Showing posts with label sun. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sun. Show all posts

Saturday, January 21, 2023

Sun Baked Observatory & the New Sunspot

As seen above, power processing at Sun Baked Observatory has cube extracted a dice with the actual newest large massive sunspot. The dark cooler sunspot should be visible over the next several days with special equipment.

Sun Baked Observatory and a New Sunspot

January 20, 2023

Recently the Sun has ramped up activity considerably and a new giant sunspot was discovered. A cubic slice was made into the surface of the Sun and the darker sunspot was isolated for analysis. For current solar work, Sun Baked Observatory is using a 100X amped very large 600-inch diameter telescope with a special optical solar filter. Solar granulation is "still" captured with special cameras. Sun Baked Observatory is getting an upgrade with filters and telescopes.

Wednesday, June 1, 2022

Sucker Clouds at Sun Baked Observatory


Sucker Clouds at Sun Baked Observatory

When the temperatures rose to over 90-degrees F. in the shade (averaging 120-degrees in direct sunlight), water vapor evaporated and the sun made an appearance in the morning of Thursday, June 2, 2022 - rain momentarily stopped, then sucker holes in the clouds began to appear. How long this will last in unclear as the weather reports rain for the rest of the day.

Parts are slated for ordering to increase the resolution and capacity of Sun Baked Observatory. Improvements are being made to the mounting, guiding, and tracking system. Solar prominences along the sun's limb are being tuned to spectral wavelengths and numerous tests are being performed.

Saturday, May 28, 2022

Sun Baked Observatory Directory


Sun Baked Observatory Directory

and sun observatories leading up to Sun Baked Observatory

Trials & Tribulations Acuter Maksy 60 at Sun Baked Observatory
https://otisastro.blogspot.com/2022/05/trials-tribulations-acuter-maksy-60-at.html

Sun Baked Observatory Report
https://otisastro.blogspot.com/2022/05/sun-baked-observatory-report.html

Sun Baked Observatory Explores Venus Atmosphere During Solar Transit
https://otisastro.blogspot.com/2022/05/sun-baked-observatory-explores-venus.html

History of Solar Telescopes
https://otisastro.blogspot.com/2022/05/history-of-solar-telescopes.html

SunBaked Observatory
https://otisastro.blogspot.com/2022/05/sun-baked-observatory.html

Acuter Maksy 60 Sun Observatory
https://otisastro.blogspot.com/2022/05/acuter-maksy-60-sun-observatory.html

Sun Telescope
https://otisastro.blogspot.com/2022/05/sun-telescope.html

New Solar Observatory with the Celestron Nexstar 6-inch SE
https://otisastro.blogspot.com/2022/04/new-solar-observatory-with-celestron.html

Log - Solar Telescope
https://otisastro.blogspot.com/2022/05/log-wednesday-may-18-2022.html

Acuter Optics Telescope Arrival - Solar Filter
https://otisastro.blogspot.com/2022/05/acuter-optics-telescope-arrival.html

Solar Eclipse June 21 2020 Taiwan
https://otisastro.blogspot.com/2020/06/images-will-appear-here.html

Venus Transit
https://otisastro.blogspot.com/2020/06/my-observatory.html

High Resolution Solar Observatory
https://otisastro.blogspot.com/2022/04/log-update-celestron-nexstar-6se.html

New Solar Observatory with the Celestron Nexstar 6-inch SE
https://otisastro.blogspot.com/2022/04/new-solar-observatory-with-celestron.html

Log Update Celestron Nexstar 6SE Thursday April 21 2022
https://otisastro.blogspot.com/2022/04/log-update-celestron-nexstar-6se.html

Celestron Nexstar 6SE Log Thursday April 7 2022 - Solar Observatory
https://otisastro.blogspot.com/2022/04/celestron-nexstar-6se-log-thursday.html

Astro Log for Monday April 11 2022
https://otisastro.blogspot.com/2022/04/astro-log-for-monday-april-11-2022.html

Monster Astro Projects - Observing the Sun
https://otisastro.blogspot.com/2021/11/monster-astro-projects.html

My Observatory Summary

Friday, May 27, 2022

Sun Baked Observatory Report


Sun Baked Observatory Report
The Sun is ramping up activity according to NASA's announcement of X-class solar flares, and observers who have seen large sunspot groups with the unaided eye. Online services have issued multiple aurora alerts even for mid-latitudes.


