20090926 Sun

My internet connection is still down but the scope is up and running... the room is very hot at 34 degrees, remember that's indoor temperature...

1545 (GMT+8), with reducer:


1546 (GMT+8), with reducer:


1548 (GMT+8), with 2x barlows:-


1549 (GMT+8), with 2x barlows:-


1550 (GMT+8), with 2x barlows:-:-

20090925 Sun

My internet connection is still down, I'm now using something very slow and unstable.

I reached home earlier today and the sun was sinking very low, anyway, I did a few shots since there're some active regions around, rare these days.

First two taken with reducer, 1727 (GMT+8):-


1728 (GMT+8):-


This one taken with a 5x (without reducer) and the seeing/transparency was so poor in that low angle, essentially useless shot, just a record taken at 1733 (GMT+8):-

Problem with my broadband connection

You might already notice that I have not been updating my blog these days. That's because my home broadband connection failed. Actually, I have no access to my home phone, and also my TV.

The service provider has been trying to fix it, but none of the technician made it. I am now planning to switch to another provider, however, I need to make sure that the existing service provider would terminate my contract first or otherwise, they will keep charging me every month. And as you might guess, the existing service provider won't give up so easily and they are still trying to send more people to check the connection out.

Therefore, at the time being, I cannot do anything but wait. Once my existing contract was terminated cleanly, I will subscribe to a new provider and by then, my network connection will become stable again.

Thank you for the wait, and wish that things will get fine soon.

20090912 Sun

It's pretty clear today, I would rate it 6/10 with some cloud floating around, seeing like 3/10, not too bad in day time standard. The sun is extremely silent. Again, all captured with my usual setup: Coronado Solarmax 40 with BF10, DMK 31AF03.AS, Tele Vue Ranger with NGF-CM and 0.5x binoviewer corrector mounted in the nosepiece of the BF10.

1553 (GMT+8):-


1554 (GMT+8):-

Scaling down from 31AF03 to 21AF04

Just wonder if it will fit into the field of view?

With the 31AF03, the solar disc will fit in a square of around 760x760 pixels (including medium sized prominences), and the 31AF03 has a pixel size of 4.65um.

With a 21AF04, the pixel size is 5.6um and thus the pixel will accomodate slightly more field.

By simple calculation, the 21AF04 will be able to fit horizontally, but not vertically with my existing instrument. Therefore, I would rather stay with my 31AF03.

20090907 Sun

The sun is still quiet, transparency 6/10, seeing 2/10. This time, I open the window to capture.

1710 (GMT+8):-


1711 (GMT+8):-

20090906 Sun

I'm breaking the rule. You people probably know that I had been taking solar images indoor with an open window.

It is 33 degree Celcius outside. Guess what?

I dare not even to open the window, yes, I'm shooting through the cheap and dirty window plate glass with my usual setup. I know the quality is going to be bad, but during solar minimum, I can try without missing too much valuable detail hopefully. So, I did it.

First two shots are taken with a 0.5x at the nosepiece of the BF10, of course, the Solarmax 40 is in the front as usual:-

1644 (GMT+8):-


1646 (GMT+8):-


Some small detail were kind of "washed out", and the effect is similar to poor seeing.

Finally, I even did a close up with a 2x, so it means 960mm effective focal length:-

1659 (GMT+8), this one is pretty similar with what I can do with an open window:-

20090905 Sun

Transparency 7/10, seeing 2/10. No sunspots nor active regions, not even big prominence. Solar activity remains low, let's hope when the "stored" energy released, it will deliver a great show.

1427 (GMT+8):-


1429 (GMT+8):-

20090828 Sun

The sun remains silent, there's a filament somewhere if you carefully tune the Tmax, I nearly missed that one. There's a big prominence around and let's hope there's something great coming there. Seeing 3/10, transparency 6/10. Again, all captured using my Tele Vue Ranger with Solarmax 40 and BF10, low power taken with a 0.5x binoviewer corrector in the nosepiece of the BF10, higher power version taken with a Tele Vue 2x barlows, the camera is my DMK 31AF03.

1505 (GMT+8):-


1506 (GMT+8):-


1507 (GMT+8), Tmax adjusted to show that filament:-


1513 (GMT+8):-


1514 (GMT+8):-

20090815 Moon

Just snapshot with my Canon 100-400mm at widest and longest respectively.

1209 (GMT+8):-


1210 (GMT+8):-

20090822 Sun

Seeing 2/10, transparency 7/10.

1342 (GMT+8):-


1343 (GMT+8):-


1344, exposure further pushed to reveal the prominence loop (GMT+8):-


The sun is now in better location from inside my home, it's accessible earlier than before so that I could capture it on saturday as well. Good.

That prominence "cluster" might have an active region there, keep watching!

