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Observations
Coronado
Maxscope 40 Solar Telescope
| I have a Coronado MaxScope40 solar telescope with Ha and BF10 filters, T-Max filter Detuner
and CeMax eyepieces. For more details of my setup and accessories I have made or
adapted - click image on the right |
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First Light Sun
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First Light Sun |
We took the opportunity to host a Transit Party in our backyard and viewed the transit with 23 friends. A most enjoyable time was had by all with most opting for Bucks Fizz, a full English fried breakfast, toast and marmalade eaten outside!
Three telescopes were set up with white solar filters plus an H-alpha Maxscope 40 solar telescope and a binocular projection. Solar glasses were also available.
Great fun was had by all but with such a party and breakfasts to cook there is no time for much photography. The general comments from our guests were that they did not expect to be so enthralled with the event (i.e. schools, TV and press had not provided adequate information and enthusiasm) and how they were interested not only on the mechanics of the solar system but the history and human exploits surrounding the stories of Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, Jeremiah Horrocks, Cook and others.
I managed to snatch two images with Canon G1 digital camera through the solar Maxscope 40 (note large prominence on first image).
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Soon after First Contact -
05:25UT |
Nearing end of transit - 10:27UT |
For those who missed the transit, the next transits completely visible from Dorridge, UK are detailed below
| June 11th 2247 |
| June 12th 2490 |
| December 13th 2611 |
| June 15th 2733 |
| June 13th 2744 |
To calculate next transits visible from your own location click
-> 
Sun Image using ToUcam webcam
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Dorridge, UK Maxscope 40 piggyback on LX200 GPS 10" |
Major Sunspots (0652) - 23rd July 2004
A large sunspot system was seen on the Sun in mid-July 2004. The following images were taken through the Maxscope 40 using a Canon G1 Digital camera mounted on a 26mm eyepiece with a Scopetronix Digi-T adaptor.
I am still trying to understand how to capture and process the Ha images.
The images were processed using Paint Shop Pro 8.
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Dorridge, UK 2004 July 23 08:39UT Maxscope 40 Solar Hα Telescope Canon G1 Digital Camera 1/160 sec @ f2.5 26mm eyepiece with Scopetronix Digi-T Adaptor |
Dorridge, UK 2004 July 23 08:40UT Maxscope 40 Solar Hα Telescope Canon G1 Digital Camera 1/160 sec @ f2.5 26mm eyepiece with Scopetronix Digi-T Adaptor |
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Dorridge, UK 2004 July 23 08:44UT Maxscope 40 Solar Hα Telescope Canon G1 Digital Camera 1/60 sec @ f2.2 26mm eyepiece with Scopetronix Digi-T Adaptor |
Dorridge, UK 2004 July 23 08:44UT Maxscope 40 Solar Hα Telescope Canon G1 Digital Camera 1/15 sec @ f2.2 26mm eyepiece with Scopetronix Digi-T Adaptor |
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Dorridge, UK 2004 July 24 09:13UT Maxscope 40 Solar Hα Telescope ToUcam webcam 1/100 sec medium gain 20sec AVI - 4 image mosaic Registax + Canon Photostitch |
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White Light filter comparisons below |
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Dorridge, UK 2004 July 23 10:34UT |
Sunspot 0652 |
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Click for local newspaper report on Sunspot 0652 |
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I have used a Meade LPI imager with my Coronado H-alpha Maxscope 40 telescope.
The image of the Sun just fits the Meade LPI imager and first images through very hazy cloud cover look reasonable and worthy of some more effort on a clear day. The image has had to be compressed to get to an acceptable size for distribution over the web - be assured that the solar prominences on the original image are very good.
SUN - H-alpha
Dorridge, UK 2004:08:01 12:41UT
Coronado Maxscope40 H-alpha
piggy-backed on Meade LX200GPS 10" which was tracking the Sun
Meade LPI Imager 23 images Align&Combine
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SUN - H-alpha |
SUN - H-alpha |
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SUN - H-alpha |
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Click LPI icon to go to my Meade LPI page |
SOHO, Solar & Heliospheric Observatory, is a joint European, American and Japanese satellite launched in 1995. SOHO provides an uninterrupted view of the Sun and has onboard a dozen instruments to measure the Sun's features and emissions across many frequencies.
Current images from several of the SOHO instruments are available online.
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For the current SOHO observatory images of the sun click the solar icon |
![[Thumbnail view of ARM latest events page]](ARM_1.gif) |
Peter Gallagher's Active Region Monitor gives up-to-date information and also labels the sunspots with their official identity |
On bookstore shelves I find many books describing the individual Planets or the complete Solar System but not just the Sun.
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One useful introduction I have discovered is Nearest Star by Leon Golub & Jay M Pasachoff. This book is easy-reading, requires no maths, and shows the development of our understanding of the processes and science within the Sun. |
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An Observer's Guide to the Sun by Pam Spence was published in 2004. This book provides a good introduction to both viewing the Sun and recording and analysing your observations. The book is attractively produced with many coloured diagrams. The shortcoming is in the area of 'snapping the sun' where only 35mm film is covered: ccd and webcam imaging should have been covered. |
