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~ Large active sunspots AR3879 & AR3878 on Sun 1st November 2024 ~

11/1/2024

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These two large sunspots on the eastern side of the Sun are very large and active, AR 3878 has produced another X-class solar flare :-o its second in the last two days as reported on Spaceweather.com on the 1st November 2024.
 
Images taken with a Seestar telescope with the attached solar filter, 20 images captured then stacked in RegiStax6 and processed in PS. I used the 1x, 2x and then 4x feature within the telescope; it is an amazing little instrument for solar observing.
 
https://spaceweather.com/archive.php?view=1&day=01&month=11&year=2024
 
ANOTHER X-CLASS SOLAR FLARE, BUT NO CME: Active sunspot AR3878 erupted again on Oct. 31st (2120 UTC), producing an X2-class solar flare. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured a spray of hot plasma emerging from the blast site:

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Photo Credit: SDO https://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/
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~ Large active sunspots on the surface of Sun 29th October 2024 ~

10/29/2024

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Wow, there is another large active sunspot emerging on the eastern limb of the Sun (just designated AR 3879). I only just managed to capture these two images late yesterday afternoon in between banks of rolling clouds.
 
Images taken with a Seestar S50 telescope with attached solar filter, 20 images captured for each set, stacked in RegiStax6 and processed in PS.
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~ The Sun: Our Spectacular Star at the Runaway Bay Library ~

8/15/2024

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~ The Sun: Our Spectacular Star at Runaway Bay Library ~
 
I had a wonderful time at the Runaway Bay Library presenting one of my lectures on our amazing star the Sun. This topic is very close to my heart as I’m an avid solar observer and I was able to share all my solar experiences with everyone who came along to the presentation.
 
These included showing all my images of the Sun, solar eclipses and beautiful aurora along with rare pictures of the two transits of Venus.
 
Everybody learnt how dynamic the Sun really is and how safely they can observe solar events themselves with the right equipment.
 
A great time was had by all and thanks you again to the librarians from the Runaway Bay Library who provided a safe and happy place for the event.
 
Please find some photos below from the evening, happy and safe solar observing, Noeleen Lowndes :-D

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~ The most Sunspots for Cycle 25 with huge Sunspot AR 3780 ~

8/10/2024

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​~ The most sunspots on surface of Sun for Cycle 25 on the 10th August 2024 ~
With huge sunspot group AR3780
 
Today the solar surface has so many sunspots on its surface with the huge sunspot AR 3780 featuring prominently near the centre of the Sun.

My images were captured with a ZWO SeeStar S50 smart telescope with the solar filter attached, 20 images captured and stacked in RegiStax6 and processed in PS.
 
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has just made this statement below….Wow!
https://www.noaa.gov/
 
SOLAR CYCLE 25 LIKELY REACHED THE HIGHEST SUNSPOT NUMBER IN OVER 20 YEARS:
​published: Friday, August 09, 2024 18:27 UTC
https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/news/solar-cycle-25-likely-reached-highest-sunspot-number-over-20-years
 
Solar Cycle 25 likely reached the highest sunspot number yet - a value of at least 299. The Space Weather Predicition Center (SWPC) non-official, estimated daily sunspot number for August 8th was 337, a value not observed since March 2001.
 
However, the official SSN is determined by the World Data Center - Sunspot Index and Long-Term Solar Observations (WDC-SILSO) and it's Solar Influences Data Center (SIDC) at the Royal Observatory in Belgium; and their initial daily estimate for August 8th was 299.
 
They will report out the official number by September 1st.
​Visit their webpage at: https://www.sidc.be/SILSO/home and as always visit our webpage for the latest space weather information and forecasts.
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Solar Graph credit:
 https://www.sidc.be/SILSO/home

 


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To keep up with what's happening on the Sun
please go to Spaceweather.com this is where you can see solar images submitted from around the world

Our eyes are on the Sun :-)
https://spaceweather.com/

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~ Large group of Sunspots on the solar surface 30th July 2024 ~

7/30/2024

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Today there are many more sunspots on the Suns surface; activity is really firing up now with every day new sunspots developing, it’s very exciting!
 
White light images taken with a Seestar S50 telescope with a solar filter attached, 15 images captured and stacked in RegiStax6 and processed in PS.
 
Information below is from Spaceweather.com on the 29th July 2024.
https://spaceweather.com/archive.php?view=1&day=29&month=07&year=2024
 
SOLAR ACTIVITY IS HIGH: Sunspot complex AR3765-67 is crackling with strong flares--and they're getting stronger. An impulsive X1.5 flare this morning at 0237 UT caused a deep shortwave radio blackout over Japan, southeast Asia and Australia (map).
 
