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Stella-Luna Observatory ✨🌙Our local star was putting on quite a show, yesterday, with prominences large and small to gaze upon. The full disk image, here, records some of what was seen, including a smudge visible to the right of the disk — a prominence high above the solar surface.<a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/sun" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#sun</a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/solarobserving" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#solarobserving</a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/astronomy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#astronomy</a>

Kelly LepoWoah! Really cool new videos from the Goode Solar Telescope at Big Bear Solar Observatory show timelapse adaptive optics views of the Sun's corona. This one is of a solar prominence being shaped by the Sun’s magnetism. I like the choice to color hydrogen-alpha light pink.You should check out all of the videos (the Sun is so fluffy!): <a href="https://nso.edu/press-release/new-adaptive-optics-shows-stunning-details-of-our-stars-atmosphere/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://nso.edu/press-release/new-adaptive-optics-shows-stunning-details-of-our-stars-atmosphere/</a><a href="https://astrodon.social/tags/Space" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Space</a> <a href="https://astrodon.social/tags/Astronomy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Astronomy</a> <a href="https://astrodon.social/tags/SolarObserving" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#SolarObserving</a>

Stella-Luna Observatory ✨🌙Using the Askar 103 APO scope and Spectrum Telescope filter, we are likely saying goodbye to active region 4079 and its large sunspot. A few other spots dot Sun's face but hold a bit less interest. May try again tomorrow to catch 4079 on the western limb.<a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/sunspots" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#sunspots</a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/sun" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#sun</a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/astronomy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#astronomy</a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/solarobserving" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#solarobserving</a>

Stella-Luna Observatory ✨🌙The Sun Endures. The partly-cloudy sky today offered plenty of openings to deep blue sky, 26℉, and light winds produced good seeing for an interesting cluster of active regions!AR3976 was reportedly the source of a powerful, sub X-Class flare January 31. The resulting CME is expected to narrowly miss Earth on February 3.<a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/sunspots" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#sunspots</a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/sun" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#sun</a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/solarobserving" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#solarobserving</a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/solarimaging" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#solarimaging</a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/spaceweather" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#spaceweather</a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/astronomy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#astronomy</a>

Stella-Luna Observatory ✨🌙The complete solar disk as recorded in hydrogen-alpha light. The “worm-shaped” shadows seen in several areas are filaments. The dark spots are, yes, sunspots. And around the rim or limb of the solar disk are seen prominences — geysers of solar plasma riding magnetic field lines before crashing back into the sun. False color applied. <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/sunspots" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#sunspots</a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/sun" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#sun</a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/astronomy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#astronomy</a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/solar" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#solar</a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/solarobserving" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#solarobserving</a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/astronomy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#astronomy</a>

