processing, so the image is still rather coarse...
now really tempted to pick up a mono webcam for solar... =p

-Qixiang

[yltansg]

Hi Qixiang,

Thanks for sharing. Good job. Congrats!

What camera and solar scope did you use?

You have achieved both good disk details and proms. The disk details are quite consistent except for a small portion (lower portion) where the granulations are lost. In certain instances this can be corrected by adjusting the etalon tilt, if you are using an etalon with a tilt adjustment. The other way is to adjust the brightness until there are no bright spots. Sometimes gamma setting adjustment can also help.

Yes, a sensitive monochrome video CCD camera would definitely help.

I have been doing single etalon H-Alpha imaging all along. I have been getting good results with the Imaging Source DMK 41AU02.AS. Yesterday I tried a double-stacked configuration (0.49 A). The image dimmed significantly and I had to open up the aperture. I am thinking of trying the more sensitive DMK 21AU618.AS. Also tempted to try the higher resolution DMK 51AU02.AS camera.

For now the DMK 41AU02.AS produced the following image yesterday:



Looking forward to seeing more solar images from you. And to all solar friends - do remember to shield yourself from the UV rays

Alfred

[lqx]

Thanks Alfred!

Nice prominences on the left!
Today had been too cloudy to do any viewing... not even imaging!

Yes, am using a single stacked etalon with tilt adjust. Yep, hadn't noticed the gradient in brightness till I had gone back to stack the video, must watch for it next time!

Am using a 4" refractor(TSA102), was testing out a Neximage 5 camera (colour... eeks), and a HA etalon (sf70).

Will try to get some better images to share! I think I consider myself infected with the solar virus already...
Am always amazed at the dynamic changing features from day to day... (and that it's probably a much easier-bigger-brighter target to practice on first! )

Qixiang