CANNIBAL CME ALERT: A series of M-class flares over the weekend hurled multiple CMEs toward Earth. According to a NOAA model, the first two CMEs merged to form a potent Cannibal CME. Strong G3-class geomagnetic storms are possible when it reaches Earth on July 30th.
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~ Sprinkling of Sunspots all over the Sun on 19th July 2024 ~

7/19/2024

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It’s a lovely clear day here today for observing our beautiful Star, lots of small sunspots are sprinkled all over the solar surface with two larger active groups AR 3751 & AR 3759 in the centre of the solar disc.
 
White light images taken with a Seestar S50 telescope with a solar filter attached,
​15 images captured and stacked in RegiStax6 and processed in PS.
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~ Image of Sun & AR3738 taken with ZWO Seestar S50 Review ~

7/12/2024

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~ The solar surface with large sunspot AR 3738 on the 12th July 2024 ~
Images taken with SeeStar telescope with solar filter
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Oh my, I took my first images of the Sun with the little ZWO ‘Seestar S50’ smart telescope and all I can say is Wow!
 
The detail on the surface of the Sun (with attached solar filter) is quite amazing for such a small instrument;
you can also zoom in to 2x & 4x as shown with AR 3738 in the image posted.
 
I’m comparing this to a 80mm or 127mm refractor! Not only are the sunspots more detailed, within just a few minutes the unit had found the Sun and I was taking images without all the work of aligning a telescope mount and attaching a camera.
 
But there is a down side to this little telescope; the captured images are very small file sizes at only on average 100 KB (1920 x 1080) resolution, which is a shame.
 
I had to download the JPG images from the iPhone to the computer, then did my normal processing of stacking 15 images in RegiStax6 and processing them in PS. (I’ll also need to learn how to capture a AVI movie file)
 
Will I use it again to take pictures of the Sun, you bet I will because of the clear detail it shows on the solar surface, its portability and quick setup time.
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​It’s a little beauty and will add greatly to my love of observing our Sun in white light  :-)
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The little ZWO Seestar S50 with included solar filter attached ~
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~ The (Ha) Sun with active prominences, filaments and sunspots ~

6/28/2024

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With the (Ha) solar scope there was a lovely arch prominence firing away on the lower eastern limb of the Sun late this afternoon with quite a few wispy prominences all around the whole solar limb.

In the little white light refractor telescope you could see a completely different view with lots of small sunspots sprinkled across the solar surface. Sunspot AR 3727 & AR 3719 that are at opposite sides of the Sun look like twins as they are the same size and shape as one another…. quite surprising to see two sunspots that look so alike!

The white light image was taken with Orion 80mm refractor telescope with glass solar filter attached and a Canon 700D camera plus 2x Barlow lens. The Ha images were taken with a Lunt 60mm solar telescope and a Canon 700D camera with a 2x Barlow lens.

~ The Sun sprinkled with many sunspots of the 28th June 2024 ~

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~ Imaging equipment (Ha) Lunt solar telescope & Orion 80mm refractor with Canon 700D plus 2x barlow lens ~
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~ Large Sunspots AR3712, 3713 & 3716 on western limb of Sun ~

6/23/2024

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~ Large Sunspots AR3712, 3713 & 3716 on western limb of Sun 23rd June 2024 ~
 
Those three large sunspot groups have now rotated toward the western limb of the Sun. There was a lot of cloud late this afternoon and I just managed to get these images with the little refractor telescope, by the time I got the Lunt (Ha) telescope set up the sky had completely clouded out!

Oh dear, I did see some great activity on the surface of the Sun in (Ha) but was not quick enough to capture it!
 
The white light images of the Sun was taken with a small Orion 80mm refractor telescope and a Canon 700D camera plus 2x Barlow lens, exposures were 1/500th second and ISO200, 25 images captured and stacked in RegiStax6 processed in PS.
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~ Sun with large sunspots & Moon on the 19th June 2024 ~

6/19/2024

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Three Large Sunspot AR3712, AR3713 & AR3716
on surface of Sun on the 19th June 2024 

​The sun looked awesome late this afternoon with those three large sunspot groups on the surface of the Sun, AR3712 is looking huge!
Looking through the Lunt (Ha) solar telescope you could see solar activity around each sunspot area.
 
After taking pictures of the Sun I looked around and saw a beautiful waxing gibbous in the eastern sky and took a couple of images once it got dark.
 
The white light images of the Sun & Moon were taken with a small Orion 80mm refractor telescope and a Canon 700D camera plus 2x Barlow lens. The Ha images taken with a Lunt 60mm solar telescope and a Canon 700D camera with a 2x Barlow lens.

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~ Image of the Moon taken with small 80mm refractor telescope and Canon 700D camera with 2x balow lens ~
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    I just love being under the heavens, come on a journey with me and I’ll share some of the amazing wonders of the Universe with you. Noeleen :-)

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For all current observations of the night sky please go to my Astro Blog:
http://www.mystardustobservatory.com/astro-blog

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