Swansea Astronomical Society Blog
Friday, July 30, 2010
AR1092 in Ca K-line light and H-alpha light
Between gaps in the clouds I captured images of Sunspot AR1092 using Coronado PST solar scopes and a DMK21AS camera. My Fujifilm F-450 compact camera captured a whole disk H-alpha afocal image in B/W mode.
Note the huge filament on the disk. There were two very large large filaments
H-alpha image
Note the huge filament on the disk. There were two very large large filaments
Note also the very bright actiivity of the active region.
Ca K-line light
Afocal Whole disk H-alpha image:
Both large filaments are visible in this image as is AR1092 and the departing AR1089
Steve Wainwright
Steve Wainwright
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Wayne Jones's spring and summer images
Here is a small selection of images by Wayne Jones SAS and FOG member. Wayne uses a Mintron and a Sony DSLR with a number of scopes and lenses. More details will be posted but for the moment here are some of his images:
M51
Whole solar disk in H-alpha with a Mintron and PST
Prominences in H-alpha with a Mintron and PST
Setting Sun over the Llanrhidian marshes with a Sony DSLR:
Note that the disk is starting to flatten. Click on the image to see more detail.
M51
Whole solar disk in H-alpha with a Mintron and PST
Prominences in H-alpha with a Mintron and PST
The same prominence image using a virtual occultation disk.
Ursa Major with a Sony DSLR
Wide-field image with Sony DSLR
Images by Wayne Jones
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Sunspot AR1089 by Keith Davies
These images of sunspot 1089 were taken yesterday evening around 6-30pm. They They were taken on my my new EQ3 mount, skywatcher 80mm APO refractor, Baader filter, and a DMK31AS camera. The first image was at prime focus, then with a 2.5x Barlow and lastly a 3x Barlow:
Keith Davies
AR1089 in Ca K-line light through a 6" refractor
Yesterday evening I imaged Sunspot AR1089 with a 6" refractor fitted with a Baader Photo grade solar filter and a DMK21AS camera fitted with a Baader Ca K-line filter and a x2 Barlow:
Steve Wainwright
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Sunspot AR1089 in H-alpha and Ca K-line light
I imaged AR1089 with A DMK21AS Camera fitted with the lens assembly from a x2 Barlow through H-alpha and Ca K-line Coronado PST solar scopes. The images are colourised to represent the wavelengths used. Click on the images to see a larger version:
H-alpha image:
Ca K-line image:
These images are published on http://www.spaceweather.com/ today (22 July 2010) and after today, in the Spaceweather archive.
Steve Wainwright
A problem with the Merlin mount Fixed
I have discovered a problem (and a cure) for the undesirable effect of sunlight on the Merlin Multifunction mount. I have described the problem in the YouTube video link below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uw_U-ctherA
The basic Merlin Mount showing the bubble level (with some velcro tags either side):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uw_U-ctherA
The basic Merlin Mount showing the bubble level (with some velcro tags either side):
The bubble level covered with easily removable black velcro:
Here is my Merlin Mount in action tracking the sun with a strip of black Velcro covering the bubble level:
Steve Wainwright
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Fairwood Dome in Dry Dock
This afternoon Derek Francis and Jim Collins were working on the rotation mechanism for the Fairwood dome. I am pleased to say that it now rotates more easily than I have ever known it to rotate:
Derek makes another adjustment
Pleased with their work
The handle can now be shortened and the lamp replaced.
Derek makes another adjustment
Pleased with their work
The handle can now be shortened and the lamp replaced.
The Fairwood dome will be easier to use for the next observation session than it has been for several years.
Steve Wainwright
Monday, July 19, 2010
Plane and simple lunar imaging
Yesterday evening I was close to the heathrow flight path and took an image of the Moon in the daytime sky with a Fuji F-450 compact camera and captured a fleeting conjunction:
Click on the image to see a larger version.
Steve Wainwright
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Saturn Last Night
Last night I imaged Saturn. It was taken through my 11" Celestron, DBK21 camera and a 2.5x barlow.
Keith Davies
Monday, July 12, 2010
AR1087 in H-alpha and Ca K-line light colourised
I imaged AR1087 in H-alpha and Ca K-line light using Coronado PST scopes and a DMK21AS camera fitted with the lens assembly from a x2 Barlow. The results were colourised to represent the wavelengths in which the images were made. Clicking on the images will show a larger version.
H-alpha
Ca K-line
Blending the two images gives a view of the structures visible in H-alpha and Ca K-line in a single image:
Steve Wainwright
Sunday, July 11, 2010
AR1087 in H-alpha and Ca K-line light further onto the disk
I imaged AR1087 in H-alpha light and Ca K-line light with a DMK camera anf Coronado PST solar scopes. Today I used the lens assembly from a Coronado Ceemax x2 Barlow and a standard lenght nosepiece to obtain a larger image scale. Click on an image to see a larger version:
H-alpha
Steve Wainwright
H-alpha
The region is seething with activity.
Viewing the image as a negative can reveal more detail of the structure:
Ca K-line
Steve Wainwright
Saturday, July 10, 2010
AR1087 in H-alpha and Ca K-line light
The new bright active region has developed a number of spots and has been designated AR1087. I imaged it in H-alpha and Ca K-line light. Clicking on the images will show larger versions.
H-alpha light
Ca K-line light
This area is developing and may produce a large sunspot group if it persists.
This area is developing and may produce a large sunspot group if it persists.
Steve Wainwright
Noctilucent clouds with a compact camera
Last night I used a Fuji F-450 compact camera in night mode, on a tripod to record noctilucent clouds that I observed not far from London.
Steve Wainwright
Friday, July 9, 2010
New active region shining brightly
The new active region close to the eastern solar limb is shining brightly in H-alpha and Ca K-line light. In H-alpha it appears as a serpentine bright plage and in Ca K-line light what appear to be two small spots are visible:
H-alpha light
Ca K-line light
Steve Wainwright
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Day and night
Last night I used the Samsung SDC-435 frame-accumulating video camera fitted with a light pollution filter to image the Ring Nebula and the cigar galaxy at the prime focus of an 11" SCT:
M82
Yesterday I imaged sunspots AR1084 and AR1086 in green continuum light with a DMK21AS camera fitted with an IR/UV cut filter and a green continuum filter and a stacked lens assembly from a x2 Barlow through a 6" refractor fitted with a Baader solar filter.
M57:
M82
Yesterday I imaged sunspots AR1084 and AR1086 in green continuum light with a DMK21AS camera fitted with an IR/UV cut filter and a green continuum filter and a stacked lens assembly from a x2 Barlow through a 6" refractor fitted with a Baader solar filter.
AR1084
AR1086
I also imaged both spots together using a PST
AR1086 is associated with a bright plage area and AR1084 shows swirling magnetic structure.
Steve Wainwright
Sunday, July 4, 2010
AR1084 in H-alpha and Ca K-line light
I used the H=alpha and Ca K-line scopes mounted on the Merlin AZ autotracking mount and a DMK 21AS camera with a very short nosepiece and the lens assembly from a Coronado Cemax x2 Barlow.
The sunspot region is swirling with magnetic activity and a huge prominence dominates the disk.
H-alpha
The sunspot region is swirling with magnetic activity and a huge prominence dominates the disk.
Ca K-line
Steve Wainwright
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