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. 

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.

 

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.

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)

July 11 Prominences

Images of the Sun and it's prominences. Images are inversed.

Prominence July 12

Prominence on July 12, 2026.

Amazing Prominence July 4th

 

Observation of an amazing prominence on July 4th. The image was made using my Sol'Ex on TLAPO80/480 with ASI678MM.

Editing using Inti, DeNoise AI and CS4.

Sodium, Magnesium and Calcium with Sol'Ex

Sol'Ex observation in Sodium (NaID2), Magnesium (MgIb2) and Calcium (CaIIH). The comparison shows sharp and delineated supergranulation in MgIb2 and less in NaID2 and fully scattered in CaIIH.

Sun Sol'Ex June 28

 

Active sun in different wavelenghts using Sol'Ex by James R on TLAPO80/480 and ASI678MM.

Filament 109km/s AR4478 Solex

Filament eruption near AR4478 on June 25. I repaired my Sol'Ex by James R and I completed a try out together wtih Lieven, a Helios colleague.

After taking the first scan, a filemant showed up in Ha2cb. Using JSolex, the speed is abt 109km/s

A made a couple of gif images to show the dynamics across different wavelengths; from 0,5 till 2,5A and -0,5 till -2,5A from the centre of the H-Alpha line.

Setting

- Sol'Ex by James R, 2nd Gen Slit, TLAPO80/480 and ASI678MM

- Herschel Wedge

- tilt -2,6° and Sx/Sy=1

- Software : SharpCap, Inti, CS4, JSolex

Sun June 24 with flare in AR4475

Temperature slightly above 30°C but seeing is good. I could capture a flare near sunspot AR4475 and in CaIIH line.


Setting: Solex Pro on TLAPO60/360 and ASI290MM
ND Filter

Tilt:0,6° Sx/Sy:1

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

Sun June 22 Sol'Ex and JSolex setting

Day 6 of the second* heat wave in Belgium so far this year. So conditions are moderate with temperatures above 25°C this morning and moderate seeing. I added extra protection with Aluminum foil on the camera and parts of mu Sol'Ex Pro version to protect for heating.

I spend time to a sharp apture aswell a good Sx/Sy. 

But more important was the time I spend on editing the images using JSolex. The slit contains some dust and previous images didn't show them. So went back to the basics and changed JSolex settings with some good results. 

* the first heat wave end May is not official as measured in Uccle but was registrated locally at my hometown.