Sun in H-alpha Light
| While in junior high
school....many, many moons ago, I was particularly impressed with a
16mm film we watched in science class that contained time-lapse footage
of solar prominences shot with a coronagraph at some unspecified
observatory. When I finally got my first telescope a short time
later, I was disappointed to learn that I could not see those amazing
tounges of fire dancing along the limb of the sun..... Now,
nearing retirement, I finally have that telescope that allows me to see
those
amazing prominences, and associated chromospheric phenomenon.
And, to my delight, just in time to see solar activity increasing
towards solar maximum several years from now. . I went with a front mounting H-alpha filter so I could mount it on any of my telescopes. The aperture of the Lunt LS50F is fairly modest by today's standards, but thus far, an amazing amount of fine structure has been both observed and imaged. The next step is to start producing those amazing time-lapse videos that fascinated me so back in school. . I am particularly interested in studying prominences and filaments, and how they work, and recently have been viewing and imaging their various forms by way of line of sight doppler effect, essentially tuning the filter off line into the blue and red wings of H-alpha. This allows me to see not only static or transverse moving plasma, but also material moving towards and away from line of sight. Often filaments viewed in the blue wing will show material that is not visible in the red wing and vic-versa. On this page there are several doppler effect comparision images of prominences, filaments and active regions. Even through a single narrow bandpass filter, the sun shows many faces. |
A very active quiescent prominence, 12 frame sequence, 22 Aug. 2010
Lunt LS50F, Stellarvue SV102ED @ f/14, DMK21
Coronal rain, single condensation rapid decent, 21 Aug., 2010
Lunt LS50F, Stellarvue SV102ED @ f/14, DMK21
Arching and suspended active prominences along NE and NW limbs. The suspended prominence on NE limb stayed stationary for over 24 hours with little change.
Looping prominences over departing AR11093 and AR11099 along the north west limb, 17 August 2010 UT
Rapidly evolving surge prominences over a period of 12 minutes, 15 Augurst UT
Lots of solar prominence activity, particularly the large and active prominence along the south east limb, 11 August 2010
Active solar prominences, 11 August 2010
A very sizeable active prominence that persisted for several days in early August 2010
A sequence of images showing the development of the active prominences, August 4th through the 5th, 2010
The active prominences persisted through 7 August 2010, here shown with the chromosphere and AR11093 - both prominences are now visible on the disc
The very rapid outburst of a small eruptive prominence - within minutes the outburst was over
Relatively high resolution close up views of the August 7th, 2010 active prominence - note the numerous sprays and surges
A very active sun - prominences shot with the 66mm f/6 refractor and DMK41 camera - occulting disk was added in post processing
Full disk image of the chromosphere with filaments and sunspot in AR11093
Spectacular eruptive prominence on 29 July, 2010 - portions of the prominence reach a height of 1/3rd solar radius above the limb
29 July, 2010 eruptive prominence - sequence shows two separate regions lifting away from the limb - as the last of the plasma disapated, bright points of light blinked on and off over periods of minutes
Dynamic Solar Observatory (DSO) video of the coronal mass ejection associated with the eruptive prominence images above.
DSO coronal mass ejection animated GIF (8 Mb)
Very active prominences showed significant structure change over a period of minutes
Prominence at left can be seen straddling the limb with anchor points on the visible chromosphere
Active solar prominence from 10 July 2010
Tenuous cloud prominence
Cloud prominence slowly disapating
Detached cloud prominence
Small solar flare and resulting surge prominence rising above the chromosphere, 6 frame sequence from 8 July 2010
Doppler effect study of AR11087 in H-alpha
Faint, tenuous column of plasma quickly rising into the corona, then slowing collapsing back to the chromosphere
Sequence showing continuous change in structure of solar prominences over a quarter hour
Spectacular eruptive solar prominence from 19 June 2010
Sequence of images showing lift-off of solar prominence, 19 June 2010
Sequence of images of active quiescent prominence, 19 June 2010
A splendid, massive quiescent prominence, 17 June 2010
Sequence of 3 images shows structure change massive quiescent prominence over 40 minute period, 17 June 2010
20 minute sequence of quiescent and active prominences, 16 June 2010
A very active solar prominence, 13 June 2010
Spectacular quiescent solar prominence, 6 frame sequence over 25 minute period, 5 June 2010
Eruptive solar promience throws up towering column of plasma, 3 June 2010
Solar active region AR11054, H-alpha centerline, blue and red wings, 13 March 2010
Various solar prominences from 14 May 2010
Vertical column of plasma, coronal rain, condensing in the corona near quiescent prominences, 1 May 2010
H-alpha doppler effect seen in an extended, active solar prominence, 18 April 2010
Extended quiescent solar prominence viewed center line and blue wing H-alpha, 25 April 2010
Extended quiescent solar prominence, 29 April 2010
Quiescent solar prominence in the midst of numerous faint surge and spray prominences, 25 April 2010
A solar sub-flare just out of view over the limb sends up a sizeable surge prominence, 7 frame sequence from 18 April 2010
Filaments and plages viewed in H-alpha center line, blue and red wing, 24 April 2010
Study of sunspots in AR11057, H-alpha center line and several steps into both blue and red wings of H-alpha, 27 March 2010
Faint, lofty solar prominences, 6 frame sequence from 13 March 2010
Solar filaments and plages viewed at H-alpha center line and blue wing H-alpha, 9 March 2010
Very active solar prominences, 28 February 2010
Surge and spray prominences associated with developing active region along the solar limb, 13 February 2010
Very active, at time eruptive solar prominence, 17 February 2010
Quiescent solar prominences, 7 February 2010
AR11045 and large quiescent filament, 7 February 2010
Doppler effect study of AR11045, imaged in the light of H-alpha center line, and, blue and red wing H-alpha, 7 February 2010
Equipment
 Lunt LS50F SV102ED DMK21 |
Lunt LS50F H-alpha filter is used on the 4 inch refractor for close up viewing and imaging. When attached to the 66mm f/6 refractor the system becomes a pseudo prominence telescope, allowing me to image the entire solar disc. A solar wedge with continuum filter is used with the 4 inch refractor for white light viewing and imaging. DMK21 and DMK41 monochrome USB video cameras are used on the equipment pretty exclusively. I seldom view through eyepieces, preferring the considerable flexiblilty of adjusting the view on the laptop monitor for exposure, gain and gamma. |
 DMK21 DBK21 SV102ED Losmandy GM8 |
Scopes are carried on Losmandy GM8 mount. Note the samll solar finder scope that uses a pinhole to project a tiny solar image on a transluscent screen. |
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A roll around computer cart fitted with a dark cloth is used while viewing the laptop monitor. The focusers on both scopes are easy to reach and adjust while still under the cloth. I do need to stand up, though, to tune the H-alpha filter. This is probably as close as I will come to having an observatory.... |
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Two fans are used on the computer cart, one to help cool the laptop (out of view in this image), the other, the white tower, blows air on me. I will shortly replace the black felt with a lighter weight, dull silver cover which will be opaque to sunlight, and be cooler to work under. With the telescope slow motion controls there at the laptop, I can spend extended periods of time viewing both the chromosphere and prominences with either scope, avoiding prolong skin exposure to direct sun. |
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