Sun in Hydrogen Alpha

With Coronado PST

Uploaded 6/26/11

 Seeing was on the better side today, and now that the new Registax version 6 has been just updated to run on my dual core computer, I was excited to see what it would do with registering thousands of frames on mostly solar granulation. It way outperforms the older versions for sure! The whole disk is now in register and sharply rendered. The sun today was dynamic, and had plenty of prominence activity to image.

Two images of each subject were taken. The background was exposed much longer to yield the faint prominences and spicules around the suns mid chromosphere. A second image was taken right afterwards exposing the disk properly and this was used to display the filaments and sun spots to best advantage. The red rim you see on the edge of the sun is real. It is composed of the forest of spicules that normally stick out all around the edges of the sun. The disk was cut out at the very bottom of the spicule layer - the basal chromosphere and represents a true boundary.

The first three images were taken with a Coronado 2x H-Alpha barlow. The last three are a Televue 5x Powermate. 




                  
Select an image size for a larger view:

1024 x 768
Here we see a large filament on the suns disk, which are prominences viewed over the face of the bright sun. On the limb is a remarkable prominence, very tree like in appearance. 




                  
Select an image size for a larger view:

1024 x 768
 On the opposite limb, we can see a small filament, part of a small sunspot, and on the limb, very little action - just the normal forest of spicules protruding beyond the suns inner edge. 




                  
Select an image size for a larger view:

1024 x 768
 This is what a nice white light sunspot will look like in H alpha. It appears white on the disk and is flanked by two filaments. On the limb, a small flame like prom appears. 




            



                  
Select an image size for a larger view:

1024 x 768
            




Since
            the seeing was better, I tried for the very first time my 5x
            barlow. The detail that emerged was even better. The forest of
            spicules on the edge is really detailed, and the prom shows much
            more detail.



 


            



                  
Select an image size for a larger view:

1024 x 768
            




 Large
            filament on the limb with some nice small scale spicule details.
            The deep red part which was the longer exposure is the "fuzz"
            you always see around the suns limb in Halpha. The cutout for
            the suns disk was at exactly the boundary between the two so
            is a real representation of the spicule height.



 


            



                  
Select an image size for a larger view:

1024 x 768
            




 Another
            deeper 5x barlow view, since I had no matching disk shot, I blacked
            it out like an eclipse.


Instrument:  Coronado PST 40mm
Platform:  Astrophysics 1200
Camera:  DMK 1024
Location:  Payson, Arizona
Elevation:  5150 ft.
Sky:  Seeing 8/10, Transparency 8/10
Outside Temperature: 75F
Processing: Registax, Photoshop CS
HOME  SCHMIDT  GALAXIES     EMISSION NEBS     REFLECTION NEBS   COMETS  
   GLOBULARS     OPEN CLUST     PLANETARIES     LINKS