For today’s solar imaging session, I used some slightly different optics. I inserted a Barlow lens between the solar telescope and the camera increasing the instrument’s effective focal length (magnification) by a factor of 1.5x. The intent was to use more of the camera’s sensor thus recruiting more pixels into picture. My intent was to improve the image quality, but I am not sure that I accomplished anything. Below are the comparison images.
Below, the cropped section of the H-alpha image on the left shows ongoing prominences along the southern polar limb.
The annotated sunspot cameo shows the new sunspot group that will probably be named AR3893 emerging on the eastern solar disk. Groups AR3883, 3884, and 3886 are washed out in my sunspot image. All three groups are all visible in NASA’s images. Alas, NASA instruments are beyond the pocketbooks of mere peasants. I consider myself lucky that Susan lets me spend money on the astro gear that I have. 🙂