Stella-Luna ObservatoryThe complete solar disk as recorded in hydrogen-alpha light. The “worm-shaped” shadows seen in several areas are filaments. The dark spots are, yes, sunspots. And around the rim or limb of the solar disk are seen prominences — geysers of solar plasma riding magnetic field lines before crashing back into the sun. False color applied.In addition to photographing Earth’s Sun in white light nearly every clear day, we occasionally set up the heavy telescope mount and bring out the new hydrogen-alpha (Ha) telescope for a bit of visual observing and unique imaging. It’s a bit of work since, without an observatory building we usually feel we need to take down and store away the mount after each session, so we don’t do that every day.On November 8 we had clear skies, good atmospheric conditions, and the inclination to do the Ha setup and were rewarded with splendid views plus our best Sun images yet.Using a Barlow lens to zoom for a closer view, we see large and small prominences and hints of spicules along Sun’s limb, and several large filaments. The dark spots in the upper left-hand corner of this picture is a group of sunspots at active region 3889.Across the solar disk were visible large and distinct filaments — prominence loops seen from “above” — as well as sunspots and swirling patterns in the solar atmosphere around them. All around the Sun’s limb could be seen prominences glowing against a background of black space. Some of the prominences, which are fountain-like sprays and loops of magnetically-charged plasma, were quite large.A major part of producing good images is what happens away from the telescope. Our usual practice is to record video of the telescope view and use software, in the office, to sort through thousands of video image frames, then stack the best few hundred to form a single still image. The still image is then edited to bring out as much detail and tonal range as possible. This process, which is common in astrophotography, produces a sharper image than what might be acquired via any single photographic “snapshot” owing largely to atmospheric turbulence.Using a Barlow lens to zoom for a closer view, we see large and small prominences and spicules along Sun’s limb. The dark spot just above the center of this picture is a large sunspot at active region 3879.There’s room for improvement, and we’re seeing excellent progress, but the images shown here are our best yet of Sun in hydrogen-alpha light.Note: H-a light is that which Sun is producing in its chromosphere — the solar atmospheric layer between the outer corona and the lower photosphere — and is invisible even to protected human vision and white light cameras. Specialized optics are required to block other wavelengths found in white light and allow observation of Ha. When we observe or image in white light, we’re actually viewing features such as sunspots while looking through both the corona and the chromosphere!Safety Note: It is not safe to look directly at the sun without specialized eye protection for solar viewing, and safe solar filters for telescope, binocular, or camera use. Permanent damage to vision can result from improper viewing of the sun.The complete solar disk as recorded in hydrogen-alpha light. The “worm-shaped” shadows seen in several areas are filaments. The dark spots are, yes, sunspots. And around the rim or limb of the solar disk are seen prominences — geysers of solar plasma riding magnetic field lines before crashing back into the sun. Image was recorded and presented here in monochrome.<a href="https://stellalunaobservatory.space/2024/11/10/our-best-sun-images-yet/" class="" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://stellalunaobservatory.space/2024/11/10/our-best-sun-images-yet/</a><a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://stellalunaobservatory.space/tag/astronomy/" target="_blank">#astronomy</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://stellalunaobservatory.space/tag/astrophotography/" target="_blank">#astrophotography</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://stellalunaobservatory.space/tag/science/" target="_blank">#science</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://stellalunaobservatory.space/tag/solar/" target="_blank">#solar</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://stellalunaobservatory.space/tag/solarimaging/" target="_blank">#solarimaging</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://stellalunaobservatory.space/tag/solarobserving/" target="_blank">#solarobserving</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://stellalunaobservatory.space/tag/space/" target="_blank">#space</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://stellalunaobservatory.space/tag/sun/" target="_blank">#sun</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://stellalunaobservatory.space/tag/sunspots/" target="_blank">#sunspots</a>

Akkana Peck(Yay, fosstodon is back up!)Today's APOD has a big prominence hanging way off the sun's limb. I was lucky enough to see that in the scope last week! Pretty amazing, never seen anything like it before. <a href="https://fosstodon.org/tags/astronomy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#astronomy</a> <a href="https://fosstodon.org/tags/solarobserving" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#solarobserving</a> <a href="https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240902.html" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240902.html</a>

Akkana PeckToday's APOD has a big prominence hanging way off the sun's limb. I was lucky enough to see that in the scope last week! Pretty amazing, never seen anything like it before. <a href="https://fosstodon.org/tags/astronomy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#astronomy</a> <a href="https://fosstodon.org/tags/solarobserving" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#solarobserving</a> <a href="https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240902.html" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240902.html</a>

Akkana PeckWow, the h-alpha sun is spectacular right now, with a huge prominence way off the disk and disconnected from it. (Wish I could find a live h-alpha image for posts like this.) Lots of activity on the disk too: I'm sure it's also great with a white-light filter.<a href="https://fosstodon.org/tags/astronomy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#astronomy</a> <a href="https://fosstodon.org/tags/solarobserving" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#solarobserving</a>

Stella-Luna Observatory ✨🌙AR3590 is worth watching: "Giant sunspot group AR3590 is more than ten times wider than Earth and can be safely viewed through ordinary eclipse glasses..." says Spaceweather.com. "Speaking of size, this sunspot is about half as big (by surface area) as the great sunspot that caused the Carrington Event in Sept. 1859." The first is a false-color image, prettier to view; a monochrome version is included here showing more detail. 2/2 <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/solar" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#solar</a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/solarobserving" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#solarobserving</a>

Mary McIntyre AstronomyOn Monday 8th May at 7pm I'm doing my brand new talk "A Beginner's Guide to Observing & Photographing the Sun" for Newtown AS. It's online & open to non-members for £3 but you need to book before 10pm tonight! Email secretary.newtownastrosoc@gmail.com for details <a href="https://astrodon.social/tags/SolarAstrophotography" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#SolarAstrophotography</a> <a href="https://astrodon.social/tags/SolarFeatures" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#SolarFeatures</a> <a href="https://astrodon.social/tags/Sunspots" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Sunspots</a> <a href="https://astrodon.social/tags/SolarObserving" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#SolarObserving</a>

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