When you want to see the stars, find someplace dark
A closer look at the sunspot complex AR1967. Image takes with an AT6RC telescope, a Baader film solar filter and a Canon 60D camera in 640×480 crop mode. The best 800 of 1200 images were stacked in RegiStax, final processing in Photoshop.
Another process run on the sunspot image I posted earlier, a stack of 800 out of 1200 frames, with notably better detail. The large complex is AR1967 just rotating into view. This spot has already spawned an M-class flare and more is likely. Forecasters have given the chances of more M-class flares at 60% with the chance of an X-class flare at 10%.
The bright stars of Collinder 399 form the Coathanger asterism. Also visible is the open cluster NGC6802 at the left of center. North is up in this view.
Well past perihelion comet C/2011 L4 continues to put on an impressive show. Amateur sky-watchers have been enjoying the impressive anti-tail reaching out a few degrees from the coma. True, you may need a telescope or at least good binoculars to see the comet. It may be dimming, but still worth the effort to observe.
The seeing was pretty bad, leading to bloated stars in the image, unusual conditions for Hale Pohaku. Still a nice subject for the AT6RC and 60D camera. I expect I should shoot this target again.
A Memorial Day Sun from Hawai’i. Another run at setting up and testing gear for the upcoming Transit of Venus. The seeing was not great, but I shot the Sun and some material of a thin crescent Venus just 12°44′ from the Sun.
I love it when everything actually works. As I have often stated… Astrophotography is an art of details. After dealing with each detail, one by one, sometimes it works…
