20090507 Sun

Today I setup my platform plate in order to reach for the sun from inside my home, stability is less compromised than the setup last year. I did it because my very light weight Borg 45ED II was sold, the Ranger is heavier and thus requires a better setup. This actually improves the image as a side effect, not bad.

Seeing is very poor at 1/10, transparency similar to yesterday at 5/10, it feels like Fall here. Surface activity remains low, but there're two nice prominences. I even had a quick look with a 13mm Nagler Type 6, and it's just amazing. Filter is Solarmax 40 with BF10, camera is DMK 31AF03.

1446 (GMT+8), due to the poor seeing especially near the bottom of this image, so it's less stacked below and thus I've to resize to hide the noise, but it's still there.


With 2x barlows, 1509 (GMT+8), poor seeing hides all the detail:


1510 (GMT+8), also with 2x barlows, poor seeing persists:


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Since I've fixed the draw tube of the Ranger last night, today I tried to fix the helical focuser as well. It's getting stiff at some point, I disassembled it, clean all the dirt and re-grease the whole thing, I also carefully adjusted the friction on the retaining ring so that it's now better. I suspect the plastic rings were misplaced last time, so I swapped them and it works better.

Feels like cutting through butter now!