1 day to go for 2026 Total Solar Eclipsz

> Preparing for tomorrow’s total solar eclipse. I’m staying in Carrion de los Condes and found a nice place at 2km from the center. So no need for my rentelcar and potential traffic or parking issues. The new sunspot at the eastern limb is perfect for adjusting the equipment. Now we need to wait the weather! >

> > >

> > >

> > Verstuurd vanaf mijn iPhone 16

Magnesium MgIB2 Bright Points: to be or not to be

 

In July I took a couple of images using my Solex in the spectrum line of MgIB2. When looking more in detail it seems that around sun spots there are bright spots. Nog sure what they area and using AI doesn't give a comprehensive answer. So I need to follow up but not sure who to contact. 

1 Year to go : Total Solar Eclipse Aug 2, 2027

 

I know.... the next total solar eclipse is within 10 days; but still, I'm planning for the next one on August 2nd, 2027.

Halo and Circumzenithal Arc

This evening at sunset, the sun with a halo, both Sun dogs and a faint circumzenithal arc. I used my Iphone 16 to capture the Sun.

Local Heat Wave number 4 this year

 

The next heat wave did start last week; So far, this is the fourth heat wave this year.

My picture of Noctilucent Clouds published in Heelal

 

My picture of noctilucent clouds is published in national magazine of astronomy "Heelal"

Supernova SN2026sqf in NGC3310

A type II supernova (a core collapse supernova) named SN2026sqf located in NGC3310 (UMa) was imaged using my TAL200K f/8.5. NGC3310 is about 50million ly away.

Setting: TAL200K f/8.5 with ASI2600MC

Filter: Optolong L-Pro

Total Integration time : 10*300s or 50minutes

Use of bias, darks and flats (for the first time using my flatscreen at night and thus have all data right after my imaging session).

Software : SharpCap, ASIAIR, APP, DeNoise AI, ASTAP, CS4.

Sun in H-beta

 

Sun on July 25th imaged in H-beta using my Sol'Ex by James R.

Sun with Nikon D7500

Still a couple of weeks to go for the total solar eclipse in Spain. Thus... need to exercise with my Nikon D7500.

Calcium lines contrast enhanced using AstroSurface

I reworked a couple of my CaIIH/K images with the objective to increase the contrast. I was able to do this using AstroSurf. 

Workproces

- Inti processing of CaII Ser files

- DeNoise AI to remove noise 

- Astrosurface : wavelets, mostly high frequency and Local contrast enhancement

- CS4 : unsharpen mask, noise reduction (what's left) and false coloring and adjusting brighness.

These are the results; I may conclude that difference between first two (July 25) and third picture (July 4th) is due to active versus quiet Sun. 

Sun on July 25 - HeID3 using FeI

 

Imaging the Sun on July 25the in good conditions. Seeing about 1arcs average, measured using SSM3. Tilt is back in basic condition and below 0,2°.

HeID3 imaged was processed with Inti and started from the FeI line instead of NaID2 line. By doing this a smaller ROI could be used. Scanspeed remained at 16x resulting in a sx/sy of 1,8. To improve I will reduce the speed next time. The HeID line is about -142 pixels away from the FeI line, compared with the NaD2 line which was about -250 pixels. Winning more then 100pixels on data. 

The solar tornado is visible in all lines except MgIB2.

MgIB2 shows finer and sharper details in the active sun which are more blurred in H-alpha, HeID3 and both calcium ion lines. 

Calcium images are processed using Inti and edited with DeNoise AI and AstroSurface: wavelets, local contrast. This way it brings more structure, typically supergranulation. 

Solar Tornado

During my morning imaging session with my Sol'Ex spectroheliograph, I captured a striking "solar tornado" anchored along the western solar limb. Driven by complex magnetic flux ropes suspending plasma in the corona, these colossal structures only mimic terrestrial whirlwinds in visual projection. This observation highlights the remarkable ability of modern amateur spectroheliography to capture dynamic solar physics in real time.

Setting: Sol'Ex by James R on TLAPO80/480 and ASI678MM

Herschel Wedge, 2nd Gen Slit and IR Cut filter

Software: SharpCap, Inti, DeNoise AI and CS4

Tilt <0,2°; Sx/Sy=1

Seeing avg 1 arcs measured using SSM3

Sun July 21 with Sol'Ex

National holliday in Belgium with some Sun at midday. I took time to adjust for HeD3 line in view of the coronal hole. Next, images were taken in CaIIH and CaIIK with good result. In all images the flare in AR4493 is visible... really cool.

