kohamher1

Here's a 4 panel mosaic, shot in my backyard Observatory, showing the similarities and subtle differences between various monochromatic wavelengths of Solar light. All were shot with Little Levi, a 102mm f/7.0 refractor on a Losmandy G-11 in a SKYSHED POD using a ZWOASI174mm CMOS Imaging camera. The upper left image was shot with a Tele Vue Powermate (2140mm EFL) and the DAYSTAR FILTERS Calcium H QUARK. The upper right image was shot with a DAYSTAR FILTERS Hydrogen Alpha QUARK Chromosphere, tuned offband. (3070mm EFL) I tuned the H-Alpha Quark off-band to closer resemble the features of NOAA AR2603 and enhance the comparison with the other filters. The lower left image was shot with a BAADER Herschel Wedge and Continuum Filter at 2140mm EFL. The lower right image was shot with a DAYSTAR FILTERS Sodium D QUARK. (3070mm EFL)

Thanks, Bill!

Ray, my primary solar scope is a Lunt Engineering 102mm f/7.0 @ 714mm focal length. I use it with my QUARK Chromosphere, Calcium H Filter and Baader Wedge and will also use it with the new Sodium D Filter.

More from yesterday...

The Sodium D Line is a new wavelength to all except those with spectrohelioscopes. DAYSTAR FILTERS is producing them now and should be shipping them next month. See their website for more info.

Members of SOLARACTIVITY visited Warrensburgh, Missouri last week to attend the Innagural SOLARFEST 2016, hosted by Jen Winter and Fred Bruenges from DAYSTAR Filters. It was a fun filled week with lots of pro-amateur collaberations going on with presentations by both the amateur and the professional astronomy community. Observing was GREAT on the clear days and the food was GREAT EVERY day!!! Another highlight was the DAYSTAR FILTERS tour. It was amazing to see micah being cleaved and turned into a filter; As well as seeing the one-stop machining process for the filters. SOLARACTIVITY had a table and displayed some of our and our members art and imagery, as well as info relating to SA.... John Kramer, of At The Eyepiece was there and recorded and/or videod most of the presentations and is posting them on his blog and on his you-tube channel. Check them out, if you're so inclined. The make great listening/watching and are quite informative, as well. I'm SO looking forward to SOLARFEST 2017

As nice as these filters are, I'm even more excited to announce that DAYSTAR FILTERS is currently producing and accepting pre-orders for a new state of the art Sodium D Line QUARK Filter. I've also modified my resolution chart illustrating where the Sodium D QUARK will fall when compared to other wavelength filters. Read more about it here:

Below are two images taken with my two DAYSTAR FILTERS QUARKS. First in the Calcium H II Line QUARK and next is the QUARK Chromosphere. I've pre-ordered and am anxiously awaiting the new DAYSTAR FRILTERS QUARK Sodium D Line filter.

There's a couple of odd birds, zoom, zooming across the eclipsed Solar disk. Flybyx2Movie.wmv

Here's a close up Gull.avi

When there's a Nor'Easter on Lake Erie the gulls move inland to hunt. Here they are performing Aerobatics and Hunting Maneuvers over my Observatory in Amherst, Ohio. Gull.avi

Seeing is quite easy to describe. Basically it boils down to how clear and transparent the sky is. Most solar imagers, pro and amateur alike use the Mount Wilson scale to quantify their seeing conditions. The Mount Wilson scale ranges from 1 to 5 with one being the absolute worst conditions, and a five being pristine. ONE on the Mount Wilson scale signifies very bad seeing, the absolute worst conditions you can imagine, with boiling so rampant it's difficult to see or even focus an image and with the limb resembling the teeth of a circular saw blade. If you have a ONE seeing, don't even go outside. Stay home and do something constructive with your time. FIVE on the Mount Wilson scale, on the other hand, represents almost perfect conditions. Video captures will look like still images. Focus will be tack sharp and there will be no scintillation whatsoever anywhere throughout the image. And a THREE on the Mount Wilson scale would pretty much signify average seeing conditions. A THREE is what many of us will encounter on a pretty consistent day-to-day basis. The Mount Wilson scale quantifies seeing by attraching a number to it and relating each point on the scale to Resolution in Arc Seconds. Mt. Wilson Solar Seeing Scale: 1 = Solar image looks like a "Circular Saw Blade." Completely out of focus. Limb motion and resolution greater than 10 arcsec. Smaller sunspots will not be seen. 2 = Solar image is always fuzzy and out of focus. No sharp periods. Limb motion and resolution in the 5 to 10 arcsec range. 3 = Solar image about half the time sharp and half the time fuzzy. Some short periods where granulation is visible. Limb motion and resolution in the 3 arcsec range. 4 = Solar image more often sharp than not. Granulation almost always visible. Limb motion and resolution in the 1 to 2 arcsec range. 5 = Solar image looks like an "engraving." Extremely sharp and steady. Limb motion and resolution 1 arcsec or better. Note: Observers may use fractional values if the image quality falls between any of the above definitions.

Fine job by both Radar Ray and Pam!!! Thank you both!!!