From: Mark Gaffney <markgaffney@me.com>
Date: January 26, 2010 12:59:53 PM MST
To: Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [Astro_IIDC] Re: first attempts at the sun...
Hi Alan, I had checked Spaceweather in the 2-3 days preceeding the arrival of the solar film. The problem was basically the heat (even for 8 am in the morning here in high Summer!) & the persistently stinging flies. Add to that a lap-top that refused to re-start after the cursor froze when changing cameras (I`ve recently done some of my own upgrades!?). This necessitated a quick ( though quite difficult when unplanned for like this..) switch to my old expedient of long cables for the monitor & keyboard /mouse. I can but try again with perhaps some insect repellant of some kind (if it works!-these march flies seem pretty invincible except when killed endlessly, at much distraction to the astronomer in question- & they`re always about at this season..!!
Mark.
On 27/01/2010, at 6:40 AM, Alan Friedman wrote:
Hi Mark,
Follow the 3 steps from Milton's email and you should find your sunspots.
The only thing I would add is to consult spaceweather.com regularly (if you don't already)... in the left side margin there is always a white light image of that day's solar disk (usually tinted orange) - you can click on this and get a good look at any active regions that might be visible on the earth facing side of the sun.
best,
Alan
On Jan 26, 2010, at 2:23 PM, Mark Gaffney wrote:
Milton, The sunspot in question is I understand quite prominent although it was miniscule in the eyepiece. It`s no wonder I missed it given what we`ve been discussing about magnitude limits on both the Flea 2 & later the Scorpion. When I changed cameras the iBook`s cursor froze & I had no alternative but to shut down at the power button & couldn`t re-start it readily.. (this problem is probably due to the work I did on it- I changed both the memory chip-from you- & the HD to a 250 GB one). I had no alternative at this stage but to resort to my monitor etc. on the long cables.(which I used agin tonight planning everything like a military operation by comparison..) Given the annoyances I was encountering from both the heat & the constantly stinging flies it`s a wonder I got anything done. Last night the march flies had gone but it was mosquito time so I sprayed some fly spray around before starting-repellant is always at a shortage around here! ...It was a first attempt at this for me too!
Mark.
On 27/01/2010, at 5:22 AM, milton_aupperle wrote:
Mark;
1) Achieve focus on the Limb area
2) Decrease the exposure / brightness so that the disk isn't a big white blob. That's why you can't find that small sunspot, it's lost in the glare.
3) Move slowly when you sweep across the disk and pay attentions to the screen.
HTH..
Milton Aupperle
--- In Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com, Mark Gaffney <markgaffney@...> wrote:
>
> Hi Everybody, I did get out to image the sun at around 8 am this
> morning..Whilst I`m seeing one small sunspot in the middle of the sun
> with the 25mm eyepiece, I wasn`t able to pick it up on camera. I was
> sweeping back & forth trying to locate anything.. & altering the focus
> (I assume the idea is to get best definition of the limb) & exposure
> settings.. None of my movies are in the centre..even had I been able
> to locate a spot & it`s! early days yet ..It`s terribly hot here even
> early in the morning & I was soon sweating profusely! Also there were
> endless march flies (they`re big flies with nasty stings if you don`t
> swat them..!) to contend with whilst negotiating the gear...Here`s a
> shot with the Flea 2 & Mogg 0.3 reducer,,,
>
>
>
>
> Mark.
>