Partial Solar Eclipse March 29, 2025

 

Sun March 29 - One hour before partial solar eclipse

Imaging the Sun one hour before the Partial Solar Eclipse. This test was done at my home before moving to the public perfornace.

Partial Solar Eclipse

The partial solar eclipse imaged during public performance at "Het Moment" (Abbey of Averbode). I used my TLAPO80/480 f/6 with ND3.8 solar filter, IR/UV cut filter and OIII filter.

Editing using CS4 after conversion to DNG format. 

Sun in H-alpha Sol'Ex

Both seeing and transparency was poor but the objective was to optimize fps and testing connectivity of USB hub.

First I fine tuned the ROI as small as possible; with the used setting the ROI for H-alpha is now 125pixels. 

Next I changed SharpCap settings: memory usage for camera maximized and camera control setting all max eg. Turbo on.

WIth and without the USB hub I was able to get to 400pfs and keep it stable during capturing.

Setting

TLAPO80/480 with Sol'Ex pro and 678MM camera

Herschel Wedge

USB hub connected with Camera and external SSD

Software: SharpCap, Inti and CS4

Sol'ex images inside outside

I reworked my Sol'Ex images of H-alpha, H-beta and CaIIH from March 9 to get the sun inside outside.
In this way the prominences are now in the inner circle in stead of on the outside solar disk.

Space Weather Training STCE

This week I could attend the Space Weather training at STCE (Solar-Terrestrial Center of Excellence @Uccle Belgium). This introductionary training was open for all amateurs of the astronomy club VVS. In total 11 people participated the course.

The three main trainers (Petra, Elke and Jan) gave very well, detailed and interactive information about all aspects of space weather. Beside classroom lectures we participated a space weather forecast, visited the Uccle Solar Eqautorial Table (USET), Library of the Royal Observatorum and the headquarters of Solar radio-astronomy for Humain. 

A lot of information was given and how to understand the different parameters and how they are measured. I'm looking back to a succesfull two day training. Thx to STCE and all trainers. 

Attending Space Weather forecast meeting

Selfie with Walter in the Library

Library of Royal Observatorium

USET 

USET Control Room

Historical drawing with huge sunspot

The Solar Dome

Exercise 

left to right Ivo, Roel, Stijn,Pascal, Fleur, Niels, Claude, Jan, Petra, Walter, Elke, Rudy, Ann, Ruben

Sol'Ex Lecture @ Astronomy club Altair

My Sol'Ex project and Journey since 2023 was subject of my lecture @ Astronomy Club Altair in Sint-Truiden. About 14 people attended the lecture which took about 1h. Many questions were asked and could be answered.

After the lecture we could talk futher at the bar and a thank you gift was handed over by chairman of Altair, Steven Lambrechts. Looking back on a succesfull evening!

Click on image to see the lecture

Selfie with colleagues Jean-Marie and Walter

Chairman of Altair Steven Lambrechts 

Sun Sol'Ex March 16

A blue sky until noon time; but windy and seeing was poor. I again used my newest set up with TLAPOP80/480 and Herschel wedge. This together with my Sol'Ex Pro and 2nd Gen slit and ASI678MM camera.

According Spaceweather.com sunspots are increased in the northern hemisphere of the Sun; which is currently the case as seen in my CaIIHh1v image below. 

Sun in H-alpha, H-beta and Fe(c) with Sol'Ex

Imaging the Sun on March 8 in H-alpha, H-beta and Fe (c) line.
Setting :

Sol'Ex pro with 2nd Gen slit, TLAPO 60/360 and ASI678MM. In stead of herschel wedge I used again Hoya ND16 filter.

Sioftware : SharpCap 4, Inti, CS4.

Gif Solar H-alpha March 8

 

Images made with Sol'Ex and TLAPO60/360 and ASI678MM. Amazing how the solar disk is changing over a period of 75minutes. 

Sun in H-alpha, Beta, Gamma en CaIIH line using 2nd Gen slit and TLAPO80/480

Images of the Sun from March 9th with Solex Pro and 2nd Gen slit. As a scope I used TLAPO80/480 with Herschel wedge and ASI678MM camera.

Software : Sharpcap, Inti and CS4

Images: H-alpha, H-beta, H-gamma and CaIIH

Solex and first light with TLAPO80/480 - Best ever CaIIH line

This morning I changed from my TLAPO60/360 to my TLAPO80/480. I tried this before but I couldn't get the spectral lines in focus. After adjusting the connection between the Herschel Wedge and Sol'Ex the problem was solved. According the theory the combination of a 80mm f/6, 2nd Gen Slit of 6mm height and ASI678MM the solardisk would be fully visible. And yes, this was the case. According the same theory the use of a bigger scope should increase details, mainly in CaII lines. And also this was the case. 

Above CaIIH image is my best ever image Calcium image with a lot of details.

Setting: Sol'Ex Pro with 2nd Gen Slit, TLAPO80/480 f/6 and ASI678MM

Herschel Wedge

Software : SharpCap, Inti and CS4

Tilt 1,8° and Sx/SY 6,1; the latter one is cause by the huge ROI for this CaIIH line. 

Startrail with Star Adventurer 2i

Update Star Adventurer 2i:

After my colleague, Walter, fixed my issue on the bad "snap" connection, I was able to take again some images of the nightsky. 

First I completed the polarallignment; next I opened my app "SA Console" and connected with the mount. I selected Astro-Time Lapse and took 200 images of constellation Orion.

Postprocessing was done with Startrails and CS4.

When looking in detail, the mount is not always very accurate. But I found out I did nog fixed the altitude bold; not sure if this was the cause.

Setting

Nikon D7500 10mm f/4 ISO100 200x30s

Mount Skywatcher Star Adventurer 2i

Startrails and CS4

Moon Venus Mercury

Nightscape of Venus, Moon and Mercury.

Sol'Ex CaIIK Line Stack

After re-adjusting my Sol'Ex time to test. Seeing was very poor but still, I made some images in CaIIK line. The 10 images were made using INTI and stacked uising AS4!.The result was edited in CS4.

Setting

Solex Pro version on TALAPO60/360 and ASI678MM

2nd Gen Slit

Herschel Wedge

SharpCap, INTI and CS4