Prominence to Filament

3D Transition

Prominences climb above the Sun's limb like huge flames. Solar rotation will eventually bring a prominence on the eastern limb onto the Sun's disc. If the prominence lasts long enough for this to happen, it will appear as a dark, cloud-like filament hanging above the brighter background.

A few days before my observing session on August 27th a huge prominence was suspended above the Sun's northeastern limb. By the time I observed on the 27th solar rotation had brought this prominence onto the Sun's Earth-facing disc where it could be seen as the enormous elongated filament visible in the first image below. This picture is a 3-image mosaic made with a 2X Barlow lens showing the three-dimensional transition from prominence to filament. Only a small portion of the filament still remains as a limb prominence seen against black background. Solar rotation from east to west is from left to right in the image. It's easy to see how the diagonal, elongated filament was once near the limb a few days before.

The next picture is a 26-image mosaic showing the entire solar disc on August 27th. Some nice, nearly vertical filaments are present as well as four sunspots. (Click on the image for a larger view.)

Filaments float nicely in this inverted image.

Next is a closer view of the sunspot triangle near disc center. Sunspot 2149 is on top with sunspot 2151 (left) and sunspot 2150 (right) below. This is a 9-image mosaic showing good detail.

Remaining sunspot 2148 was approaching the western limb. It rotated out of sight two days later.

Seeing was reasonably good on the 27th, so I decided to construct a time lapse video of sunspot 2149. I'm still processing the images and will try to feature the movie in my next post.

Resting Sun

Few Features

The Sun has been napping for the past two weeks, showing no big sunspots or dramatically long filaments. It was also cloudy for two weeks, so, when the sky finally cleared on August 14th, even though solar features were sparse, I decided to set up my telescope and get some images. The temperature was mild for this time of year. Observing was relatively comfortable just before noon, but the seeing was only mediocre. I worked for only about one hour.

Large featureless areas in the Sun's western half can be seen in the following 6-image mosaic made with a 2X Barlow lens. Modest sunspot 2138 is in the upper right while a white hot spot and two filaments are visible near the bottom.

A closer look at sunspot 2138 reveals a single umbra and simple surrounding structure.

The white hot spot, seen in the next image near two filaments, became a small sunspot a day or two after this picture was recorded.

On the Sun's eastern side complex sunspot group 2139 stretched out from the small black umbra seen on the right below to the white area immediately to the left of the umbra. Notice the almost circular white hot spot on the far left near the limb. There, white emission is seen behind some overhead parallel horizontal streaks giving a 3-dimensional effect. Movies taken at the same time as my observation showed this feature churning rapidly. A day or two later this hot spot became a sunspot.

Just north of the scene shown in the previous image some nice prominences were on display.

A few other prominences were also present.

The Sun will eventually wake from its nap. I look forward to working in cooler temperatures as autumn approaches. 

Black Widow

Another Bad Bug

A few days ago we came upon this nasty spider resting in its web on the foundation of our house. The horizontal blue lines are 2 cm apart, about 3/4 inch.

I'm beginning regular bug inspections armed with insecticide.

Baby Sunspots

Mild July Weather

On July 29th the jet stream dipped far to the south and brought unusually cool weather to Virginia. I observed the Sun in relative comfort on a day normally unbearably hot and humid. Seeing conditions were mediocre, but puffs of breeze helped diminish any discomfort from sitting in bright afternoon sunlight. The Sun had been almost entirely featureless for quite a few days. On the 29th it finally displayed small emerging sunspots and a couple of nice filaments.

The following 20-image mosaic shows the arrangement of solar features. To the right of center two modest sunspots sit below a broad two-dash filament. At lower left four small sunspots have rotated into view. Two giant dark filaments grace the left half of the Sun. (Click on the image for a larger view.) White active areas are a bit overexposed. I should have chosen different camera settings to avoid this.