According to Sky & Telescope, after years of quiescence — the Sun was more often spotless than not in 2018, 2019, and 2020 — the change of pace is exciting solar observers. The Sun goes through 11-year cycles of magnetically instigated activity, which include sunspots, flares, and massive eruptions. While such activity last peaked around 2012 through 2014, that maximum was meager at best. In fact, it marked one of the quietest cycles in 100 years. Now, the uptick in activity seems to mark a change in the Sun’s behavior.

The consensus model from Solar Cycle 25 Prediction Panel (red line) slightly underpredicts the Sun's current activity (sunspot numbers shown in black). But there's wiggle room in that prediction: give or take six months for the cycle's start and give or take 10 sunspots for the daily sunspot number. With an slightly earlier start and higher activity, the panel's forecast is still spot on. Space Weather Prediction Center

Monday, May 23, 2022

Sun Baked Observatory Explores Venus Atmosphere During Solar Transit

 
Sun Baked Observatory Explores Venus Atmosphere During Solar Transit

We are constantly developing new ways to process and extract data from raw solar imaging. Much of these efforts are experimental and subjective. This time we've enhanced the atmosphere thickness surrounding Venus during a solar transit when Venus was passing in front of the Sun, and looked for Venusian atmospheric detail across the planet.

Topmost Image: This is the final step 4 in the processing cycle. Here we see Venus moving across the face of the sun, approaching the solar limb. The Sun and Venus final result show the appearance of detail in the atmosphere of the planet and a surrounding atmosphere of varying thickness outwards from Venus. The color shows the differentials.

Immediately Above: Step 2 in image processing will determine if any data is present in the raw image as related to the planet and the surrounding region of atmosphere, and if it warrants continued processing.

Left: This is step 3 in the process after
step 2 determines the presence of imagery on Venus and adjacent features, suggesting a surrounding band of thick atmosphere that sunlight is filtering through. The changing solar plane also shows detail closer to the Sun's limb as it receives color encoding to specify the intensity levels of objects discerned. This is also a first level step in reducing the luminosity differential between the Sun and Venus.

At left: Step one in the solar-venus process is to acquire a raw image of Venus traveling across the face of the extremely bright sun. At these great and vast luminosity differences, Venus looks like a black featureless disk, i.e. until processing can view the underlying sheath of light differentials. This image is first processed to reduce the effects of Venus' motion and increase the clarity and sharpness of underlying features.

Sunday, May 22, 2022

History of Solar Telescopes

Venus Transit, ETX-60AT June 6, 2012

History of Solar Telescopes at Otis Astro Imaging

The history of solar telescopes began in 1965 and has continued ever since. Otis Astro Imaging now has these telescopes inside solar observatories doing their work and studies. 

Above: The first solar telescope is a 4.25-inch f/11 reflector from Edmund Co. which is fitted with a purchased accessory glass solar filter, possibly purchased from the former Kenneth Novak and Company. Numerous photos are taken of sunspots and a solar eclipse.

Left: the 2nd solar telescope is a low cost bare bones Celestron 2.99-inch FirstScope f/3.95 Newtonian reflector on a tiny Dob mount - The telescope is fast to setup and lightweight to carry around and transport. It has a focal length of 300mm (12-inches). It was purchased at a toy store in Beijing, China. For solar use, the telescope needs an accessory solar filter film mounted over the front of the telescope tube for best results (sold separately). The grab n go portability and no setup time makes this telescope a first choice for ease of use. General land & Moon images are taken by holding the mobile phone over the eyepiece for eyepiece projection and selecting the best result.

Left: The third sun telescope is the Meade f/5.6 ETX-60AT Refractor is used for solar transits and for studying sunspots. One special study captured the disk of Venus in front of the sun during the June transit and is examining the atmosphere fringes out from the planetary disk and any Venusian surface features.

