Through the kitchen window.

Blue sky, scudding clouds and COLD outside.

A quick morning image of Sol.

Considering the photo was taken through the closed kitchen window I'm happy with the results.

Hydrogen Alpha - 17/2/22.

With a quick break in the clouds this morning, I managed to capture a few prominence shots. 

I placed a black cloth over the telescope and my head. There was a marked improvement in prominence contrast.

Sat in the garden with a black sheet over my head, on a windy dull day... 

I wonder what the neighbours thought!

Eiffel Tower on the Sun - 06/02/22

Rained heavily this morning, but around 2.30pm the clouds parted, and out came the Sun.

Old Sol wasn't the only object to be seen.. Helen noticed that the large prominence on view looked like the Eiffel Tower!

Eiffel Tower Prominence

White light Sol observation January 30th.

Clouded out for most of the day, though did manage to capture a quick image. 

Orion 90mm Maksutov - White light filter - Afocal Samsung S6. 

Tried a bit of copy and paste with the supplied Android app. Here is the rough result.

Active Region 2936

Still cold out there today, but really glad to see the days are now noticeably longer.

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I've just had a go at cleaning up the above picture with IrfanView software.  

I'll let you decide which is better.

Irfan View software

Android phone App

Solar Prominence: Saturday January 29th.

Not a very strong diplay this afternoon, the sky was blue from around 1.00 p.m.

At least I was able to capture this image. 

My "Coronograph filter" enabled a bit more contrast to be seen on the final picture.

Coronado PST 40mm/ f10 afocal 12.5mm Kellner and S6 camera phone.

Hydrogen Alpha - Home made Coronograph.

Recently I decided to have a go at making my own "Coronograph" images.

Well almost; I cheated.

I simply took one of my hydrogen alpha images and opened it a Windows Paint Shop program. 

Then, after a bit of editing, here are the results.

Paint Shop allowed me to easily make a black disc that fitted over the solar centre.

So far it looks promising.

Clear Sol Skies 

First Ha light of 2022

Just a quick post of today's hydrogen alpha image, my first solar image of the year.

Not much white light activity today, very little in the way of visual sun spots. 

Though there was one interesting grouping, but with little detail, as seen through the Ha 40mm PST.

Pretty quiet as regards prominence activity, but I did manage this image, taken through our bedroom (closed) window. 

January 6th 2022 - 15h15m UT : SFI 84 - SN 24

Blwyddyn Newydd Dda - Happy New Year

Clear Skies 

Anyone remember this catalogue?  Fullerscope reflectors from the 1980's ...proper Old School.

N.B  I must get those bedroom windows cleaned!

Mr Blue Sky is back.

Finally after nearly two months of cloud, rain, and winter gales... the blue sky reappears.

Been going slightly mad waiting for the blue sky return.  

Thankfully this morning the clouds evaporated, the Sun shone with Winter bright, and the sky was washed once again with heart warming blue.

Managed to see a couple of prominences and filaments on old Sol, plus a train of several sunspot groups.

To really round off this bluest of days, I managed to photograph the Moon as it was rising over the trig point of our nearest mountain, the Frenni Fawr.

A  good day for Sol and Selene,  and as I write this, it isn't even dark yet.

Hopefully clear skies tonight.

Thank you blue sky Pembrokeshire weather... clouds gone... all recent bad weather is forgiven.

November rain stop play.

Not much stargazing for me this past November!

Out of the thirty nights of possible November clear skies, only nine were clear enough for any actual observing.

Out of those nine evenings only three were all night clear!

It's a pity, as November can be one of the best months for observing, at least form here in Pembrokeshire.

In the past I've had many excellent solar and planetary observing sessions in this month of the bonfire and Leonid.

Lets hope the night skies of December are kinder.

The Bortle scale.

Interesting. 

I will be checking out the condition of my local night sky over the next few days.

It was not looking good last night,I could only see three stars in Ursa Minor!

Will keep a look out for M31, as and when the weather allows.

Wikipedia Bortle Scale Link

White light imaging.

Clear sky this morning, though clouds quickly moved in about 10.00 a.m.

Managed to capture a couple of solar images with the 90mm Maksutov, mounted on the sturdy eq3 mount. 

Makes a big stability difference when the telescope weighs less than the mount!

The images were taken with our old Nikon D70. An old camera by modern standards, but it still does the job fairly well. 

When I consider my first "astronomy" digital camera was a 1.3mp fixed lens two AA battery compact, then the D70 will more than keep me happy - for now.

Visually the Active Region 2882 stood out really well through the tiny Maksutov.

 

AR2882

With a 25mm eyepiece the sunspot grouping could easily be seen and was bigger than expected.

I haven't taken any white light images for ages, mostly I've been lost in Ha light these past few months.