Observe The Sun Safely! Never look at the Sun without a proper filter!
Solar Programs are held 1st Sunday of every Month 2:00-4:00 PM at Houge Park weather permitting.
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“1x” Solar Glasses Visiable Sunspot, Sunspot Count over 200, Plus Spectacular Prominences Equals One Great 4th July Weekend of Solar Observing
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Keven Lahey, Robert Duvall, Bill O’Neil, Jeff Gose, Teruo Utsumi, Paul Mancuso and Michael Packer were just some of the folks who hung out at the 1st Sunday of month solar party and this 4th of July Weekend did not disappoint.
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CLICK ANY IMAGE TO ENLARGE
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Sunspots looked fantastic through solar filtered binoculars.
Don’t not look through your binoculars without proper solar filters – doing so will cause permanent eye damage!
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By far the coolest aspect of the solar disc today was the sheer number of sunspots (213 NOAA). Sunspots usually come in pairs and the larger one looked like wings of a butterfly according to Robert D. – or perhaps moth wings that emulated fake eyes to detract prey (Michael P.). What ever your imagination – the detail of the umbra and penumbra was intricate as nature can be (below left image). Another neat detail to be observed was near textbook example of filamentary prominences arcing around one sunspot source. No question here. The focus of these semicircular arcs clearly were spot on the spot that caused them. Can you see which spot we’re talking about in the below right image?
The sun with Standard Solar Filter and H-Alpha (click an image to enlarge).
Here are more images of the day:
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Astronomical observer for 20 years and optical engineer. I design non-imaging prism and reflector optics for commercial, medical and high-end retail lighting.
In Robert D.’s white light shot, when you zoom in, the surface is not uniform. Is this due to noise turbulence from the Earth’s atmosphere, from the camera, or is this actually texture on the Sun’s surface that the camera is picking up?
There is some limb darkening (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limb_darkening) in the white light (and H-alpha) that is a natural effect. But also both these single shot images are adjusted to bring out detail and this can alter uniformity at the edges to an extent. The imager has to be cognizant of both effects when publishing final photos.
Oh also there is observable solar granularity under white light (as well as H-alpha). But again the images are adjusted to bring out detail and this can alter granular uniformity to an extent. So again the imager has to be cognizant of this the faithfully publish photos that represents what’s seen under eyepiece. Notice too there is some faculae (http://solarscience.msfc.nasa.gov/feature1.shtml) near the limb at 3 o’clock. We saw this.