The 60mm telescope is a precision achromatic refractor on a battery powered GOTO mount. The telescope has very high resolution and is a very good performer. The telescope has a flip mirror, with positions for the eyepiece or straight-through for astro imaging.


Left: 4.5-inch f/4 Orion Starblast is German equatorially mounted and outfitted with an extra accessory electronic sidereal drive and a Chinese solar filter made with Baader solar film. The filter is shared with a second Orion Starblast on a Dob mount.

The second telescope is a Celestron 2.99-inch reflector on a Dobsonian mount that uses solar projection in conjunction with a high concentration of air pollution, in Beijing China. Images were published at the Parallax Forum by Humanoido.


Left: The fifth telescope is the Orion StarBlast 4.5-inch f/4 RFT reflector with a grab and go Dob mount. This telescope shares an identical solar filter with the first equatorial mounted Orion Starblast telescope.

The telescopes have different purposes - one is more ideal for the static observatory and the other is perfect for a portable observatory with the grab and go telescope.


Left: Transit of Venus June 6, 2012 through the 1.6-inch Meade ETX-60AT f/5.6 achromatic refractor.

The third telescope is a Meade ETX60AT (2.6-inch) f/5.8 achromatic refractor used to observe the transit of Venus from a skyscraper rooftop.
https://humanoidolabs.blogspot.com/2012/06/venus-transit-2012.html
A solar sunspot study was made in full color on the previous day of June 5th, 2012 at 4:43:48 pm local time, using ISO125 at 1/400 F5.6 to identify the position of solar spots, test the imaging results, obtain satisfactory full disk image size and resolution, position enlarged disc views, and lock down the setup and imaging procedures. (see June 5th
photo). 

Left: June 6th sunspots photo'd with the Meade ETX-60AT achromatic refractor, during the transit. Approximately nine sunspot groupings are seen. All photos by Otis.

The fourth and fifth telescopes are Orion StarBlast 4.5-inch f/4 with a driven equatorial mount and a grab and go Dob mount. These share a solar filter obtained from China.

Telescope six is a Celestron Nexstar 6SE f/10 on a goto mount that fits the Celestron solar filter.

The newest addition is telescope seven, the famous Acuter Maksutov-Cassegrain Catadioptric 60mm (2.4-inch) f/12.5 with its own solar filter. The solar filter is an extra purchase.

Seen at left, the filter form fits tight onto the front of the Acuter 60mm Maksutov-Cassegrain telescope's OTA. The filter assembly contains a safe projection sun finder molded into the carrier and offset to the side of the filter.

This system is very convenient to carry around (the OTA weighs only one pound) and it has a setup time of only a few minutes. It can compete with finding and utilizing the holes in the clouds to quickly capture views of the sun and sunspots within their 20-minute openings. The setup is ideal for transits and solar eclipses. Others have used the telescope for attaching H-Alpha filters for viewing of the chromosphere, solar prominences etc.

Solar Telescopes
1) Edmund 4.25-inch f/11 reflector
2) Celestron 2.99-inch f/3.95 FirstScope on a tiny Dob mount
3) Meade f/5.6 ETX-60AT Achromatic Refractor
4) 4.5-inch f/4 Orion Starblast Equatorially Mounted with Drive
5) 4.5-inch f/4 Orion Starblast Dob Mounted
6) Celestron Nexstar 6SE f/10 GOTO Mounted
7) Acuter Maksutov-Cassegrain Catadioptric 60mm (2.4-inch) f/12.5

Thursday, May 12, 2022

Acuter Maksy 60 Sun Observatory


Acuter Maksy 60 Sun Observatory
Solar preliminaries began with the new Acuter Maksutov-Cassegrain telescope on Thursday May 12th 2022 when the daytime sky momentarily cleared forming cloud opening sucker holes for astro imaging and study. The Acuter telescope has already received the solar filter and sun finderscope.

Left: setting the exposure with the correct application of filters is an important step to setting up the Solar Observatory with the minuscule Maksutov 60mm telescope. 

