10 replies to this topic

[Andrea Salati]

March 26th, 2025 at 12:32 UT, Jacksonville, FL USA

 

Spectrum 60/500 achro on Meade LX70
Baader Astro Solar ND 3.8 + Baader Solar Continuum 7.5nm
(sampling at 0.98"/pixel)
Player One Neptune-M USB3.0 Mono Camera (IMX178)
One capture of 2,400 frames using SharpCap 4.1.12196.0

 

The 600 best frames from the video were stacked with AutoStakkert! 4.0.11

The resulting file was modified with RegiStax 6.1.0.8 and then cropped with GIMP 2.10.38 rev 1.

 

Due to the size limitations here, I am posting a cropped and compressed version of it (1200x1200, 500kb).

 

A higher resolution copy (1800x1800) of the same image, is available here.

 

The maximum resolution original version (4100x4100) is available here.

Attached Thumbnails

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[gstrumol]

The sun is now barely distinguishable from a white circle on a black background! 

[Andrea Salati]

Someone mopped it.

[groom]

Yesterday there was still plenty of action in H-alpha, with prominences, filaments and plages readily apparent, at the same time there was a virtually blank disc in white light.

Does this mean that in a few years from now, when the Sun is near or at the minimum in the solar cycle, and there are no sunspots to be seen, there will still be lots to see in H-alpha?

[gstrumol]

Yesterday there was still plenty of action in H-alpha, with prominences, filaments and plages readily apparent, at the same time there was a virtually blank disc in white light.

Does this mean that in a few years from now, when the Sun is near or at the minimum in the solar cycle, and there are no sunspots to be seen, there will still be lots to see in H-alpha?

I think so. There is some decent activity in Ha today, even though nothing is going on in WL. See my and Warren's posts earlier, for example.

 

Even CaK has things to see - https://sdo.gsfc.nas...t_1024_1700.jpg (not technically CaK but the same surface features)

[GolgafrinchanB]

I also noticed the super blank sun today. Such a stark contrast from just a few weeks ago!

[rigel123]

Great disk with the spots you had to work with!  I was amazed at all the activity in Ha, but some of it is still associated with large spots that have rotated out of sight on the west limb.

[Foc]

A clean disc has a sort of uncanny look after the ast couple of years.

[Cfeastside]

I noticed sunday there were few sun spots.  Does that mean we’re on the backside of maximum?  

[rigel123]

I noticed sunday there were few sun spots.  Does that mean we’re on the backside of maximum?  

I’ll be posting my 3 months comparison of sunspots for 2025 so far soon and although there are few spots now, March posted a pretty spotty disk overall.

[Andrea Salati]

I noticed sunday there were few sun spots.  Does that mean we’re on the backside of maximum?  

Daily pictures (weather allowing) since May 2022 here.