The Sun

Sunspot Groups April 2012

25^th April 2012 at 13:23 UT.

This all-disc image (cropped) was taken with a DSLR on a 70mm refractor (Pronto) at 528mm focal length. Thousand Oaks Type 2+ Solar Filter. Four exposures of 1/350 sec. at ISO 400 stacked. Labeled with NOAA Active Region numbers.

Large Sunspot March 2012

The complex spot 1429 was easy seen with just the solar filter at unit power.

Left: 5^th March 2012 at 18:56 UT. Seeing poor. Exposure 1/250 sec.

Middle: 6^th March 2012 at 14:50 UT. Seeing poorish. Exposure 1/350 sec.

Right: 7^th March 2012 at 14:29 UT. Seeing moderate. Exposure 1/350 sec.

This all-disc image (cropped) was taken with a DSLR on a 70mm refractor (Pronto) at 480mm focal length. Thousand Oaks Type 2+ Solar Filter. ISO 400. Labeled with NOAA Active Region numbers.

Sunspot Groups January 2012

24^th January 2012 at 15:21 UT. Spot 1402 produced strong aurorae over N.Europe, but not so much over N.America.

This all-disc image (cropped) was taken with a DSLR on a 70mm refractor (Pronto) at 480mm focal length. Thousand Oaks Type 2+ Solar Filter. Exposure 1/500 sec. at ISO 400. Labeled with NOAA Active Region numbers.

Sunspot Groups November 2011 on successive days

Left: 5^th November 2011 at 16:30 UT.

Left: 6^th November 2011 at 16:53 UT.

This all-disc images (cropped) were taken with a DSLR on a 70mm refractor (Pronto) at 480mm focal length. Thousand Oaks Type 2+ Solar Filter. Exposure 1/500 sec. at ISO 400. Labeled with NOAA Active Region numbers.

Striking Sunspot Group late September 2011

A Striking Sunspot Group with some other individual spots. 27^th September 2011 at 16:39 UT.

This all-disc images (cropped) were taken with a DSLR on a 70mm refractor (Pronto) at 480mm focal length. Thousand Oaks Type 2+ Solar Filter. Exposure 1/640 sec. at ISO 800. Labeled with NOAA Active Region numbers.

Sunspot Groups early September 2011

A host of groups of small Sunspots. 1^st September 2011 at 16:41 UT.

This all-disc images (cropped) were taken with a DSLR on a 70mm refractor (Pronto) at 480mm focal length. Thousand Oaks Type 2+ Solar Filter. Exposure 1/800 sec. at ISO 800. Labeled with NOAA Active Region numbers.

Sunspots Groups late July & early August 2011

Left: Three sunspot groups. 28^th July 2011 at 14:55 UT.

Right: Three sunspot groups. 3^rd August 2011 at 14:07 UT.

These all-disc images (cropped) were taken with a DSLR on a 70mm refractor (Pronto) at 480mm focal length. Thousand Oaks Type 2+ Solar Filter. Exposures 1/400 sec. at ISO 400. They are labeled with Active Region numbers.

Sunspot Groups February 2011

Left:A striking sunspot group and a few isolated spots. 14^th February 2011 at 13:30 UT. 130mm refractor at 1040mm focal length. Very windy.

Right: On 19^th February 2011 at 14:30 UT. 85mm refractor at 660mm focal length. Note the Faculae near the group on the limb.

Both images are cropped. Taken with a DSLR. Exposures 1/640 sec. at ISO 400. Thousand Oaks Type 2+ Solar Filter.

Two Sunspots December 2010

Two Sunspots. 12^th December 2010 at 13:43 UT. Exposure 1/1000 sec. at ISO 400.

The full frame image was taken with a DSLR on a 85mm refractor at 660mm effecive focal length. Thousand Oaks Type 2+ Solar Filter.

Sunspot Groups November 2010

Two sun spot groups. 15^th November 2010 at 13:06 UT. Exposure 1/320 sec. at ISO 200.

The full frame image was taken with a DSLR on a 85mm refractor with a 2x barlow (about 1200mm effecive focal length). Thousand Oaks Type 2+ Solar Filter.

A Sunspot Group March 2010

A nice double sunspot. Note also a separate spot near the limb.

27^th March 2010 at 16:07 UT. Exposure 1/750 sec. at ISO 200.

The image was taken with a DSLR on a 85mm refractor (600mm focal length) and is cropped. Thousand Oaks Type 2+ Solar Filter.

A String of Sunspots in February 2010

A lovely String of Sunspots, the first in a long time.

8^th February 2010 at 14:40 UT. Exposure 1/750 sec. at ISO 200. With field flattener to give a focal length of 660mm.

The image was taken with a DSLR on a 85mm refractor and is cropped. Thousand Oaks Type 2+ Solar Filter.

The Sun in December 2009: without and with Sunspots

December 2009 saw a welcome return of some sunspot groups. But other days were blank.

Left: Blank Sun. 23^rd December 2009 at 12.46 UT. 600mm focal length, 1/1500 sec exposure at ISO 400.
Right: Sunspot Group. 19^th December 2009 at 13:59 UT. Exposure 1/1000 sec. at ISO 200. With field flattener to give a focal length of 660mm.

Both images were taken with a DSLR on a 85mm refractor and are cropped. Thousand Oaks Type 2+ Solar Filter.

Hedge-Row Prominence in H-α June 2005

Afocal image with a Nikon 4500 digital camera. Processed including Un-Sharp Mask. 288mm effective focal length. 60mm Hydrogen-α filter (Coronado SolarMax). 11^th June 2005.

Whole Disc/Details of Sun in H α in May 2005

At left: Prominence and Plages. Afocal image with a Nikon 4500 digital camera (not processed). Effective Focal Length 320mm. 60mm Hydrogen-α filter. At right: Detail Processed but at 970mm effective focal length. 10^th May 2005.

Prominence in H α in March 2005

Solar Prominence. Afocal image with a Nikon 4500 digital camera (not processed). Effective focal length 1000mm. 60mm Hydrogen-α filter. 19^th March 2005.

Large Sunspot Group in January 2005

Taken through a 70mm refractor, working at 528mm focal-length. Thousand Oaks Solar Filter. 1/125 sec on Kodak Elite Chrome 100. 16^th January 2005 at 12:53 UT. The group was visible to the protected naked-eye.

Sunspot Groups in November 2003

Taken through a 70mm refractor. Afocal setup with a Nikon 4500 digital camera. 1/125 second. Thousand Oaks Solar Filter.
22^nd November 2003 at 13:23 UT. The large group was visible to the protected naked-eye.

Large Sunspot in October 2003

Image taken through a 70mm refractor (Pronto) and a Powermate 4X to give a focal length of about 1920mm. The exposure was 1/60^th second on Fujichrome 100 slide film with a Thousand Oaks Solar Filter. It was a prominent spot to the protected naked-eye. 21^st October 2003.

Striking Sunspot in August 2002

Taken through a 70mm refractor (Pronto), working at a focal length of 528mm. The exposure was 1/1000^th second on ISO 400 slide film with a Thousand Oaks Solar Filter. Image cropped. It was a prominent spot to the protected naked-eye. 16^th August 2002.