Scattered Sunspots

Good Seeing

Sometimes observing conditions are so good it's worth setting up my solar telescope even if solar features aren't particularly outstanding. September 26th began mild and cloudless with occasional gentle breezes. Temperature ranged from 68 to 73 degrees during the morning observing window. Most importantly, the atmosphere was very steady, so there was "good seeing". No big dramatic solar features were present, just a scattered bunch of relatively small sunspots as you can see in the following 7-panel mosaic. Sunspot 3110 is the dark umbra left of center. A group of small sunspots stretches diagonally upward across the lower right. From left to right they are sunspots 3107, 3105, and 3108. The mosaic image can be enlarged to full size without blurring detail because seeing was so excellent. Next is a single close image of sunspot 3110.  The string of small sunspots 3107 and 3105 are portrayed in the next image which also looks good at full enlargement. Previous images were all made with a solar filter tuned to the exact wavelength of red hydrogen-alpha light at 656.28 nanometers. Tuning the filter away from this wavelength produces an image that fails to show surface spicules and filaments, but still shows sunspot umbras and penumbras. The next image shows many small scattered umbras in the 3107 to 3105 sunspot groups. Unfortunately, this picture has annoying vertical fringes not removed by a flat field frame.  Only one significant prominence was present on the northwestern limb. Notice spiky spicules on the top limb. The excellent observing window only lasted one hour before clouds began appearing on the southeastern horizon. Seeing conditions also deteriorated, so it was time to quit.