SDAC Solar Image

SDAC

Aurora Borealis

PST animations

 

Here are animated sequences done with my personal solar telescope [PST]. This is a low cost starting instrument designed as an introduction to Hydrogen-alpha visual and imaging applications. I love my PST and where possible I use it every day for my visual records and some imaging applications.

20 December 2011 here is a C2.1-class solar flare that breaks across AR1376 and AR1377 complex, the sequence is between 11-49 and 12-19UT. Again I was Imaging through thin clouds. Seeing grade 2 to grade 4.

20 December 2011

18 December 2011 here is a flare that breaks across AR1376 AR1377 complex, the  sequence between 11-50 and 12-34UT. Unfortunately clouds spoiled some of the frames. PST at 0.8 focal length.

18 December 2011

14 December 2011 here is a close look at the south-west limb on a very active area AR1367 between 11-10 and 12-14UT seeing a good grade 1. I was able to push the PST to 1.6m focal length and also the earlier sequence below in less favourable seeing at 0.8m focal length.

14 December 2011

14 December  2011 here is another look at the same region at 0.8m focal length. Seeing was a fairly poor grade 3. I was on a alt/azimuth mount and hand tracking so Photoshop used to reduce field rotation. Sequence between 09-35 and 10-45UT. Here you can also see a feint filament/prominence lift off from the surface.

14 December 2011

12 December 2011 here is a look at a huge prominence on the north-west limb between 14-36 and 15-44UT. The seeing was awful through thin clouds.

12 December 2011

11 December 2011 here is AR1374 between 12-36 and 13-36UT. Seeing grade 2 but strong gusting winds 30mph. Alt/azimuth mount and hand tracked so corrected for field rotation in Photoshop.

11 December 2011

10 December 2011 the clouds did not clear until 14-00UT, here is a sequence from 14-08 to 14-25UT showing a shell of plasma expanding away from the Sun. Seeing conditions grade 1, 20mph gusting winds.Captured from hand driven alt/azimuth mount and field rotation corrected in Photoshop CS5 prior to animating.

10 December 2011

6 December 2011 here is a look at AR1363 between 13-40 and 14-40UT. The seeing was an excellent grade 1 and so I pushed my PST out to 1.6m focal length to see just what it can deliver. This is only 40mm of aperture with lots of glass in the two 2 x Barlow lenses!

6 December 2011

5 December 2011 here is a second flare that I caught this time it breaks across AR1363 the sequence is between 15-13 and 15-37UT seeing was a reasonable grade 2.

5 December 2011

5 December 2011 here is a C2-class solar flare that breaks across AR1362, AR1363 can also be seen in the lower left of this frame. Sequence between 13-35 and 14-05UT seeing a reasonable grade 2.

5 December 2011

3 December 2011 here is a huge limb blast that I captured between 11-08 and 11-34UT. I had no time to set up the EQ-mount here so I was hand tracking on an alt-azimuth mount. Here is 27 frames in the sequence - Here I have now corrected for the field rotation and used Photoshop to correctly orientate this sequence.

3 December 2012

30 November 2011 here is a huge prominence that I photographed between 11-22 and 14-30UT. Seeing was an excellent grade 1 and not a cloud in the sky all day. I got video sequences every minute but to fit this onto this website I have only processed and animated every 4 minute frames.

30 November 2011

29 November 2011 here is some filament activity between 12-19 and 13-19UT. Seeing conditions grade 1 excellent.

29 November 2011

27 November 2011 here is a small flare that lifts a filament photographed between 11-15 and 11-32UT. here I set up very quickly on an alt/azimuth mount so no tracking. Seeing conditions grade 2.

27 November 2011

26 November 2011 here is the after effect of a limb flare photographed on an alt/azimuth mount [no tracking] in windy conditions seeing was between grade 1 and grade 2.

26 November 2011

25 November 2011 here is AR1358 and 1356 between 11-25 and 12-14UT showing filament activity. Grade 1 seeing conditions.

images/stories/2011-11-25-from-11-25-to-12-14ut-ani-c.gif

23 November 2011 here is AR1356 and 1355 between 12-03 and 12-30UT. Seeing conditions were an excellent grade 1 for thermal stability but thin clouds. Here I have experimented and pushed my old PST to the limit with two 2 x Barlow lenses making a focal length of 1.6m!

images/stories/2011-11-23-fromt-12-03-to-12-30ut-a-col.gif

Here is another 23 November 2011 animation at 0.8m focal length of the same area between 10-08 and 10-54UT in heavier clouds.

images/stories/2011-11-23-from-10-08-to-10-54ut-ani-col.gif

16 November 2011, this was the aftermath of a limb flare at 15-15UT peak the sequence from 15-36 to 16-09UT. PST none tracking mount in good seeing conditions.

16 November 2011

15 November 2011, I took this with my PST from the Almeria area of Spain, was set up outside our caravan and only brought limited equipment. Here is AR1346 showing an M1-class flare between 12-52 and 13-26UT. Seeing grade 1 but very windy [gusts 40km/hour].

images/stories/2011-11-15-at-12-52-to-13-26ut-ani-col.gif

15 November 2011 here is a very long filament between 11-11 and 11-41UT. Seeing conditions excellent grade 1. Used old PST.

images/stories/2011-11-15-at-11-11-to-11-41ut-ani-col.gif

16 November 2011 this is the aftermath of a limb flare that peaked at 15.00UT here you see from 15-36 to 16-09UT showing some post flare looping. Seeing a good grade 1.

images/stories/2011-11-15-at-12-52-to-13-26ut-ani-col.gif

15 November 2011 here is an M1.9-class solar flare that broke across AR1346 between 12-52 and 13-26UT. Seeing good grade 1.

images/stories/2011-11-15-at-11-11-to-11-41ut-ani-col.gif

15 November 2011 here is a long filament between 11-11 and 11-41UT. Seeing good grade 1.

22 October 2011

Close up.

22 October 2011

22 October 2011, I took all my big scopes and put them into storage this morning. Got back mid afternoon and saw a huge post flare loop system so here is the result using my PST and DMK21 between 13-51 and 14-56UT, just missed main event while I was setting up. Seeing varied between grade 2 and grade 4 conditions. This is what we in the UK refer too as sods law!