Experiments began with image scale, formatting and processing. The first setup is from the indoor observatory viewing through window glass and imaging with processing to remove window glass. The stock 20mm shows the entire solar disk, albeit on the small side at 37.5x while other oculars and a barlow zoom in on the edge for prominences and solar flares. The Acuter 60mm Maksutov-Cassegrain telescope is very high resolution and a perfect candidate for serving as one of the primary solar telescopes at the solar observatory.

Monday, May 9, 2022

Sun Telescope

The current Solar Observatory at HSO is in full operation with two sun telescopes that share a common solar filter. However, the new upgrade sun telescope is ordered and on the way. The solar disk, seen above, typically has these spectacular features that often go unseen without the right equipment, processing and applications. The upgrade to the solar observatory will include a compliment battery (sum total) of four solar telescopes each with their own respective resources and capabilities. Apertures include 2-inches in Maksutov design, two 4.5-inch RFT Newtonian reflectors for coronal work, a six inch Schmidt-Cassegrain for the highest resolution closeups, and a 3.25-inch refractor being groomed for solar work.



Sun Telescope
The new latest and greatest telescope is on the way - the observatory is a busy place - the order was placed today, Monday May 9, 2022, for a complete solar telescope with a special sun filter. The telescope order with accessories will be delivered on May 11 or May 12 directly to the door, COD and after a cool-down process, assembly with installation will begin. I'm fully prepared to receive it and have placed the cash into a separate transfer plastic bag, awaiting the big moment! The transfer will happen with some extreme degree of pre-arranged protective incognito as safety isolation against the Covid virus.

The telescope is quite spectacular having an ultra high precision Maksutov-Cassegrain Catadioptric design. The short tube length and light weight make it extremely easy to mount. In this case, the telescope will have two dedicated mounts for solar work and also will go alongside another telescope with goto software. This mount is rock solid and very steady, and will include a solar rate sidereal digital drive for imaging sunspots in high resolution. Experiments to find solar flares are anticipated using the primary solar filter and additional Hydrogen-Alpha filters. The sun will be studied in various spectroscopic wavelengths each showing different solar features and compositions.

Specifications: 60mm primary lens coated aperture, OTA tube length 8-inches, OTA weight 1 lb, folded high resolution Maksutov Catadioptric design, features added include ampable to 20-inches and 200-inches. Solar capabilities will include TRANSDIGILOG - Transitional Digital & Analog processing, AMPING - Amplification of Telescope Diameter, and TRANSIS - Transitioning Art in Science. The solar telescope includes a primary solar filter and a built in safety sun finder with safety frosted viewing screen. For safety reasons, the OTA comes with no optical finderscope. The composition of the solar filter is said to include constituent highest quality Baader components with a custom size molded to the shape of the telescope. The observatory assembled system will include a comprehensive kit of vast ranging spectroscopic filters for varying recordable solar wavelengths, eyepieces for full frontal solar disk viewing and highly magnified enlargements for close up views, several camera mounts, multiple cameras including two HD cell phones, one with Live View, and one CMOS astro imaging camera. Additionally assembled for the solar observatory are various power processing computers, PC & Apple, including at least one supercomputer and a minicomputer. Specialized solar software for processing the sun's features will be included in the monitoring and analyzing/processing setup.

Stay tuned for the creation of the Solar Atlas - a systematic compendium of solar images showing the changing face of the Sun. The Sun Atlas will be electronic in PDF format and transferred and distributed via the world wide web. We are opening up a solar section to the Astro Imaging website to report on the changing face of the sun and provide a measure of safety and prediction forecast for the protection of anyone within the sun's path.

Friday, April 8, 2022

New Solar Observatory with the Celestron Nexstar 6-inch SE

Current view of sunspots but without any solar flares - log on Saturday, April 9th, 2022. Enhanced to exhibit sunspot groupings and solar disk granulation.