20090820 Solar Mosaic

This is my first day of my new semester, I still managed to find time to shoot today. The sun is still very silent, but the sky was pretty clear, so I proceeded to do a mosaic of around 4*4 frames, i.e. 16 frames to remove the sweetspot.

Click for full size, individual shots taken from 1623-1632 (GMT+8):


1633 (GMT+8), a very interesting detached prominence:-


1635 (GMT+8), another interesting prominence:-


Taken with my Ranger with 2x barlows, Solarmax 40 and BF10.

20090814 Sun

Very low activity again, transparency 5/10, seeing 5/10.

I did a simple experiment like this on the usage of the reducer. I pulled out the camera a little bit, i.e. the nosepiece is not all the way sit in the BF10, that results in stronger effective focal reduction, but it will require more in-travel. So my initial attempt shows that my scope has insufficient in-travel, so I pushed the DMK a little bit more into the BF10, still couldn't reach focus, so I further pushed it until a power where I can reach focus... that is the strongest reduction I could get with my given setup, and here are the results:





No need to mark the time, since there's virtually zero activity.

Stronger reducer for Solarmax 40?

With the sweatspot, we can either push up the power so that we only use the central part of the image, and then stitch the power up frames into a big uniform mosaic.

Or we can use a stronger reducer so that the whole solar disc lies in the sweatspot, that would again form a uniform image.

Make sense?

Problem is, I cannot push too much on the reduction factor since it would require excessive in-travel. But again I guess this idea could be employed to generate good and uniform solar image in H-alpha. Time to think more.

20090807 Sun

The typhoon is going to Taiwan, we have a little bit better weather here. Seeing 3/10, transparency 2/10. My usual setup, no high power shot due to extremely low activity. Maybe those who have bigger setup should try...

1455 (GMT+8):-


1456 (GMT+8):-

20090804 Sun

Typhoon coming, cloud moving extremely fast, I was about to give up but I got a cloud gap of around 30 seconds eventually. Guess what, I was about to settle with this short video:



But then I got a stackable AVI!



Patience is the king.

20090802 Sun

This is just a snapshot taken with my Canon 100-400mm, notice the thick foggy sky... nothing could be seen even for the sun, a "typhoon" is developing and coming.

Small stuff for sales

Let me know if you're interested in any of them, the price listed above the item is the expected price in paypal shipped to US or similar places. If you want several items at the same time, combined shipping discount will be offered, please contact me.

Meade 1.25" prism, $25 shipped.


Zoom Monocular 7-14x25, $30 shipped.


Philips ToUCam Pro with an extra-case plus the original egg like case as well as matching Mogg adapter and 1.25" Baader UV/IR blocker, $110 shipped.


Reducer lenses, good for DIY project, the red filter is placed along side for size comparison only and it DOES NOT included in this deal. The unmounted one is 30mm aperture f=122mm, and the mounted one is 21mm aperture f=200m. Both for $25 shipped.


From Nexstar mounts, both working with encoders, many Nexstar mount used these, $70 shipped for both of them.


Tele Vue 3x barlows optics in Chinese barlows body, effective magnification is still 3x, excellent quality! $55 shipped.


Plastic 1.25" focuser with very long focus travel, and also the 70mm objective below:-


70mm and f=500mm objective, very nice optical quality, to be sold with the above focuser at $50 shipped.



JMI 1.25" -> 2" visual back in compression ring, T-thread, $25 shipped.



Generic 2"->1.25" adapter with set screw, T-thread for $22 shipped.


JMI 2" nosepiece <=> SCT male thread (sold):-

20090801 Sun

Seeing 5/10, transparency 4/10. Again taken with my Ranger, with reducer on, that remnant is still doing fine, but I didn't go for a close up due to the poor transparency.

1632 (GMT+8):-


1633 (GMT+8):-

20090730 Sun

Rainy, sunny and cloudy these days. It sounds funny but it's real, and therefore, if you have to shoot, you need to be patient. Everything taken with my trusty setup consisting of the modified Tele Vue Ranger with a JMI NGF-CM, Coronado Solarmax 40 with BF10, and then tracked by Meade LXD55. With the introduction of the new tube ring, the whole setup is far more stable and much better balance and it is a pleasure to use.

First is a full disc shot taken with the reducer, 1612 (GMT+8):-


Push up the exposure to show the prominence better, 1613 (GMT+8):-


And then I put the Tele Vue Powermate 5x in the optical chain, I believe that I've forgotten to remove the reducer this time.

1616 (GMT+8), this active complex is getting weaker:-


1617 (GMT+8), the small emerging (or dying) active spot:-


1619 (GMT+8), finally, one of those tall prominence:-


Nice day indeed, and when I packed up my stuff, it's totally covered.