Stars / Astronomy / Astrophotography / Telescopes / Astro

Wow

finally have enough ND filters to take underexposed images of the sun.

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Hmm. I hope for you there's more activity upcoming!

plenty of action right there, 5 spots!

See that! That's real action

getting bigger

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Like it! You can estimate the rotation speed if you feel so inclined.

The different rate per latitude was some evidence the sun wasn't solid

some evidence the sun wasn't solid

that was needed????

A few hundred years ago, yes! Do you have some other way to determine it's nature?

We stayed in an airbnb at the weekend and the owner had some stunning pics he had taken dotted about the place:

https://www.lightbynightphotography.co.uk/

These look great. I'm at my in-laws at the moment and the clear skies have got Grandpa teaching the kids about all this using his slightly more lo-fi setup. I give you - The Sunspot ViewTracker 2000.

It utilises an old set of binoculars of unknown magnification, some scrap wood, a cardboard tube and 87 years of scientific knowledge and experiments. The sun is focused down one side of the binos, through a pinhole in some metal sheet, down through the cardboard tube and onto a piece of paper at the end.

Approximate aim is achieved with the sight markings at the binocular end, and the binoculars focused until a crisp image is projected on the paper.

Zoom/enhance:

Think we need to set up it on consecutive days, trace the spots and get a flip book going!

That's damn cool

That is cool indeed. How do you deal with the motion? Does it not move out of view pretty quickly at this magnification?

Seriously cool!

Can't believe how clear the sunspots are!

meanwhile on Mars

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKK7vS2CHC8

GReat setup, it should take about two weeks to cross the disc so wouldn't matter if a couple of days are lost to sun.

Turns out it does - I tried to trace one after posting the above, and only when you try and get your pencil on the paper do you realise how quick it's all moving. I think we should try focusing onto graph paper, taking photos and then transcribing.

Turns out Grandpa had been taking records earlier in the week and comparing them to what NASA had to offer - here's his workings:

Yep - hopefully we get some sun over the summer holidays and we can get something together. I think I'm now more excited than the kids about heading up to the in-laws!

While the financial world implodes on itself...

New images from the event horizon telescope of our own Milkyway's black hole has been announced! Sag A* in all its glory!

Get the sunspot-o-graph out:
https://spaceweathergallery.com/indiv_upload.php?upload_id=185048

I was just closing the back door and checking where the cat was and saw stars. 106s through a dodgy old Tamron 28mm lens just now.

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Wow!

I am at the actual VLT!!

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Excuse the state of my CCD, I couldn't get a new camera in time

They are stupendously big. Deserving of the name for sure.