Setting: Sol'Ex by James R on TLAPO80 and ASI678MM.
Tilt: not so good due to manipulation. May be I need to glue the connections together

Sx/Sy = 1

Software : SharpCap, Inti, DeNoise AI and CS4.

 

500.000 Visitors on my Blog. Big Thank You

Today my Blog reached 500.000 visitors. Wow half a million visitors. Thank you all for reading my blogposts.

Solex Processing HeID3 using INTI Software

While I previously relied on JSolex for spectroheliogram processing, I had not yet utilized Inti to process the neutral helium HeID3 spectral line. My motivation stems from the insights presented in Christian Buil and Valérie Desnoux’s book, Guide de l'observation solaire avec un spectrohéliographe. In particular, the potential of the HeID3 line to reveal low-contrast features such as coronal holes makes it a compelling target for high-resolution solar imaging. This post outlines a step-by-step workflow for processing HeID3 observations using Inti.

Version: Inti V7.0.3

After starting Inti, open the file and select "safe polynome coefficientt". Next run the proces by selecting Go! 

My ROI includes both the NaID2, FeI (5888,81) and HeID3 line. Inti uses the NaID2 line as reference. Christian mentiones that ROI with only FeI and HeID3 would be better.

Next, select Helium-Corona free page and mark "automatic polynome computation" and "Transversllium correction". The shift is currently not important and you can put in zero aswell. Offset 1 on -8 and Offset on 12. Run the process selecting Go!

Select Frame and Mean-Start. When doing this the shift from NaID2 to HeID3 will be calculated automatically. You can also select the line by clicking on the HeID3 line and pressing OK.  Next run the process by selecting Go!

Depending on the outcome, play around by changing the shift value by plus or minus 1 and find the most contrast image.

After editing in CS4, this is result... which also shows the coronal hole. 

Sun July 19 Sol'Ex

Imaging the Sun on July 19 using Sol'Ex on TLAPO80/480 and ASI678MM. On the eastern limb a new sunspot arises AR4492 with a nice peak prominence.

New Sol'Ex book

I finally bought the book "Guide de l'observation solaire avec un spectrohéliographe" by Christian Buil and Valerie Desnoux, subtitled "Explorer le Soleil invisible avec Sol'Ex".

There’s just one major catch... it’s written entirely in French, and there’s no sign of an English translation anywhere on the horizon. Since my French is pretty rusty, this is going to be a real challenge—but exploring the 'invisible Sun' with the Sol'Ex will be well worth the effort!

Moon and Venus with my Weatherstation

A beautiful alignment of the Moon, Venus and my weatherstation.

Heat waves 2025 and 2026 (so far)

A heat wave is an extended period of anomalously high atmospheric temperatures driven by synoptic-scale anticyclones, where sinking air warms adiabatically and suppresses cloud formation. This allows uninterrupted solar radiation to directly heat the Earth's surface, creating a thermal feedback loop amplified by dry, low-specific-heat sandy soils like those in Averbode. In Belgium, the official threshold requires at least five consecutive days reaching 25 Celsius or higher, with at least three of those days exceeding 30 degrees Celsius. The localized environmental and thermodynamic impacts of these specific atmospheric events in Averbode are outlined below with a comparison of the official data of KMI Uccle.

For Averbode we have more heat waves then official registrated by KMI in Uccle. Also the lenght of the heat waves are longer. 

Data is measured using weather station:  Levenhuk - WU ISCHER75 or EcoWitt EasyWeatherPro-16ACFC

Sun July 15 different wavelengts

The Sun in different wavelengths.

Setting: Sol'Ex by James R on TLAPO80/480 and ASI678MM

Herschel Wegde, 2nd Gen Slit and IR Cut Filter

Tilt <0,5° and Sx/Sy=1

Software: SharpCap, Inti, JSolex, DeNoise AI, CS4

Sun July 14

Very good seeing this morning. Mount was polar aligned and Sol'Ex was foreseen with an IR Cut filter.

Setting: Sol'Ex by James R, Herschel Wedge and IR Cut filter

TLAPO80/480 with ASI678MM Camera

Sx/Sy = 1 and tilt 0,2°

Software: SharpCap, Inti, JSolex, CS4, AstroSurface and DeNoise AI

 

MgIb2 (-1 pixel or 0,06A)