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Monday: 33-38F, fast moving cloud clearing very slowly from the west/northwest.The sun is sneaking along the ridge of the house 12° maximum altitude and falling to 8° with only the briefest glimpses of sunshine in the 180/12 [7"] at 68x with Baader full aperture solar foil filter. No sign of any surface activity so far.
H-alpha in the 6" f/8 [120mm f/10 equivalent] is dim at 38x and 46x and showing no sign of any prominences. The eyepieces keep fogging up so I am rotating them through my jacket pockets. The dome drive crank is proving excellent at moving the dome on at intervals to follow the sun with the observation slit. Well worth the effort. I need to pack out the 6" rings to match the 7". Their optical axes do not quite coincide by about half a field of view.
The 8x50 finder is handy for initial location of the sun by its own shadow and the projected image of the sun. I just need to remember not to look though it. As it is quite inaccessible when the sun is so low there is a very low risk at present.
I must admit to really enjoying solar observation now I have the correct tools for it. I shall also enjoy imaging once the sun gets high enough to make it worthwhile. Shame I chose to start taking it seriously just as the sun enters its minimum activity.
There is still months of work to finish off the observatory and mounting properly. So I shall have plenty to do when it is cloudy.
Click on any image for an enlargement.
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