20100116 White Light Sunspot

Continue to monitor that sunspot (AR1040 in white light), using my Orion 100ED f/9, seeing still very bad at 2/10, transparency at 4/10.

1456 (GMT+8), at 900mm:-


1504 (GMT+8), at 4500mm, resized to hide the ugly seeing:-

20100115 Partial Solar Eclipse

First contact in white light, EXIF reveals 1533 (GMT+8):



First contact in H-alpha:



Start time of the clip = 15:32:42 (GMT+8), synchronized with HKO, 30 fps

Cutting AR1040 in H-alpha:



Start time of the clip = 16:03:19 (GMT+8), synchronized with HKO, 3.75 fps

20100114 White Light Sun

Before the sunspot goes away, I catch the chance to capture it. I setup my Orion 100ED f/9 on my LXD55, using my APM Herschel wedge as the filter, plus a a combination of ND3/polarizer/green filters... Prime focus, 3x and 5x are used to pump up the image scale.

The seeing is poor, and registax has a hard time to do the processing, since every frames are different, I cannot even determine which one should be used as the reference for the alignment process.... I would rate it a 3/10, transparency quite good at 5/10.

One of the video taken with my 5x Powermate:



Another one:



Processed shots, no good indeed...

1534 (GMT+8), 900mm:-


1540 (GMT+8). 4500mm:-


1551 (GMT+8), 2700mm:-

My partial solar eclipse observation plan

I will try to do the following:

1. Observation at home: I shall setup my H-alpha as well as white light from inside my home.

H-alpha would be using my Ranger with NGF-CM, together with my Coronado Solarmax 40 with BF10, image capturing by my DMK 31AF03.AS with a reducer in order to see the full solar disc. I shall focus on the prominence by pushing up the exposure. I wish to see some prominences cut by the lunar disc but that would require luck. And it would be interesting to have the lunar disc to occult any active regions. To have both goals reached, I have to adjust the exposure slightly more than what surface detail would require.

Along side with it, I will have my Canon 450D, Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L with Kenko 2x, together with my Thousand Oaks Type 2+ Glass filter. This setup will take snapshots automatically with a timer control, I will be capturing a shot every 10 seconds using spot metering.

After around 5:00pm, I shall go outside with my white light setup on a simple camera tripod.

2. Observation outside: I shall choose a location which I can see the sun closer to the horizon, I wish that I can capture some shots without solar filter when the sun is low enough. Yes, it's pretty dangerous, but the rule of thumb is "eyes off" from the view finder.

Consider a red eclisped sunset, with some more terrestial scene, it should be something very nice indeed. As a result, I shall also bright a wider lens along with me for that purpose.

(I shall be in Nam Cheong Playground where I should be able to see the sun setting... and I expect that even there're places that I can see even lower, there would be a high chance of cloud at that angle given Hong Kong weather)

20100113 Sun

Seeing very poor, the solar disc is not round at all, accurate focusing is impossible, I would rather it a solid 0.5/10. Transparency 3/10 since the sun is rather low in the sky already.

Full disc with reducer:-

1633 (GMT+8):-


1634 (GMT+8):-


Close up with 2x barlows:-

1638 (GMT+8):-


1640 (GMT+8):-

20100112 Sun in white light

My toy room was occupied by my daughters, they were having their piano lesson when I back home. Therefore, I can only take a snapshot with my DSLR.

Taken with my Canon 450D, Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 with IS turned on, handheld, Thousand Oaks Glass Type 2+.

1624 (GMT+8), autofocus at f/5.6:-


With Kenko 2x, 1627 (GMT+8), Live View contrast detection autofocus at f/11:-


Click for full size.

20100109 Sun with AR1040

Cloud cleared up eventually while the sun was still around, great for me! Seeing very poor at 3/10, transparency 5/10. Full disc taken with reducer, close up with 2x.

1559 (GMT+8):-


1600 (GMT+8):-


1602 (GMT+8):-


1603 (GMT+8):-