The inverted version below came out nicely. Overexposed areas are black here, so they don't stand out as much as overexposed white areas did in the previous image.

All sunspots were relatively small since, like babies, they just recently formed. The following 6-image mosaic shows the eastern part of the Sun where four newly emerged sunspots are visible.

The huge snake-like prominence above center in the previous picture is quite striking.

I experimented with colors while constructing this next image of the inverted, floating, curving filament and nearby limb features.

The other major filament on the Sun's eastern half was also in good contrast.

Next is the inverted version of the previous picture.

Two nice prominences were also on display.

I took these images while a huge roaring dump truck delivered several loads of topsoil to the newly constructed house next door. Soon the construction will end, and I'll observe in peace.

Return of the Cicada Killers

Can't Escape!

I rolled my bike to a stop after this morning's ride and noticed a pair of mating cicada killers on the driveway.

Swarms of these scary looking insects buzzed all around me. I had hoped to leave these pesty bugs behind when we moved to Williamsburg. Apparently not! They're having a party on my front lawn!

Why am I plagued by stinging insects? This spring I mowed my lawn through clouds of ground bees. Red velvet ants meander through my back yard. On bike rides during the past two months I've been stung three times by unidentified culprits who struck so fast they were gone by the time I looked for the source of pain. When I run I'm pelted by biting flies bouncing off my head. I think I'll sit inside for a while.

Solar Fireworks

July 4th Sunspot Explosion

Overnight between July 3rd and July 4th hurricane Arthur moved up the east coast and closely approached Williamsburg. The picture below shows the storm on July 3rd just before it moved past Virginia. The red dot on the left above the hurricane is very near my observing site.

The sky unexpectedly cleared after noon on July 4th immediately after hurricane Arthur passed, but it was quite windy. Since the Sun was exhibiting quite a large number of sunspots, I decided to try observing despite the wind. Wind gusts moved the cardboard box used to shade my laptop. The dark cloth draped over my head to prevent light reflections from the computer screen was flapping like crazy. Several twist ties from my electric cables, normally left lying on my observing table, blew away never to be seen again. Surprisingly, in spite of strong winds, the seeing was good, and video images on my laptop screen were very steady.

The first picture below shows the proliferation of sunspots on the Sun's left (eastern) side. It is a 22-image mosaic made with a 2X Barlow lens. Above center, enclosed within a parentheses of dark filaments, is sunspot 2106. Tiny spot 2102 is to the right of 2106. Below center is triple umbra sunspot 2104. The large single spot below and left of 2104 is 2107. Moving left, we come to sunspot pair 2108 and 2110. Large spot 2109 is left of the pair. Finally, small spot 2111 is closest to the Sun's left limb. (Click on the image for a larger view.)

The next image shows a magnified view of sunspot 2106 with small spot 2102 off to the lower right. If you click on the image and reveal more detail, you can see the nonuniform, spotted blackness of the dark umbra on 2106.

The different shades of blackness also appear in the umbras of sunspots 2104 and, especially, 2107 in the lower left of the next picture.

Finally, large sunspot 2109, on the left below, also exhibits a splotchy umbra. Magnetic field arches stretch between spots 2110 and 2108 on the right.

I'm glad I ventured into the wind to observe this fine July 4th display of solar fireworks.

Bike Path Field of Dreams

Running Through Corn

One segment of my early morning run passes along a bike path through the middle of a lush corn crop. At the time these pictures were taken the corn was well above my head. Frequently, rabbits run in and out of the corn. Some mornings, deer slowly emerge from the stalks like baseball players in the film, Field of Dreams. They calmly look at me, sauntered across the trail, and disappear back into the dense growth. 

I've been amazed by the rapid grown. Within a day or two, it seemed, tassels appeared atop the stalks and corn silk sprouted from small newly formed ears of corn.

Just a few months ago this particular stretch of trail was bounded by windswept fields of barren dirt where forlorn flocks of geese stood in cold winter sunlight.