New Solar Observatory with the Celestron Nexstar 6-inch SE

New Solar Observatory Forthcoming
The Celestron new solar filter #94243 EclipSmart $54.95 + $15.02 shipping for 15-day delivery time, is on the order list for the Celestron Nexstar f/10 6-inch SE. Made of a proprietary Mylar film, the filter is ISO 12312-2 compliant for safe solar viewing, blocking 99.999% of intense light across the entire visible spectrum and 100% of harmful ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) radiation; resulting in high-contrast views of the sun in a neutral color. At just 2.6 ounces, the filter will provide the safety required to observe the sun and all phases of solar eclipses without adding significant weight to the front of the OTA. This replaces the smaller solar observatory with the 4.5-inch RFT f/4 telescope at 1.02 arc second resolution. The larger f/10 6-inch aperture of the Celestron Nexstar will pull in sunspots with a resolution up to 0.93 arcsec (Rayleigh); 0.77 arcsec (Dawes). The resolution is compliant with obtaining high res images showing limb darkening, sunspot groupings, and the extent of solar granulation.

Wednesday, November 10, 2021

Monster Astro Projects

New Orion brand telescopes wait as skies begin clearing

Monster Astro Projects & Updates
The largest projects are described as of Wednesday, November 10, 2021

Numerous ongoing projects make use of the telescopes for astro imaging, conservation, weather, and technical studies. Never a moment lost - if the day is clear, the telescopes are pointed to the mountains to study and statistically categorize the ecology to include plants and animals, large insects and terrain. This area is surrounded by mountains, some 100 miles away, and the telescopes provide exceptionally clear magnified views for visual studies and photographic imaging.

If the night is mostly clear but with sections that may have upper atmosphere haze, or smog, fog, air pollution, heavy humidity, or breaks in the clouds, various inventions are deployed to penetrate the hood to resume astronomical observations.

Main divisions include:
* Singularity Observatory
* Solar Observatory
* Astro Imaging Laboratory
      Equipment, telescopes, accessories purchases
* Conservation
      Forestry study of mountains, plants, animals, birds and resources for
      conservation
* Cartography
      Moon mapping & atlas creation for lunar colonists
* Atmospheric Studies
      Invented methods to penetrate clouds, haze, air pollution, water vapor and haze

Main Sections
* Outdoor Pacific Ocean Astronomy
* Indoor Astronomy
* Armchair Astronomy

Perfect Weather & Clear Skies
The month of November is going exceptionally well. The weather has cooled to the perfect temperature of around 70 degrees and the skies are mostly clear and transparent, providing outstanding views of the mountains for conservation studies and the sky for planetary observations and weather studies. Mother nature has given five months of clear nights after two years of rain and overcast conditions.

Accessories, Inventions
This year has see the purchase of accessories and inventions to penetrate clouds, haze, air pollution, water vapor and haze. 

Telescope Trends
The trend of telescopes: at age 20, the goal was to make the largest telescopes possible. The progression went from 4.25" to 8 and then 12.5. At age 30s, weightlifting helped with strength to build and hoist the world's largest amateur telescope with a plate glass objective at the time - 40 inches in diameter. This was followed by two 50-inch telescopes around age 40s. At age 50s, the telescopes progressed into new inventions - giant power telescopes and then super large space telescopes using recycled nasa parts in space worth trillions of dollars. By age 60s, methods were invented to amplify the power of smaller telescopes into 925 and 1,400 inches aperture. By age 70, the telescope continued to shrink so they could become more manageable, easier to carry and set up.

Digital eVscope Not for this Region
It was finally discovered that, among other problems, Unistellar eVscopes in this region fail due to the combination of severe light pollution combined with haze that occludes and obstructs swaths of stars preventing the telescope from properly calibrating and plate solving.

Busy Making the Lunar Atlas
With renewed interest in the Moon, new private industry moon landings, scientific lunar outposts in the making, upcoming vacation tours to the Moon and potential off-planet colonization, a lunar atlas is in the works. It uses actual raw and processed lunar imaging from our best and most powerful telescopes at Singularity Observatory.

Observing the Sun
Recent telescope upgrades now include a solar observatory, complete with solar filters, abilities to view and image and count solar sunspots to determine sub periods of min and max, transits, eclipses, specula, and other phenomena. Tests will be made on prominences and the solar corona, and correlations with the aurora borealis and aurora australis.