Solar Viewing

There is an excellent active region on the sun at this moment with numerous sunspots, AR1089, I've been itching to get a look at it, but thanks to the wonderful Irish weather, not a chance.

For the past couple of weeks I have been giving some serious thought to picking up a h-alpha scope, as soon as I can cobble the money together. But now I'm going cold on the idea, and it's all thanks to the weather. We haven't had any decent sunshine since God knows when, so a solar scope would be sitting idle, even my white light observations have dropped lately. Why spend a couple of thousand Euro for an expensive ornament?

The second consideration is finding the time, by the time I get home from work around six, the sun is already starting to dip, still observable of course, but what happens when the days grow short? In the depths of winter only the weekends will offer any observing chances, so the opportunities are getting slimmer. As I cycle to work there would not be the opportunity to bring it with me.

I have come to the conclusion that solar observing is probably the most ideal recreation for the astronomer who has retired, having all day to get a chance to see the sun, if they are lucky. So, maybe I'll leave it for another 20 years until I retire.

If the government lets me.

Anyway, sorry for the cloudy day misery, I'll feel better when the sun shines again.

Paul

The sun broke through around 18.30 local time, I set up the ETX and managed to get a look at AR1089. This sunspot group is magnificent to look at, and I recommend everyone to see it if you get the chance. There are two large spots with surrounding penumbrae, and about a dozen smaller members scattered around the pair, they remind me a little of the images of crop circles that are seen. I would estimate them to be F Class on the Modified Zurich Scale.

With the sun moving towards solar maximum the sights will only get better.

Pity we can't say the same about the weather.

I had a six minute view broken by clouds and then no view at all this morning (Sunday) around noon.
PST h alpha , view AR 1089 and 1090 looked like sketches waiting to happen; the proms on the S, E, and NE limb were very structured and interesting sketch targets. But the most interesting for me in the frustrating seconds of viewing was the well defined line of filaments in the NE quadrant connecting to the proms on the limb. The blanket of gray cloud has returned to Bray skies , so only viewing I will be doing today is of planes at the airshow this afternoon.

Deirdre Kelleghan
Vice Chair IFAS
Frustrated Solar Observer